"Prison Break" Recap & Review - "Fire/Water"

Prison Break
“Fire/Water”

Original Air Date: September 24, 2007

Tom R - TwoCents Staff Writer

Distinct emphasis on the water, actually. Between the shortage of it above ground and Whistler’s hideout in the sewers, it flows through the episode. Pun intended.

As Lechero begins to hold out on the Sona water supply, Bellick becomes more and more desperate to trade information on Whistler to whoever will give him food, water, or clothing. Michael makes the first trade to encounter Whistler in the sewer. Whistler tells him he cannot show his face above ground.

Mahone is next to enter the sewer, with a crowbar to break Whistler out of his hiding place, as Scofield tries to bargain with Lechero to lift the bounty on Whistler’s head. Bagwell is right there to advise the opposite of anything Scofield suggests.

Meanwhile, Sucre appears to get Bellick to tell him what he did with Maricruz. Bellick admits that he never had her. He just warned her off and she headed North. Relieved, Sucre tracks down her whereabouts and is ready to join her, until Linc advises him to stay away, just the same way he advised Mahone in last season’s closer.

Michael slips Linc the note that Whistler had planted on him before the fight. Linc realizes that it refers to a box at a local bank. He stakes out the area until someone comes to open the box. Confronting her on the street, she surrenders a book of bird species. The mysterious woman, now known as Susan (Linc asked for a name. She replied “Susan B. Anthony”) demands the book from Linc. He eventually agrees, but he gives her a duplicate of the same book, saving Whistler’s copy.

As Mahone fights off the other prisoners who want to get at Whistler, Michael procures some alcohol and sheets and rigs up a makeshift bomb. He sends it through a pipe, and when it blows, it opens the water valve for the compound. Lechero is impressed by Michael’s resourcefulness and declares him “useful”. He agrees to lift the bounty from Whistler’s head. Michael has his man, but still no idea how to break out.

Stay tuned. If anyone can build on this solid foundation, it’s this writing staff. This is the first time Michael has had to improvise, and the theme so far seems to be contrasting his advance research from the first two seasons with his inability to prepare for this adventure. Good way to keep things fresh.

Prison Break airs Mondays at 8 PM on FOX.