Another unnecessary element in Prison Break’s storyline seems to be the romance between Scofield and Sara. Whether it’s due to Wentworth Miller’s inability to portray enough range to switch from stern and stoic to tender and loving, or whether it’s due to the two actors (Miller and Callies) not having natural chemistry that translates onto the screen, Miller comes across as cold and harsh when he interacts with Sara in their first bedroom scene together. It seems extremely strange to see Scofield not showing any emotion in an intimate scene with Sara, when he spent most of season three despairing over her supposed death. Perhaps such a romance has no place in an adventure-wannabe program like this season of Prison Break in the first place. In which case, one wonders if it would’ve been better if Sara had not been resurrected, but rather left as dead, because at this stage it seems a pointless exercise in bringing back such a lackluster romance.
Also, other than to serve as window dressing, and perhaps as an accessory for the hero, Sara’s existence in this season seems redundant, much like the other secondary characters. We are given glimpses into her tortured past, but surely that can’t possibly have a reasonable place in helping the story in the present or future. Her horrific past experiences seem to only be there to make her more sympathetic towards the audience and to Scofield, and to give Scofield a reason to join in this adventure. Other than that, her past can’t possibly have any bearing on where the story goes from here. Again, like a lot of the devices employed in the show, Sara’s past seems easily dispensable, and inessential, plot-wise. One wonders exactly why was Sara even brought back? Her function and purpose seems superfluous at best.
The level of acting in episodes one and two seems shockingly poor too, especially from the leads. Miller spends most of his time in constant shock, and then after discovering Sara, goes into his usual brood. Purcell plays it flat and unaffected for the most part, and Callies doesn’t have enough depth or skill to be capable of playing someone broken and with a secret. In the scene where she is tearfully telling Scofield that something happened to her, and showing him the scars on her back, as well as the scene in which she is seen aggressively acting out because she was having flashbacks of her past, Callies is not able to effectively convey the resonance of a tormented soul underneath a serene exterior. She painfully and unequivocally looks like an actress just pretending to be angry when she’s flinging the pieces of wood around.
Article comments
1 - Ben
And...you get paid to write your reviews?
That's a drag.
2 - stacey
prison break is still really good and it is still about them breaking out of prison and alot of people wanted 2 see sara back in prison break
3 - dakineladat
as previous Prison Break season went by there were many twist and turns and storys of the past told...maybe the 3 escapees(T-bag,Sucre,and Bellic as well as Sara may have a chance to review their story of their excape to the audience in later episode....It's the not knowing what will happen next that is got the audience attention and made this show greatttttttttttttt......
4 - alexis
I agree that Miller and Callies did not bring the goods. How could you watch these two episodes though, and fail to mention the awesome William Fichtner as Mahone? He was the only thing worth paying attention to.
5 - janis
I was so disappointed in the scenes with Miller and Callies. What the heck. It was like, "Oh, Hi, how are you." The other thing was when the guy killed the son and wife. What was that all about? They seen to put unnecessary sadness in this show.
6 - Texie47
I thought they did pretty well considering they are cooped up with 5 or 6 other people all the time. You have to assume better things went on in that rumpled bed they showed with a crushed pillow next to the one Sara was lying on. The killing of Mahone's family just gave him impetus to hate the company and want them stopped as much as Michael and Linc do. He is a valuable member of the team since his mental abilities run parallel to Michael's.. all in all I am excited.. As for all the sadness.. I seriously doubt there is ever a situation involving prisons that doesn't have more than it's share of sadness.. that is why they call it Prisony Land not Disney Land. : )
7 - Kronos
I agree with Ben. You're take on the season premiere is totally wrong. This was a fantastic season opener. Big ups to the writers for redeeming the mess season 3 put them in. For all those who complain about the shows title "Prison Break" and how long they can use that, I heard an interested line from one of the many cast interviews. I do not remember exactly who said it (most likely Wenworth as he is the most articulate of the bunch), but they said that the "Prison Break" is now more internal for the characters. Each one of them has their own personal issues that they must break free from. These 2 episodes hit the ground running and from the first minute til the last I was on the edge of my seat. Yes there was a lot going on, but that only means they have some grandiose plan for the remainder of the season.
8 - Erin
Agreed, Alexis. Fichtner and his character are really the only reason I'm watching Prison Break now.
9 - Prison Broke
So far, this new season has been borrring and after watching the latest episode tonight, I am not sure if I will return for another. Rapaport is horrible (seriously, was he the best that they could find for that role or does he have pictures of one of the Fox execs?) and the new computer guy is so stereotyped, it is painful to watch. My biggest complaint is the main plot. Why is everyone sticking around to do this job? These are guys that would and could do anything to break out of prison (twice), yet a simple ankle lo-jack device is keeping them all around to settle a grudge? Some advice to Scofield: Stop at a Home Depot, buy some pruning shears, shed the lo-jacks, and make a run for the border with your honey. Wait a few days so that the other characters do the same, get caught and thrown in a Mexican prison, and voila - Season 3 comes back to life!
10 - Brian
SPOT ON!
I'm just hoping the writers will get back into the swing of things...once their "school year" is more underway. Much like the horrid book reports we've had to write just after summer when we were supposed to be spending our free time reading To Kill a Mockingbird.
You missed one thing in your review though...the cliched computer geek, they could have made that guy a little less pompous. I won't even go into how unrealistic the hacking scenes are. I can't even get my scanner to work with Windows Vista these days, yet he can hack into...ah forget it, I guess it's just become standard in suspense movies/shows. Just once though I'd like to see someone get the blue screen of death when trying to hack into something.
11 - Sara
I couldnt agree more.
Mahones the only good thing left.
12 - K
Brilliant review, Sharmila! You put into words exactly how I felt. I thought the only thing you missed out was how good William Fichtner is. He's the only actor to watch this season. Chris Vance was excellent too. Really a shame that they disposed of him so early. I would've loved watching more of him. The others are all utterly disappointing and forgettable.
13 - matta
i love prison break. i think robert knepper is one of the best character ever. he is amazing i role as "t-bag"