Episode Report Card Sobell: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT It's so hard to find good conspiracy participants
By Sobell | Season 1 | Episode 5 | Aired on 09.18.2005
Back in the joint, Michael's got his nose stuck in the Taj Mabadidea when Pope comes in and asks how his allergies are. Michael's all, "Excuse me?" He points out that in his motion, he cited chronic sinusitis and says, "The moist air from the river along the east wall helps keep me, you know, snnnnniffff…clear." The little smirk he adds to that is priceless. Pope can barely restrain his smile either. He says, "I'm impressed. Not even a week in here and you're already working it like an old con." Michael fishes for information on why he had to file the motions, and Pope lies, "Traffic control, Scofield. That's all." Which is a very obvious clue that it's not it at all. Pope tries to steer the conversation back around to quitting time, and Michael says, "I don't think I can do that, sir." I love how Michael calls Pope "sir," but addresses the guards as "boss."
Pope wants to know why not, and Michael tells him that his hand is holding up a support. He then confuses Pope with engineering talk: "The Taj was designed with axial force, a series of longitudinal forces along an axis that --" Pope cuts him off with, "How much longer?" and Michael tells him, "Depends on how much longer it takes to dry." From the look on his face, you can tell that he was counting on the geek-speak to baffle the opposition. And he guarantees that he can stay with, "If you need me to leave, I can show your secretary how to hold it." Pope's all, "Yeah, she can't even hold a phone call without problems. Why don't you stay and get Becky to get you an escort back to the cell later?" Pope then comes over to where Michael's standing and adds, "I want to thank you for showing up today. I would have understood if you hadn't." Michael says, "We had a deal." Pope exits.
After Michael confirms that Pope's left the office and Becky's distracted by the guard who's putting the make on her, he checks the office clock: it's five until five. We see Abruzzi rolling down the hall with a trash can.
Meanwhile, on the outside…we're inside the Chateau du Pope, and he's putting the mack on his wife with, "From this angle, you look almost as good as the day we met." Mrs. Pope turns around and asks, "How about this one?" "Even better," Pope replies. So sweet, these two! He goes to sip from the glass she's pouring and Mrs. Pope smacks his hand away, explaining the drinks are for company. And who's popped by to visit Warden Pope? It's Agents Hale and Kellerman, of course.
At five after five, Michael's hanging by the locked door on the far side of the office and looking nervous. On the other side of the door, Abruzzi inserts his plastic key and turns it; following the click of the lock, Michael turns the door. He exits, then locks the door behind him and blends into a line of prisoners being escorted someplace that's not really relevant to us.