Episode Report Card Sobell: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Escaping from the prison of love
By Sobell | Season 1 | Episode 19 | Aired on 04.23.2006
We soon find out that Abruzzi's idea of "patient" is to call Nick and snarl, "You're officially now on standby. You'll have it there. Do you understand?" The camera pans past a silver model of an airplane on Nick's desk; he sullenly replies, "I'll do my best." Abruzzi snaps, "I said do you understand?" Whoa! How about a little of that much-vaunted forgiveness for your flunky? Nick takes a longing, regretful look at Veronica, then replies that he will. Abruzzi replies, "Good. Goose Park Airstrip. Find it on the map. Soon as I call, you have that bitch there ready and waiting." I would like to hope that Abruzzi's referring to a jet airplane that way and not, say, Veronica, as that sort of label sort of flies in the face of that whole "love others as I love you" business he professes to be so keen on.
Michael comes over to say hi to Tweener. The younger man does not look terribly liberated for all that he may have castrated his rapist. Tweener asks, "You want me to still swipe that thing? I'm having a going-out-of-business sale." Michael asks why Tweener's not exploring the option of becoming the kid who lived in the SHU, and Tweener points out that doing so would constitute an admission of guilt in re: Avocado. That could add another 20 years to his sentence. "I'm dead no matter what, "Tweener concludes. He's on the verge of tears again. Michael says, "There may be another way out of here." Tweener's still wallowing in misery; he replies, "Yeah. In a body bag." Michael asks if he can trust Tweener; the boy protests that he's as straight-up as they come. Note how he doesn't disclose that he's a little squealing snitch. Michael presses that he really needs to trust Tweener, and the music gets all dramatic right before cutting away from Tweener's face.
We then transition to Michael in the clinic, coolly pulling up a sleeve. Dr. Sara comes in, and Michael says, "Hey." It almost sounds warm. She returns the greeting and Michael asks, "How are you?" She is fine, if a little standoffish. Michael extends his hand when asked, and Dr. Sara gives him a furious look as she preps him for his injection. Nurse Gossipson comes in right about then and conveniently finds Dr. Sara's keys right by her inbox. Dr. Sara's face gets even stonier. Michael's not even looking at her. Then Nurse Gossipson says, "You got a maintenance guy outside, says you wanted him here to change the locks. You want me to call him off?" Oh, that gets Michael's attention. He looks at Dr. Sara, and she's giving him a flat, betrayed stare in return. Someone finally finished her copy of Don't Do Life in the Prison of Love. Dr. Sara gives the go-ahead for changing the locks, and tells the guy to get started so Michael can see. He swallows, visibly upset. She asks, "Is there something wrong?" I love this! It's so excellent to see her moving quickly once she's got proof she's been played. Michael tells her, "No. Unless you want to talk about what happened this morning." Dr. Sara snaps back, "I have a pretty good idea. We're done here." Oh, Michael! She owned you! He knows it, too.