Episode Report Card Sobell: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Unquiet riot
By Sobell | Season 1 | Episode 6 | Aired on 09.25.2005
Meanwhile, in the relatively quiet infirmary, the bearded CO is busy getting a glass of water while the sick inmates rally enough to sexually harass Dr. Tancredi as she checks on their health. This peaceful scene is disrupted once Bellick's news crackles across the radio; the inmates all begin cheering in solidarity. Dr. Tancredi looks nervous.
Now we switch to Sucre's gaping mug: he's staring at a wall while Michael explains, "Somewhere behind this wall is the drainage pipe to the old sewer system. We get through this wall, we can get to the pipe. We get into the pipe, we can get into the infirmary. If we can get to the infirmary, then we can get out of here." Sucre stops gaping long enough to grin.
Lincoln's visit with his attorneys is cut short as two COs come over and say, shortly but politely, that visiting hours are now over and everyone has to leave. The CO mentions that A-wing's been shut down and Lincoln says anxiously, "Veronica, Michael's in there." "Will he be okay?" she asks dazedly. Lincoln doesn't answer. Instead, he asks her to go to D.C., as it's the only lead they have (or "have," depending on whether Nick the Legal Beagle is also a conspiracy stooge), and tells her, "I'll take care of Michael."
And again with me and the kvelling: as astute readers have noticed, I am not a big Lincoln fan. Frankly, it's taking a lot of restraint not to refer to him as "Lincoln Log." But here, Dominic Purcell managed to actually convey some anxiety and sell the idea that he's used to keeping an eye out for his brother. Well done!
The baby-faced CO walks Lincoln back to his cell and says, "Sorry about cutting that short." Lincoln replies, "Bob, how many times have I told you not to apologize. It makes you look weak." Heh. What is this funny feeling I'm having? Is it…actual enjoyment of the time Lincoln's on screen? Anyway, Bob explains, "Some clowns breached cell block. But we've got nothing to worry about -- they always keep it locked on both ends." Oh, Bob. You are like this episode's George "Indians? I Don't See Any In--" Custer. Especially since you and Lincoln have just walked into a corridor blocked on either end by unruly inmates.
Unfortunately, the one the guys really have to worry about is T-Bag, who pulls up short and drawls, "I'll be damned. A rookie CO and it ain't even Christmas." You know, it's too bad T-Bag is one of those Fabulously Gay White Supremacists. Otherwise, he could convert to Judaism and get a new CO every night during Hanukah. But I don't even want to think about how he'd play the dreidl game.
Bobby freezes up. Thinking quickly, Lincoln gets himself unlocked and tells T-Bag to scram. T-Bag says, "Finders, keepers? You know, I respect that, I really do. But I think we can work something out?" Linc asks, "What you got?" Behind him, Bobby blanches. T-Bag offers to keep Lincoln stoned to the gills as he awaits execution. Linc declines. Waving his newly-acquired prison baton, T-Bag chides, "You got to learn the art of negotiating." A bunch more inmates lurch behind Lincoln into the locked stairwell. He swings Bobby into a place of relative safety, and then turns to T-Bag and orders, "No blood spilled." And again -- maybe each week should be Linc-gets-backed-in-a-corner-week, because the focused-rage thing he's got going on is working for him.