Episode Report Card Sobell: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT The Fool Of The World And The Flying Ship
By Sobell | Season 3 | Episode 8 | Aired on 11.11.2007
Lechero comes down right then to fetch the men. Whistler sprints away quickly. Michael asks Lechero for his mobile phone, saying he needs to call Linc, but Lechero decides that he'll be using phone access as a motivational device: "Cell phone stays with me -- get out of here." Truly, he is a leader with foresight and vision.
Meanwhile, on the outside...Linc and Sucre are busy renting a cabin from a guy who's all, "Just so we're clear...she's got no electricity and no running water. Septic's out too, but there's an outhouse in the woods." I've lived in conditions like that -- it can be done, but you'll think twice before getting up in the middle of the night to take care of business, that's for sure. Linc tells the landlord he'll pay $100 per month, and the landlord agrees after only a little dickering. Rolling his eyes and smirking wildly, he warns, "I don't want you growing drugs on the land." Linc gives Sucre an amused look and says, "You got that?" Sucre smirks back humorlessly. Hee! These two crack me up.
Once the keys are handed over, the boys get to work. Linc and Sucre walk out into the woods -- Sucre carrying a big boom box -- and Linc gives him permission to take off, saying. "I understand, and Michael would too. You've done more than enough." Sucre replies, "If I had a kid in the same situation as your son, would you and your brother walk out on me?" Linc deadpans, "Yeah." Sucre only chuckles. Then the two of them record Linc firing off multiple shots. I am looking forward to seeing when this is used later.
Back in Sona, Michael's tracked down Splenda and asked him to please, please, please pass a message to his dad, so that his dad can then call Linc on Michael's behalf. Splenda's reply: "Hell, no! My papa's straight as razor blade. He doesn't get into any kind of trouble like you do." Michael pleads, "It's not trouble -- it's a phone call." Splenda protests, "No! I love my father." Michael says, "I love my brother. And if he doesn't get this message, something horrible is going to happen to him. Look, something really bad is going on. Please." Splenda folds. I sit and think about how this whole episode has really illustrated Michael's capacity for fierce devotion; not only to L.J., but to Linc. Even though Michael's totally pissed at Linc, he's still hustling to make sure his brother will be okay.
We then go to the Splenda/Papa scene. Papa's brought a gaily-colored package, and his face just lights up when he sees his son. "You look very handsome, like your school picture," he says. Splenda says that he got the shirt by cleaning a guy's cell. Enterprising economists should come in and study Sona's labor ecosystem -- it would be fascinating to see how the service industries in Sona rise and thrive. Anyway...Papa is distraught thinking about how Splenda should be in school with his friends, and Splenda sweetly comforts him with "I have friends in here." He considers Michael a friend because "he keeps his word, which is very rare in Sona." Splenda does not add, "He's also something of a withholding control freak," as that would not make Papa feel better. Papa shows Splenda a birthday present, but he can't stand to look at it. Papa says with forced cheer, "I'll put it with the others." Splenda says fiercely, "I'm not coming home. Accept that." Anyway, he passes on Michael's request. I am now super-curious as to why Splenda is in Sona. For a while, I was suspicious that he was a junior field agent for the One World Conspiracy (a member of JOWC? If ROTC can have a junior chapter, why not the conspiracies?) but now...I don't know.
Then we move over to Whistler, who's now visiting with a grim-looking Sofia. He warns her: "You might not be [safe]. Listen to me carefully. Promise me you won't go anywhere near Lincoln Burrows today. It's just too dangerous to be around him or to be near him. Just go home and stay there. I will call you tonight. That's all I can say. Do you understand?" Sofia is totally confused -- "Call me? From where?" Lord help me, she's channeling a little bit of Veronica right there. Whistler only reiterates how important it is that Sofia understand. She does. He says firmly, "Promise me. Say it out loud." Sofia does, but asks, "Why are you so scared?" Whistler goes all sensitive-boyfriend and says, "I can't have you get hurt. Because I love you more than anything in the world." Sofia, who is clearly doubting everything she knows about Whistler, asks tremulously, "Do you?" He does. Sofia then demonstrates the biggest difference between herself and Veronica by saying, "I got the strangest call today, from a man who says he's your landlord, talking about another apartment. Should I call him back?" Whistler easily and dismissively lies, claiming it was a wrong number. Sofia tries to give him an out with, "He asked for you by name." Whistler claims the guy was confused and lies, "I don't know anything about another apartment. All I know is you've got to stay away from Lincoln." Sofia just looks at Whistler, heartbroken.