Episode Report Card LTG: B | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Cellular Degeneration
By LTG | Season 1 | Episode 3 | Aired on 09.04.2005
We resume where we left off. T-Bag approaches Michael and tells him that he looks pretty when he's scared. T-Bag proposes that the "get the love out of the way before [they] move on to the hate." He sucks his teeth and makes little kissy lips at Michael as he backs up and sets the Gutter down on a shelf. And then Abruzzi smashes T-Bag in the face with his elbow. Abruzzi's men start working T-Bag over while Abruzzi grabs Michael by the neck and tells him, "You and I need to have a conversation."
Michael and Abruzzi resume their places in the line of inmates that is still walking past the supply closet. Abruzzi tells Michael that the beatdown delivered to T-Bag was just his little way of making amends to Michael. He wants a clean slate between the two of them. Michael looks at Abruzzi's proffered hand and tells him, "You're a mercurial man, John." Abruzzi would prefer to be thought of as "bald." Or maybe he said "bold."
Michael and Abruzzi walk together in the yard, discussing what kind of deal they can work out. Michael wants a plane from Abruzzi; in return, he'll give him Fibonacci. Abruzzi wants in on the escape, and Michael agrees. So, just to be clear, to help his allegedly innocent brother escape death row, Michael is willing to deliver a key witness to certain death and help a mobster escape? That's a hero I can really get behind. Abruzzi wants to more information about the date and time of the escape, but Michael won't tell him until the event is closer. Abruzzi just wants to ensure that he'll be out before Fibonacci testifies in a month: "If not…you're a corpse." But Michael still doesn't trust him with the information.
Linc, in shackles, is led by a guard to the death row visitors area. He begs the guard to take off the shackles, because he doesn't want his son to see him like that. The guard seems resistant. I wonder what will happen?
Linc enters the little visitor's cage shackle-free. LJ is already seated on the other side of the glass. They make a little small talk, and then Linc starts a rambling and disjointed speech, starting by talking about his chat with the chaplain and finishing by saying that LJ and Michael are the only two people he has left in the world. LJ wonders what the hell is father is talking about. Linc tells him, "In the end, all that matters is love." He raises his hand above the glass between them, to the more open metal mesh that makes up the cage. He looks around and tells LJ to give him his hand. LJ is, needless to say, a bit put off by this. I mean, what high school student wants to hold hands with his father? But with tears in his eyes, he eventually raises his hand up and places it against his father's. And then Linc asks LJ to be there at his execution. (Although he phrases it as "the day before I die.") LJ nods his head, and Linc tells him that he loves him. No snark from me -- that was some really nice work from both of these actors.