Episode Report Card Joe R: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Wire Transfer
By Joe R | Season 1 | Episode 4 | Aired on 09.11.2005
Out in the yard, we find Sucre at the Pet Peeve Pay Phones, having an intense conversation with Maricruz's answering machine. And I say "answering machine" and not "voicemail" because Sucre keeps talking like he's waiting for Maricruz to pick up the phone, even though, as we see later in the episode, Maricruz has a cell phone. So maybe he's talking into Mamacruz's answering machine. If that's the case, it's understandable that no one answers. But Sucre keeps talking, until the con in line behind him -- who kinda looks like Wash from Firefly -- suggests that Sucre give it up already. Before he does, Sucre puts in a plea that Maricruz show up today for their weekly (non-conjugal, as per the soap phone affair) visitation. "I'm your man, baby, and I love you," is how he signs off. And boy, was his left eyebrow working overtime in that brief scene.
Shower scene! Shower scene! Network-mandated, strategically placed cinderblock walls! Michael steps out of the sea of dudes wearing nothing but a towel. And boy, did that towel get no love in the forums. I'm predicting right now that the towel walks away with next year's Tubeys for Worst Performance by an Inanimate Object, Least Favorite Character, and Most Unwelcome Cast Addition. Haywire enters the shower room to Michael's turned back, gets a good look at the tattoo, and gasps, "It's a pattern." Michael whips around as Haywire repeats himself. Michael tells him he's seeing things, as he grabs an extra towel that will function as a lovely wrap, and exits.
Warden's office. Pope is telling Bellick that putting Haywire in with Michael was "a low blow." Bellick disingenuously assures Pope that the shrinks cleared Haywire for re-entry into Gen Pop, and that with all the meds he's on he's "like a kitten these days." So it's a good thing he's not puking said meds up on a regular basis, then. Anyway, Bellick can see where this conversation is headed, and claims that if Pope offers preferential treatment to Michael, he'll lose credibility. He goes a bit further, calling the Taj Mahal Diorama a "contraption" along the way, and finally arrives at his point: "He is a violent criminal. He deserves punishment, same as the rest of them." Pope: "You've been here long enough to know that I'm less interested in punishment than I am in rehabilitation." And we have ourselves a dynamic. The classic prison philosophical battle between punishment and rehabilitation. I must say, it does bother me that in preferring Pope to Bellick I'm siding with the Tim McManus of the two, but I'll stay cool with Pope until he busts out with "Camptown Races." Anyway, Bellick says that Pope handed him control over Gen Pop, and should either let him run things or give the job to someone else. Pope cools Bellick down a bit, telling him there's a reason he's been given more responsibility: "When I retire, I'm recommending you to take my place. Don't make me regret it." And don't make me explain why someone so devoted to the cause of rehabilitation over punishment would choose to groom a replacement whose views are so clearly in opposition. Pope dismisses Bellick with one last request to "take another look at the Scofield situation."