Episode Report Card Sobell: B+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Bad Boys Eventually Get Quiet Time
By Sobell | Season 4 | Episode 11 | Aired on 11.17.2008
Oh, wait! There's another reason we're seeing this scene: to remind us all that Don Self does not know how serious Michael's brain injury is. Or to point out that perhaps Don Self is a little too credulous, as he takes Mchael's rock-star excuse of "dehydration" without even an arched eyebrow. Don Self assures Michael that he's got "someone" keeping an eye on T-Bag and Gretchen and, "if they try something, they'll get taken out." Yeah, since that "someone" is Trisha, Michael's right to look worried and clutch his head. Don Self notices this and asks, "You sure you're all right?" Michael lies, "It's just that we're breaking into [One World Conspiracy] headquarters, and you'll understand why we're all a little on edge." Don Self nods. He then adds, "When your father approached me about doing this, I felt like I was chasing a ghost or something. But because of the work you guys have done, today's the day. We're going to take these bastards down." The music swells dramatically, but poor Don Self seems to be the only one who's excited by the prospect.
Sucre and Mahone come back and Michael breaks the news that they've only got four hours, on account of him having to go to the hospital and get his brain sliced up with a gamma knife. Both Mahone and Sucre seem rattled by this, but in the next shot, the cool-as-a-cucumber Mahone is busy walking everyone through the footage. I still can't get over how calm and steady he is now. It only adds data to my theory that the most effective short-term treatment for psychosis and addiction may be homicide. (Boy, that is an ethics problem to chew on: "Under what circumstances is it permissible to let the mentally ill kill people?") Michael sums up the five problems that Team Scylla must crack in the next four hours: the concrete wall, the glass wall, the microphonic sensors, the weight sensors and the thermal detectors. He then stresses everyone out further: "We make one wrong move, the camera goes on and General Von Baldy knows we're inside." Mahone muses, "All this security and only one man has access to video surveillance." Michael reasons, "The [One World Conspiracy] doesn't want any record of what's going on down there." Dr. Sara asks why they can't just take the elevator that leads down to the room, and Michael practically snaps that "we have to go where they're not expecting us." I would bet good money that the One World Conspiracy isn't expecting anyone to just march on into the elevator, but what do I know? I'm sure that it's much easier to craft a no-weight, no-sound, no-heat method of stealing Scylla than it is to get through ten layers of human security. Michael struggles to explain how they'll start the job -- "We have to generate an electromagnetic field ..." but then he trails off, on account of his tumor giving him a little trouble. Mahone stares for a moment, then fills the leadership vacuum, tasking Sucre with getting a few car batteries to help generate said electromagnetic field. Linc assures Michael they can do this. Michael's all, "Um. What time are we expecting Gretchen to get that sixth card?"