Episode Report Card Sobell: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Where The Wild Things Are
By Sobell | Season 3 | Episode 13 | Aired on 02.17.2008
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.This episode is Exhibit A in why some shows should keep it short and sweet. Seriously -- the pacing is snappy, there are no obvious filler plots or padding in this season's series of episodes, and the finale is gratifying, as opposed to an irritation-generating "I kept track of plotlines and details for twenty-one episodes for this?" Thirteen is the new season order!
And now, on to the episode that inspired the above epiphany.
Whistler, you rat! He's no more a humble fisherman than Susan B. is a sweet, well-adjusted girl. He's an active agent in the One World Conspiracy. We find this out pretty early on, when Michael and Linc catch Whistler within the first three minutes of the episode. Michael seems to take this all in stride, and his big, scheming brain manages to facilitate a swap -- Whistler for L.J. -- in such a way as to make sure that L.J., Linc, and Michael are okay.
Unfortunately, Susan B. gets cranky outside the museum where the hostage-swap has taken place, and in the ensuing gunplay, Sofia suffers a gory but nonfatal wound. Susan B. hustles Whistler away, and guess who stays with Sofia? Not Linc -- he's currently wanted on account of having stolen that bus he ran into the tree. But L.J. does. It's very sweet. Come to think of it, he's one of the best things about this episode, from his ribbing of Susan B. to his handing "Uncle Mike" the rose that Dr. Sara kept with her.
After Susan B. and Whistler make their escape, they hook up with Mahone in a bar, and we learn that Mahone and Whistler struck a deal earlier, one One World Conspiracy stooge to another. Mahone's now devoted to the One World Conspiracy (oh, Lang will be so disappointed). However, he warns Whistler that Susan B.'s the weak link, because she'll ultimately be what brings Michael down on their heads.
Inside Sona, poor Sucre has a terrible episode; first, he's tortured by the guards and then he's thrown in with the rest of the inmates. We also see T-Bag kill Lechero, steal his money, and make some time with Sister Magdalene, who digs him, plastic hand and all. When T-Bag spreads around Lechero's money, it's pretty apparent he's decided to make the best of a bad situation.
We also get one of the most enjoyable closing sequences for a season I've seen in a while: as a Spanish-language cover of Rob Orbison's "Cryin'" plays on, we see what all the characters are up to: Splenda is celebrating with his family at a "Congratulations on breaking out of Sona!" party; Sucre is resolving himself to a long stay in Sona; Bellick is resigning himself to staying in Sona (at least he has pants, compared to last year's finale); T-Bag is establishing himself as People's Choice for Sona ruler; Whistler and Mahone are uneasily contemplating what life will be like with Michael on their tails as Susan B. drives them to an unknown destination; Linc, L.J. and Sofia are all gathered in her hospital room. And then there's Michael, who's driving in a car with two things on the passenger seat beside him: the origami rose he once made Dr. Sara, and a loaded gun.
Oooh, here's hoping Fox can give us another great, tight, 13-episode season in the fall. Want more? The full recap starts right below!
We begin this episode right where the last one ended: Whistler has driven off and the two brothers are all, "Well, fuuuuuu...dge." (What? This show's on FOX. Ain't no F-bombs on network prime time.) They quickly hop in the car and pursue Whistler, and we get yet another car chase scene. Whistler is quite good at evasive driving...when on earth would a humble fisherman have the time to develop those types of skills?
Whistler eventually ditches the truck and begins running on foot through the streets. The brothers follow suit and the car chase gives way to a footrace. Michael is Whistler's primary pursuer, and Whistler manages to duck down an alley that lets out into another street before Michael can catch up. By the time Michael's on the other side of the alley, there's no sign of Whistler. He heads in one direction, and we see Whistler poke his head around the corner and then amble in the other. He manages to charm a lady into letting him borrow her mobile phone, and then he calls Susan B. Whistler says, "I lost them. You need to come and pick me up." Whistler, you rat fink! You were working in cahoots with Susan B. the whole time! You lying liar who lies! Susan B. asks, "Where are you?" Whistler turns around to look, and thanks to Lincoln's surprise appearance, it would appear that Whistler's answer is going to have to be "Supine on the sidewalk." Linc picks up the phone, trains a gun on Whistler and tells Susan B. chirpily, "Let me guess." Susan B. looks shocked but recovers with, "If anything happens to him." Lincoln replies, "That depends, doesn't it? [Kicks Whistler brutally]." Michael rounds the corner just in time to catch this. His expression -- Of course Linc has pinned Whistler under his work boot. Why wouldn't he? -- suggests volumes about their childhood. Susan B. bitches that she's at the warehouse and Lincoln is like, "Hey, if Whistler hadn't decided to take a flier..." Susan B. tells him, "Why don't you get back here? I have L.J. and Sofia and I'm ready to do the exchange." Linc tells her, "I'll call you back" and hangs up right as she snaps, "What?!"
We cut to Whistler retching on the ground and Linc shares that "the plan's shot -- she's already there." "So now what?" Michael wonders. Whistler pipes up, "I can fix this. That's what I was trying to do." Michael points out, "You were calling them to pick you up." Whistler nobly protests that it's so nobody else gets hurt: "You really think I would put anyone's life at risk?" "You already have," Michael points out.