Intergalactic Comics: Prison Break: Resurrection

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Prison Break: Resurrection – “Wine Dark Sea” Review

By: Jaclyn Cascio (@jaclynator)

The Prison Break: Resurrection journey is winding down, with only two episodes remaining, but that doesn’t mean the action has stopped! The escapees are still a long way from home, and a lot can happen during that time. This week’s episode had some thrills, as well as a lot of heart.

By the end of this week’s episode of the show, “Wine Dark Sea,” it felt like there was very little mystery left to the season. Opening the revival season with far more questions than answers, this episode felt like a marked detour from that, perhaps giving too many answers without enough mystery. Identities were confirmed, conspiracies revealed, and we have been left with only a promise that Michael has a plan to make things right – but we haven’t really seen him with a solid plan (or contingency plan) since…well…the “Contingency” episode. The unique mark of Prison Break in the past has been the incredibly intelligence of Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) applied in extraordinary situations. Yet episode seven appears to find everyone still, sadly, winging it. Even the villain, Poseidon, set up to be the dark side equivalent to Michael seems to be making some unfortunate moves. And Sara’s (Sarah Wayne Callies) utter lack of foresight and planning near the close of the episode only entrenched the plot further into predictable (and frustrating) territory.

This is not to say that the episode still failed to entertain. Even with no real plan or thoughtful exposition, “Wine Dark Sea” still had some fun with Navy SEALs, tear gas, explosions, and the like. The thrill of the chase between Sara and Poseidon (whose identity has really truly been confirmed in this episode), while not overly cunning, is still exciting!

The real strength of this week’s episode of Prison Break: Resurrection was that it was a “feels” episode. The posse of characters has rightly been cut down, eliminating many of the characters from Michael’s Ogygia Prison crew who, honestly, didn’t really connect with most viewers. With fewer distracting secondary characters who added little to the story, “Wine Dark Sea” was able to run free with the emotions of the remaining members. (You know, the ones we care about.) Whip (Augustus Prew) showed something deeper and more vulnerable than his usual sarcastic attitude, which was refreshing. Additionally, “Wine Dark Sea” brought a heartfelt reunion that took us all back to the infirmary days of the first season of Prison Break. The writers and director were smart in allowing the moments speak for themselves, without filling them with unnecessary dialogue or movement. A sincere and tangible connection could be felt, and it honestly felt like the days of old.

That wasn’t the only reunion worth talking about in this week. Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) finally found his way back into the story, and right into our hearts! In fact, if there was a highlight to this week’s episode, it was Sucre. His humor and lightness have been desperately needed, and we can only hope that the remaining two episodes of the season will keep him around. Michael’s old cellmate is loyal to a fault, a friend that we would all like to have given the choice. And his loyalty continues to know no bounds, even in season five of Prison Break.

The real question is – what has T-Bag (Robert Knepper) been doing? That prosthetic hand wasn’t just for fun and giggles, and he’s far too suspicious to follow along with a plan he feels he has no control of. Prison Break: Resurrection has potentially lost some opportunities with his character, who somehow makes everything a little more interesting than it has a right to be. But, here’s to hoping that he’ll make his way back to the screen next week!

Overall, this week’s episode may have lacked plot, but what it lost in action it made up for with emotional content. With certain character connections, the core of what makes the show great were rediscovered. To see if Prison Break: Resurrection can continue to hold onto the things we all want, and maybe through some twists in along the way, tune into Fox on Tuesday nights at 9/8c!