Previously on Prison Break: Michael's plans sort of, well, sucked. But he's still the hottest structural engineer in Illinois.
It's two minutes 'til midnight as Linc's getting strapped to the Chair. When the viewing room curtain is opened Linc spies an older dude with a crown of silver hair. His gasps of "It's him!" and "Michael, turn around" are lost on Michael and Veronica, mainly because they can't make out what he's saying thanks to the Chair's chin strap. The phone light starts to buzz and the curtain is closed.
Veronica and Michael are waiting for word when the Pope arrives with Linc. Michael wants to know what's up and Pope says Judge Kessler has delayed the execution due to new info. Michael demands more: why? How long? but Pope doesn't know anything else. He gives the three some privacy. Linc's completely out of it as Michael tells Veronica he needs to know exactly how much time they have. She leaves to pester the judge. Once she's gone, Linc brings up Silver Fox and asks if Michael saw him. He says it was their father, which, judging by Michael's expression, he finds hard to believe.
Credits. What does Wentworth Miller gotta do to get top billing?
When we come back, Michael is politely trying to tell Linc he's off his rocker, but Linc's adamant that it was their dad.
Patricia's bitching out Bastard Kellerman and (yay!) Agent Ro. The latter two are busy pointing fingers at one another concerning the new info Judge Kessler anonymously received. Patricia brings up Rotting-Corpse Hale, but Kellerman points out that Veronica would've argued the info in court if Hale had given it to her. He and Agent Ro quite awesomely continue sniping (we learn Agent Ro is a member of "The Company" to which the dearly departed Crafty Quinn also belonged), but Patricia shuts them up. She doesn't care where the leak is, she just wants it found. Then she reprimands Agent Ro (who could so kick Patricia's ass), "The next time you're in my office, I expect you to stand when you're addressing me." Ooh-catfight!
Veronica and Sleazy Lawyer meet with Judge Kessler. He says he doesn't know who dropped off the new info. He shows them a copy of (Not)Steadman's autopsy report, which indicates he still had an appendix at the time of death. Then he shows them a copy of a medical file stating that Steadman's appendix was removed when he was 12. The judge says there's no way to authenticate the file since the hospital's records don't go back that far. So he's going to delay the execution for two weeks while they exhume and test the body. Sleazy Lawyer's pissed.
Michael gets the news from Veronica, which he shares with Sucre who wonders what'll happen if it really is Steadman in the grave. Michael says he's not going to sit around hoping. "What does that mean?" Sucre ponders. "It means we get back to work."
Linc meets with Pope and asks him about Silver Fox. Pope says that besides Michael and Veronica, there were three reporters present at his (non)execution: two women and one man. The man's name was William Prall. Linc thanks Pope.
Michael's shirtless and he and Sucre are checking his tattoo (the part on his back) for another way out. Michael informs his cellie that he always had a contingency plan, but "it's suicide."
The snowy, snowy yard. Sucre's complaining about the cold while on PI. C-Note tells him, "You know what they say about weather in the Midwest? If you don't like it, wait an hour." Tell me about it. Remember when Michael said it was the "hottest April on record" and how he incited a riot by turning OFF the AC? Now it's snowin' and blowin' just a couple of weeks later? Well, a few years ago in mid-April it hit 91 frickin' degress on a Monday, the next day it was 87, then that weekend? Snowstorm. Crappy roads and everything. So I totally buy the snowy stuff, even though others have complained about the inconsistencies. ANYHOO, Michael informs the other Escapees about the change of plans. They'll still leave through the Hole in the NSB and they'll get out through the infirmary, but it's the "in-between that's gonna have to change." They now have to go through the psych ward, or as T-Bag calls it, the Whack Shack, to get to the infirmary. Westmoreland asks if there's a pipeline from the NSB to the Whack Shack. Michael's "sort of" doesn't sit well with C-Note. About forty yards up the pipeline from the NSB there's a grate they'll have to go through to get to the Whack Shack. And from said grate to said Shack, it's all above ground. "Oh, so just a bunch of cons takin' a stroll in the middle of the night for all the guards to see?" C-Note sarcasms. "Yup," Michael replies. "You're right, it is suicide," Sucre chimes in. So Westmoreland asks if the grate is, at least, hidden. Nope. They're standing on it. "Aw, hell no!" C-Note complains. He points out that the grate is in full view of three guard towers. "It'd be like ducks in a shooting range. Your plan sucks, Snowflake." Judging by Michael's expression, he agrees with C-Note. But he's desperate. Hot, and desperate.
Back in their cell, Michael tells Sucre he needs to go into the walls later that night. He plans on heading over to the Whack Shack in order to familiarize himself with the pipe system underneath. Sucre brings up C-Note's argument about the ducks and Michael agrees, but he's desperate (and hot). Sucre spies a rather hefty inmate pushing a laundry cart and gets his very first lightbulb of the series.
Patricia's addressing the press and bitching about her (not)brother's exhumation.
Nick and Veronica are standing by as the coffin is hauled out of the ground. Nick points out that Steadman asked for a "green burial": no embalming, a biodegradeable coffin which will make IDing the body difficult.
Sucre is pestering Hefty Inmate, who happens to be his cousin. Hefty Inmate Cousin refuses to do whatever it was that Sucre asked him to do, so Sucre resorts to good old-fashioned familial blackmail.
We catch up with Linc who's dreaming about his dad taking him to Wrigley Field. We see his dad point out a player with the number 11 on his uniform.
Hefty Inmate Cousin enters Michael and Sucre's cell and hands over a plastic-wrapped package. He warns the guys not to get caught with it and reminds them he needs it back by morning.
NSB. C-Note drops a postcard which Westmoreland picks up and returns to him. Outside Bellick's approaching so T-Bag rat-a-tats the door in warning (which wakes a snoozing Sucre-hee!). C-Note notices a hole in the wall from which cement powder is pouring. Westmoreland says it's the cement they dug up from the Hole so C-Note leans against the wall with his foot pressed up to the hole, halting the flow of cement. When Bellick enters he immediately commences bitching about their laziness. Why doesn't he do something about it? Are they the only PI crew in the prison? Anyway, he orders the guys to hop-to, but C-Note can't move. He says his leg fell asleep. Bellick gets in his face so Westmoreland pushes C-Note (covering the hole in the wall with his own leg in the process) and pretend-bitches about C-Note not pulling his weight. Bellick approves of feisty Westmoreland, who simply shoots him a death glare, he hasn't forgotten about poor Marilyn. Bellick heads out. Once Westmoreland steps away from the wall, it breaks open and huge chunks of concrete fall out. Uh-oh! The guys shovel the mess down the Hole.
Linc's getting a check-up. He asks Doc if it was possible he hallucinated during his (non)execution. She says sure, he's a prime candidate for PTSD. If he really wanted someone to be there, to comfort him, then he might've imagined that person.
NSB. Westmoreland brings up the postcard. He figures C-Note sends the cards to a buddy in Iraq who then mails them to C's wife for him. That'd explain the Iraqi postmark. C-Note doesn't want to talk about it; he says he and Westmoreland don't have anything in common. Westmoreland points out that he too has a daughter. And even though he knows that family is the first place cops look for escapees, his daughter will be his first stop. He guesses that this is true for C-Note as well.
Linc's dreaming again. This time we see the name of player #11: PRALL. Linc's eyes snap open and he remembers the name the male reporter used.
Michael's shirtless again. He tells Sucre that the pipes below the Whack Shack are rather complex and it'd be quite easy to get lost. "If I make a wrong turn down there tonight, I won't make it back by count." Sucre's got faith in his cellie.
So Michael heads out and makes his way to the grate in the middle of the yard. Before he climbs out he changes into the hottest prison guard in Illinois, thanks to the uniform Hefty Inmate Cousin snagged from laundry. A spotlight from one of the towers zeroes in on him (and who can blame it?), but Michael casually waves it off before proceeding to the Whack Shack (am I going to get tired of typing that?). He uses the excuse of needing to use the bathroom to gain entry from a rather creepy guy wearing scrubs.
Count's started. Sucre nervously checks his watch-hey, did Michael finally buy him one so he'd stop constantly asking for the time?
Back at the Whack Shack, Michael's made his way to the basement. He finds an old trapdoor and, satisfied, prepares to leave. He's caught by Creepy Guy so he plays stupid and pretends to be lost. Then he pretends that he forgot that he had to pee.
We proceed to a tasty shot of a badly (is there really any other way?) decomposing corpse. Nick and Veronica don't seem at all squicked out to be that close to the dead. The forensic examiner states that the dental imprint he took of Juicy Corpse matches the dental records of Steadman. Sleazy Lawyer's satisfied. As Nick and Veronica depart, Patricia shows up and bitches them out for the pain they've caused her family and blah blah. Seriously. I mean, I love love love Patricia, but all she ever does on this show is plot and bitch, plot and bitch. Maybe she should blow something up, just to change things up a bit.
Fox River. Michael gets back to the grate and hustles his way through the walls while Sucre paces. Michael's held up by a guard who's taking a hit from a friend named Smirnoff. In order to avoid being seen, Michael presses himself against a valve. Did I mention said valve is spewing hot, hot steam? Michael winces in pain, then has to bite down on his hand.
A guard checks out a lump of blankets pretending to be Michael on the bottom bunk and a bare-footed, fake-snoozing Sucre on the top before continuing his count. Oh, sloppy guard! When Horny Guard did count he called for Michael to "show some skin, Scofield" (as did many a viewer). Anyway, when Michael rat-a-tats, Sucre hops down and helps Michael through the back door. "I'm hurt, " Michael gasps (you don't say). He asks Sucre to help him take off the uniform. When Sucre says no, millions of viewers (who'd do just about anything to rip off Wentworth Miller's clothes) scream in protest. Sucre says the shirt has melted into Michael's skin and he can't just rip it off, but Michael points out that if he's caught with a guard's uniform, he's toast. So Sucre tears the shirt off and Michael gives an almighty yell.
Michael awakens in the infirmary where Doc informs him they had to do a procedure.
Sucre's in the Pope's office, playing innocent ('cuz he really is). Bellick Bad Cops, "Let's review: a locked cell, two inmates, one gets branded like a South Dakota steer. You think we should call Matlock in on this one?" Sucre's (confused, and hilarious) response: "Who's Matlock?" Ha ha! Pope plays the Good Cop, but Sucre swears he didn't hurt Michael and they can ask him once he's done with the Doc.
Back to the infirmary. Doc hands Michael some painkillers and asks if Sucre did this to him, an idea Michael finds somewhat amusing. When he says no she asks who did. "This is the part where I don't answer you." Doc's disappointed, but not entirely surprised, and sends Michael back to his cell.
Laundry room. I guess Pope questioned Michael, 'cuz Sucre's free. Hefty Inmate Cousin freaks out over the burned uniform and Sucre apologizes. SFG shows up and asks for his shirt. Hefty Inmate Cousin shows him the shirt and says he left the iron on too long. SFG is disgusted but buys the excuse. Hefty Inmate Cousin then demands to know what's going on, but Sucre picks up the Scofield Mantra, "Trust me, Primo, the less you know, the better."
Veronica meets with Linc and totally Lies! about the testing. So he brings up Silver Fox, but Veronica is skeptical. He tells her about his dream and the reporter's and player's names, but Veronica reasonably asks if he remembered the player's name before or after he got the reporter's name from the Pope. Linc still believes it was his dad.
Agent Ro and Malicious Kellerman are checking out the security footage from Judge Kessler's courthouse from the night he received the medical reports. They spot a guy who expertly avoided the cameras, but oops!-Agent Ro catches his reflection in an office door window. She has the tech guy blow up the reflection. She recognizes the informant, but Kellerman doesn't. And neither do I, but could it possibly be Silver Fox? We'll have to wait and see.
Infirmary. Doc's showing her pal, Nurse Katie, a piece of fabric she removed from Michael's skin. She stated that it didn't come from a prison uniform, but a guard's uniform.
Michael's escorted to his cell where Sucre asks how he is. In response Michael (painfully) removes his shirt, then his bandages. He grabs the small mirror so he can inspect his back in the big mirror. FYI: the burn is just left of the right shoulderblade. Reading his cellie's expression, Sucre asks what's wrong. "The bluprints, the ones we need to get from the psych ward to the infirmary, our map out of here-they're gone." D'oh!
Next week: an entire episode 'o flashbacks. It'll probably be worth it just to see Wentworth Miller in something other than prison blue.
