US / IRL: 3X13 - "The Art of the Deal" [** SPOILERS WITHIN **]

Mr E

This is the discussion for the Season Finale.

This is on next Tuesday on RTE (not today), so avoid if you don't want to be spoiled.











You've been warned.

Gingervitis

US / IRL: 3X13 - "The Art of the Deal" [** SPOILERS WITHIN **]
- WARNING: THIS THREAD WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN "THE ART OF THE DEAL" -

Episode Title: "The Art of the Deal"
Airdate: February 18th 2008

TV.com Summary:

Michael and Lincoln are left with no choice but to hand Whistler over in exchange to save LJ and Sofia. A familiar face enters Sona while another inmate leaves.

This episode shall air on:

Fox (US) - February 18th 2008
RTÉ2 (UK/IRL) - February 26th 2008

If you are sure you have seen the episode as mentioned above (on the channels on those original airdates), you can move down further in order to discuss the episode.

Otherwise, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED - there shall be major plot details of the episode revealed and discussed below with no spoiler tags used!
__________________

Mr E

Gah, good timing, Ginger... I'll do some mergie mergie.

Gingervitis

First, I know that this was originally intended to be the mid season finale, to set up the 2nd half of the season, but with PB being iffy as to whether it's ever coming back, I just gotta say I'm really disappointed they couldn't wrap anything up.

It wasn't a finale, it was a set up for the next season. Still, a lot of people are gonna be pissed off about this. A big Meh from me, with a bit of ugh.

The kid? totally useless and tacked on ending. Sucre? gonna rot, no one's gonna be able to get him out except maybe T bag, and good luck with that. Linc? might as well move on to other things.

Of course, my whole judgement on this revolves around whether the show gets renewed (which we won't know till May, which I'm only hopeful of) ;If it does, then we're in for a tedious wait till September, if it doesn't, then we're talking about the ultimate "going out with a whimper"

7/10 if it gets renewed
3/10 if it doesn't.

Just a bad taste in my mouth... ah well, there's always Lost!

Mr E

Yeah it kinda fizzled out, didn't it? The trade off was entertaining, but the parts that followed (the suitcase, Mahone, and the kid) seemed tacked on.

I know they probably reworked things a little bit because they guessed the strike would cut things short, but I was very disappointed. No big revelations at the end, no "Holy Sh*t!" moments.

This whole song and dance about Sara making a cameo was a big let down too... You'll know when you see it.

Very average.

Axwell

Shocking episode, terrible ending to the season and possibly the program. If there was uncertainty as to the shows ratings and it coming back that has just put the nail in the coffin for Prison Break. I know the strike upset their plans a little but this wasnt even an effort.

The writers have just left it with no closure and it now needs another season to finish off the story but at this stage i hope they dont get it. How long do they plan to drag this out for, Sucre now in Sona and Michael against the company to kill Gretchen and along the way find out what Whistler is really up to with this file and discover that Mahone is now on Whistlers side.A love story developing between t-bag and the prostitute dressing as a nun,they really are clutching at straws.

If they do get another season Sucre will have to attempt an escape somehow and get involved with tbag and Bellick so thats gonna drag out that story and then you have Michael chasing Gretchen and the company.

Compare this to the ending of last season where you were dying to know what Sona was about, it seemed so dark and evil and you couldnt wait to see what was gonna happen. 13 episodes later and who really cares anymore this show has run its course and deserves to be shelved after this finale. 3/10 at a struggle

Mossy Monk

I liked it. Few things to note. I didn't give a **** about what was going to happen to Sucre. It was obvious. T Bag starting a Communist regime. That made me laugh. Bellick is miserable again. Good to see. Mahone is back with the company. I was a bit surprised with that. I am looking forward to the next season, that's if there is one.

evil_seed

Anyone else think that it was Kellerman at the bar picking up Mahone?

Mossy Monk

That's what I thought too.

Axwell

Thats assuming there is a season 4 it hasnt been confirmed yet or taken up by Fox, after that finale we might be better off if there wasnt.

Prowetod

I was disappointed by it but it did leave the opportunity of showing a 4th series. I think they probably rushed that episode. I still hope that there will be a seaon 4.

Axwell

Mr.S wrote: »

if they didnt want to do a season 4, they would have done a "everyone walks away, all ends tied up" type of thing, but they have it perfectly set up for the next season, michael going after them and all that.

as much as dont really want a season 4, i want to find out about the company and see Michael kick some ass! he looked class with the gun.

thats the point though, they dont get a say in it so it doesnt matter if they they want to do a season or not. Its up to the tv network and if they take it on and right now its not looking good as the ratings werent great and it would have been snapped up by now if they were going to make another one i would have thought. If they dont then this was a crap ending to the series, and if they do take it on then its just getting to long and drawn out at this point. i think it would have been better to do what you described as the all ends tied up finish to the season and just left it at that. They could have done it last season too when Linc, Michael and Sara were on the boat and Linc had been proven innocent but they decided to go on for another season, at this stage its just getting long winded.

Peyton Manning

evil_seed wrote: »

Anyone else think that it was Kellerman at the bar picking up Mahone?

I liked it a lot. I mean, given the siutation they were in having to make an episode to both wrap and leave open a show, they did well in wrapping up every story except Michaels.

And yes, I was like '****, its KELLERMAN!'. I was dissapointed, but just as shocked that it was Whistler.

Creamy Goodness

so is sara alive or dead?

who was the person that was a surprise comeback ?

have to say i really like this episode.

Bounty Hunter

Im surprised by the reaction this episode has gotten from many here, I really enjoyed it. Yes little bits were tacked on as the strike derailed the rest of the season, but they had to be and it would suck if they werent. On its own merit (it was never intended to be a finale)as an episode it was very entertaining and along with last weeks episode shows the potential this show still has, despite the fact that it quite often sice S1 didnt live up to that potential.

kept thinking T-Bag was going to add something "but some are more equal than others" when he kept saying all cons are equal.

So it continues:

Micheal is tracking Gretchin and Whistler who finds out T-Bag has his little booky-wook and is using it as a bagaining chip to get out of Sona (the Prison isnt gone from PB yet). Micheal finds out Sucre is in Sona because he refused to give him up and finds out what is so important about the book and creates an elaborate (its gotta be elaborate) plan to screw Gretchin, Whistler, Mahone and T-Bag by breaking Sucre (who nabs the book) out of Sona and then uses the Info acsertained from the book to take down the Company all the time meaning to kill Gretchin, but he cant cos hes just not that guy.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

The worst episode ever. Writer's strike is not an excuse.

-I thought Kellerman would be the surprise return at the bar and they could've ended the season with that, but no it's bloody Whistler. YAWN!!!!

-Sara's return was pathetic and unnecessary, especially since it was given such a build up.

-Mahone going back to the Company sucks - he's supposed to be a good guy now.

-Lechero dying was not a good move. They had so much more they could've done with his character. They could've killed off Lincoln instead which would've been shocking and it would also mean the stupid happy family thing with LJ and Sofia that happened in the montage at the end couldn't happen.

-Gretchen's character was supposed to be cool and Michael's evil counterpart, but this episode made her seem stupid.

-I'm sick of seeing Sona's interior as it completely sucks. The original prison was better and if there is a 4th season I don't want to see Sucre, T-Bag and Bellick try to escape through another elaborate scheme.

-Michael! We get it, he's a frickin genius, but who cares about Sara's death. Get over it.

-McGrady's storyline was far too sappy. He should've met a cool end like Tweener, Haywire or Abruzzi.

-In a way I want closure, but the show has become completely unrealistic now. If they must have a 4th season the return of Kellerman and C-Note is absolutely necessary. They're the only people that can save this show.

-They should've ended it in season 2.

Axwell

Cremo wrote: »

so is sara alive or dead?

who was the person that was a surprise comeback ?

have to say i really like this episode.

Did you watch the episode? Yes shes still dead, it was a flash back moment of the rose michael made for her out of paper and then the fact she still had it when she got killed and gave it to LJ before she died, that was the suprise - that Sara was involved,even though not physically. That was all there was to it,crap episode.

Paddy@CIRL

Am I the only one who is thinking Jason Leaf = Michael ?

Creamy Goodness

Axwell wrote: »

Did you watch the episode? Yes shes still dead, it was a flash back moment of the rose michael made for her out of paper and then the fact she still had it when she got killed and gave it to LJ before she died, that was the suprise - that Sara was involved,even though not physically. That was all there was to it,crap episode.

i was talking more about what mahone said, and also the fact that there was a thread here saying that was someone coming back to the show, thought i missed something major.

jor el

Axwell wrote: »

Did you watch the episode? Yes shes still dead, it was a flash back moment of the rose michael made for her out of paper and then the fact she still had it when she got killed and gave it to LJ before she died, that was the suprise - that Sara was involved,even though not physically. That was all there was to it,crap episode.

Ah, I was just about to go flicking back through it to find out when the hell Sara turned up, because I couldn't remember her even being in it, but it was just a re-run. I didn't even know about this and paid no real notice to it either.

I wasn't expecting Kellerman at all, I never even thought of him. Actually, at first all I could think was it's Ben from Lost! Wasn't a surprise that it would be Whistler, I've though he was some sort of boss in The Company since he first met Gretchen at the prison. His actions in this episode, ringing Gretchen and owning up about the co-ordinates being fake made his "surprise" show at the end not much of a surprise.

And the ending, T-Bag deserves to be in prison, so does Bellick. Sucre ending back in a prison is sort of fitting too. He was a con to begin with so... I was surprised that Lechero hadn't been killed before T-bag and Bellick went back inside so him meeting his end was no biggie. That ending could easily be the last we see of Linc and LJ as there's nothing left for either.

Should there be another season? I don't think so. The whole thing could be finished up nicely in about 6 episodes now, which I guess it would have if the strike hadn't stopped it early. Pulling another 20 episodes out of the ending here, I think will be a disaster. That's if they even get a chance to do that.

If this is the end, then Prison Break will have gone from one of the best shows ever written, with two very good solid seasons, to one of the worst endings ever. Kind of like Dark Angel, series 1 vs series 2.

doonothing

I wonder how different the series would have been without the strike... Probably there'd be another 10 episodes of Michael going after Gretchen?
If it was meant to be 10 more of Sona then YAWN!

As crappy as that was, it can't end like that can it? If the writers can pull off such gold as series 1 and 2, surely they can end it well in a nice lil mini series perhaps...

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

So it continues:

Micheal is tracking Gretchin and Whistler who finds out T-Bag has his little booky-wook and is using it as a bagaining chip to get out of Sona (the Prison isnt gone from PB yet). Micheal finds out Sucre is in Sona because he refused to give him up and finds out what is so important about the book and creates an elaborate (its gotta be elaborate) plan to screw Gretchin, Whistler, Mahone and T-Bag by breaking Sucre (who nabs the book) out of Sona and then uses the Info acsertained from the book to take down the Company all the time meaning to kill Gretchin, but he cant cos hes just not that guy.

...leading to him putting Gretchen in prison, and lo and behold, we have the plnned spin off, Cherry Hill. Yay.

bytesize

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Am I the only one who is thinking Jason Leaf = Michael ?

I reckon so yeah... given the fact that Michael didn't work for the tire company.

Sherifu

It was always going to be hard trying to end this season. Taking it as a mid season episode it was very good. I liked to see Michael out in the big bad world again, he has so many more tricks to use. When he had the gun aimed at Gretchen I was willing him to pull the trigger, no such luck. I never thought it might be Kellerman, though I would love to see him back. It is set up perfectly if the 4th season gets the green light. I'm really hoping it gets continued. A lot of twists I didn't see coming; t-bag doing a number on Lechero, Whistler picking up Mahone[it looked to me like Mahone was going to rob the bank to finance his getaway], Sucre in Sona and Sofia getting shot. It was an excellent episode and i'm glad they didn't try to much to tie everything up into a neat bow. 9/10

Agamemnon

A good enough finale, considering it was actually a mid-season episode shoehorned into an end-of-season one by the writers strike.

It was pretty obvious all along that Mahone had planned to escape with Whistler. Now that Mahone's back with the Company, will his experiences in Sona have changed him, made him less certain of what side he should be on?

If the show is renewed, there is plenty of scope for a good season if they make some changes: having Michael waging war against the Company would be interesting, with him chasing them for a change. But Sona has been done to death so T-Bag, Bellick and Sucre better get out soon. Linc will still be around though - I can't see them writing him out of it.

cooker3

I didn't think much of it.
I am torn between what I want, if it isn't renewed then it will be the suckiest endings ever yet if it gets renewed I just can't see what how they can pull another good season out especially as they only had half a season as the original plan.
I wasn't aware there was any hype about Sara, I never heard of her return so that didn't bother me.
As for T-Bag and the nun, wtf. Where did that come, have they even met before?
I knew instantly it was Whister who was in the bar, he is still 1 of main sources of interest to me, who he is, what he does etc

Anyway bit of a letdown for me

Axwell

cooker3 wrote: »

As for T-Bag and the nun, wtf. Where did that come, have they even met before?

She used to come and visit Lechero for some "happy times" and TBag met her when she was visiting

Sherifu

Axwell wrote: »

She used to come and visit Lechero for some "happy times" and TBag met her when she was visiting

And they got close after he hid her from the guards for Lechero. cooker3, you should remember that part at least. Maybe you missed that episode?

ciaran76

I loved that episode thought it was very good.

Not going to go into detail as most of it has been said before.
I knew/guessed Mahone was waiting for Whistler at the bar and I have a strange feeling Gretchin is in the same position as Michael and she is been "made" do these things for the company.

Anyway I think closure is needed on what Michael intends on doing or will it be left open ?

cooker3

Sherifu wrote: »

And they got close after he hid her from the guards for Lechero. cooker3, you should remember that part at least. Maybe you missed that episode?

I seen all the episodes, just don't remember it *shrugs*

lukin

The exchange at the museum was very well done, great to see Michael outsmarting Gretchen yet again, but all her empty threats got a little tiresome.
I was willing to bet my life that it was Kellerman meeting Mahone at the bar, I still can't believe it wasn't.
I agree with those who've said it was stupid having Mahone team up with the company again, especially after they ruined his life.
It doesn't make any sense as when he was in Sona all he wanted to do was get back to his wife and son but now that he's out he doesn't seem to care about them.
It was also a bit silly that the security guards in the museum didn't recognise Michael when they were frisking him.
Too many cop-outs as well;Sucre supposed to die but doesn't, Michael supposed to whack Gretchen but doesn't.
I liked the bit at the end with Michael driving off by the coast with the song playing. Also the flashback to Sarah in Season One in Fox River was a nice bit of nostalgia.

_Kaiser_

Well that was very poor. This season hasn't been great anyway but if that's how the season/series ends then I'd prefer to remember it as a 2 season show myself.