“Kaniel Outis” was a far more conventional episode, in the sense that much of Prison Break’s modus operandi revolved around Michael being infinitely smarter than every other human being and, as such, being 15 steps ahead of everyone, including the audience. So inside Ogygia, not only has he a plan (with contingencies) but it is remarkably complex and he has already begun to enact it. It is not dissimilar to the first season, except…
What is Michael’s game here?
When he was trying to break out Lincoln, we may not have known specifics of his plan until five seconds before those specifics happened, but there was at least a clear goal in sight: escape Fox River with Lincoln. Here, though, that clear goal does not exist. Yes, we can assume that he wants out of Ogygia - and indeed Yemen - but his association with Abu Ramal suggests something larger is afoot, as does his very presence in Ogygia. Because although he appears to have had the same thing happen to him as happened to Lincoln, C-Note’s “sucker” comment from last week and Kellerman’s questioning of who could have changed a man’s identity are both accurate. Based on everything “Kaniel Outis” provided, it seems clear that he is not in this situation by accident.
But what possible cause could Michael have to befriend and help break out a terrorist? It is that question that makes this hour much more interesting than the premiere, partly because Wentworth Miller was allowed more than two minutes of screentime in the process of posing it, but also because it is a mystery we do not know the answer to - unlike the debate over Michael being alive, which was never really in dispute. And where it might usually be a little frustrating to have so much being kept from viewers, the fact that Michael is the one who is worthy of suspicion mitigates that slightly. Particularly given that one of the outcomes is that Michael has switched sides or is at least on the fence - somewhat like game theory, which Jacob describes - thus changing our perception of him (*).
(*) This assumes he is not just playing Ramal as well for some reason, or doing this at the behest of someone else, both of which seem like more realistic possibilities.
In any event, Michael’s antics were fun. Miller is great showing his cryptic genius and even where it might be easy to get irked by the nature of his character and the story Prison Break makes out of it, it is a little easier to stomach.
But, for the moment, that mystery surrounding Michael’s motivation has Sara, Jacob, and the returning Paul Kellerman doubting whether this is the same man that supposedly died seven years ago - or even if that man was real. Sara’s doubts, though perhaps disheartening, are not really surprising given the evidence in front of her; any reasonable person who knows Michael’s abilities and his past and sees the current situation would wonder whether his loyalties have changed, or if they were even there to begin with. Again, it seems odd that Paul Scheuring would bring the show back just to do this, but it is difficult for certain to tell right now.That being said, of course, the note (*) hidden inside a paper rose delivered with a pizza would appear to indicate that Michael is still Michael, he is not the self-serving, truly manipulative individual Kellerman suggests, and that all will soon be right with these characters.
(*) Would Michael know that Sara describes him as a storm, or is that just the writers making it clear to viewers - and to her - that this is him without worrying about whether it makes sense?
Elsewhere in Yemen, Lincoln and C-Note sought clues as to what Michael is doing inside Ogygia. It is far from the best portrayal of the country - or, indeed, him - that the only response Lincoln has to the slightest roadblock is to offer a sum of money in order to get what he wants. Admittedly, it is not too far from realism given that, by all accounts, corruption is rife in Yemen, but it is slightly unimaginative for this to be his one and only out.
Regardless, his capers were somewhat fun despite the absurdity of it all - a concept not unfamiliar to the series and one that will likely be a staple of this revival. And, of course, now that he has enabled Michael’s plan to begin, things will probably kick into higher gear.
Notes:
• I hadn’t noticed in the premiere, but Miller and Purcell’s names now share a title card in the opening credits, where in the original run they had separate ones.
• Kellerman having an aversion to bottled water was very amusing.
• C-Note, when Sheba suggests the ‘sheik of light’ is probably a code: “Hmm. She knows your brother.”
• Bravo to the prisoner who turned his house into a shrine to Freddie Mercury. That man has good taste in music. Though stealing the great man’s ashes is perhaps a step too far.
What did everyone think of “Kaniel Outis”? Leave your thoughts in the comments and vote in our poll below!
