Prison Break: Orientacion

Can Prison Break be reinvented yet again - without feeling a little stale? The thought of the main characters returning to a prison setting definitely sounds appealing at first, but would I be subjected to a rehash of the first season? After the mixed reaction to season two's somewhat implausible rollercoaster storyline, will the forced confinement of a jail setting inject some much needed reality back into this drama? If the season premiere is any indicator, fans shouldn't worry - Prison Break is back, and this has the potential to be the most exciting year yet for Michael Scofield and friends.

The first thing I noticed about the Panamanian prison setting is how different it is from Fox River. Visually, Sona is a brighter locale with a much more "earthy" feel compared to the dark and bleak concrete jungle of the prison from the first season. There's much more sunlight, and you definitely get the impression that Sona is a hot and dry place. However, Sona is no vacation spot, and is a far more treacherous place than Fox River was.

The fact that there are no guards within the prison walls seems chaotic at first, but you soon realize that the idea of the "inmates running the asylum" kind of works here. There's an obvious hierarchy and some rules that guide the prisoners, all dictated by an inmate named Lechero. Lechero and his cronies control everything that happens within the prison walls. He controls access to food, water, and even clothing. He makes sure that the bottom dwellers do their job in keeping the toilets clean, and that those who are worthy of food are actually fed. To make life worse for our protagonist, Lechero knows of Scofield's antics and his superstar status; and he doesn't like it. He feels that Scofield is a threat and wants to put him in his place - by setting him up for a fight to the death with a much larger and stronger inmate.

Several other key members of the second season cast are also stuck in Sona. The troubled but brilliant former FBI Agent Alex Mahone is there as well. While it might seem natural that the two geniuses would work together, there's the little issue of Scofield having a problem with Mahone killing his father. While it's definitely in Mahone's interest to make peace with Scofield, this collaboration most probably won't be happening anytime soon.

Also in Sona are the easy to dislike Bellick and T-Bag. Bellick looks absolutely miserable and is left bloodied, nearly naked, and is forced to clean toilets. Despite his ragged conditions, it's hard to feel sorry for him. T-Bag, on the other hand, manages to win favor with Lechero and become one of his cronies. Bagwell always manages to impress with his tenacity and ability to adapt and survive, and he's as deliciously slimy as ever in this episode.

Lincoln's on the outside trying to get his brother out of prison through legal means; which means he gets to run around Panama talking to people in embassies. It doesn't seem like the most appealing role for Lincoln, and could potentially become as boring and unproductive as the Veronica storyline from the first season. Hopefully the writers will find a way for Linc to get his hands more dirty and play a more active role in actually helping Scofield break out.

One of the points not touched on here is character motivation. Scofield needs a reason to escape other than simple freedom. The writers have come up with a predictable, but serviceable reason for motivating Scofield to take action, which is revealed by the end of the episode.Overall there's much to like here, and there's definitely a lot of potential to make this another exciting action-packed season for Prison Break fans.