Prison Break: The Legend

With time running out for their chance to get a hold of Scylla, the team pushes forward with some help from the security engineer who designed the elaborate setup surrounding the still mysterious secret Company database. Scofield's health takes a turn for the worse and I learn that he's going to need surgery in the next 24 hours.

While the series does not necessarily represent the pinnacle of storytelling prowess, Prison Break writers should be given some serious kudos for their ability really stack individual episodes with tons of content. Under less capable hands, this episode would have stood out as nothing more than a filler episode leading into what should be an exciting season-defining episode. The difference here is that the writers chose the right material to include in the episode. Despite the fact that the episode focused mostly on Scofield going to the hospital, Mahone visiting David Baker, and Sucre's foot resting on a landmine, there were some great character moments in-between the action.

With Bellick's death still fresh on everyone's minds, there were plenty of flashback sequences and conversations about their fallen member. It's amazing how perceptions of Bellick have changed over the season. By the end, he could barely be compared to the badass prison guard he was in the first season. There was a short conversation between Sara and Scofield about Bellick that summed up nicely how he had evolved since his days at Fox River. Sucre seemed the most affected by Brad's death. He was the one to deliver the bad news to Bellick's mother at the end of the episode. It was also great to see the team bond together to stand up to Self in order to get a proper burial for Bellick and to have his body sent home. The moment where Mahone placed a badge on Bellick's chest was terrific and a great way to say goodbye to one of the series' original key characters.

Mahone's visit to David Baker provided the team with additional clues on how to break into Scylla facility and it contrasts the frantic work by the General's team to move the enigmatic black box. Yes I finally got a glimpse of Scylla - it looks like an encased black desktop computer case, but other than the fact that it's extremely important to the Company, I still know very little about it. It's also a difficult device to move, which means it's probably connected to a lot of other dependent systems. With the kind of security surrounding Scylla, the contents of the system had better be worth the protection.

Also in this episode, I learned that the secretary at GATE is an undercover agent working with Don Self. While it makes sense that Self would have someone at GATE working for him, it's not something that most people would have predicted. In one of her best scenes this season, Gretchen had a great conversation about "noodling" with T-Bag describing how she's using Scofield to get her hands on Scylla. Meanwhile, T-Bag pulls off a remarkably heartfelt speech about Bellick's death to some team members at GATE. T-Bag's reaction to Bellick's death was fantastic - despite the fact that he's a cannibalistic serial killer, he still feels sorrow for Bellick. It was a nice touch.

Of course, Scofield's condition was a cause for concern. I learned that he's suffering from a rare condition and needs surgery in the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the time at the moment, as the opportunity to get their hands on Scylla is closing fast. While bits of the episode felt like filler material, the buildup was fantastic and the next break-in should be a memorable one.