S04E15

• Name: Going Under
• Air Date: December 15th, 2008
• Season: 4
• Number: 15
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Episode Outline

So I caught the trailer for the new Terminator: Salvation movie this weekend and it looks pretty kick-ass, but is it weird that I have never seen the original Terminator movies? I own no less than 400 movies, but those aren't among them. This seems weird to me. Anyways, I only really mention this because, is it just me, or is Christian Bale utilizing the Scofield Whisper in all of his recent movies (and becoming the king of the franchise reboots)? Don't believe me? Check out Dark Knight and the new Terminator trailer, then try and tell me he's not using the Whisper.

Now, onto the real Scofield (let's hope there's whispering tonight)...

We open with Sara bursting into a Company conference room, where Linc tells her about the deal he made with Pad Man: the Company will perform Michael's operation. Pad Man enters the room and tries to convince Sara that his motives are pure.

Sara joins Michael in the operating room, where the doctor explains that they'll keep Michael awake while they DRILL into his BRAIN! I would rather die. Michael, who sort of realizes that something fishy is going on, asks what hospital he's in. Sara tells him not to worry. Outside the operating room, Pad Man tells Linc to get his ass moving on retrieving Scylla. Linc is so screwed. He's not one for the mastermind schemes. Remember, he's the brawn, not the brains. Let's hope Mahone escapes FBI custody soon and rejoins Linc to help with the planning.

Pad Man offers Linc and early Christmas present: T-Bag...as a way to get to Self and Gretchen. T-Bag offers to sell what he knows, but Linc just has to throw a few pliers on the table and T-Bag is ready to cave. What happened to the cocky, volatile T-Bag we all knew and loathed? When did the man actually want to become a freaking white-collar salesman? Anyways, T-Bag doesn't actually so much talk as he does ramble, which causes Lincoln to punch him spectacularly in the face. At least Lincoln hasn't changed.

Linc rips out one of T-Bag's teeth with the pliers. Wow. He's ready to torture a man (ok, a criminal) for his brother. If that's not love, I just don't know what is. T-Bag tells Linc about Self and Gretchen's meeting with Vikan on the bridge.

Michael's operation begins and Sara goes to wait outside the operating room. The doctor tells Sara that they'll be trying a new, more advanced, method to remove the tumor, which causes Sara worry. Then you can hear the sound of a drill entering Michael's head. Ewwwww.

Outside, Sucre and Linc are arguing about who loves Michael more. Ok, they're not. Linc tells Sucre he needs his help to find Scylla and Sucre rightly points out that they're the only ones left. Linc puts the file labeled "Tombstone II" in the trunk of his car.

Self starts pissing me off in the first 30 seconds that he appears in this episode. Where did this ridiculous about-face come from? Gretchen's telling him to stop silently freaking out and Self is parading about, insisting that he knows what he's doing.

Mahone is still in the back of Wheeler's car, when he asks to use the bathroom. Wheeler threatens to shoot Mahone if he tries to escape.

Sara is still talking with a doctor about what the surgeons are doing to Michael. The doctor says they're trying to stimulate different parts of Michael's brain, which leads him to flash back to various scenes in Fox River.

Then we see Michael dressed in the old Fox River uniform, in a cell (bigger than his original cell). He's having some sort of hallucination. And then Westmoreland arrives. That's awesome. Is it wrong that I miss everyone from Season 1 of this show? Westmoreland assures Michael he's not dead.

Mahone is being escorted into a bathroom by Wheeler and Lang. Mahone quickly does his business and then comes back out without trying to escape. Unless, of course, he put something in motion. And, he did. He grabbed a pipe from the bathroom and took it with him.

The surgeons are trying to isolate the tumor and ask Michael to begin reciting the alphabet. Doesn't brain surgery take longer than this? Michael begins the alphabet song as he flashes back to his hallucination with Westmoreland. Michael apologizes to him for everything that led to his death.

A whole slew of photos and articles appear on the wall behind Westmoreland (photos of the Fox River 8, for example). Westmoreland tells Michael that he has all the answers to Scylla, he just doesn't know it.

Sucre and Linc are driving to the bridge, trying to meet up with Self and Gretchen. They're arguing over where to go. Someone get those guys a GPS.

Rita calls Gretchen and tells her that T-Bag let them go free and that he was abducted. We also learn that Rita is a bona fide idiot, because the farthest she ran when T-Bag told her to leave was across the street to the neighbour's house. *Sigh* Gretchen tells Self that The Company took T-Bag and Rita tells Gretchen she shouldn't come to Christmas this year. Gretchen tells Self that they should be worried: T-Bag will tell The Company about their location.

Linc and Sucre arrive on the bridge, but they're too late. They see Vikan's blood and Linc calls the number Pad Man gave him. He's all sorts of rude to the operator, demanding that she try to track Self's car. Meanwhile, a mysterious man is watching Linc and Sucre, telling someone on the phone that the seller isn't on the bridge.

Back in the car, Mahone is now pissed at Lang (wasn't he all forgiving of her last week?). Suddenly, Mahone uses the pipe he stole to smash the window and escape from the car. Wheeler and Lang take off in pursuit.

Pad Man joins Sara outside of the operating room. Sara starts getting snappy, but that's probably not the best idea considering he's the man controlling the doctors. Wouldn't it sort of weird, yet wicked-awesome, if Pad Man turned out to be Michael's father? Sara tells Pad Man that she hasn't seen this type of operation before, but he tells her it's been used once before (and that patient lived a long life).

Michael's back in his cell, going over his wall of obsession. Michael tells Westmoreland that he's tried to make the situation right, but he can't. Michael admits that he would have still saved Lincoln, despite knowing how many people would die and it's such a good moment. I think it shows how far Michael has really come. Westmoreland tells Michael things aren't as it seems.

Self and Gretchen are inside a store, where Gretchen tells Self that if he knew about what was on Scylla, he might have second thoughts about selling it. Meanwhile, Linc receives news from that phone operator about the location of Self's car. Ah, now he has a GPS.

Mahone's being chased through some brush (a la the Fox River 8 in the season 2 premiere). Unfortunately, Lang catches up with him quickly. Mahone tells her he's going to run, and she'll have to shoot to stop him. He takes off and she shoots.

Of course, Lang didn't actually kill Mahone. She tells Wheeler that Mahone got away and sends him after Mahone. That's when we see that Lang sent Wheeler on wild-goose chase. Mahone's actually waiting behind some trees.

Linc asks the store clerk about Gretchen and Self and when the clerk denies seeing them, Linc smacks him around a bit.

Gretchen and Self arrive back at a warehouse to meet the seller. Self continues being a smart ass, trying to prove that he knows Gretchen and she tells him to shut up and get ready.

Sara is talking with the doctor again, who admits that the tumor is located in several parts of Michael's brain. Sara asks whether Michael will experience memory loss, but the doctor doesn't think he'll lose anything significant.

Back in the cell, Michael is staring at the wall, trying to put the puzzle together. Something appears wrong and he keeps seeing the first meeting with the original cardholders. He's picking out different words from past conversations. The door to the cell opens and Westmoreland tells him he's sorry.

Outside the operating room, Sara is starting to panic. She arrives in the room as Michael flatlines, begging him to stay. Michael keeps starting at the word "bargain" and then starts circling certain letters. Westmoreland leaves the cell and everything's tense as Sara keeps staring at the flatlined monitor.

Then it's all good, because Michael wakes up and recognizes her. OK, that was only semi-tense, because I always knew he was going to survive.

Inside the warehouse, Gretchen and Self meet with the buyer (the man who saw Linc and Sucre on the bridge). Gretchen tells Self to let the buyer see Scylla.

Linc and Sucre arrive at the warehouse and get out the guns. Yes, shoot Self. Please.

Inside, the buyer manages to open some files on Scylla, which are labeled "Nuclear", "Wind", "Medical", "Solar" and "Bargain". Self realizes that Scylla isn't The Company's black book and the buyer starts to shoot at Self and Gretchen. Self gets shot (yes!), while Gretchen, again, miraculously escapes the bullets. Linc and Sucre arrive just as the buyer takes off with Scylla. We see that Linc is behind Gretchen with a gun. He approaches Self and asks where Scylla is.

Michael's now in a hospital bed, with a bandage wrapped around his head (which leaves the top of his head, where the doctors actually drilled, completely bare). The lady doctor who was speaking to Sara before walks by. Michael tells Sara that she looks beautiful and asks about the operation. Sara tells Michael that Company doctors performed his surgery and that Lincoln is handling the situation.

Michael, who has appeared to recover from a 20 minute brain surgery in a mere 3 minutes, tells Sara that they only really know what Self told them about Scylla. And since Self is a lying liar who lies, chances are there's more to it than that. Michael suggests that Scylla is something more...maybe even something good. Michael suggests that Scylla and the word "bargain" actually relate to four elements (let me see if I can remember 11th grade chemistry here)...boron, argon, gallium, and indium. No, I don't remember chemistry, but apparently Michael, the structural engineer, is now a chemist.

Michael tells Sara that there's a theory that if you can combine those four elements, you can harness 100% of the sun's energy. Sara wonders what else might be on Scylla...including the futuristic medicine and equipment used to treat Michael. Sara asks what they do next.

Sucre tells Linc that he can't help anymore. Now that he knows Michael is OK, he wants to move on. Wait...is Sucre going to die? IS SUCRE GOING TO DIE?! Or leave the show? Both possibilities are horrible. Linc thanks Sucre for what he's done and the two hug. WHAT?! Where's Sucre going? Baby, I love you! Don't leave me! Sucre walks off. WHY?!?!?!?!

Pad Man asks Linc if he knows who took Scylla. He's pissed that it's gone and tells Linc to work with Gretchen, Self and T-Bag to retrieve Scylla.

The buyer receives a call from a woman, who asks whether he has Scylla.

Linc arrives at Michael's room and greets him. Linc tells Michael that he made a deal: Michael's life for Scylla. Michael tells him Scylla isn't what they thought it is, but Linc doesn't care. Linc tells him that he wants to save their family, and The Company will set them up if they find Scylla. Linc throws down the Tombstone II file and tells Michael that their mother worked for The Company before she died and now he's moving into the family business. Michael begs him not to do this as Linc leaves the room. We see that Michael is actually locked inside his room, with an orderly standing guard.

What a crappy family business. I'd rather take over my father's business. Sure, he just owns a hair salon. But at least the only danger there is from being burned by a flatiron, not being shot or killed.

Now for my grandfather's take on tonight's episode: the first thing he says is "poor Sucre, we lost him!" and "what are we doing to do without him?" I asked him if he wanted me to tell him what I thought (which are actually spoilers, but I lied and said it was my suspicions...and I'm going to hell for that, aren't I?). He seems intrigued by what's to come, but I won't spoil the rest of you like I spoiled him.

Cousin Joe came up with the best observation: Michael's even working under surgery! His head is being split open and he's all "oh, let me take this opportunity to solve the mystery of Scylla!" Honest to God, I can't even muster that level of dedication to things I like...let alone work.

Alright, people, I'm off to check whether Rogers On-Demand has the original Terminator movies to order. Check back next week for the recap of Prison Break's Fall finale.

Written by: Clarissa
clarissa@prisonbreakmahunt.com

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