S03E09

• Name: Boxed In
• Air Date: January 14th, 2008
• Season: 3
• Number: 09
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Episode Outline

Welcome back, everyone. It's been a while since we last spoke. So what have you all been up to for the past two months or so? I started a new job, celebrated Christmas, did a little shopping, and went to LA. Unfortunately, while in LA, I did not accidentally meet up with Wentworth in a Starbucks or on the street and, therefore, was unable to dazzle him with my intelligence, wit, charm and impressive memory for movie and historical trivia, thereby missing out on the opportunity to have him fall in love with me and propose after a 3 day whirlwind romance (with that ring from Harry Winston I saw on Rodeo Drive).

I also read Nick Santora's book "Slip and Fall". Not bad for a debut novel, Mr. Santora. Since we're both former lawyers who went on to become writers (you for various television shows and me....well....for this website) I feel we have much to learn from one another. You're Italian too, yes? I'm issuing a standing invitation for you, then. Next time you're in Toronto, let me know. We'll go to my Nonna's house, eat some of her pasta, and talk.

Now, without further adieu, let's get on to recapping episode 9....

When we last saw Michael, he was getting carted out of Sona. Lechero looks on worriedly as Michael gets taken away by General Zavala's men. That'll teach Lechero not to rely on any one person for a prison-escape plan. You gotta have a plan B, man!

Zavala takes Michael to his office and offers him a drink of water. Huh, this meeting is going better than I thought it would. He hasn't even pistol-whipped Michael yet. Pistol-whipping is always a sign of bad things to come, so Michael's day is looking up. Michael denies any involvement in the aborted helicopter escape attempt from earlier that day (or 2 months ago, in our time). Wentworth's stubble is coming in again. I don't like the stubble. It looks all weird and sharp. It bugs me.

Zavala quickly loses patience. He drags Michael back into the yard and throws him into the Sona version of solitary confinement: basically a cage wrapped in saran-wrap with the hot Panamanian sun shinning down on it. Michael sweats off about 3 1/2 pounds in two to three minutes. Seriously, PB people, I know that it's a bother to continuously apply the whole Scofield full-torso tattoo, but do you know how bloody unlikely it is that Michael is wearing long-sleeves in Panama?

Lincoln's leaving the hospital with Sofia, sporting a clean white bandage on his arm. Sofia can't stop complaining about how Whistler is a sneaky liar of a boyfriend, but she still wants him out of Sona. Ah yes, the betrayed girlfriend routine. I know this one well. But when I play it, I don't sound so whiney. She switches gears and thanks Lincoln for saving her ass.

Susan shows up and drags Lincoln away into a waiting car. She tells Sofia to buggar off.

Lang is delivering Mahone back to Sona. He seems strangely accepting of his fate. She presents him with a family heirloom/good luck charm. Awe, this scene brings a little tear to my eye. As Mahone is brought back into the prison, he sees Michael in the box.

Susan brings Lincoln to a small warehouse, where he's allowed to visit with a bound and gagged LJ. LJ warns Lincoln that he's always being followed and announces that he was in the room while Sara's head was being cut off. Holy crap, do you have any idea how much that would traumatize me? I'm talking about years that I would spend rocking in a corner and mumbling nonsensically. LJ's awfully composed considering what he's been through. Lincoln promises that he and Michael will save LJ.

Whistler greets Mahone in the Sona courtyard and tells him that the plan is still a go. Whistler also says that they have a way to escape that doesn't involve Michael. Bellick and T-Bag are strolling together, friendly as you please, discussing Michael's current situation in the hot cage. Bellick accuses T-Bag of being involved in Michael's escape plan, but T-Bag denies it.

One of Lechero's friends comes by and demands that Bellick mop up some vomit. Bellick refuses. Methinks he'll come to regret that later.

Michael's hallucinating/sweating in the hot box. Sucre is met by his former business associate (who had him smuggle something into the prison) and agrees to help him again when he's threatened with a gun. Arriving at work, Sucre offers to bring Michael some water. Michael and Sucre share a touching scene, reminiscent of their old buddy relationship. Michael wants Sucre to run away from the plan.

Down in the tunnel, Whistler and Lechero are attempting to dig up. That plan gets shot to hell when Lechero quickly concludes that they need Michael's engineering skills.

Zavala offers Michael his assistance and finally finally admits that he's been working on his escape since the moment he set foot in Sona. Which isn't really true, but whatever. Zavala removes him from the cage.

Michael tells Zavala all about the Company, Whistler, LJ's kidnapping....everything. Zavala offers to have his troops find LJ, but tells Michael he doesn't believe the rest of the story.

Lincoln returns to the hotel and finds Sucre, who quickly admits that he ran drugs (or something) into the prison. Sucre tells Linc that Michael was placed in solitary.

T-Bag, ever the opportunist, starts chatting up Whistler, mentioning that Sammy doesn't like Lechero's new choice of friends (namely Michael and Whistler). T-Bag wonders if the world wouldn't be a better place without Sammy. T-Bag offers to find someone to kill Sammy, but tells Whistler that if he does, he gets to be in the break-out club, Sona chapter. Awe, T-Bag just wants to make more friends. And possibly break out of prison to continue his murder spree.

Lincoln has changed out of his nice, clean, non-sweaty t-shirt into a dark blue, sweat-drenched shirt. Sucre tells him he can't quit the drug mule job unless Lincoln throws him a few bucks. Lincoln tells him to go shove it up his ass. I bet Sucre's wishing "why can't I be teamed up with Michael again....the guy who wouldn't leave me to drown in a stream....instead of his meany brother?" A Company informative, who's been spying on Lincoln, calls Susan. I assume the Company will soon bribe Sucre with cash.

Zavala, who has been playing detective, tells Michael that maybe there's some truth to his crazy tale after all. Zavala insists that Michael give up Whistler's name in exchange for him finding LJ.

Sofia's confronting Whistler at the visitor fence. As usual, he's got an explanation for all of her accusations. Unfortunately, he gets dragged off to Zavala's office.

Whistler denies Michael's story when confronted by Zavala. Zavala doesn't buy Whistler's denials and insists on the name of the person in charge on the outside. When Whistler refuses to give up anything, a chair is brought into the room. But not just any chair. A torture chair. One that involves a bucket and a garden hose. Pfft, you don't need the hose to drown someone and provoke them into talking, you just need the bucket. Maybe the hose is for strangling.... Why am I even questioning this? How sick am I?

T-Bag welcomes Mahone back to Sona. T-Bag quickly proposes that Mahone kill Sammy in exchange for a continuous supply of free drugs.

Whistler caves in about two seconds and under barely any torture at all (if you can consider Zavala yelling at him as torture). Wow, Whistler. Way to have a pair. He admits that he's working with Michael, but denies that anyone else is involved. When he's brought to Michael, Michael insists that Whistler give up Susan's name. He even yells. Yelling Michael is always hot. Whistler, bowing to the mighty power of the Scofield yell, which is now apparently as powerful as the Scofield stare, quickly gives up Susan (aka Gretchen).

Susan approaches Sucre at a bar. She offers him $50,000 in exchange for Sucre keeping her updated on Lincoln. Sucre seems to be debating the offer. Sucre! Betraying Lincoln means betraying Michael. Remember that time he wouldn't let you drown in that stream?! Remember?!

Zavala is asking Whistler for more information about Susan. Michael asks for a phone in order to get more information. He calls Linc to ask for his next meeting with Susan, which is to take place in an hour.

In the Sona courtyard, Sammy digs a mysterious package out of a box of veggies. Bellick, meanwhile, arrives at his cell to find a chicken foot. Apparently one of the other inmates isn't happy that Bellick didn't mop up some vomit. Haha, imagine if my boss started utilizing the chicken foot/fight to the death technique to get me and my fellow workers to behave? That would shake up the work environment.

Bellick wants to see Lechero to complain about the challenge, but Sammy dismisses him and announces that the fight will go on. Lechero isn't pleased that Sammy issued the fight against Bellick and quickly realizes that Sammy is engaging in a power struggle with him for control of the prison.

Zavala gets a call about Susan and goes off to see her. Sucre arrives back at the hotel and....oh, you cute, cute man! Sucre smiles and tells Lincoln that their little set-up (getting Susan to offer Sucre money in exchange for info on Linc) worked. Bless those two. I love them.

Mahone's going through more withdrawal (seriously, how long does withdrawal last?) and T-Bag arrives with drugs and taunts. Mahone refuses T-Bag's bait.

Lincoln meets up with Susan and tells her that Whistler will be out by tomorrow. Zavala, meanwhile, arrives with guards and drags Susan away. Lincoln quickly protests that he has nothing to do with this.

Susan is taken to the torture chair and denies any involvement with Whistler. Zavala obviously doesn't believe her and orders his men to "turn on the hose".

The men inside the Sona courtyard are cheering for a fight while Bellick looks like he's trying really hard not to pee his pants inside his cell. He goes outside to meet his fate.

Back in the torture room, Susan refuses to answer Zavala's questions so he starts dry-drowning her. I just learned about this technique on last week's episode of Law and Order: SVU. Saran-wrap is placed over her face and Zavala starts pouring water on her face. Outside the room, Whistler and Michael are listening to Gretchen's torture. Zavala quickly concludes that Susan is a pro at surviving torture and calls the boys into the room.

Michael tells Zavala that Susan visited with Whistler. When Whistler gives her up, Susan says her only job is to look after LJ. She tells his (possibly real, possibly fake) location to Zavala. Michael asks Susan if she killed Sara and clearly doesn't believe her denials. He chillingly tells her "I'm coming for you". How does Wentworth Miller do it? How does he even make death threats hot? How?

Back in the courtyard Bellick is getting a beating, but quickly proves he's not as stupid as he looks by slipping his opponent drugs, disorienting him and kicking his ass. T-Bag looks on in surprise and quickly realizes what Bellick did.

Zavala arrives at LJ's former hiding place where Susan proceeds to kick his ass, kill the one (only one!) guard that Zavala brings with him, and shoot Zavala. *sigh* Then she calls Lincoln.

Sammy's got a visitor, who's obviously trying to get him to overthrow Lechero. The visitor wants Sammy to open the mysterious package from earlier.

Another army guy arrives to tell Michael and Whistler that Zavala was found dead. Michael doesn't even flinch when he hears the news. I bet he has the best poker face in the world.

Michael asks Lechero for use of his phone and Lechero gives it up. Michael calls Linc, who's not impressed that Michael planned to take out Susan without telling him.

Michael confronts Whistler and surmises that he only gave up Susan in order to get them both back inside Sona. Michael tells Whistler that the escape plan is going ahead, but Whistler better watch his back.

Sammy, meanwhile, opens up the mysterious package and finds a gun inside. He gets an evil little glint in his eye.

Not bad, not bad. With the strike still continuing, it's nearly a miracle that we've got 4 more new episodes of the show to look forward to. Tune in next week for another new episode and another new recap. Until then....

Written by: Clarissa
clarissa@prisonbreakmanhunt.com

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