S04E22

• Name: Killing Your Number
• Air Date: May 22nd, 2009
• Season: 4
• Number: 22
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Episode Outline

Welcome to part 2 of this recap. This is the second-last recap I'll ever write for Prison Break (the final recap being for two-hour "Final Break" movie) and I'm starting to get a little teary. I have a confession to make. I didn't watch Prison Break in season 1. I didn't even watch it in season 2, at least not until close to the end. I remember thinking "isn't that the show with that chick from The Craft?" back when I first saw Robin Tunney on the show, but I wasn't ever interested in watching it. It wasn't until 2006, when I moved back home to help take care of my sister after her car accident, that I even saw an episode. The first episode I ever saw on TV was 2x16 "Chicago". Then I rented season 1 on DVD and totally got into it. One day I was searching the internet for spoilers and I came across prisonbreakmanhunt.com. Alex was asking people to write for the site, I sent him an email and the rest, as they say, is history. The first recap I ever wrote was for episode 2x22 "Sona". I'll truly miss this.

Enough reminiscing. We still have another hour to recap here. Michael and Sara are driving to meet up with Mahone and Linc. Sara's examining their piece of Scylla and Michael starts imagining their life together. Discussing work, talking about nursery schools, etcetera. Mahone calls to announce that the bomb hasn't gone off. Michael tells Mahone to trigger the bomb manually. Christina orders Mahone out into the bigger office. She says that Scylla is deficient and she wants him to fix it. Christina grows suspicious of Mahone and orders Downey to kill him as Mahone fiddles with some buttons on Scylla. Downey pulls out his gun, but he doesn't realize he's dealing with a pro here. Mahone smacks him good and then even kicks Christina down. Awesome! As Mahone ducks into the small room where Linc is being held the bomb goes off. Christina uses Downey's body to shield herself, but she still goes down.

Back at the condo, Pad Man is seriously pissed that T-Bag managed to lose their one piece of leverage over Michael: Sara. T-Bag says he couldn't possibly have anticipated that Michael would become Superman and start scaling buildings. Pad Man tells his goon to "move on Panama" and then holds a gun against T-Bag's head. Sara's phone rings and T-Bag gets a reprieve.

Sucre's on the other end of the phone and T-Bag's very happy to hear from his old buddy. T-Bag says that Christina took Sara, Linc and Michael and Sucre says he has someone who needs to talk to Michael. T-Bag suggests a meeting at a park. Sucre agrees to meet. T-Bag tells Pad Man that he can use Sucre to get to Michael.

Outside Christina's hideout, the fire alarm is going off as Linc gets bundled into the car by Sara and Mahone. Linc doesn't want to go to the hospital, because that will attract the cops. Upstairs, we see Christina's fingers move. Meaning the bitch isn't dead.

T-Bag and Sucre meet. T-Bag points out the Company goon sitting on a bench close by and wants Sucre to reveal his mystery man. Sucre isn't down for that. Because he brought backup. C-Note, in fact, who has just killed (or incapacitated) the Company goon and now has a gun at T-Bag's back. C-Note calls Kellerman to say he has Sara's phone.

There's a party going on in Self's room, with doctors and agents milling about. I think Self's had a heart attack and he's in a bad state. Franco's partner comes by to say a former FBI agent (Mahone) was involved with Michael and Lincoln. As Franco demands more answers from Self, his fingers start to move. He tells the doctors Self won't be getting any emergency surgery until he helps them.

Back at the abandoned warehouse, Sara is trying to help out Lincoln. Michael suggests they destroy Scylla, but Mahone isn't sure that's the right plan. He eventually agrees, even though they're all worried Pad Man might retaliate. Just before Michael can destroy Scylla, he gets a call from KELLERMAN! I scream out loud in happiness! God, you evil, evil man....how I missed you!

Michael says he heard Kellerman was dead (heard from who?!), but Kellerman points out that he clearly isn't. We just learn that he was saved by Aldo's old group, who are still working against the Company. Now Kellerman's working with them and he wants Scylla. Kellerman says that Michael needs to hand Scylla over to a UN attache at 5:00 that day. Michael isn't really happy to trust Kellerman, despite the fact that he, you know, SAVED SARA FROM PRISON, but whatever. Kellerman tells Michael to trust the UN and then his phone dies. Meanwhile, Linc starts coughing up blood (not good!) and Sara wants to go get supplies.

C-Note, Sucre and T-Bag are all reminiscing inside a house somewhere. C-Note wants T-Bag to reveal Pad Man's location. T-Bag wants to know what he'll get in exchange and Sucre offers up immunity. T-Bag doesn't think that Michael can pull this off and suggests that Sucre and C-Note help him hand Michael to Pad Man. C-Note's not impressed and starts wailing on T-Bag.

Back at the condo, Pad Man gets word that his Company goon and T-Bag are missing. The goon suggests they retreat and then gets a call that they've located Linc through his cell phone.

Linc and Michael are currently outside of a hospital. They're discussing whether they trust Kellerman (they don't), but they do want to be free. Linc mentions that they might not be brothers and wonders if it's true. Michael tells Lincoln that this doesn't change anything. It was at this point that Cousin Joe said "has Michael gained weight?". To which I replied "yes".

Inside the hospital, Franco makes one last attempt to get Self to talk, but Self writes him a nice kiss-off note instead. Meanwhile, Mahone and Sara have infiltrated the hospital. Sara goes inside a supply room to get some medical supplies and Franco notices Mahone, who's standing guard. As Sara exists the room, she sees Mahone being handcuffed. Not good. Sara rejoins Michael and Linc in the car.

Sara tells Michael and Linc about Mahone. Linc wants to get Mahone, but Michael says he'll be exonerated too if they can get Scylla to Kellerman. Sara sticks a needle into Lincoln's lung in order to remove some fluid. Unfortunately, the group is interrupted by two of Pad Man's goons.

T-Bag's being hung upside down by C-Note and Sucre. T-Bag doesn't want to betray his future boss, but starts screaming in pain.

Michael, Lincoln and Sara are once again back at the condo with Pad Man. Michael tells Pad Man they don't have Scylla. Pad Man turns on the TV to reveal Sofia, who's been captured by some of Pad Man's goons in Panama. Uh-oh.

At an FBI office, Franco is interrogating Mahone. Mahone insists that Linc was set up and says the Company did it. Mahone defends the brothers and gets pissed that Franco won't listen. Franco's an idiot.

Back at the condo, Pad Man agrees to let Sofia go if Michael hands over Scylla. But not Michael or Lincoln (and maybe not Sara). Outside, C-Note and Sucre perform some ninja moves and appear on the balcony. Nice! The goons all get shoot as C-Note and Sucre storm the condo.

Michael turns a gun on Pad Man, who tells his goon to let Sofia go. Pad Man capitulates so easily. Which honestly tells me that he loves dishing out pain but he sure as hell can't take it. We see Sofia escape. Linc tells Michael to kill Pad Man, but Sara begs him not to. WHY!?! Are her freaking HORMONES stopping her from doing the RIGHT thing all of a sudden? T-Bag SHOULD have been killed. Pad Man SHOULD be killed. Letting them both go is a narrative ploy and it's driving me crazy.

Sucre tells Michael to let Pad Man go. He's not interested in revenge, he's just interested in freedom. Michael decides not to shoot as Sucre leads Pad Man away. Michael and C-Note greet each other and C-Note says Kellerman's their last option. The group runs downstairs as the cops approach. Sucre distracts the cops by blocking them with his car. They apprehend him and he tells Michael to leave. Sucre! Baby!

The group, minus Sucre but plus C-Note, arrive back at the warehouse. Michael leaves Kellerman a voicemail that he better come through for them. Michael also reveals that he's hidden Scylla inside a cupboard. Then Christina (God, why can't that woman just DIE?!) and some of her goons storm the warehouse. C-Note manages to kill one of them and the rest of the group hides.

At the FBI office, Franco is now telling Sucre to get Michael on the phone, but he refuses. Sucre says "[Michael and Lincoln] are trying to do something that's bigger than all of this" and the agents should just bugger off. Again, he refuses to give up his bestest buddy, Michael.

Back at the warehouse, Christina is searching for Scylla. She finds it in the cupboard. As she goes to leave, Michael comes up from his hiding place and points a gun at her. She tries to bring up childhood memories, but he isn't interested. She tells him that he can't kill his mother and he says "you were never my mother and I'm no longer your son".

She tells him to pull the trigger, thinking he can't do it. He eventually does, but he's out of bullets. Uh-oh. Christina points her gun at him but Sara shoots her before she can kill Michael. That's one way to deal with the mother-in-law from hell. Unfortunately, Christina shoots Michael reflexively in the shoulder before she dies. Sara says Linc needs to get to the hospital and Michael goes off to get Scylla to Kellerman.

Michael's now walking down the street with a jacket on and pressing his bloodied hand against his wound. Could Sara not take FIVE minutes to patch him up before sending him on his important mission to end this whole thing? Sheesh. Michael gets cornered by two goons, but fortunately, they work for Kellerman.

Michael gets brought to some UN office, I think. Kellerman greets him and introduces him to the UN guy. Michael starts naming the people he wants exonerated and Kellerman agrees. He hands over Scylla and the UN guy plugs it into his computer. Unfortunately, there's a piece missing. Michael legitimately asks how someone from the UN will get them American exonerations, but Kellerman doesn't want to get into details. The UN guy gets frustrated and starts packing up. Good Lord, this is the fastest response time ever for someone from the UN. Sure you don't want to convene a Security Council meeting to discuss the situation at length there, buddy?

Kellerman hands Scylla to Michael and tells him to hand over the piece. Michael exhaustedly says he doesn't want to run anymore and Kellerman agrees. Michael puts the missing piece back on Scylla and hands it back to the UN guy. The UN guy sees that Scylla is intact and goes to call his contacts.

Kellerman tells Michael he did it. It's over. Yes, Kellerman, it is. In more ways than one, since we only have about 10 more minutes in this series finale.

Cut to the condo, where Pad Man is handcuffed to the bannister. He manages to free himself, but some cops burst in to arrest him. At the warehouse, the cops are covering Christina's dead body with a sheet.

C-Note, Mahone, Sucre, Sara, Lincoln and Michael are gathered around the table at the UN building. Official documents concerning their exonerations are being placed in front of them to sign. Each of them does so and hands them over to Kellerman. They all hug and pat each other on the back. Sucre asks if he can keep the pen and I nearly pee myself from laughter. Sara and Michael hug in a corner as Sucre and C-Note do a little dance. Kellerman tells Mahone that Pam is safe, as are Sofia and LJ. Linc sees to be recovered now, by the way.

Kellerman says they have T-Bag, who is requesting exoneration, but he's leaving the choice up to the group. T-Bag's sitting outside in the hallway when Michael and Lincoln approach him. He suggests they should all forgive each other. Linc says they took a vote and T-Bag's headed back to prison. T-Bag shouts curses at them as he's dragged off.

Sara and Michael are strolling along the beach. Michael is excitedly talking about the baby as Sara laughs. She says she's very happy right now and we see blood dripping from his nose. WHAT?! Are you f**king serious? The Company did the same operation on him that they did on Christina, right? And she went on to survive another 25 years. So why should Michael be any different? Sara worriedly hands him a kleenex. The two of them hug, but Michael looks worried and Sara starts to cry.

Cut to four years later. Goddamnit. I knew, when I watched this, what was going to happen. I bloody knew. I was so angry about the rumors of Michael's death. Let me be honest, I was never a die-hard Michael and Sara shipper. But for the love of all that is holy, didn't the poor guy deserve a happy ending? Anyways, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Four years later, Mahone is sending Pam (who has clearly remarried) a birthday card. After he mails his letter he greets Lang (LANG!). The two of them are obviously together. That's pretty awesome. Sad music plays in the background. In Panama, Sofia and Linc have a surf shop. They're talking about LJ taking his finals. He kisses her good-bye and drives off. Sucre greets his 4 year old daughter (who is so bloody adorable) and says he'll be back in two days. Inside a hospital, Self is sitting in a wheelchair, staring outside a window. He's clearly living in a vegetative state, much as his wife was before Pad Man killed her.

Sad music continues to play. My eyes start tearing. C-Note, who's now a driver for UPS, stands outside of his house, soaking up the sun. Then we cut to the weirdest future: Kellerman is now a Congressman. This is an interesting route and I'm happy to see where Kellerman ended up, but didn't he admit in open court at Sara's trial that he had...I don't know...KILLED people for the Company? Has the public simply forgotten this crucial fact? But, ok, whatever, I'll play. As he's surrounded by cameras and well-wishers Danny Hale's widow comes by, introduces herself to him again, and spits in his face. Kellerman gets into his car and stares. I think he feels the weight of his past sins and knows he can't escape them.

Pad Man, meanwhile, is about to be executed. He is most definitely not taking it with the same dignity that Lincoln was displaying back in season 1. And T-Bag? He's back in Fox River. With a young boy hanging onto his pocket and overhearing someone talking about the captivity of negativity. Seems one of his former GATE colleagues recalls his famous phrase from earlier in season 4 and wrote a book based on it.

I think we're in Panama again, and Sara (with a big scar on her shoulder) is buying some flowers. She tells "Michael" they have to go, but it's not Michael. It's Michael Junior. Good God, I'm crying. Behind me, Cousin Joe was even admitting to shedding a tear. Turns out little Michael got a fake tattoo and it's freaking adorable. God, I hate this show. I KNOW Michael is dead. Why?

Lincoln hugs little Michael and greets Sara. Mahone and Sucre are there too and all of them hug. The three of them approach a grave by the beach. It's Michael's grave. Sara has little Michael put the flowers on the grave. Lincoln takes out an origami swan. Each member of the group touches the grave as they walk away. Lincoln places the swan on top of the gravestone. We see the inscription: "Michael J. Scofield, died 11.4.2005, Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Friend. Be the change you want to see in the world." The group walks off....Lincoln holding little Michael and Mahone and Sucre even have their arms around each other. This show sucks. Zoom in to the origami swan and then....face to black.

I have to admit, I HATE this ending. I liked the whole episode until that point. Michael shouldn't be dead. It's just wrong. Cousin Joe hated it. My friend Roch hated it. My grandfather was the only one who didn't. He said Michael died of natural causes and what's wrong with that? It was, apparently, his time (he thinks he died from the tumor). I couldn't explain to him why I felt so cheated by the ending. I know that Matt Olmstead has provided reasons for Michael's death and I'll address them later, when I post those interviews.

Back when Indiana Jones 4 came out, my friend Geoff said to me, "that movie was so horrible, it makes me never want to watch the other 3 movies again, because it just ruined the whole franchise". I didn't understand what he meant. Yes, Indy 4 was horrible, but I was still happy to enjoy the better, earlier parts of that series. Now, knowing how Michael ends, I don't know if I can go back and watch earlier seasons on DVD. Anyways, this is not my final sign-off. It looks like the UK will be getting the Final Break two-hour bonus episodes shortly. Once I can get my hands on a copy (and thanks to everyone who offered to provide me with copies.....we will definitely talk!) I will recap them here. Until then, this is Clarissa, in her penultimate sign-off.

Written by: Clarissa
clarissa@prisonbreakmanhunt.com

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