'Prison Break' S04E09: 'Greatness Achieved'

Can someone please send out an SOS to the hordes of lapsed Prison Break fans alerting them to the fact that the show is consistently firing on all cylinders again? This episode contained some superb moments in the shape of a shock kiss, a heroic death and, above all, Alexander Mahone gaining his pound of flesh.

Brad Bellick's downfall was hardly a bolt out of the blue. The occasion was so blatantly signposted earlier in the episode, as he suddenly started spouting about his family and his past misdemeanours. It was a cynical attempt from the writers to shoehorn in some emotive aspects to a character who's been seriously neglected. It wasn't needed, as that simple shot of Bellick's sad but brave face in the tunnel, awaiting his release from a cruel world, was enough to tug on the heartstrings. Wade Williams - we salute you.

Too much of the early part of the episode felt like padding, with Mahone sat around brooding as usual, but the pay-off was certainly worth it. The showdown with Wyatt didn't disappoint and was particularly well-acted, especially by the genius known as William Fichtner. He played it perfectly, from the cathartic call to his estranged wife, full of fractured emotions, to that final smile after he cut short Wyatt's speech in its infancy by shoving him to his death.

Both of these deaths weren't entirely unexpected. The same can't be said for Gretchen's jaw-dropping snogfest with The General. It looked like she was destined for a spot of T-Bagging in recent times, but she just wanted some sweet-lovin' from her sugar daddy all along. This interesting twist also allowed us to witness her raw and vulnerable feminine side for perhaps the first time.

Yet again, several big developments overshadowed Scofield's nosebleed. With the action so compulsive elsewhere, he's in danger of becoming a supporting character in his own show. As long as it keeps on being as entertaining as in recent weeks, that's not a problem at all. So stick a sock up that hooter, Michael!

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