Did 'Prison Break' bow out in style?

If Prison Break were a horse, it would have been shot a long while ago. The whole search for Scylla has been a torturous scenario to watch as it limped along aimlessly for so long, while the emergence of Michael Scofield's fiendish mother reeked of desperation. But somewhat staggeringly, this horse had one last race left in its creaking legs and saved it for the feature length-finale. Prison Break bowed out in fine style, wrapping up the tale of two brothers and leaving a lump in the throat.

The set-up was painful and prolonged in previous episodes, as the show went from one nadir to the next, but the engaging premise was thankfully drawn just in time for the show's swansong - does Michael save sexy Sara or his brooding bro? Of course, he bids to save both but the real fun lies in how he goes about his mission. Courtesy of his pairing with Prison Break's best character Mahone, some effective flashback explanations and a bit of Spider-Man wall-climbing, the plot was an enjoyable romp that reminded us how strong this series used to be. Just how electrifying and sinister were the scenes with T-Bag and the captured Sara?

Many crowdpleasing moments peppered the journey, with old faces returning and the bad guys receiving their comeuppances (although T-Bag hilariously picked up a new Tweener!). The return of Kellerman was both satisfying and amusing. This guy was evil personified during the first two seasons, a cold, callous killer who did terrible things to Sara Tancredi in her hotel room - yet now he's working for the United Nations. Move over Kofi Annan! Ridiculous yes, but entirely fitting given the preposterous nature of the show.

The finale was not without its flaws though, with the presence of Michael's mother Christine mostly responsible for them. The character was so dreadfully contrived and her OTT dialogue was something you'd expect from a trashy, melodramatic daytime soap. Similarly, some of C-Note's lines were such hideously clichéd 'street' lingo that it was almost unbearable. Fortunately, the writers also came up with some cracking quips too, such as T-Bag's "erectorially challenged" outburst and Sucre's "can I keep the pen?" request to Kellerman after signing the exoneration forms.

Once the Scylla plot was finally wrapped up, the bold move to jump four years into the future provided a moving finale to the show (or at least before the spinoff TV movie is shown). The extended montage was a touching affair, without ever being overly sentimental - as aptly demonstrated by the spit levelled at the newfound saviour Kellerman for his past misdemeanours. It all led up to the grand reveal of Scofield's grave, a very sad moment that built on the portentous seaside nosebleed he had alongside Sara. An incredibly poignant final shot of one of the hero's origami swans perched on top of his tombstone brought down the lights, wrapping things up while paying homage to the early, great days of Prison Break.

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