Prison Break (TV Series) Scylla (2008) User Reviews

The Impossible Happens

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 16 November 2008]

In Los Angeles, Michael is tracking Whistler and Gretchen seeking revenge for the death of Sara. They go to the Roosevelt Hotel to buy a fifty million dollars card called Scylla. Whistler kills the sellers, copies the card but he is surprised by Michael. When Gretchen arrives, she discloses that Sara is alive. Later Gretchen meets General Jonathan Krantz in the Mojave Desert in California and he tells her that she has failed and asks his black agent Wyatt to kill her. Michael calls Lincoln in Panama and he tells that Sofia and LJ are all right, and Sona has burnt and Sucre, Bellick and T-Bag are not in the list of casualties. Sucre and Bellick meets Bellick's mother in the Arizona Desert near California. Michael reads his e-mail and Mahone sends a message asking Michael to meet him. He tells that Whistler and he are working against the company, Gretchen is dead and he explains the content of Scylla, indeed the company's little black book with all the information of the corrupt organization. When Whistler joins them, he tells that Sara is alive but he is murdered by Wyatt, who retrieves the card. T-Bag is with the prostitute in a hotel and hires two coyotes to cross him back to USA since he has a blood feud with Michael. However, he is double-crossed and left on the desert. General Krantz tells Wyatt that it is time to clean-up, and assigns him to kill Michael, Mahone and Lincoln. In Panama, Lincoln is attacked by a Company's agent, but he kills the guy and is arrested. Sucre visits his son in the hospital, but he is double-crossed by his sister-in-law and arrested with Bellick. Wyatt kills Pamela and Cameron and Mahone is arrested in his house. Michael calls Bruce looking for Sara but he is arrested by the police. Then the National Security Agent Don Self meets Michael and proposed his freedom if he works secretly for the government to take the Company down. Michael refuses in principle, and Bruce pays his and Lincoln's bails and they meet Sara. However, when Wyatt finds the safe house and shoots them, Michael calls Don and accepts the deal. He removes his tattoos and forms a team against the Company with Lincoln, Sara, Sucre, Bellick and Mahone.

This fast paced first episode of the Fourth Season has many twists and ellipsis in the very beginning: Whistler and Gretchen are killed; Sona has burnt; Sucre. Bellick and T-Bag are out of jail. But the impossible happens: Sara is alive, and Michael now is teaming-up with Bellick and Mahone in the same side. I hope they are not double-crossed by Agent Don Self. Now there is another killer (Wyatt) chasing them. Let's see whether the number of new situations this Season works like the others did. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

The Six Head Monster

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 17 November 2008]

In LA, General Krantz tells Wyatt that he wants Michael, Lincoln and Mahone dead. Agent Self forces Michael and his crew to wear monitor around their ankles, and their first assignment is to find the Scylla card. Mahone recalls that Whistler delivered the card to a card holder, and he noted that the driver probably would be a retired military. Using the information from the IRS, they find the identity of the driver. Meanwhile, T-Bag and Sancho head to San Diego in the desert. The hungry Sancho attacks T-Bag, who kills the Mexican while defending himself, and survives eating part of him. Later he gets a ride to San Diego with two bikers' sportsmen. Michael's team tracks the driver to the fortress of Spectroleum CEO Stuart Tuxhorn. The hacker Roland Glenn joins the team and gives a digital black hole device that copies any digital information when close to the source. Michael asks Sara to plant the device in the housekeeper's purse to bring the device inside the house and they succeed in copying the card. However, the maid leaves the device inside the house and they are forced to break in the place to retrieve the apparatus. T-Bag discovers the meaning of Whistler's code 36-24-36 in the Birds Guide. Michael and Sara conclude that Scylla is actually a six head monster from "The Odyssey" and therefore there are six cards. Gretchen is still alive.

In this engaging second episode, a new member joins Michael's team, the hacker Roland Glenn. The cold blood killer Wyatt is the new menace to the group. The dangerous Gretchen alive and tortures by Wyatt is promising. T-Bag eats human flesh to survive and the joke with Mexican food is dark but very funny. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Acceptable

[jjesuss · 8/10 · 9 June 2016]

Acceptable episode and it gives a good opening for the new season, however there are some elements that indicate that this season is going to be far away from the quality of season 1... let's see!

The action during the episode is nevertheless intensive. But, opposite to other seasons, it seems that the script is not fully thought throughout beforehand. Watching season 1 and 2 one had the feeling that everything is leading to a big point, however season 4 begins with much less sense of inner logic.

A good side is that most of the main characters (Linc, Mikel, etc) are again in the move, so one can expect a lot of good moments coming.

Worst episode of the show.

[stillworkingfortheknife · 11 March 2013]

"Dr. Sara Tancredi. The only woman I ever loved." Oh come on! Even the least talented screenwriters out there realize that this is much too camp! Michael Scofield's monologue at the beginning, from which this is excerpted, marks as a fairly bad season opener already after 2 minutes. Sadly, nothing gets any better after that. The writers had some grand ideas again (caution: sarcasm), like killing two major roles of season 3 in the first 15 minutes or all convicts somehow escaping Sona because this "high security prison" just burns down. Furthermore, the return of Sara is made very bad, which makes it really difficult for me to like the fact that she's back again. But I'm not done yet: what's up with all the escaped convicts thinking that they can just go around like normal people, while in season 2 they had fake IDs and hiding places and stuff? Of course, each of them gets caught in the first half an hour and of course Michael's highest amount of jail time is 15 years, I'm sure this is a proper amount of time after escaping two penitentiaries and killing someone. I can't exactly say where this episode ends and #2 starts because it's a double episode, but until minute 46, nearly everything that happened was absolutely stupid. This is nothing less than the worst episode of the whole series.

Nice Episode Nice Pilot for Season 4!!!! But Not Superb like season 1 or 2!!!

[thekuruptx · 8/10 · 13 September 2008]

This Epi rocked....

the intensity is huge...we feel the rage in Micheal for losing Sara !!! but like before Micheal again has himself in a impossible situation where in order for him to survive he has to help Whistler and Gretchan ...but there is a huge twist there!!!.... unlike before Micheal has some high-powered people HELPING Micheal for once..

Enjoy it .. but there is one thing thats bugging me.... "can the show survive the name 'Prison break'?..i mean c'mon He has already broken out of 2 Prisons....if they need this to work...they might as well make him a alleged contractor for busting convicts out? HeHe!!!!! just say'in!!!"

Top 3 episode of the show

[jaydengauci-17195 · 10/10 · 21 June 2023]

One of the best and most underrated episodes in the show. Major plot twists here and I like how at first Mahone is really mysterious and we don't really know what his deal is in the final episode of season 3. Will he return to working for the company? The introduction to Scylla was mysterious and I loved it. Michael Scofield seeking revenge for Sara's death was great and I loved the quote at the beginning. Many hate how Whistler was killed off here. Even though having him killed off slightly later would probably be more shocking, I still liked this because in this season there were many shocking deaths. Roland, receptionist girl at Gate who was an agent, Whistler himself, Bruce Bennett (a character from season 1) and last but not least, Bellick. Overall an overlooked episode, I don't believe any show or episode is truly perfect and actually a 10/10, but I will give this a 10/10 because it's underrated. In truth, I'd give this like a 9.5/10. Great development, great plot, great introduction.

Not a great opening episode but sets the stage right

[Abdulxoxo · 7/10 · 1 July 2022]

I think this episode is all about resetting the events of S3 and bringing the characters together even if that means in the most dumbest way possible. Whistler was quite an important character in S3, infact almost the entire plot revolves around him. There has been many hints that he's not who he appears to be and when we finally get a glimpse of that, he gets a bullet in the head, really? It seems like the writers have no plans for him whatsoever this season but that doesn't mean he has to go in such an underwhelming manner. Another character who gets equal treatment is Gretchen who had an important role in the previous season. And is seems to be quickly disposed here but I hope she's not still alive. Michael is out looking for revenge and has the person behind it at gunpoint but wait "didn't you tell him", tell him what exactly? That his girlfriend is resurrected because, what, the writers aren't done with her and decided to her bring her back?. It was quite implausible and I can't stand the awkwardness of the whole situation. And we have Brad and Sucre now back to the same city as the rest of the team with some clumsy excuse that Sona was burnt to the ground and that they conveniently escape? Really? Anyways, I like that the characters are whole again and working together to recovery this "Scylla", I expect some twists and surprises along the way.

Just why?

[mersenne255 · 7/10 · 29 May 2009]

Only question: Just why in every single thrill-based series has to be some sort of uber-minded Einstein, who always has some uber-useful gadget, built apparently just for the current episode? Really, it seems like if screenwriters don't know how to make episode interesting, they came up with some invention, which would meant technological break-through. This device, able to read electronical processes within remote devices would trigger science revolution. And that guy who invented it, would be given Nobel prize. I could compare this to telepathy - it would be either impossible or miracle. I don't find this anymore interesting and thats the reason why the lowered rating.

How they were allowed to screen this I have no idea

[mseeaint5 · 1/10 · 22 June 2017]

Lets start with the dialogue, it was awful, everything Michael and Sara said to each other seemed forced and off but that could have been alright if there wasn't some terrible decisions in the plot. First of all, when a character dies like Sara did in season 3 (Very messy handling of someone leaving the show) you don't expect them to comeback with some bullsh*t explanation like "I thought i saw her head in a box but I don't know it was dark" It was honestly like a soap, there was no need to revive Sara or even go on with the story with Michael's terrible "Need for revenge" nevermind killing off all of season 3's new characters in the first 15 minutes. That was just unnecessary and odd. How the hell did Sara manage to escape without LJ noticing who was apparently sitting next to her the whole time, and had to turn away as her head was being cut off? Nothing about the episode was good even though I knew after the end of season 2 It was just going to be a downhill slope it is starting to take the p*ss

Worst Episode of the series so far

[abinavc1998 · 1/10 · 4 October 2021]

Has completely spoilt the show. Terrible dialogues and plot decisions made by the staff. Was like a soap opera. Cannot believe they screened this.

First 2 seasons of Prison Break were the best that I've ever seen from a show. Season 3 was pretty good. This is horrendous.

"We can think like convicts, we just can't act like them". What have I got myself into?

[guest_to_movieland · 4/10 · 18 August 2022]

First of all, to justify the headline of this review, I gotta say that I think it's not a bad idea to change show's direction. Perhaps, it doesn't fit its name anymore, but it was inevitable - characters can't make prison breaks all the time. We've seen season 3, and even there escape seemed a bit repetitive, so it was just a matter of time, when they decide to move to something different. And I'm fine with that, as long as the show still has something to offer.

But this episode, though it has not a bad setup, just doesn't work. It's too rushed, filled with such a big amount of inconsistencies and questionable decisions, a total disaster, to be honest. And I guess that I still could've rated it higher, if it had been any other average show, but it's not. Since PB set such a high bar quality, I can't forgive it so many bad and messy things I've just witnessed.

I'm not the one who usually tries to learn more about off screen situation around the show so I'll stick with it here as well. Though I understand, that season 3 was cut off to only 13 episodes, it shouldn't justify the fact, that this episode is way too rushed. It raised too many questions. Since I'm sure that I'll never get answers for those, I'm gonna list all the things that were off when it comes to Scylla. If I'm wrong, I'll go back here and change my rating.

1) When you spend the whole last season in the prison, you do not just tell the viewer that there was a fire and riot. I get it, they didn't have access to that location, but I can't help but having questions. How did they manage to do it all? What was it like? Why did Sucre and Bellick decide to cooperate? How did they get away from that prison before meeting Brad's mother? And so on. It had to be shown. At least a small part of it when everything was on fire. It really could've been like one of the most interesting plot line. Well, so...

2) Sara's resurrection (and I can't call it any other way). I really like Sara and have always appreciated her as a character and pretty important part of the story. Not gonna lie, she's my third favorite (aside from Michael and Alex) character in the entire show. But it's wrong to bring her back for so many reasons. First, though the way it's been done (hello, Seven) was extremely poorly executed, characters had grieved over her, her death was impactful. We saw how devastated Michael was, how her death affected him, gave him a purpose to go against the Company and make them pay. It was great and it's been taken away too quickly. Terrible payoff for s3 finale, feels kinda disrespectful. She died pretty heroically for trying to help brothers to find her and LJ, risked so much. Second, Scylla provided us with absolutely nonsensical explanation of how it happened. It was dark in the garage? LJ wasn't watching? Seriously, show, that's all you've got? It's too lame. To fake someone's death, it takes time, even for the Company. Since Sara's escape definitely wasn't a part of their plan, it's just impossible to find a woman who looks so alike that fast. And I saw that episode with my own eyes, it wasn't that dark in there. Things with LJ doesn't fit in either. Apparently he and Sara had been together most of the time, including the moment she'd been 'killed' or, more importantly, the moment she managed to escape. Best version is that she ran away before and they killed another woman while LJ wasn't watching. It could've worked, I guess, but it's still very vague and cheap. Once again, it's hard to find woman who looks alike so fast, thus, I would've never believed LJ hadn't been watching all time. From what he said, it seemed like he wasn't watching only at the moment of killing, not a lot of time before that.

3) Whistler. He was such a huge part of the story last season and seemed so meaningful and mysterious, that it was just too strange from the writers to get rid of him so fast and reduce his role to one case, to one meeting. Lame and upsetting. Not much to add here, just a big disappointment. He seemed like such an intruiging character that had a great potential.

4) Why did they torture Sara in the first place? Seriously, what was the reason to do it? I mean, we've seen LJ, the boy was fine. I mean, of course, I can have my own theories, such as it happened due her tries to tell Michael and Linc where she was, but those are just theories, episode's answer was too terrible. You know, the Company, they always do stuff like that. And LJ is kinda a proof that they don't.

5) Tattoo that can be removed in 24 hours. I have nothing against some conventions the show may have, but it's just impossible to remove the whole thing that quickly

6) Dialogs and characters. Michael's speech at the beginning was the first sign. It was too pretentious and melodramatic. I know PB can do better than that. It also comes to characters' interaction. Actors still do a good job with the script they've been given, but there's just something that was off. For instance, I didn't feel an immediate menace when I saw T-Bag (though I've always done that before), or I didn't find that Glenn or his so-called funny interactions with others interesting because guy seemed too cliched (hope it'll change). Also the immediate brothers' consent after one killing attempt seems kinda weird, because it happened after Michael met Whistler, not before. If brothers had had nothing to do with all that but still tried to be murdered, I would've understood. But Michael had a meeting with Alex and Whistler. It still works, I guess, considering all the ties between brothers and the Company, but the show could've done much better.

I think, it's time to stop cause I can do it all day long. I wanna point out some good things. And there were ones.

1) Alex. It's great to have him and see how even more motivated he's gonna be due to what happened with his family.

2) Good intrigue. This show still manages to have good cliffhangers that I want to see getting their payoffs. It's more about Michael's nose bleeding than setup for the search of five cards, though, but still it counts.

3) Good potential for characters' interaction. It's nice to have all these characters back and now working together. It will be extremely interesting, unless the writers ruin it.

All in all, I'm extremely disappointed, the episode is a disaster. I wish they could've done it better. And because of the fact that I know, that they can do better, it all is even more upsetting. So yeah, what have I got myself into? It's pretty hard to quit when you came such a long way with the show and its characters.