Disconnect (Prison Break episode)
Encyclopedia
"Disconnect" is the thirty-fourth episode of the American television series Prison Break
and is the twelfth episode of its second season. Aired on November 20, 2006, it was also one of the episodes that were aired during the 2006 sweeps in the United States. The episode is written by Nick Santora
& Karyn Usher
, and directed by Karen Gaviola
.
Both Marshall Allman
(who plays L. J. Burrows) and Robert Knepper
(who plays Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell) did not appear in this episode but a flashback of T-Bag from the previous episode was used. The events in this episode directly follows that of the previous episode, which takes place on June 4.
(Rockmond Dunbar
), his wife and daughter are relaxing in an RV, at a Harvey, North Dakota
lakeside. When his daughter, Deedee (Helena Klevorn), is in need of her dexamethasone
medicine, C-Note and his wife, Kacee (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams
), risk public exposure in order to retrieve the medicine. However, Kacee is recognized by the pharmacist, and is later arrested by the Harvey police but not before she makes eye contact with C-Note and drops the medicine in a nearby trash receptacle.
In New Mexico
, Sara Tancredi
(Sarah Wayne Callies
) remains submerged in the motel bathtub as Agent Paul Kellerman
(Paul Adelstein
) unwraps a body bag and a hack saw. Afer a visit from the motel attendant about the noise coming from his bathroom and television, Kellerman returns to the bathroom to an empty bathtub. Sara catches Kellerman by surprise and burns his chest with an iron. She jumps out the window and smashes into a car windshield below. Wounded, Sara hides in a public restroom and stitches her own wounds while wincing in pain.
After Kellerman lies about Sara's death, Agent Kim (Reggie Lee
) has his subordinate erase Kellerman from all of the government records. When Kellerman calls Caroline Reynolds' office, he is told that the administration does not know his name. He tries to call Kim, pleading "Bill, don't do this", as Kim tells his subordinate "Make him a ghost".
Brad Bellick
(Wade Williams
) is investigated about Roy Geary's death by Detective Katherine Slattery (Romy Rosemont
) inside a Tribune, Kansas
police station. After Bellick evades her questions, Slattery replies that she doesn't care about what they were doing, she just wants to know the truth about what happened. Bellick finally tells her that they were tracking down Theodore Bagwell but does not mention Charles Westmoreland's money. Eventually, she is given the credit card receipt with Bellick's name on it found at the crime scene, as well as a copy of Bellick's death threat left on Geary's voice mail. Circumstantial evidence
overwhelming, Slattery places Bellick under arrest for the first degree murder of Geary, despite his assertion of innocence and that he was somehow framed by T-Bag for the crime.
Michael Scofield
(Wentworth Miller
) is distraught when his brother Lincoln Burrows
(Dominic Purcell) introduces Aldo Burrows (Anthony Denison
) as his father. Michael announces that he knows Aldo. He recalls a childhood memory when he sustained child abuse
at the hands of a foster parent. Aldo killed the man, which affected Michael greatly. This flashback also explains the source of Michael's low latent inhibition (which enabled him to formulate and execute the escape plan) and low self-worth (which is what made him go to such extreme lengths to help his brother in the first place), both of which were first alluded to in the first season episode "Tweener".
Aldo continues to explain to Michael about "The Company
" but their gathering is interrupted by Agent Alexander Mahone
(William Fichtner
), who begins firing at them. Aldo is shot but escapes. However, Aldo dies in Michael's arms after telling his sons to find Sara Tancredi, who he believes can save Lincoln. Michael and Lincoln bury Aldo by the roadside. Along with Sucre
(Amaury Nolasco
), they head to the airplane rendezvous point but tell Sucre that they will stay behind and that they are through with running. Michael's parting words to Sucre are, "Fly safe, papi". A grinning Sucre replies, "Give 'em hell."
Agent Mahone phones the authorities, instructing them to "put an alarm out on a dark blue sedan. License: AE9268. 40 miles southeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico
". He then goes to St. De Lorenzo Hospital in Carlsbad, New Mexico
to meet with the coyote who tried to ambush Michael in the previous episode, "Bolshoi Booze
". The coyote attempts to negotiate with Mahone for the location of the airfield, but Mahone quickly loses patience and proceeds to disconnect the coyote's medical equipment. Mahone discovers the location of the airfield and the time of the flight, and orders that the plane (an A36 Beech
) to be shot down by military jets from a nearby Navy Reserve Airstation.
With Mahone behind them, Michael makes a desperate attempt to contact Sara on her cell phone while close to a transmission tower. As they set out to find a transmission tower, they notice what appear to be fighter jets and assume they are going after Sucre. Eventually Sara answers the telephone, but not before Mahone smashes his Ford Crown Victoria
into Michael and Lincoln's car, causing a fire and totalling both cars but not seriously injuring anyone. Exhausted but madly determined, Mahone aims his gun at the brothers just as Michael's phone, thrown clear of the crash, connects to Sara's.
's Deal or No Deal
.
As the show follows multiple characters, some critics commented on the diverging plots of those characters. A critic from Entertainment Weekly
stated that although the storyline between Agents Kim and Kellerman was necessary, it was "Boring? Beyond words." A similar comment was made by a reviewer from TV Guide
about C-Note's plot. The reviewer stated that she is "just not that invested in his story" because his character is completely cut off from the rest of the escapees and that he is less of a compelling character than T-Bag, who also has a separate plot. On the other aspects of the episode, the critic from the Arizona Daily Star
commended the episode's pre-credits sequence, saying that "'Prison Break' is now at the top of the list for sheer shock value and tight storytelling". The pre-credits sequence involved the first five minutes of the episode which was about Michael's past and Sara's escape from Kellerman. There were also comments about the main turning point of Michael and Lincoln's plot as they decide to stop running. The critic from IGN
commented that this "changes the direction of the show completely, and should provide fans with even more exciting dramatic possibilities in future episodes". However, the critic from the Arizona Daily Star disagrees, saying that the brother's decision to stay "was a dumb choice".
Overall, the episode received a 9.8/10 rating from IGN and a B+ grade from The San Diego Union-Tribune
, whose critic also stated that it was "an eventful episode".
This episode was nominated for two Golden Reel Awards in the categories of "Best Sound Editing in Music for Television - Short Form" and "Best Sound Editing in Sound Effects and Foley for Television - Short Form".
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
and is the twelfth episode of its second season. Aired on November 20, 2006, it was also one of the episodes that were aired during the 2006 sweeps in the United States. The episode is written by Nick Santora
Nick Santora
Nick Santora is a writer and producer born in Queens, New York. Santora graduated from Columbia Law School and practiced law for six years before giving up full-time practice to write and produce television....
& Karyn Usher
Karyn Usher
Karyn Usher is an American television producer and writer.She has produced twenty-four episodes for the television series Prison Break, and additionally written twelve episodes...
, and directed by Karen Gaviola
Karen Gaviola
Karen Gaviola is an American television director. Gaviola is the winner of the 2007 NAACP Image Award for directing "The Whole Truth" episode of the ABC hit series Lost. In addition to directing multiple episodes of Lost, Karen Gaviola has directed over 60 shows including CSI: Miami, Brothers and...
.
Both Marshall Allman
Marshall Allman
Marshall Scot Allman is an American actor. He is known to television audiences for his role as L. J. Burrows on Fox's successful television series, Prison Break...
(who plays L. J. Burrows) and Robert Knepper
Robert Knepper
Robert Lyle Knepper is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in the Fox network's drama series Prison Break, for which he was nominated a Satellite Award...
(who plays Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell) did not appear in this episode but a flashback of T-Bag from the previous episode was used. The events in this episode directly follows that of the previous episode, which takes place on June 4.
Summary
C-NoteBenjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin
Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin, played by Rockmond Dunbar, is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. The character was introduced as a prisoner in the pilot episode. The actor was promoted from a recurring guest star to a regular cast member midway through the...
(Rockmond Dunbar
Rockmond Dunbar
Rockmond Dunbar is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Kenny Chadway on the Showtime television drama series Soul Food, and as Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin on the FOX television drama series Prison Break...
), his wife and daughter are relaxing in an RV, at a Harvey, North Dakota
Harvey, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,989 people, 926 households, and 529 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,031.8 people per square mile . There were 1,056 housing units at an average density of 547.8 per square mile...
lakeside. When his daughter, Deedee (Helena Klevorn), is in need of her dexamethasone
Dexamethasone
Dexamethasone is a potent synthetic member of the glucocorticoid class of steroid drugs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant...
medicine, C-Note and his wife, Kacee (Cynthia Kaye McWilliams
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams is an American actress. She played Kacee Franklin, C-Note's wife, in the TV series Prison Break.She was also cast in the 2006 movie The Lake House...
), risk public exposure in order to retrieve the medicine. However, Kacee is recognized by the pharmacist, and is later arrested by the Harvey police but not before she makes eye contact with C-Note and drops the medicine in a nearby trash receptacle.
In New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Sara Tancredi
Sara Tancredi
Dr. Sara Tancredi is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. She is played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Her role in the first season of the series is a prison doctor.- Background :...
(Sarah Wayne Callies
Sarah Wayne Callies
Sarah Wayne Callies is an American actress who is best known for her role as Sara Tancredi in the American television series Prison Break. She now plays Lori Grimes in The Walking Dead.- Early life :...
) remains submerged in the motel bathtub as Agent Paul Kellerman
Paul Kellerman
Paul Kellerman, played by Paul Adelstein, is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. The character was introduced to the series as a Secret Service special agent in the series pilot but the actor was not listed as a regular cast member until the third episode...
(Paul Adelstein
Paul Adelstein
Paul Adelstein is an American television and film actor, best known for the role of Agent Paul Kellerman in the television series, Prison Break, and his current role as pediatrician Cooper Freedman in the series Private Practice....
) unwraps a body bag and a hack saw. Afer a visit from the motel attendant about the noise coming from his bathroom and television, Kellerman returns to the bathroom to an empty bathtub. Sara catches Kellerman by surprise and burns his chest with an iron. She jumps out the window and smashes into a car windshield below. Wounded, Sara hides in a public restroom and stitches her own wounds while wincing in pain.
After Kellerman lies about Sara's death, Agent Kim (Reggie Lee
Reggie Lee (actor)
Reggie Lee is an American actor who played William Kim on the show Prison Break and also appeared as Tai Huang in two Pirates of the Caribbean films, as well as The Fast and the Furious...
) has his subordinate erase Kellerman from all of the government records. When Kellerman calls Caroline Reynolds' office, he is told that the administration does not know his name. He tries to call Kim, pleading "Bill, don't do this", as Kim tells his subordinate "Make him a ghost".
Brad Bellick
Brad Bellick
Bradley "Brad" Bellick is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wade Williams. As one of the principal characters of Prison Break, he has been featured in all four seasons of the series...
(Wade Williams
Wade Williams
Wade Andrew Williams is an American actor who is best known for his starring role as Brad Bellick on Fox's television series Prison Break.-Personal life:...
) is investigated about Roy Geary's death by Detective Katherine Slattery (Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont
Romy Rosemont is a television actress who has appeared in multiple TV series, including Shark, Grey's Anatomy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Prison Break and Private Practice. She got her break in 2010, playing Carole Hudson in the musical series Glee...
) inside a Tribune, Kansas
Tribune, Kansas
Tribune is a city in and the county seat of Greeley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 741.-History:The city is named after the New York Tribune, of which Horace Greeley of Chappaqua, New York was the editor....
police station. After Bellick evades her questions, Slattery replies that she doesn't care about what they were doing, she just wants to know the truth about what happened. Bellick finally tells her that they were tracking down Theodore Bagwell but does not mention Charles Westmoreland's money. Eventually, she is given the credit card receipt with Bellick's name on it found at the crime scene, as well as a copy of Bellick's death threat left on Geary's voice mail. Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence
Circumstantial evidence is evidence in which an inference is required to connect it to a conclusion of fact, like a fingerprint at the scene of a crime...
overwhelming, Slattery places Bellick under arrest for the first degree murder of Geary, despite his assertion of innocence and that he was somehow framed by T-Bag for the crime.
Michael Scofield
Michael Scofield
Michael J. Scofield is the main protagonist in the American television series Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wentworth Miller. The character first appeared in the series pilot as a man who stages a bank robbery in order to get sent into the prison where his older brother, Lincoln Burrows , is...
(Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Earl Miller III is an English-born American actor; model and screenwriter who rose to stardom following his role as Michael Scofield in the Fox Network television series Prison Break.-Early life:...
) is distraught when his brother Lincoln Burrows
Lincoln Burrows
Lincoln Burrows, played by Dominic Purcell, is one of the main protagonists of the American television series, Prison Break. The plot of Prison Break revolves around Lincoln Burrows' setup for the murder of the vice president's brother and his brother's plan to help him escape his death sentence....
(Dominic Purcell) introduces Aldo Burrows (Anthony Denison
Anthony Denison
Anthony John Sarrero , also known by his stage name Anthony Denison, is an American actor. The eldest of three, he was born and raised in New York City's Harlem. Before acting he worked for John Hancock Insurance as a life insurance agent in Poughkeepsie, New York...
) as his father. Michael announces that he knows Aldo. He recalls a childhood memory when he sustained child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
at the hands of a foster parent. Aldo killed the man, which affected Michael greatly. This flashback also explains the source of Michael's low latent inhibition (which enabled him to formulate and execute the escape plan) and low self-worth (which is what made him go to such extreme lengths to help his brother in the first place), both of which were first alluded to in the first season episode "Tweener".
Aldo continues to explain to Michael about "The Company
The Company (Prison Break)
The Company is a fictional covert organization featured in the American television drama/thriller series Prison Break. It is a secret group of multinationals known almost exclusively by those who work for them . Its influence and power over individuals stretches to the White House, influencing...
" but their gathering is interrupted by Agent Alexander Mahone
Alexander Mahone
Alexander "Alex" Mahone is a fictional character portrayed by William Fichtner in the American television series Prison Break. The series revolves around two brothers: one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and his younger sibling, a genius who devises an elaborate plan...
(William Fichtner
William Fichtner
William Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
), who begins firing at them. Aldo is shot but escapes. However, Aldo dies in Michael's arms after telling his sons to find Sara Tancredi, who he believes can save Lincoln. Michael and Lincoln bury Aldo by the roadside. Along with Sucre
Fernando Sucre
Fernando Sucre, played by Amaury Nolasco, is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. He is introduced to the series in the pilot episode as the prison cellmate of the series protagonist, Michael Scofield .-Background:Of Puerto Rican descent, Sucre grew up in Chicago...
(Amaury Nolasco
Amaury Nolasco
Amaury Nolasco Garrido is a Puerto Rican actor, best known for the role of Fernando Sucre on the television series Prison Break, and for his role in Transformers.-Early life:...
), they head to the airplane rendezvous point but tell Sucre that they will stay behind and that they are through with running. Michael's parting words to Sucre are, "Fly safe, papi". A grinning Sucre replies, "Give 'em hell."
Agent Mahone phones the authorities, instructing them to "put an alarm out on a dark blue sedan. License: AE9268. 40 miles southeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
". He then goes to St. De Lorenzo Hospital in Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 26,138. Carlsbad is the center of the designated micropolitan area of Carlsbad-Artesia, which has a total population of 55,435...
to meet with the coyote who tried to ambush Michael in the previous episode, "Bolshoi Booze
Bolshoi Booze
"Bolshoi Booze" is the thirty-third episode of the American television series Prison Break and is the eleventh episode of its second season. Aired on November 13, 2006, it was the second of the four episodes to be aired during the November sweeps in the United States...
". The coyote attempts to negotiate with Mahone for the location of the airfield, but Mahone quickly loses patience and proceeds to disconnect the coyote's medical equipment. Mahone discovers the location of the airfield and the time of the flight, and orders that the plane (an A36 Beech
Beechcraft Bonanza
The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
) to be shot down by military jets from a nearby Navy Reserve Airstation.
With Mahone behind them, Michael makes a desperate attempt to contact Sara on her cell phone while close to a transmission tower. As they set out to find a transmission tower, they notice what appear to be fighter jets and assume they are going after Sucre. Eventually Sara answers the telephone, but not before Mahone smashes his Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Crown Victoria
-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
into Michael and Lincoln's car, causing a fire and totalling both cars but not seriously injuring anyone. Exhausted but madly determined, Mahone aims his gun at the brothers just as Michael's phone, thrown clear of the crash, connects to Sara's.
Reception
On November 20, 2006, the show attained one of its largest audience since the second season premiere with an estimated 9.2 million viewers, which also improved on last week's viewer ratings. It also achieved its best rating in the 18-49 demographic since its season premiere in August with a 4.0 rating, finishing second in its timeslot behind NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (US game show)
Deal or No Deal is the American version of the international game show of Dutch origin of the same name. The show was hosted by Howie Mandel, and premiered on December 19, 2005, on National Broadcasting Company . The hour-long show typically aired at least twice a week during its run, and included...
.
As the show follows multiple characters, some critics commented on the diverging plots of those characters. A critic from Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
stated that although the storyline between Agents Kim and Kellerman was necessary, it was "Boring? Beyond words." A similar comment was made by a reviewer from TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
about C-Note's plot. The reviewer stated that she is "just not that invested in his story" because his character is completely cut off from the rest of the escapees and that he is less of a compelling character than T-Bag, who also has a separate plot. On the other aspects of the episode, the critic from the Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
commended the episode's pre-credits sequence, saying that "'Prison Break' is now at the top of the list for sheer shock value and tight storytelling". The pre-credits sequence involved the first five minutes of the episode which was about Michael's past and Sara's escape from Kellerman. There were also comments about the main turning point of Michael and Lincoln's plot as they decide to stop running. The critic from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
commented that this "changes the direction of the show completely, and should provide fans with even more exciting dramatic possibilities in future episodes". However, the critic from the Arizona Daily Star disagrees, saying that the brother's decision to stay "was a dumb choice".
Overall, the episode received a 9.8/10 rating from IGN and a B+ grade from The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
, whose critic also stated that it was "an eventful episode".
This episode was nominated for two Golden Reel Awards in the categories of "Best Sound Editing in Music for Television - Short Form" and "Best Sound Editing in Sound Effects and Foley for Television - Short Form".