Prison Break Recap 5x02: “Kaniel Outis” (Pizza is Always a Good Idea) [Guest Poster: Rebecca]

“Kaniel Outis”

Original Airdate: April 11, 2017

What does it take to completely erase an identity, to start fresh with a completely different name and lifestyle? And what does it take to ensure no one ever finds out that this identity has been changed?

This is precisely what we have learned has happened to Michael Scofield in the premiere episode of Prison Break’s fifth season. Whether or not he is responsible for his own transformation has yet to be answered, but I have a feeling Michael is up to something. He has never allowed himself to become a victim, hatching up seemingly impossible schemes and carrying them out to perfection, no matter what obstacles arise in his path.

Episode two, “Kaniel Outis,” begins with news footage of Abu Ramal, a big-time terrorist and rebel leader, who has been placed in solitary confinement at Ogygia. From conducting public beheadings to using young girls as sex slaves, this man truly is the definition of vile and is responsible for Yemen’s civil war. Although the only other time we get a glimpse of him this episode is for a few seconds at the very end, it’s safe to say he will become a very important character in the near future.

Michael and one of his cellmates, Whip, are trying to escape from Ogygia. They wait outside of their window, anxiously waiting on a light signal, which never comes, and are forced to return to their cell. They note that the bombings are getting closer to the prison, and they are quickly running out of time. Michael assures Whip that they still have one card left to play, and it’s already in motion.

Back at the hotel, C-Note explains to Lincoln that Kaniel Outis was thrown into jail for crimes against the government. He tried to escape Ogygia and was put in solitary confinement. He was just recently released to general population. Lincoln notices a shadow underneath the door, and opens it to find a child eavesdropping. The child runs away, leaving behind one of Michael’s infamous origami swans. Lincoln unfolds the swan and sees the phrase “find the sheik of light, and I will be free.”

Lincoln and C-Note visit Sheba, who is angry with them for defending a terrorist, and ask her to decode the note. She refuses — not wanting to aid the enemy — until Lincoln is able to bribe her with enough money to get her family out of Yemen. Sheba examines the note and finds a piece of tape. Stripping the tape off reveals a phone number for Mohammad El Tunis, an electrician. They discover he went to the suburbs (the frontline of the war) to retrieve his kidnapped daughter, and Sheba reluctantly agrees to get them past the checkpoint.

"IT WOULD TAKE A GENIUS TO TURN ONE MAN INTO ANOTHER — LIKE MICHAEL."

Sara receives Lincoln’s video of Michael in the prison and decides to go to the Department of State. She runs into Agent Paul Kellerman, who we all know from previous seasons as the man we thought was dead for a really long time until he randomly showed up in season four. Sara is reluctant to speak with him, but Kellerman assures her that she wants to hear what he has to say. Kellerman pulls up Michael’s official record on the computer, which identifies him as Kaniel Outis. He then shows Sara security footage of Michael killing the deputy chief of the CIA. He explains that immediately after this, Michael fled to Yemen and abandoned his luggage at the airport when he saw law enforcement officials waiting for him. They later found bloodstained clothes in Michael’s suitcase.

"I'M NOT JUDGING... BUT A SCHEMA AS DEEP AND CALCULATED AS THAT CAN, IN THE END, SPIN A MAN OFF INTO MADNESS. THE DANCE OF GOOD AND EVIL COULD BECOME JUMBLED."

After leaving Kellerman’s office, Sara visits Jacob in the hospital and fills him in on what’s happening. Jacob cautiously explains that although Michael did love her, he also asked her to unlock the door at Fox River — a key component of his elaborate escape plan in season one. Jacob suggests that Michael manipulated their relationship for his advantage.

"SOMETIMES, MY FRIEND, I CAN'T TELL WHICH IS BIGGER: YOUR PLANS OR YOUR LIES."

In accordance with Ramadan, as an act of forgiveness, Ogygia plans to release solitary prisoners back into general population. Whip reveals to Michael he was thrown in jail for 20 years for homosexuality, and knows he will be murdered when those in solitary rejoin the rest of the prisoners. Recognizing how quickly his plan needs to move, Michael pretends to be sick and asks a guard to take him to the infirmary, where he is chastised and beaten. One guard finally shows mercy and places some pills in his hand.

Back in the suburbs, C-Note, Lincoln, and Sheba find Mohammad, who refuses to leave the suburbs without his daughter, and Lincoln agrees to rescue her. He steals a truck from the rebels, driving Mohammad’s daughter, as well as several other young girls, to safety. C-Note, Sheba, and Mohammad also escape unharmed.

Meanwhile, Michael returns to his cell and spits out the pills given to him in the infirmary. He asks his and Whip’s third cellmate, a junkie who smuggled in a cell phone, if he will trade his cell phone and credit card number for the pills. The cellmate agrees, and Michael informs Whip that he’s going to order a pizza.

We learn that Whip is Mohammad’s son, and Mohammad agreed to help him escape by arranging a blackout. The blackout was supposed to happen a week prior, but then Mohammad’s daughter was taken. Lincoln urges Mohammad to try again, and he agrees to give the signal later that day.

"HIDE EVERYONE. A STORM IS COMING."

Back in the United States, Sara becomes frantic when her son, Mike, does not come out to her car after school. She finally finds him at the school’s playground. Mike tells her he was looking for the pizza deliveryman, who gave him an origami rose. Sara unfolds the rose to find a message imploring her to hide.

Mohammad gives the signal by flashing the power grid twice, and Whip and Michael know the escape is on, 24 hours from that moment; however, the guards begin releasing the prisoners in solitary for Ramadan. In the final shot of this episode, we see Abu Ramal emerge from his cell. Whip looks on fearfully as Abu saunters toward Michael, and the two embrace. Abu asks Michael if he has found a way for them to escape, and Michael replies “tomorrow.”

THE VERDICT 

I thought this episode did a really good job of setting the rest of the season up. While none of my questions from the previous episode were answered, more arose after watching this one, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Prison Break is famous for its complex and convoluted plots, which become clear and logical towards the end of the season; why should this reboot be any different?

Obviously, I’m curious as to whether Sara chooses to stay with Jacob or go back to Michael, and obviously I hope she chooses Michael. I get that Sara has a kid and a husband in the hospital, but I need her in Yemen, in the action, fighting to get Michael out of whatever situation he’s gotten into. I also need to know how Michael got involved with this terrorist organization in the first place, since it’s clear he murdered that CIA official and has a relationship with Abu Ramal. And, of course, I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of T-Bag and Sucre — at least I hope not!

As I mentioned last review, nostalgia is such an important component of this reboot. These past two episodes feel like a continuation of the story, not like a spinoff. It seems the actors have fallen back into their characters seamlessly, and the plot isn’t really that farfetched (at least by Prison Break’s standards). I’m really impressed with this reboot so far.

Honorable Events Worth Mentioning:

• Sheba’s father is a government official, the targets of rebel attacks. This only strengthens her desire to get out of Yemen as quickly as possible.
• Whip and Michael’s third cellmate bought Freddie Mercury’s ashes for $2 million.
• Michael fashions a lighter out of a gum wrapper and a battery. Seriously, is there anything this guy can’t do?