John Doe (Prison Break episode)
Encyclopedia
"John Doe" is the thirty-sixth episode of the American television series Prison Break
and is the fourteenth episode of its second season. The episode was aired on January 22, 2007 after a seven-week break. It was written by Matt Olmstead
and Nick Santora
, and directed by Kevin Hooks
. The title, "John Doe", commonly refers to an unidentified male or a male with no name. Coincidentally, John Doe
is also the name of a television series in which Dominic Purcell (who plays Lincoln Burrows
) was the titular character. The episode mainly focuses on the meeting of the characters Lincoln Burrows and Terrence Steadman. Regarding the casting of this episode, series regulars Sarah Wayne Callies
(who plays Sara Tancredi
) and Amaury Nolasco
(who plays Fernando Sucre
) did not appear in this episode.
(Rockmond Dunbar
) is at a campground with his RV
and his daughter Dede (Helena Klevorn) in Mound City, Nebraska
. She asks him if her mother Kaycee is in trouble. Dissatisfied with C-Note's reply, she stays in the RV, while C-Note makes a telephone call to Trey (Andra Fuller).
Trey is at the North Dakota courthouse, waiting to see his incarcerated sister Kayce. He tells C-Note that after speaking to the lawyer, he believes that she will make bail
. C-Note informs Trey that he plans to vanish with Dede and Kayce in Alaska, where C-Note's Army buddy knows where he can get a fish hatchery
job, "no questions asked". Incensed, Trey asks his brother in law, "You want her to jump bail now?"
One phone call later, Trey tells C-Note that Kayce did not make bail as planned. C-Note offers to turn himself in, but Trey says that it will not get Kayce released, and that if both parents are incarcerated, Dede will be sent to a foster home.
T-Bag (Robert Knepper
) is in Ness City, Kansas
, in the home of his former girlfriend Susan Hollander (K.K. Dodds). T-Bag tells Susan that he believes that when she spit at him in Fox River State Penitentiary
, it proves that she still has strong feelings for him. When she tries to plead with him, saying that she never told the children who he was, he is further convinced that redemption is within his reach. Susan attempts to grab a gun from her drawer, but is unable to reach for it in time.
Susan's children, Gracie (Danielle Campbell
) and Zach (Quinn Wermeling) arrive at home. Blissfully unaware of T-Bag's true nature, they run to embrace him. Using Susan's story that he quickly took a job at an offshore oil rig, T-Bag told everyone that he lost his hand at the oil rig due to an accident, but his lawyers successfully sued them for five million dollars (one million dollars for "each finger"). He tells the Hollander family he can do whatever he wants now, and would like to do nothing more than to be with them.
As the children watch television with T-Bag and a tense Susan, the latter feigns a beverage spill to leave the room. T-Bag follows her and when he sees her attempting to get to the drawer with the gun in it, T-Bag yells at her loudly, brandishing the firearm. Hearing the commotion, the children approach, while Zach attempts to hit T-Bag with his skateboard. T-Bag evades the attack, takes the family hostage, and begins to board up the front door.
Former Captain of the prison guards Brad Bellick
(Wade Williams
), now an inmate, is standing in a Fox River recreation yard. He draws the attention of a robust African-American inmate named Banks (Lester "Rasta" Speight) who coerces him to give him his dessert during mealtime in exchange for protection. Banks strikes Bellick across the face, drawing the attention of Corrections officer Stolte (Christian Stolte
), who breaks up the fight. Emasculated, Bellick agrees to Banks' proposal.
During mealtime, Bellick fulfills his agreement by giving Banks a chocolate brownie
. Banks reneges on the deal by saying now he must now get five desserts, one for him, and four for his gang of inmates. Bellick replies that he has candy in his pocket; he brandishes a shlock (a sock filled with batteries, used in prison fights) and bludgeons Banks repeatedly. He walks away while sirens blare loudly.
Stolte appears outside Bellick's cell, telling him that tonight, some corrupt guards paid by Banks will open the cell doors, while Banks and his gang will attack him. Bellick asks Stolte for help, and Stolte replies that he is helping by warning him. He further explains that the night shift CO's are only there because Bellick assigned them there when he was captain of the guards, and that they will have no sympathy for him.
Bellick begs his cellmate Avocado (Daniel Allar
) for help, but he replies that while Bellick may have the top bunk in their cell, he owes him nothing outside. As Banks' henchmen intimidate Bellick by repeatedly singing his name "Brad-lee", Bellick screams that he is not afraid of them. The next sound is the clanging of open cell doors.
A corrections officer covering the perimeter of the Albuquerque, New Mexico
tunnel that the escaped brothers vanished from responds to a ringing mobile phone, only to find the body of FBI
Agent Alexander Mahone
(William Fichtner
). He responds to the call, speaking to US Secret Service Agent William Kim (Reggie Lee
). The officer identifies himself, and says that Mahone has been shot.
Agent Alexander Mahone is in an Albuquerque hospital bed, recovering from a gunshot wound he received from traitorous agent Paul Kellerman
(Paul Adelstein
). The moment he wakes up, the agent that killed Veronica and appeared in Sara's apartment gives Mahone a mobile telephone. He slowly reaches for it, holds it to his ear, and hears the voice of Agent Kim. Kim tells Mahone that Kellerman informed him that the escaped brothers had shot him, but that he managed to kill both of them shortly afterward; he replies with sardonic laughter that Kellerman is lying; he was the one that shot him, and that the brothers are most likely still alive.
Mahone informs Kim and the agent who killed Veronica that he will no longer work for The Company
, even if it means doing his time for the death of Oscar Shales. Moments later, Mahone receives a frantic telephone call from his wife Pam (Callie Thorne
), that their son Cameron had just been hit by a car. Mahone tells Pam that he will be there. Against medical advice, Mahone quickly left the hospital, presumably to see his family in Durango, Colorado
. Once outside, the agent who killed Veronica taunted Mahone, saying that a broken tibia could mean a host of long term complications. Mahone responded with rage.
Agent Mahone called Agent Kim, telling him that he will return to his original mission. The body of the taunting agent who killed Veronica lies in Mahone's vehicle.
Michael Scofield
(Wentworth Miller
) and Lincoln Burrows
(Dominic Purcell) ride in a black SUV with Kellerman. Before Kellerman can explain much beyond saying that "the enemy of the enemy is my friend", he instructs the brothers to hide as they approach a police roadblock.
The police officer is shown Kellerman's government identification, but he continues to insist that all vehicles must be inspected. Kellerman replies that precious seconds are being spent, and that he will take down every officer's name and make sure that they're all fired. A senior police officer appears and instructs them to let Kellerman, busy dialing on his mobile phone, pass unscathed.
Moments after they escape the roadblock, Lincoln quickly remembers that Kellerman was the man who tried to kill him days before he and Michael escaped from Fox River. Lincoln immediately brandishes his gun, and seizes Kellerman, while their SUV careens out of control. Their vehicle pulled over, Lincoln holds his gun to Kellerman's head demanding why he shouldn't kill him right now. Kellerman replies with, "Because I know where Terrence Steadman (Jeff Perry
) is."
Kellerman arranges for the three of them to board a private jet, using his moniker "Owen Kravecki". They land at a Cutback, Montana
airfield, en route to Steadman's hideout in Blackfoot, Montana.
Bill Kim's underling discovers that Kellerman and the brothers are en route to Terrence Steadman, and tries to stop their plane from taking off. The underling replies that the plane has already landed in Montana. Seething, Agent Kim contacts agents at Steadman's home and informs them of Kellerman's plan.
The agents stationed in Blackfoot talk to Steadman, informing him that he will have to leave the home immediately. As they're at the frontdoor, Kellerman, Scofield, and Burrows arrive in a car, and secure Steadman. Kim is quickly informed of the situation and orders an agent to kill everyone, including Steadman. The agent draws his weapon but before he can carry out this order, Kellerman shoots him and his partner.
The quartet arrive at the Cutback motel, where Kellerman tells the brothers that they will take Steadman to Washington, D.C.
. They would escape to Canada through Glacier National Park and re-enter the United States through New York. Once in Washington DC, they would show Steadman to politicians sympathetic to Aldo Burrows' cause.
Kellerman further informs the brothers that Steadman is just a John Doe
; his fingerprints were burned off, his teeth were removed, and he even had plastic surgery to alter key physical features. It would be imperative to keep Steadman alive, so he could talk. Steadman takes the time to ridicule Kellerman by calling him the "Serf that would be King", alleging that Kellerman had proposed marriage to his sister Caroline Reynolds several years ago.
Unwilling to cooperate with Kellerman much less trust him, Michael takes the telephone, asks for a television news channel, and informs them of his identity and that he would like to turn himself in.
Unable to cope with the deaths of so many people including his beloved Veronica Donovan, Lincoln angrily points a gun at Steadman's face. Kellerman and Scofield successfully implore Burrows to back down, but Steadman quickly grabs Lincoln's gun hanging from the back of his pants, turns the gun on himself, and after unsuccessful negotiation from Michael, pulls the trigger.
The blood spattered painting and walls of the motel room were soon illuminated by the multicolored lights of police squad cars, as the sirens began to sound.
(who plays L. J. Burrows), who has been listed as a regular cast member from the series pilot, was removed from the opening credits.
The car Kellerman drives is usually a Chevrolet Suburban
but in one scene it was replaced with a GMC Yukon
.
This episode received both positive and negative reviews.The critics mainly focused on the death of the character Terrence Steadman, who was the most important piece of evidence in proving the innocence of the protagonist Lincoln Burrows
prior to this episode. Vinay Menon from the Toronto Star
wrote a critique of the episode which included this comment: "It also contains confusion. And trace levels of frustration. I mean, what the hell? Terrence Steadman is now dead? Can I please have 35 hours of my life back?" Similarly, MediaBlvd Magazines John Keegan was critical of the peripheral stories of the episode, stating, "Right now, many of these side stories suffer from the fact that they don’t really impact the main story, and they are easily dismissed as a result."
On the other hand, iFMagazines Peter Brown remarked that, "It's obvious the series is taking another turn from them running from the law to proving that there is something going on other than just convicts escaping. All-in-all it will make for good viewing on one of the best shows on TV." Also, Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun
commented that, "First up comes Prison Break, and we have to say, our heart almost jumped out of our chest at least three times when watching tonight's new episode, titled "John Doe". Even if you aren't an action connoisseur, this really is what action TV is all about."
Overall, Brian Tallerico of ugo.com gave "John Doe" a B+ grade, stating, "Sure, Prison Break is over-the-top, but, like its brother 24
, it moves so quickly that you can't stop to notice the continuity errors and unbelievable behavior because you don't even have time to catch your breath."
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 fourteenth episode of its second season. The episode was aired on January 22, 2007 after a seven-week break. It was written by Matt Olmstead
Matt Olmstead
Matt Olmstead is an American writer and producer for television shows.-Early life:Olmstead graduated from California State University, Chico. He is an alumnus of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. He went to Hollywood in hopes of being a script writer. Olmstead eventually worked with an...
and 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....
, and directed by Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks
Kevin Hooks is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable from his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow....
. The title, "John Doe", commonly refers to an unidentified male or a male with no name. Coincidentally, John Doe
John Doe (TV series)
John Doe is an American science fiction drama television series that aired on Fox during the 2002–2003 TV season.-Synopsis:"I woke up in an island off the coast of Seattle. I didn't know how I got there ... or who I was. But I did seem to know everything else. There were things about me I didn't...
is also the name of a television series in which Dominic Purcell (who plays 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....
) was the titular character. The episode mainly focuses on the meeting of the characters Lincoln Burrows and Terrence Steadman. Regarding the casting of this episode, series regulars 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 :...
(who plays 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 :...
) and 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:...
(who plays Fernando 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...
) did not appear in this episode.
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...
) is at a campground with his RV
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
and his daughter Dede (Helena Klevorn) in Mound City, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. She asks him if her mother Kaycee is in trouble. Dissatisfied with C-Note's reply, she stays in the RV, while C-Note makes a telephone call to Trey (Andra Fuller).
Trey is at the North Dakota courthouse, waiting to see his incarcerated sister Kayce. He tells C-Note that after speaking to the lawyer, he believes that she will make bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. C-Note informs Trey that he plans to vanish with Dede and Kayce in Alaska, where C-Note's Army buddy knows where he can get a fish hatchery
Fish hatchery
A fish hatchery is a "place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in particular". Hatcheries produce larval and juvenile fish primarily to support the aquaculture industry where they are transferred to on-growing systems...
job, "no questions asked". Incensed, Trey asks his brother in law, "You want her to jump bail now?"
One phone call later, Trey tells C-Note that Kayce did not make bail as planned. C-Note offers to turn himself in, but Trey says that it will not get Kayce released, and that if both parents are incarcerated, Dede will be sent to a foster home.
T-Bag (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...
) is in Ness City, Kansas
Ness City, Kansas
Ness is a city in and the county seat of Ness County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,449. Ness City is famous for its four-story Old Ness County Bank Building located downtown, and nicknamed Skyscraper of the Plains.-Geography:Ness City is located at...
, in the home of his former girlfriend Susan Hollander (K.K. Dodds). T-Bag tells Susan that he believes that when she spit at him in Fox River State Penitentiary
Fox River State Penitentiary
Fox River State Penitentiary is a fictional level five maximum-security prison featured prominently in the first season of the television series, Prison Break. The real-life representation of the prison is Joliet Prison, which is located in Joliet, Illinois...
, it proves that she still has strong feelings for him. When she tries to plead with him, saying that she never told the children who he was, he is further convinced that redemption is within his reach. Susan attempts to grab a gun from her drawer, but is unable to reach for it in time.
Susan's children, Gracie (Danielle Campbell
Danielle Campbell
Danielle Campbell is an American actress known for her role as Jessica Olson in the 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie Starstruck and as Simone in the The Disney film Prom.- Life and career :...
) and Zach (Quinn Wermeling) arrive at home. Blissfully unaware of T-Bag's true nature, they run to embrace him. Using Susan's story that he quickly took a job at an offshore oil rig, T-Bag told everyone that he lost his hand at the oil rig due to an accident, but his lawyers successfully sued them for five million dollars (one million dollars for "each finger"). He tells the Hollander family he can do whatever he wants now, and would like to do nothing more than to be with them.
As the children watch television with T-Bag and a tense Susan, the latter feigns a beverage spill to leave the room. T-Bag follows her and when he sees her attempting to get to the drawer with the gun in it, T-Bag yells at her loudly, brandishing the firearm. Hearing the commotion, the children approach, while Zach attempts to hit T-Bag with his skateboard. T-Bag evades the attack, takes the family hostage, and begins to board up the front door.
Former Captain of the prison guards 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:...
), now an inmate, is standing in a Fox River recreation yard. He draws the attention of a robust African-American inmate named Banks (Lester "Rasta" Speight) who coerces him to give him his dessert during mealtime in exchange for protection. Banks strikes Bellick across the face, drawing the attention of Corrections officer Stolte (Christian Stolte
Christian Stolte
Christian Stolte is an American actor. He played corrections officer Keith Stolte on the show Prison Break and Charles Makley on Public Enemies. He also plays Clarence Darby in the movie Law Abiding Citizen.-External links:...
), who breaks up the fight. Emasculated, Bellick agrees to Banks' proposal.
During mealtime, Bellick fulfills his agreement by giving Banks a chocolate brownie
Chocolate brownie
A chocolate brownie is a flat, baked square or bar introduced in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century and popularized in both the U.S. and Canada during the first half of the twentieth century. The brownie is sliced from a type of dense, rich chocolate cake, which is, in texture,...
. Banks reneges on the deal by saying now he must now get five desserts, one for him, and four for his gang of inmates. Bellick replies that he has candy in his pocket; he brandishes a shlock (a sock filled with batteries, used in prison fights) and bludgeons Banks repeatedly. He walks away while sirens blare loudly.
Stolte appears outside Bellick's cell, telling him that tonight, some corrupt guards paid by Banks will open the cell doors, while Banks and his gang will attack him. Bellick asks Stolte for help, and Stolte replies that he is helping by warning him. He further explains that the night shift CO's are only there because Bellick assigned them there when he was captain of the guards, and that they will have no sympathy for him.
Bellick begs his cellmate Avocado (Daniel Allar
Daniel Allar
Daniel E. Allar was an American actor, perhaps best known for his role as prison inmate Balz "Avocado" Johnson on the American television series Prison Break....
) for help, but he replies that while Bellick may have the top bunk in their cell, he owes him nothing outside. As Banks' henchmen intimidate Bellick by repeatedly singing his name "Brad-lee", Bellick screams that he is not afraid of them. The next sound is the clanging of open cell doors.
A corrections officer covering the perimeter of the Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
tunnel that the escaped brothers vanished from responds to a ringing mobile phone, only to find the body of FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
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...
). He responds to the call, speaking to US Secret Service Agent William 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...
). The officer identifies himself, and says that Mahone has been shot.
Agent Alexander Mahone is in an Albuquerque hospital bed, recovering from a gunshot wound he received from traitorous 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....
). The moment he wakes up, the agent that killed Veronica and appeared in Sara's apartment gives Mahone a mobile telephone. He slowly reaches for it, holds it to his ear, and hears the voice of Agent Kim. Kim tells Mahone that Kellerman informed him that the escaped brothers had shot him, but that he managed to kill both of them shortly afterward; he replies with sardonic laughter that Kellerman is lying; he was the one that shot him, and that the brothers are most likely still alive.
Mahone informs Kim and the agent who killed Veronica that he will no longer work for 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...
, even if it means doing his time for the death of Oscar Shales. Moments later, Mahone receives a frantic telephone call from his wife Pam (Callie Thorne
Callie Thorne
Calliope "Callie" Thorne is an American actress known for her current role as Dr. Dani Santino on the USA Network series Necessary Roughness...
), that their son Cameron had just been hit by a car. Mahone tells Pam that he will be there. Against medical advice, Mahone quickly left the hospital, presumably to see his family in Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
. Once outside, the agent who killed Veronica taunted Mahone, saying that a broken tibia could mean a host of long term complications. Mahone responded with rage.
Agent Mahone called Agent Kim, telling him that he will return to his original mission. The body of the taunting agent who killed Veronica lies in Mahone's vehicle.
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:...
) and 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) ride in a black SUV with Kellerman. Before Kellerman can explain much beyond saying that "the enemy of the enemy is my friend", he instructs the brothers to hide as they approach a police roadblock.
The police officer is shown Kellerman's government identification, but he continues to insist that all vehicles must be inspected. Kellerman replies that precious seconds are being spent, and that he will take down every officer's name and make sure that they're all fired. A senior police officer appears and instructs them to let Kellerman, busy dialing on his mobile phone, pass unscathed.
Moments after they escape the roadblock, Lincoln quickly remembers that Kellerman was the man who tried to kill him days before he and Michael escaped from Fox River. Lincoln immediately brandishes his gun, and seizes Kellerman, while their SUV careens out of control. Their vehicle pulled over, Lincoln holds his gun to Kellerman's head demanding why he shouldn't kill him right now. Kellerman replies with, "Because I know where Terrence Steadman (Jeff Perry
Jeff Perry (actor)
Jeff Perry is an American character actor.-Career:At a young age, his elder sister Jo took him to an audition at Ravinia Festival where American Conservatory Theater was staging Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author...
) is."
Kellerman arranges for the three of them to board a private jet, using his moniker "Owen Kravecki". They land at a Cutback, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
airfield, en route to Steadman's hideout in Blackfoot, Montana.
Bill Kim's underling discovers that Kellerman and the brothers are en route to Terrence Steadman, and tries to stop their plane from taking off. The underling replies that the plane has already landed in Montana. Seething, Agent Kim contacts agents at Steadman's home and informs them of Kellerman's plan.
The agents stationed in Blackfoot talk to Steadman, informing him that he will have to leave the home immediately. As they're at the frontdoor, Kellerman, Scofield, and Burrows arrive in a car, and secure Steadman. Kim is quickly informed of the situation and orders an agent to kill everyone, including Steadman. The agent draws his weapon but before he can carry out this order, Kellerman shoots him and his partner.
The quartet arrive at the Cutback motel, where Kellerman tells the brothers that they will take Steadman to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. They would escape to Canada through Glacier National Park and re-enter the United States through New York. Once in Washington DC, they would show Steadman to politicians sympathetic to Aldo Burrows' cause.
Kellerman further informs the brothers that Steadman is just a John Doe
John Doe
The name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown...
; his fingerprints were burned off, his teeth were removed, and he even had plastic surgery to alter key physical features. It would be imperative to keep Steadman alive, so he could talk. Steadman takes the time to ridicule Kellerman by calling him the "Serf that would be King", alleging that Kellerman had proposed marriage to his sister Caroline Reynolds several years ago.
Unwilling to cooperate with Kellerman much less trust him, Michael takes the telephone, asks for a television news channel, and informs them of his identity and that he would like to turn himself in.
Unable to cope with the deaths of so many people including his beloved Veronica Donovan, Lincoln angrily points a gun at Steadman's face. Kellerman and Scofield successfully implore Burrows to back down, but Steadman quickly grabs Lincoln's gun hanging from the back of his pants, turns the gun on himself, and after unsuccessful negotiation from Michael, pulls the trigger.
The blood spattered painting and walls of the motel room were soon illuminated by the multicolored lights of police squad cars, as the sirens began to sound.
Production details
Marshall AllmanMarshall 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), who has been listed as a regular cast member from the series pilot, was removed from the opening credits.
The car Kellerman drives is usually a Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet offered a station wagon body, built on the 1/2 ton truck frame. This model was specifically built for National Guard units and Civilian Conservation Corps units. Much of the body was constructed from wood, and could seat up to eight occupants....
but in one scene it was replaced with a GMC Yukon
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe are full-size SUVs from General Motors. Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their Blazer/Jimmy model names through the early 1990s. This situation changed when GMC rebadged the full-size Jimmy as the Yukon in 1992...
.
Reception
As the first episode to be aired in 2007, the episode obtained an average of 9.9 million viewers and was placed second in terms of viewership for the Monday 8:00pm timeslot, with a 6.6% household rating and 10% household share.This episode received both positive and negative reviews.The critics mainly focused on the death of the character Terrence Steadman, who was the most important piece of evidence in proving the innocence of the protagonist 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....
prior to this episode. Vinay Menon from the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
wrote a critique of the episode which included this comment: "It also contains confusion. And trace levels of frustration. I mean, what the hell? Terrence Steadman is now dead? Can I please have 35 hours of my life back?" Similarly, MediaBlvd Magazines John Keegan was critical of the peripheral stories of the episode, stating, "Right now, many of these side stories suffer from the fact that they don’t really impact the main story, and they are easily dismissed as a result."
On the other hand, iFMagazines Peter Brown remarked that, "It's obvious the series is taking another turn from them running from the law to proving that there is something going on other than just convicts escaping. All-in-all it will make for good viewing on one of the best shows on TV." Also, Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
commented that, "First up comes Prison Break, and we have to say, our heart almost jumped out of our chest at least three times when watching tonight's new episode, titled "John Doe". Even if you aren't an action connoisseur, this really is what action TV is all about."
Overall, Brian Tallerico of ugo.com gave "John Doe" a B+ grade, stating, "Sure, Prison Break is over-the-top, but, like its brother 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, it moves so quickly that you can't stop to notice the continuity errors and unbelievable behavior because you don't even have time to catch your breath."