The episode selected for analysis is the third episode of the first season of the Prison Break TV show. The episode exhibits many issues such as functionalism and social dynamics. The episode starts with Sucre walking up to Lincoln’s hotel room to request for money that he needs to try to reconstruct his life. He has lost the hopes of ever returning to the United States. The way he rubs his hands together as he makes the request illustrates some symbolic interaction, hinting that he is in need and will be grateful for Lincoln’s help. Lincoln informed him of a missing sum of $ 5 million and that he has only about $50 on him. He leaves despaired and has heavy thoughts about himself and not even about Michael who helped him get out of prison.
After he leaves, Lincoln takes out the bird book; it has only a bunch of numbers and letters written on its different pages. Soon a man, tracked by the camera, slides an envelope under Lincoln’s door. Upon opening the door, Lincoln finds the man gone; he empties the envelope’s content and finds two photos, one of Sara and the other LJ. Lincoln. Lincoln goes to Michael’s to show him Sarah’s picture. As this is happening, Michael goes to see an African American man by the name of Lechero, in his mind he thinks that because he gave him water he would be obliged to trust him. This is not the case, he tells Michael not to do it again as it will attract dire consequences. The conversation is cut short by an announcement requesting for Michael on the public address. He leaves Lechero and goes out to see his visitor Lincoln. The picture spurs and stirs Michael’s emotions, he is mortified at the sight of Sara’s pictures, and head back to his cell more determined than ever to escape. They agree that Lincoln has to organize for it is be possible for Michael to talk to Sara through a phone call. Upon returning, Michael discovers that the phones have been cut off in the whole prison. The only phone that he has access to and can only use is Lechero’s phone.
When Whistler is visited by his girlfriend Sophia, he asks for the bird book, of which she tells him that its was taken by a man the previous week. The man under question is Lincoln. Whistler’s girlfriend has no idea who he is; she is convinced that he is a fisherman trying to get out of prison legally. The real story is that he is a part of a groups that seeks to escape from prison. He does not inform her of any details of what is going on. He tells her that the book is important as it has some numbers of people who could be of help in getting him out of prison. This, he tells her, will be done legally. The talk drifts to Lincoln being the subject matter and she wants to know about him. As she leaves and goes to sign out, she sees Lincolns name in the visitors list just alongside Michael’s name that is where she retrieves Lincoln’s address. She can now find Lincoln.
Whistler heads back to prison, he goes to talk to Michael now that he has information that Lincoln has his hands on the bird book. He tells Michael that the book is of great importance to him and that he need it back. Michael asks him why the book is important to him and he fails to ascertain why he regards it important. Michael shows him the picture of Sara, a more concrete reason for cause he thinks whom he regards as the reason for his plan of escape.
After questioning Whistler’s reasons for trying to get out of prison, Michael questions the reason why they have kept him in the plans in the first place. Whistler goes on to try to justify his course. He tells Michael that he was an angler and charted his boast to people for trips to the pacific for whatever courses they had. He did not care about what businesses his clients would have in their destinations. After offering his services to a man to a destination he wanted, he gets into trouble with the authorities. Time had lapsed, Whistler says, and he could remember the man’s destination, and reports to them that he does not know what he did or even the man’s name. After being pestered for quite a while, Whistler goes on; he decides to leave for Panama to live with Sophia his girlfriend. Anyway, the authorities catch up with him and that is the reason he is in prison. He says he needs the bird book as desperately as it has his travel records. He thinks that given a chance he could peruse through the logs and establish the name of the man. This way he can be set free and left alone. Whistler has understood who he really is, there are chances that he is hiding something, on the other hand, he could truly be an innocent man.
The scene switches to Alex who is restless an uncomfortably, perhaps because he has not had his dose of drugs. As he walks down a corridor he sees a bunch of other prisoners using their drugs, he goes to join them. However, he does not make it their directly as Whistler pulls him aside. Whistler wants information about Michael as he is supposedly supposed to trust in him while he has no clue of whom he really is. He receives the affirmation that Michael is the type that does anything that they can if it means to help those he loves. Nevertheless, Alex tells Whistler, if what he is planning fails, he will be in thick trouble.
Meanwhile, Michael is trying to get Lecher’s phone in order to make contact to Sara through Lincoln. He enlists T-bag’s help through blackmail. If T-bag does not assist, he will let out T-bag’s secrets: the reason for his serving time, T-bag is a paedophile and rapist. T-bag gives a hand to Michael, as he goes to shave Lechero who normally leaves the phone charging, Michael was going to steal and use the phone. As Lincoln goes to meet Susan B. Anthony, he receives a call form Michael so she hooks him up to Santa. They catch up and he tells him that he saw her picture and reminds her how they used to talk. Sara tells Michael that she is not in Santa Rita and that trying to escape will be a fruitless attempt. The scene ends tensely as a gun is pointed on Sara’s face while the time runs out as Lechero has completed his shave on Michael’s side. Tactically through distracting Lechero, Michael puts the phone back on hook.
Several social roles are brought out in this episode of Prison Break. Foremost is the role of a male companion to a female companion. Michael feels that he is responsible for Sara. The other social role is family. While outside prison, Lincoln helps his brother Michael to talk to his girlfriend Sara. The other social role is the protection of children; the prisoners would not spare T-bag if they knew that he was a paedophile. Functionalism is depicted by the numerous attributes of the greater plot. The bird book, Sara’s photo, among other things serves functional purpose towards the entire story. Symbolic interactionism is depicted by T-bag’s conversation with Michael, in order to achieve blackmail effectively; Michael uses whispers to T-bag. Conflict theory is exhibited by the continuous conflict between characters in the episode, this ensues mistrust and blackmail. Despite there being a common course for the characters, there is conflict.
Works Cited
Bankston, Carl L. Sociology Basics. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2000. Internet resource.
Ferguson, Susan J. Mapping the Social Landscape: Readings in Sociology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.
Scheuring, Paul T, Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, and Robin Tunney. Prison Break: The Complete First Season. Beverly Hills, Calif: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2006.
Turner, Jonathan H, and Alexandra Maryanski. Functionalism. Menlo Park, Calif: Benjamin/Cummings Pub. Co, 1979. Print.
