BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Fox's "Prison Break" was particularly ill-served by the timing of the writers' strike because the writers had set up clues and plots in the first half of the season that they didn't get the chance to pay off later in the season because there was no latter half of the season.
"In episode one of [the new season this fall] we have to credibly explain how they got away from Panama and how Sara Tancredi is alive," said co-executive producer Nick Santora.
Ah, yes, Dr. Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), love interest of Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), who was believed to have been beheaded last season.
"We left it open the entire time," Santora said. "That's the reason we put her head in a box in a dark garage. We shot it that way for a reason. We figured if ever there was a way we could bring the character back we'd have that option."
Callies credited fan support with resurrecting her character.
"They seemed to have pretty strong feelings and that's something worth listening to," she said.
The new season picks up after Michael and Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) escaped from Panamanian prison Sona. They're out to seek justice against The Company, a shadowy group responsible for all their trouble. Once they learn Sara is alive, they try to find her and at the same time destroy The Company while avoiding a company assassin (Cress Williams) and T-Bag (Robert Knepper), who's on the loose.
"Dr. Sara is reintroduced pretty early and Michael and Sara have to find their way back to each other," said Miller. "The question now is what can they be to each other."
Miller's reaction when he got the script where Sara appeared to be beheaded: "It occurred to me we've gotten away with worse. I think our fans appreciate the twists and turns no matter what the subject might be."
Miller, a 1990 graduate of Quaker Valley High School whose father continues to reside in the Pittsburgh area, said he hasn't made it back to town lately. The new season of "Prison Break" is filming in Los Angeles after two years in Dallas and one year in Chicago.
"I don't think we're going back to jail," Miller said. "Michael and Lincoln have been pawns in this deadly game of chess long enough. It's time to stand and fight."
Miller said Michael is at his best when he has a plan rather than when he's reactive, and he thinks Michael may be at his most proactive in season four, which premieres Sept. 1. One planning tool that may no longer be useful is Michael's tattoo, which held his plans for escaping prison in season one.
"I don't think it holds anymore secrets," he said. "Its use is symbolic. We address the tattoo issue fairly early and in a definitive way."
Posted
Jul 14 2008, 12:46 PM
by
Rob Owen