'It's a pattern...The tattoos. There's a maze...It's a pathway.'
The fourth episode, and the first of fifteen to be written by co- executive producer, and former writer and producer of 'NYPD Blue', Matt Olmstead, opens with a wonderful tension-filled sequence as the audience share Lincoln's nightmare of being woken unexpectedly and taken to execution without having had adequate time to prepare. Though originally considered too handsome by the show's creator to portray this rugged individual, the Australian actor, Dominic Purcell, in this scene illustrates perfectly his suitability for the role. A former classmate at drama college with Hugh Jackman, Purcell was previously known in the States for his role as the savant with no past in the Fox series 'John Doe', before landing this plum role as Death Row inmate, Lincoln Burrows.
It is at Lincoln's suggestion that his former girlfriend, and now attorney, consult 'Project Justice', an organisation established to aid those wrongly convicted, about his case. Given the lack of evidence to support his plea, the organisation decides it must devote its meagre resources to more deserving cases. Step forward, too-good-to-be-true, Nick Savarin, one of the lawyers employed by 'Project Justice', played by Frank Grillo. He is drawn to Veronica's crusade by the uncommonly precipitate nature with which Lincoln's appeals have been rejected, all within a three-year period as opposed to the norm of taking up to ten years, and by Savarin's experience of his own father's having served a long sentence for a crime he didn't commit.
Veronica and Nick's conversation of the case provides the background story of the victim, Terence Steadman, for the audience. The CEO of EcoField, a company pushing for alternative energy, he would be a potential target or all those with vested interests in the oil industry, including many within the national government. In their interview with Burrows, the latter reveals the gun he had been carrying was dumped in a storm drain, and that upon returning to his apartment he had discovered a pair of blood-soaked pants in his bathtub, moments before the armed police broke in. Moreover, that the planted gun with his fingerprints was probably the result of his having been given the opportunity to choose his weapon of choice the previous evening from a selection provided by Leticia's deceased boyfriend. Most crucial of all, when pressed as to why he was prepared to kill to settle the latter's debt, Burrows states that his son's life had been threatened.
The main thrust of this episode, however, concerns the threat to Scofield's plans posed by his new cell-mate, 'Haywire', recently released from psych-ward. Imprisoned for killing his own parents, he suffers from a schizoaffective disorder, together with an inability to sleep. Not only does his presence prevent Scofield from tunneling out of his cell, but 'Haywire's fascination with his tattoos could compromise the whole escape plan. For this and other episodes where we witness Scofield's full-body markings, Miller had to spend four and a half hours in make-up, while their design was the work of tattoo artist, Tom Berg, who Brett Ratner brought to the project after his work for him on 2002's 'Red Dragon'. The future star of 'Grimm', Silas Weir Mitchell, who had originally auditioned for the role of 'T-Bag', brings a real sense of menace to his performance as 'Haaywire'. Increasingly, his fixation leads to his drawing of his cell-mate's body markings, leading to his growing certainty that they map out 'a pathway'.
As Scofield is increasingly compelled to act to meet his deadline and avoid retribution from Abruzzi, the writer cleverly weaves into the narrative several indicators that the eponymous poison will be employed in a desperate ploy to rid himself of 'Haywire's' unwanted attentions. This is especially the case given that the concoction of chemicals provided by Abruzzi is concealed within Haywire's toothpaste. Yet, once he has self- inflicted an injury to achieve the removal of his unwanted cell mate, Scofield reveals the true practical use of the chemical composition hidden within the markings of his tattoo, and why access to the prison's medical centre has been so crucial. Both chemicals are now revealed to be a caustic corrosive when in contact with the water below the drain in the infirmary.
With Sucre's return, now committed to the intended escape as a consequence of his rival's moves on his girlfriend, progress in breaking through the back of their cell, so critically delayed, is now back on track. When questioned by Sucre as to the importance of the infirmary, Scofield reveals that it is the closest piece of real estate to the prison walls, and also the weakest link in the prison's security system. However, the audience are made aware of a far more serious, impending threat to the plan's success. In their ongoing attempts to derail Veronica's investigations into Lincoln's case, the sinister secret service team unveil Scofield's true identity as Burrow's brother. This revelation leads to our hidden 'eminence gris' determining that Scofield be removed as a matter of urgency. Consequently plans are afoot for his immediate transfer out of Fox River.
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