Boxed In

Infobox Television episode
Title = Boxed In
Series = Prison Break


Caption = Michael trying to block out the sun from within his solitary confinement cage.
Season = 3
Episode = 9
Airdate = January 14, 2008
Production = 3AKJ09
Writer = Karyn Usher
Director = Craig Ross
Season list = Infobox Prison Break season 3 episode list
Episode list = List of "Prison Break" episodes
Prev = Bang & Burn
Next = Dirt Nap

"Boxed In" is the 53rd episode of the American television series "Prison Break" and the ninth episode of its third season. It first aired on January 14 2008 in the United States on the Fox Network.

ummary

At Sona, General Zavala, who has replaced Colonel Escamilla, interrogates Michael about who sent the helicopters. Michael refuses to comply, and as a result is put into the hot box, a cage wrapped with plastic in the middle of No Man's Land. Michael now experiences solitary Sona style. Lechero, T-Bag, Whistler, and McGrady, all watching from inside the prison, realize Michael is in trouble.

Lincoln is released from the hospital and met by Sofia, who confides to Lincoln that she doesn't trust Whistler any more. Suddenly, Susan arrives and kidnaps Lincoln, telling Sofia to go home. Susan takes Lincoln to a bound and tape gagged LJ, giving them one minute together in order to keep Lincoln motivated. Lincoln whispers to LJ that the next time he sees him, LJ shouldn't take his eyes off him, and he'll tell him what to do.

A sorrowful Lang returns Mahone to Sona. She gives him a silver half-dollar which was a good luck piece that used to belong to her father. Inside, Whistler promises Mahone he'll be included in an escape plan with Lechero. Meanwhile, Bellick makes a mistake and antagonizes Octavio, one of Sammy's new recruits, leading him to throw down the chicken foot.

At a bus stop near Sona, Sucre is surprised to find Augusto, who has another delivery for him to smuggle inside Sona. He explains that he will not offer money; however, he pulls a gun on Sucre when he refuses. As Sucre arrives at work, Zavala is ordering a guard to take Michael a tiny cup of water. The guard doesn't want to do it, so Sucre volunteers. Michael, somewhat incoherent and on the verge of heat stroke, tells Sucre to leave, and never come back, but Sucre doesn’t listen.

Lechero, along with Whistler try to dig up through the secret tunnel. They realize that they need Michael's engineering expertise so it won't collapse. T-Bag sees them sneak out of Lechero's room, past Sammy, and realizes they're working together.

Michael finally confesses to Zavala that he's been planning an escape since he arrived; he's taken back to Zavala's office for questioning. Michael tells him everything that he can. Zavala isn't sure he believes him, but Michael pleads for LJ's sake to listen to him.

T-Bag tells Whistler he's noticed that he and Lechero have been working together, and suggests it's time to kill Sammy, as Sammy is a threat to everyone in the prison. Meanwhile, Cristobal tries to convince Sammy it's time to kill Lechero. Later, T-Bag tells Mahone to challenge Sammy to a fight and kill him and in return, T-Bag will supply Mahone with heroin. Mahone ultimately refuses, choosing to go through the withdrawal.

Sucre tells Lincoln he can't quit his job at Sona; stating he has to provide money for his kid to Maricruz, unless Lincoln can help him out. Lincoln is annoyed; Sucre knows he doesn't have any money to spare. Sucre implies he won't help Lincoln any more; after which, Lincoln walks out on him. An operative from the Company overhears the conversation.

Zavala reads Mahone's testimony about the Company conspiracy in the news papers, and begins to believe Michael. Zavala pressures him to give up Whistler's name, promising he will protect LJ if Michael does so. Meanwhile, Sofia visits Whistler and confronts him about the apartment. Whistler says those fake IDs are so he can get away, with her. He tells her there's a man she can go see that has a fake passport for her as well, in the name of Estelle Linarte. She visits the man, who gives her an envelope.

Zavala interrogates Whistler. When Whistler won't talk, Zavala threatens to torture him. Whistler confesses, but says nobody else is involved. Michael tells Whistler to tell the whole truth. Whistler finally gives up the name Gretchen Morgan. Meanwhile, Susan meets with Sucre and offers him a job, using his anger at Lincoln as leverage. Sucre meets with Lincoln, saying his plan worked.

Michael calls Lincoln to find out when and where he's next meeting Gretchen, and tells Lincoln to tell her that all is going as planned.

As Lincoln meets with Gretchen, Zavala enters to arrest her. Lincoln is stunned and swears to Gretchen that he had nothing to do with this. At Sona, Gretchen denies all knowledge. Zavala begins to torture her via waterboarding. She is able to withstand the torture, which only serves to prove her guilt as Zavala realizes only someone who had previously been through it could withstand it. Finally, Gretchen admits she's not in charge; her job is just “babysitting” LJ. Just before she is hauled away, Michael asks her if she was the one who killed Sara, as Gretchen replies that she doesn't know what he's talking about, he whispers to her that he's going to get her for killing Sara.

Bellick, preparing for his fight with Octavio, sneaks into the prison barber's room, and wraps torn scraps of cloth around his knuckles and stuffs tissue up his nostrils. During the fight, Octavio hits him many times, but Bellick stuffs his wrapped hands around Octavio's face, rendering him delirious. Bellick then hits him multiple times, killing him. The crowd of prisoners goes wild, cheering for him. T-Bag realizes that Bellick dosed the knuckle wraps with acetone.

Sammy and Augusto meet at visitation. Augusto tells Sammy it's time for him to take over from Lechero, and to open the latest package he's had Sucre smuggle in.

Gretchen leads Zavala to the hideout, which has already been abandoned. She then gets the drop on Zavala, kills him, and then calls Lincoln. Meanwhile, Zavala's replacement, General Mestas, arrives at Sona and throws Michael and Whistler back into the prison which relieves Lechero, which Sammy notices.

Sammy opens the smuggled package, a gun. Loading the gun, Sammy prepares to take out Lechero.

International broadcasts

Via Global TV's simulcast, the episode was broadcast on January 14 2008 in Canada. It aired in Ireland on RTÉ Two on January 15 2008 and in the United Kingdom on Sky One on January 28 2008. It was aired in Armenia on March 1. The episode screened in Australia on the Seven Network on July 9.