(12):TV Show review: Prison Break; The Spoils Of The Game.

In a Non-cooperative game, the player relies heavily on being self-enforcing; through application of well-thought and well-timed bluffs, credible threats, short term actions to link up with long term results, fallacious truths, getting into situational relationships to take advantage of the crack that takes place during emotional transitions, etc. Non-cooperative game theory players focus on predicting individual players' actions and payoffs and analyzing Nash Equilibria (The game which every player is assumed to grasp the information of other players, and has something to gain by changing only their own strategies). non-cooperative game theory also looks at how bargaining procedures will affect the distribution of payoffs within each coalition.

When Dr. Sarah Tancredi (later: Sarah Scofield) visits her husband Jacob (later: Poseidon), who was an economist, she brings up how concerned she was about Michael Scofield (her ex-husband who was rumored to be alive) and he begins to explain game theory to her, and how a strategic thinker like Michael Scofield may apply it in order to get what he wants. Jacob says that in Game theory, it serves the individual concerned to be two-faced and be everyone’s friend until the moment they are not. The person playing will make these friends love them to a point where, even when up against it, they will follow instructions despite it being against their own personal interest and safety. Game theory is described as a cold rational focus on winning, which makes everyone else expensive and a liability.

Whether Jacob (Poseidon) was right about Michael Scofield, I'm quite sure that a certain tattooed structural engineer from the city of Chicago, Illinois, has crossed your mind while reading the non-cooperative game in the first paragraph. Which more or less gives Poseidon's conspiracy theory a massive bargaining chip that could make many people believe that Scofield was just a cold rational winner who took advantage of people (fox river inmates, Sarah Tancredi, etc.) using the almighty game theory, to achieve his goal (breaking Lincoln out of prison and taking him to safety). 

Meeting with Sarah in the Fox River penitentiary, making her fall in love, then strong-arming her emotional code of conduct, alongside her professional code of ethic as a sworn medical doctor into letting the door of her office opened - which would make way for the beginning of the most entertaining criminal encounter in the US; the breakout of the Fox River eight, satisfied Poseidon's conspiracy. But only if it had ended just like that; as in: him breaking his brother out and then leaving her behind forever with her guilt and regrets. But it could be much more than that. Because Michael didn't leave Sarah behind. 

The same however, can't be said on the five of his breakout mates. Namely: John Abruzzi, Theodore Bagwel, Benjamin Franklin Miles, David Tweener Apolskis and Charles Haywire Patoshik. Poseidon's theory can accurately explain Michael's relationship with those five people. The most important feature of non-corporate game requires for the player to be two-faced, self-enforcing, be everyone's friend until the moment they're not, and follow instructions despite it being against their personal interest and safety. And the way Abruzzi was brought on board, epitomized Michael's flawless application of non-corporate strategy to bring the others on board. It's normally unthinkable how a structural engineer with no student loan to pay post-college, with clean record like Michael's, to get involved in Arm Robbery. Then went ahead to deny any offer of lawful mercy that may protect him from going to jail, etc. - there it could be seen how Michael was trying to be two-faced; transitioning from an engineer into a criminal, to achieve his goal. Despite that being against his personal interest and safety. 

The rest of the players; Sucre, T-Bag, Tweener, Haywire and C-Note, all have had their payoffs evaluated to lure them into a bargaining point, where their greed can't resist being loyal to the Michael's course. For instance, Bagwel was sentenced to life imprisonment for first and second degree murder. Sucre had a girlfriend marrying his best friend in a short time. Haywire was a psycho who had no way out. Tweener was impatient thief. Among all, none of their situations was left uncalculated by Michael, before coming to fox river. And surely if one was to make the process crack, he would have been taken care of, because Michael's plan was well worked out and everyone can be a contingency. In fact, everyone and everything is a contingency. The same goes to Bradley Bellick and the prison's Warden, Henry. They were made friends until they weren't. And that way, the break was accomplished. 

Michael Scofield's performance attained the peak level of any character performance out there. And not only for what he did, but for the way he did it. The portrayal of his character was nothing that was seen by anyone before Prison Break happened. And he keeps his place long time after the TV-show stopped airing. He was made an engineer, an alchemist, a physicist, a philosopher, competitive strategist and a coach, all in one. And he dabbled between each distinct ability excellently to make his case clear, and to achieve his goals. Ability-wise, Michael was the greatest logically-thinkable TV character that happened in our time. 

Poseidon's Theory was spot on, on the fox river five for sure. But the remaining two foxes in the river - Sucre and Lincoln, and also Dr. Sarah Tancredi, defied the theory. Because surely Michael proved for Sarah and Sucre (the two people of interest that aren't Lincoln), more than any game player would want to prove for the people he'll just use and dump. And along the line, it had produced one of the greatest brotherly, intimate and friendship love stories around. 

The TV series is a love story in itself. Largely because all the events can have their roots traced to the feeling. In one way or the other, the whole dilemma started because Aldo Burrows abandoned his kids because he feared they'll be targeted by the company - a fatherly love from Burrows who was willing to make such costly forgone alternative. Which along the line forced the hands of Lincoln into making dangerous deals of thuggery, to take care of Michael and himself - a brotherly love for Lincoln to consider such dangerous alternative. Along the line, Lincoln dealt with wrong people and got himself apprehended and sentenced to death for a murder he didn't commit, which brings Michael into circle, and he started orchestrating the whole plan of “Prison Break” - a brotherly love from Michael, which is the most dangerous of all. Likewise the inmates; Abruzzi had a family waiting amidst his vengeance, T-bag had a lover to reconcile with, Sucre had a love to fight for, C-Note had a family waiting at home, etc. Everything Sarah did for Michael was for love too. Prison Break is Game Theory, for there wouldn't be any break without the game. But the series is as much about love as it's about any strategy, for there won't be the need for Game had there was no feelings of love.  Sucre's iconic valor at the break in Panama to cover for Michael is still being used as an example of loyalty. And Scofield rewarded their efforts considerably - faking death to take a deal to go to Ogygia, Yemen, even if it means leaving behind a pregnant wife and loving brother.

As for the rest of the foxes in the river, they ended up as they were always meant to end - the spoils of the game. Abruzzi was the first to go down. It was refreshing to know that he only knelt to God. But unfortunately he was unable see him when the justice arrived. Haywire went down in a clownish way, for he was a clown anyway. Benjamin Miles escaped, with my suspicion that perhaps Paul T. Scheuring was a father too, for that sweet little girl didn't deserve to grow up as an orphan. Hence him allowing C-Note to survive. T-Bag was made in prison, and he shall always stay in prison - his concept of captivity of negativity was too powerful for a civilian. Tweener didn't deserve to die, for he was just a thief. And his death, brought the second biggest picture to the review, after Michael Scofield - the FBI agent Alexander Mahone. 

Mahone's performance in the TV-series liberated the free flowing of game theory and competitive strategy into the analysis of Prison Break. The FBI agent was a genius, beyond the capabilities of any fugitive he was tailing, only that Scofield was a super and superior genius. Hence him being out of reach. Mahone's murder of Oscar shales hunted him forever. Decoding Michael's tattoos which were only decodable by the Michael himself, and the way he tracked him and his plans; Nash equilibrium had never been more appropriately applied. But then everything in game theory is a contingency, including Mahone and his intelligence if necessary, to the biggest game player in the show, Michael Scofield. Which along line saw them reunited in Sona - the rendezvous of Panamanian outlaws, inseparable of who is a fugitive and who is an agent among them. Sona was Ruled by lechero - a man of dark and majestic stature. The orchestrator of leg-throwing challenge which was cruel, barbaric, yet fun to watch. But what was more fun was the way Scofield escaped after baiting T-Bag and Lechero into a trap, with James whistler, mahone and the south-American kid wo loved basketball. That was mechanically genius. How the kid kept asking if Michael Scofield knew Michael Jordan because he said he was from Chicago too, just confirmed how the foreign perception is very influenced by the activities of famous figures in a given country. And the way Scofield stopped running from Mahone, reiterated the notion that attack is the best form of defense. 

The Seasons that followed Post-Sona were largely underwhelming. But the prominence of the first seasons can never be forgotten. Even with that being said, the later seasons weren't as underwhelming as they seemed. The encounter in Ogygia, Yemen, gave the watcher a fresh dimension by taking the cast to the Middle East, after concluding the earlier seasons in America and South America. And that brought something worthy of discussion. - Michael Scofield was a man of code. And his unsuccessful attempts to break out of ogygia required a new sort of code that comply with the society where he was convicted, the Arabian society, after Lincoln agreed that he was alive, through Bagwel. The genius used the Holy Quran verses in the chapter that tell the Muslims about the story of prophet Yusuf (AS) as a code. And I wasn't sure whether that was incredible or disrespectful. Incredible on how a born and breed non-Muslim American could learn Arabic and the Holy Quran well enough to make a code, and disrespectful on how the Holy verses could be thrown as a code into a crime endeavor just like that. Paul T. Scheuring had questions to answer here. While the character of Michael Scofield accomplished a rare feat. Ja and Whip deserved a massive shout-out - they too, were spoils of the game.

Poseidon was a proper villain, his knowledge of game theory give us a dimension through which Prison Break could be analyzed. Prisoner's dilemma was one of the best episodes. And critically, when he was explaining how Michael might just be using Sarah as a mercenary with which he broke his brother out, as a game player, he was just explaining himself without her uncovering. That indeed surfaced when Michael made it back to America alive, to explain how he was offered a deal by Poseidon, then later Poseidon came through the back door to marry his wife, in case something go south. That, make the entire analysis of Prison Break, a game between two exceptional strategists; Scofield and Poseidon, who used the game theory to achieve their goals. Scofield used the game to break out his brother. While Poseidon used it to make Michael go away, by using Sarah and little mike as spoils. The race between the two was called: "Nash Equilibrium". Fortunately, Michael was unplayable. 

Prison Break was one of the greatest TV-series of all times. And that's evident base on how it still attracts reviewing interest fifteen years after it started airing. (2005 -2020). It was produced by Paul T. Scheuring, and aired by Fox. In the beginning, game theory was more fluid, and it was cast within America. In the end, game theory was better explained and more understandable, due to the appearance of Poseidon, and it was cast in South America and Middle East. Hopefully, the next season, if it'll happen, the producers may consider the cast in Africa or Europe.

Reviewed by:

MA Iliasu

Email: @Muhada102@gmail.com

Twitter: @MA_Iliasu.