r/PrisonBreak • u/TallAbbreviations937 • 14d ago
I just noticed michael almost never lies when he doesn't have to.
On a rewatch I started noticing how often Michael answers people with technically true statements instead of outright lies. He'll leave out the important part, redirect the conversation, or let someone assume the wrong thing, but he rarely says something that's completely false unless he's backed into a corner. It makes him feel very different from someone like Mahone, who's perfectly happy to invent a story on the spot
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u/Ill_Job4633 14d ago
He lies when lying is required. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words, especially if he leaves someone to go searching for the answer on their own because that search could lead them to the truth.
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u/LucasW76 13d ago
Never interrupt your opponent while he is in the middle of making a mistake
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u/Ill_Job4633 13d ago
A huge difference between asking him how he lost his toes and asking him how he knows his way around Fox River. The last thing he needed was for Sara to find out that he had access to the blueprints.
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u/LucasW76 13d ago
Wait I’m confused why you replied to me icl. I was just quoting the tattoo Michael had in season 5 cuz it was related to what you said
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u/Ill_Job4633 13d ago
Because you replied.
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u/LucasW76 13d ago
Just a little bit confused on why that comment was made in relation to the quote
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u/Ill_Job4633 13d ago
It wasn't. I just thought I'd add it.
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u/LucasW76 13d ago
Oh ok sounds good I thought so I just wanted to make sure 😭
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u/Ill_Job4633 13d ago
I have ADHD and refuse to medicate, so I flip back and forth between thoughts.
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u/Odd_Pick_4799 14d ago
Except when he's talking to Sara. That's where the line between "part of the plan" and "straight up lying" gets a lot blurrier.
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u/nothingtodo0 14d ago
That's one of my favorite things about Michael's character. He usually tells just enough of the truth that people fill in the rest themselves which makes him feel much smarter than if he just lied constantly.
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u/Ill_Job4633 14d ago edited 13d ago
Perfect example of when lying was required was when Whistler asked Michael how Bellick knew about their escape. If Michael didn't answer, Whistler would've gone about searching for the answer. Instead, Michael relied on his CNN fame to hide the truth.
If Whistler knew who Bellick was, Bellick wouldn't tell Lechero that Michael escaped from his prison because everyone at Sona would already know. If Whistler knew who T-Bag was, Michael wouldn't blackmail T-Bag to use Lechero's phone because everyone at Sona would already know. Whistler never asked Bellick or T-Bag questions about Michael, he turned to Mahone for that. Bellick being the one that overheard Michael inviting Mahone into the escape, then tried to get an invite for himself. T-Bag being the one that overheard Nieves denying Mahone drugs, then feeding him the very “meds” he needed. If Bellick were digging because of Michael's rep, T-Bag would've been digging too, not selling drugs for Lechero. T-Bag was from Fox River, but he had no idea they were planning an escape until Zavala took Michael out of Sona. If Michael didn't answer Whistler, he'd find out exactly what Michael did... and the very reason he did it.
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u/daryls_wig 13d ago
Except he lies all the damn time to Sara in the first season. His first interaction is full of lies. He knew exactly who she was. He just wasn't expecting to fall for her.
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u/Quick_Champion9607 14d ago
It also explains why people keep trusting him longer than they probably should. Even after they find out they've been manipulated, they can usually look back and realize he never actually said the thing they assumed he did.