Food for thought
The Mahone topic on TWOP has some very interesting discussion re: Mahone, Michael and responsibility. It started out as a discussion on redemption (because him admitting to Lang that maybe he deserved to be in prison might be a sign that he is slowly getting there), the definition of redemption and whether Mahone could achieve it in canon without dying. It spun into a discussion on whether Michael needs redemption too from the things he has done, and whether Mahone might actually have progressed more because it seems that Michael potentially still refuses responsibility for certain things (either because he still considers them justified or because he blames the company) or whether Michael is "ahead" because we know that he has been feeling guilt longer.
I think there is a very similar structure to what they did, even though I would argue that there's probably a difference in degree
Initially Honorable Motive (especially in their own mind)
Michael: Save the life of a person who was framed
Mahone: Punish a child molester, Protect the potential future victims
What I think: I think both motives can be seen as honorable. I think Mahone's probably included a bit more presumptuousness on his part (It's up to him to decide how a bad guy is punished, it's up to him to decide whether he is a future threat), while Michael's was more clean cut. There was person, he was framed and he was going to die. Still, I think as far as clean motives go (keep Shales from killing any more people) Mahone's motives can still be seen as having some roots in a positive emotion.
They both could at least have tried pursue different avenues
Michael: Could at least have seriously tried to go the legal way. Yes, because we know who the company is, we know it wouldn't have worked. But Michael didn't know that at that point. Yes I know that canon it was stated that Michael did some digging into Lincoln's case, but I always got the impression that initially Michael was callously disinterested and uninformed regarding the company. And Veronica shows that evidence could have been found with extremely low tech measures (get the video tape from the evidence locker, show it to a tech guy, have tech guy find out that sound and bullet flash were doctored in).
Mahone: Could have tried to have Shales go through the court system. Yes, it's possible that that wouldn't have worked. But he should at least have tried. Had that failed, he still could have killed Shales after the court system failed. The way it was he just presumed it would fail.
They both decided to go for criminal acts instead and both fully intended to get away with it
Michael: We know that many things regarding Michael's plan didn't happen the way he wanted to. But even in his best case scenario, where everything happens the way it should, his plan included: A bank robbery, a prison break, releasing at least one definitely bad person (Abruzzi) out on the streets as well as one wild card (his at that point unknown cell mate) as well as screwing over the lives of various innocent people
Mahone: Kill a man and cover the crime up
What I think: In my eyes Mahone's act was more final, because once you take a life you can never undo it. But I don't think that Michael's crimes are somehow magically unessential and not bad just because they aren't as final. They are still crimes. Some Mahone fans brought up that Mahone's murder of Shales was a rash act, a crime of passion (though even then I think even in this case there is still the cover up to account for), which I think is a fairly good point.
Anyway, one of the most interesting posts in this regard is this one. I wouldn't say I agree with it 100%, but it is definitely very interesting food for thought. See this is the big problem I always have with PB, as much as I enjoy it, and its the central premise you are expected to buy into. Linc isn't innocent so therefore none of Michael's acts are innocent. Linc agreed to be a murderer for hire and the only reason he didn't kill faux Steadman is because the guy was dead already when he arrived at the scene, armed and ready to follow through. I know I've raised this issue before but the law makes no distinction between conspiracy to commit murder and actually doing the deed. Nor is it a defense of Linc that maybe, at the last moment, he might have backed out. He doesn't agree to be a paid hitman, none of the very terrible consequences ensue. Bottom Line! as Bellick might say. And Michael knows this was the scenario.
To me this is a huge stumbling block to having any great empathy with the brothers. I just can never get past the idea that Michael's numerous felonies, the real damage to truly innocent people, and the rather impressive body count he's left in his wake, far outweigh his pure motivation, which is, at the end of the day pretty much the same motivation that about two thirds of the nation's criminals have: myself, the welfare of my family, and my friends come before anyone else. It happens to be exactly what Mahone's motivation is.
I confess that a huge part of the reason I sympathize more with Mahone is that WF gives tons of insight to the audience. Every second he has been onscreen you are aware that his lfe has been a huge downward spiral since he killed Shales. This was, of course, indefensible but born of passion and that's a readily understood emotion with most people. Certainly to me it is. Michael's calm kind of planning, without regard to collatoral human casualties as long as he and Linc are ok just leaves me cold.[my emphasis]
I think there is a very similar structure to what they did, even though I would argue that there's probably a difference in degree
Initially Honorable Motive (especially in their own mind)
Michael: Save the life of a person who was framed
Mahone: Punish a child molester, Protect the potential future victims
What I think: I think both motives can be seen as honorable. I think Mahone's probably included a bit more presumptuousness on his part (It's up to him to decide how a bad guy is punished, it's up to him to decide whether he is a future threat), while Michael's was more clean cut. There was person, he was framed and he was going to die. Still, I think as far as clean motives go (keep Shales from killing any more people) Mahone's motives can still be seen as having some roots in a positive emotion.
They both could at least have tried pursue different avenues
Michael: Could at least have seriously tried to go the legal way. Yes, because we know who the company is, we know it wouldn't have worked. But Michael didn't know that at that point. Yes I know that canon it was stated that Michael did some digging into Lincoln's case, but I always got the impression that initially Michael was callously disinterested and uninformed regarding the company. And Veronica shows that evidence could have been found with extremely low tech measures (get the video tape from the evidence locker, show it to a tech guy, have tech guy find out that sound and bullet flash were doctored in).
Mahone: Could have tried to have Shales go through the court system. Yes, it's possible that that wouldn't have worked. But he should at least have tried. Had that failed, he still could have killed Shales after the court system failed. The way it was he just presumed it would fail.
They both decided to go for criminal acts instead and both fully intended to get away with it
Michael: We know that many things regarding Michael's plan didn't happen the way he wanted to. But even in his best case scenario, where everything happens the way it should, his plan included: A bank robbery, a prison break, releasing at least one definitely bad person (Abruzzi) out on the streets as well as one wild card (his at that point unknown cell mate) as well as screwing over the lives of various innocent people
Mahone: Kill a man and cover the crime up
What I think: In my eyes Mahone's act was more final, because once you take a life you can never undo it. But I don't think that Michael's crimes are somehow magically unessential and not bad just because they aren't as final. They are still crimes. Some Mahone fans brought up that Mahone's murder of Shales was a rash act, a crime of passion (though even then I think even in this case there is still the cover up to account for), which I think is a fairly good point.
Anyway, one of the most interesting posts in this regard is this one. I wouldn't say I agree with it 100%, but it is definitely very interesting food for thought. See this is the big problem I always have with PB, as much as I enjoy it, and its the central premise you are expected to buy into. Linc isn't innocent so therefore none of Michael's acts are innocent. Linc agreed to be a murderer for hire and the only reason he didn't kill faux Steadman is because the guy was dead already when he arrived at the scene, armed and ready to follow through. I know I've raised this issue before but the law makes no distinction between conspiracy to commit murder and actually doing the deed. Nor is it a defense of Linc that maybe, at the last moment, he might have backed out. He doesn't agree to be a paid hitman, none of the very terrible consequences ensue. Bottom Line! as Bellick might say. And Michael knows this was the scenario.
To me this is a huge stumbling block to having any great empathy with the brothers. I just can never get past the idea that Michael's numerous felonies, the real damage to truly innocent people, and the rather impressive body count he's left in his wake, far outweigh his pure motivation, which is, at the end of the day pretty much the same motivation that about two thirds of the nation's criminals have: myself, the welfare of my family, and my friends come before anyone else. It happens to be exactly what Mahone's motivation is.
I confess that a huge part of the reason I sympathize more with Mahone is that WF gives tons of insight to the audience. Every second he has been onscreen you are aware that his lfe has been a huge downward spiral since he killed Shales. This was, of course, indefensible but born of passion and that's a readily understood emotion with most people. Certainly to me it is. Michael's calm kind of planning, without regard to collatoral human casualties as long as he and Linc are ok just leaves me cold.[my emphasis]