We see Mahone stripped of his badge, his suit, and his pills. We see his vulnerability. His withdrawal symptoms and his desperation to survive Sona made him an underdog. The moment he realizes he needs Michael Scofield to survive is one of the best character shifts in the series. William Fichtner’s performance during this transition is nothing short of Emmy-worthy.
Mahone was arrested for the murder of , an unsub (unidentified subject) he had been tracking years before the events of the show. However, the arrest warrant was actually executed by the FBI to force Mahone to cooperate in taking down The Company (the shadowy organization behind Lincoln Burrows’ framing).
By arresting him, they gained leverage. The deal was simple:
Desperate to escape Panama and his obligations to , Mahone tried to steal Michael’s escape boat, the Christina Rose . He successfully hijacked the vessel, believing it would be his ticket to freedom. However, Michael had anticipated this move: