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Revision as of 08:53, 25 November 2006 by 64.252.131.30 (talk) (→Appearances)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Template:Prison Break character Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell, played by Robert Knepper, is a fictional character from the Fox television series Prison Break.
Theodore Bagwell was born of both incest and rape; his father had sexually assaulted his Down syndrome-afflicted sister, who later gave birth to Theodore. Ever since he was young, Bagwell was constantly in and out of jail, often for vandalism and torturing animals. While in fourth grade, he attempted to set his teacher's house on fire and was sentenced to juvenile hall. During this time, he became a member of the Alliance for Purity, a fictional white supremacist group. As an adult, Bagwell started committing more serious crimes such as battery, assault, attempted murder, murder, rape, and kidnapping. He is bisexual and has sexual interests ranging from young teenagers to adults.
For a time, Bagwell eluded the authorities and pursued a relationship with a single mother named Susan Hollander, who had two children of her own from a previous marriage. This was shown as one of the flashback stories featured in "Brother's Keeper." Upon seeing that he was a wanted murderer and rapist from America's Most Wanted, she notified the police. Bagwell was sentenced to life in prison for six counts each of kidnapping, rape and murder at Donaldson Prison in Alabama.
T-Bag quickly became the leader of the Alliance for Purity inside the prison, and under his leadership the gang became so powerful inside the prison that the warden disbanded it and sent T-Bag to Fox River. Upon seeing that there were no Alliance for Purity members at Fox River, he started a new chapter of the gang; its growth granted him significant influence within the prison. He has no qualms about seeking sexual gratification from other inmates, often preying upon younger men.
In the episode "Brother's Keeper," on advice from her therapist, Susan visited T-Bag once again in prison, telling him she felt betrayed. T-Bag responded, "You think you’re the only one who feels betrayed? I loved you, Susan. Real love. For the first time in my life. And then to have you do me like that, to just throw me to the dogs, toss me out the back door like bath water." He claimed that he had tried changing for her, but once he was back in prison, he reverted back to his old ways. "You know, some day, I’m gonna get out of here. And don’t think I won’t remember what your front steps look like, Susan."
Appearances
T-Bag is part of the main group of characters in the series. After guest-starring in the series' second episode, "Allen," T-Bag became one of the main characters thereafter.
Season 1
Upon Michael Scofield's arrival into Fox River, T-Bag had wanted to ensnare him as his personal playmate, but was unsuccessful. In episode "Allen", a race riot broke out and his "special friend" was amongst those who were fatally wounded. Believing Scofield had done it, T-Bag sought revenge but was stopped by John Abruzzi.
During the second riot in two-part episode "Riots, Drills and the Devil", T-Bag learns of the escape and threatens to tell the guards if Michael and the others do not include him. Despite their unanimous disgust for T-Bag, the others have no choice but to agree. However, when the group discovered in episode "Odd Man Out" that they have one too many for a successful escape, John Abruzzi gives T-Bag an ultimatum: back out of the escape or die. In a twist, T-Bag proceeds to slash Abruzzi's throat. The wounded man is then evacuated by helicopter to a Chicago hospital. Abruzzi later returns in episode "The Key". T-Bag makes a second attempt, but is stopped by C-Note, who reminds him that Abruzzi is providing their transportation.
During the same riot in which he discovered Michael's escape plan, he held Bob, a C.O., hostage, and stabbed him to death when the National Guard intervened. After the riot, Captain Bellick tried to track down Bob's killer, so T-Bag forced his cellmate Seth "Cherry" Hoffner to frame another inmate, Christopher Trokey, for the C.O.'s death in episode "The Old Head." Sure enough, Trokey was assumed to be guilty, and was sent to the SHU, or Solitary Housing Unit.
T-Bag escaped from Fox River with Michael and six other inmates. To ensure his safety, T-Bag handcuffed himself to Michael. However, his hand was later cut off by Abruzzi. T-Bag was left behind but he attempted to catch up with the escapees.
Season 2
T-Bag, last seen evading the police through the woods, came upon a campsite in the season premiere. He stole some clothing and more importantly, a cooler to store his severed hand. He wandered into a nearby town and into the clinic of Dr. Marvin Gudat, a veterinarian. T-Bag threatened the doctor with a screwdriver, telling him to reattach his hand without any anesthetic. When told that nobody can survive such a procedure, T-Bag responded, "I ain't nobody." After his hand was re-attatched in episode "Otis," he killed Dr. Gudat via a lethal injection, stole his clothing and his car, bleached his hair blonde, and headed for Utah. His ultimate aim was acquiring the D. B. Cooper money hidden by Charles Westmoreland.
T-Bag stopped at a Friend, Nebraska gas station, and narrowly evaded police surrounding his stolen SUV. He feigned being a former US Marine stationed in Kandahar and blamed the stolen SUV on a "hippie" in the bathroom, whom he conveniently planted the keys on before meeting the police. T-Bag then got a ride with a veteran who was present at the gas station to a nearby motel. After seeing the veteran's daughter, T-Bag later attempted to get "close" to her, and essentially rape her; however, the girl ran, told her father and a presumed fight ensued with the father picking up an iron. T-Bag was later seen leaving the motel in the station wagon belonging to the veteran, while wearing his hat. He passed the daughter on his way out, gave her a dark glare, and drove off.
He eventually arrived in Tooele, Utah before Lincoln and Michael and stole the map for the site where Westmoreland's money is buried, along with Tweener. He was captured by Lincoln and Michael and eventually put into the trunk of their vehicle. After sending the brothers off to get the map from Tweener, he proceeded to memorize and eat the map, forcing Lincoln and Michael to include him in their search for the money. When they arrived at where the the burial site was supposed to be, the three of them were shocked to discover that a housing subdivision is built over the area.
In episode "Subdivision," after ascertaining the precise location of the burial site using his self-promoted "photographic memory", the escapees pretended to be an electrical repair crew and gained access to the house now built over it. To gain more time for the cons, T-Bag flirted excessively with the female home owner, only to learn she was more interested in Lincoln. When Michael entered the house to check on T-Bag's situation with the home owner, he found them both missing. Alarmed, he found her in the master bedroom. A cop was seen approaching the house, suggesting that she called the police. T-Bag promptly took her hostage with a hammer to her throat.
It turned out, however, that the cop was actually the daughter of the home owner. She was also subdued, and both women were tied up, despite C-Note's disapproval. The escapees then proceeded to continue digging, while also watching Fox News coverage of the escape. T-Bag used his "disability" to get out of digging. When the money was found, he expressed interest in going to Thailand and getting a hand transplant, since the reattachment was failing. Along with his fellow escapees, he found himself held hostage when Sucre turns on them towards the end of the episode, "Buried." However, this holdup was a sham perpetuated by Michael and Sucre in order to keep the money for just themselves and Lincoln; unfortunately for them, T-Bag switched the bag the money was in for a bag with magazines in it.
After hiding the five million dollars in a locker at a train station, T-Bag went to find Susan, the woman who had turned him in, only to discover that she had moved away and the house was up for sale. Later, Brad Bellick and Roy Geary traced the path of the money to T-Bag and followed him to Susan's house to assault and capture him. They proceeded to torture him to discover the location of the five million dollars. When Bellick and Geary untied T-Bag, he struggled, and the key to the locker containing the money was thrown across the room. T-Bag quickly swallowed the key, forcing Bellick and Geary to tie him to a toilet and give him laxatives until he passed the key.
After the key was retrieved, Bellick tied T-Bag's bad hang to a radiator and called 911, telling them that a burglar has broken into his house. T-Bag attempted to free himself as police sirens were heard nearby, but to no avail. Finally, a desperate T-Bag managed to tear himself free by severing off his newly attatched hand.
Meanwhile, Geary had betrayed Bellick and left with the money, spending it on a high class hotel room, complete with hookers. Little did Geary know, T-Bag had left a tracking device inside the bag. T-Bag easily found Geary, who tried to make a deal with the escaped convict. Unfortunately for him, T-Bag ignored his pleas and instead killed him by apparently bashing his head in with a broken wine bottle before indulging himself on Geary's room service.
In the next episode, we learn that Bagwell framed Bellick for the murder of Geary, primarily by "carving him out." After Geary injured Bellick and sent him to a hospital, Bellick left Geary a message and said that he would "gut you by the stern." Bagwell apparently found this message on Geary's cell phone, and did just that to his corpse. It was this evidence that caused enough probable cause to be present to formally charge Bellick with Geary's murder.
References
External links
- Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell's biography at Fox.com
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