In this first episode of Highway Patrol's premier season headquarters receives notice of an escape from a nearby prison. Chief Dan Mathews springs from his office and convincingly establishes that a wall map is to Dan Mathews what a chalkboard was to football coach Vince Lombardi. Immediately he takes to setting up roadblocks that a "kiddie car couldn't get through". When headquarters loses contact with an officer investigating an abandoned car used by the escapee, Mathews springs to the scene in his ever reliable Buick squad car from which he continues to take command of the manhunt. This clearly establishes him as more than a desk-bound-pencil-pushing crime fighting boss. The episode in a mere 30 minutes does well in establishing the viciousness of the escaped convict. From knocking out his injured partner to commandeering a school bus, this is a man worthy of Mathews' vigilant pursuit.
Review of Prison Break
