To win visitation rights with Fiona, Michael must help his old mentor take down a psychopath.But in doing so, they place Jesse in jeopardy.Meanwhile, Fiona makes an ally and an enemy during her stay in maximum security.

While definitely not as gripping or emotionally charged as the season opener, “Mixed Messages” has two powerful scenes – the Michael and Sam scene that opens the show, and an intense scene between Michael and his brother Nate, who returns to Miami with some bad news (news that, by the way, feels a cruel and unnecessary way to force the character back into the Miami scene).

While everything that happens between is well-acted and well-produced, each moment feels simply like building blocks lain toward the remainder of the season, things they couldn’t fit into the season premiere that were recycled into this chapter surrounded by chunks of filler material.They’re good to have but seem like a waste of a full hour.

Performance-wise, the show doesn’t falter and continues to build.John C. McGinley adds a great deal of tension to the series, and Coby Bell steals the show as Jesse, who is smooth, deadly and edgy in a showcase episode; Gabrielle Anwar should also be commended for her intensity as Fiona, and the stunt coordinator for the complexity of the work performed.But they aren’t enough to make this episode much more than a slightly above-average.

Letter Grade: C+