I remember Prison Break being one of the first "adult" shows that I got into on my own growing up. I was 15 when it premiered on Fox in 2005 and was quickly pulled into the crime drama. So I am definitely getting fond memories seeing that the show is having its moment on Netflix right now, ranking in the top 10 of most watched TV series in the US. However, as a longtime fan of the series, let me give anyone new to watching Prison Break some advice:
Don't be afraid to quit after Prison Break season 3.
All five seasons of Prison Break are now available to stream on Netflix, but the series truly goes off the rail in its last two seasons. It is a classic example of a show that overstayed its welcome.
Prison Break centers on Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), a structural engineer who gets himself arrested so he can be sent to the same prison where his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), is awaiting the death sentence for a crime he didn't commit. Having designed the prison, Michael has a meticulous plan to break his brother out, but his fellow inmates, corrupt guards and the powers behind the crime Lincoln is being blamed still offer plenty of challenges.
In addition to Miller and Purcell, Prison Break stars Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Sarah Wayne Callies, Wade Williams, Peter Stormare, William Fichtner, Robin Tuney, Stacy Keach and more. The series was created by Paul T. Scheuring.
(Warning, I'm going to be getting into light spoilers for the show, though I'll avoid sharing any major details.)
Prison Break season 1 is absolutely fantastic. It's gripping, with particularly strong performances from Miller and Knepper and plenty of twists that make you want to keep watching (likely why it is becoming a big hit on Netflix), culminating in the thrilling prison break. Season 2 is also a fun watch, as it adds more layers to the story as the characters are on the run.
Season 3 definitely starts to show some signs of fatigue, as many of the characters are thrown into a new kind of prison that they again have to break out of and the conspiracy theory outside of the prison is getting more complicated and difficult to follow. But it's season 4 where things really went off the deep end.
A big part of that came from the exit of Scheuring from the show. While he is credited as an executive producer for the entire run of the season, he was not really involved in Prison Break season 4, which turns the group of main characters into their own kind of spy team. Scheuring did come back for Prison Break season 5, saying in interviews he wouldn't have made some of the same decisions they had in season 4. Even with Scheuring back though, the show definitely felt like its moment had passed.
It was a different time, but I definitely wish Prison Break took a page out of what many TV shows do these days and focus on telling a singular story and wrap it on their own terms before they have to go off into crazier, unnecessary storylines (ie Ted Lasso, Succession, Fleabag). Many people are completists and will want to finish the series no matter what, but if you opt to watch just the first three seasons, you'll get what I think is the most satisfying viewing experience for Prison Break.
Prison Break is now streaming on Netflix and Hulu in the US; it is available on Disney Plus in the UK.
