Prison Break (2005-2009).

I just finished watching the whollllllle show. Seasons One to Four. Plus “The Final Break”. The show is split into two halves really. Season 1 and 2 deal with Michael Schofield’s (Wentworth Miller) plan to break his innocent brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) out of a maximum security prison – Fox River State Penitentiary – where he is on death row for murdering the Vice President’s brother. Schofield robs a bank, gets himself into the same prison, with his plan tattooed beautifully artistically on his body, and proceeds to try break his brother out before Lincoln is sent to the electric chair. Of course lots of sub-plots and complications happen, and 8 cons end up being broken out of the prison. Each episode reveals a new part of his plan that has been tattooed cleverly on his body. Schofield’s ability to think around each problem and his genius plan makes this a really entertaining series. After breaking out (Season 1), Season 2 shows how each of the cons deals with running away and keeping low. The brothers continue to try and clear Lincoln’s name, run away to Panama, blahblahblah. This season was a bit of a let down compared to the first.

Season 3 and 4 concentrate more on “The Company”, which has strong control over the US democratic and political system. In Season 3, Michael and a few of his friends finds themselves in another prison in Panama called Sona. Cue another plan to break out, this time because The Company wants Michael there to break out a man called James Whistler (Chris Vance). More mystery surrounding new characters, kidnappings, etc. This season was more enjoyable, as a new plot is introduced and a selection of great new characters. Season 4 is all about Scylla, some kind of hard drive owned by The Company containing information regarding advanced solar energy technology. Basically a lot of powerful people are trying to get their hands on this in order to become the new “Company”. The brothers’ mother is revealed to be alive and a Company agent – more family feuding – who is planning to sell Scylla to the highest bidder. The brothers and their team in the end have to recover Scylla and hand it in to the UN so that all this killing will stop and there will be world peace. (Okay, so not the last bit but the whole thing is kind of blown up into big proportions).

That’s a horribly brief summary. In my opinion, Seasons 1 and 4 are the ones you should watch. Just read up on Season 2 and 3. The main thing that made this show such a pleasure to watch are the characters. I have so many favourites. The makers of this show manipulate your feelings towards certain characters without you really realising.

An example would be Brad Bellick (Wade Williams). Bellick appears in all 4 seasons, initially as the captain of Fox River. The main “bad guy” in season 1, you naturally develop a dislike towards his harsh and despicable ways. However, throughout the seasons, you start to feel sorry for him when he is beaten up badly upon his entry into Sona; glad for him when he gains more respect from his peers; embarrassed for him because he is such a mummy’s boy; and sad when he finally gives his life in order for Michael’s plan to retrieve Scylla successful.

Another one is Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell (Robert Knepper). I could never take someone named T-Bag seriously. Also appearing in all 4 seasons, he is a violent and manipulative psycho. Very ambitious character, destroying all that stand in his way to get what he wants. Some really gorey scenes regarding his severed hand that kind of made me a bit squeamish. Yet the part in season 2 when he is trying to rekindle romantic emotions from the woman he was with before his arrest makes you feel sorry for him, as he resorts to violence and threats to make this happen – something you learn that is just in his nature, due to his bad childhood. In season 3, you see an inkling of good in him as he lets a man he kidnapped go without any harm – unfortunately the man just happened to be a Company agent – mixed feelings there..

Some of my favourite characters:

Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) provides great comic relief to an otherwise serious show. He makes me wish I was Hispanic, so that I could pull of the word “papi” without sounding like a douche. His dedication and loyalty to his girlfriend and friends is truly heart-warming.

Alex Mahone (William Fichtner), initially a Company agent pursuing the brothers, he is an incredibly sharp and intellectual, matching Michael Schofield as someone who surprises with their thoughts and ideas, as he starts to work out the meaning of Michael’s tattoos in Season 2. He becomes an ally in the final series. His background with his ex-wife and son unfold throughout Season 2, and you realise that he forced to work for the Company in order to keep his family safe. A drug junkie because of the skeletons in his closet, he is “humanised” slowly so that you grow to like him. Even in the end, when he is offered his job back as a federal agent, he is still loyal to Schofield and Burrows, and it made me feel all *yay*.

Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein) is one of the agents in season 1 employed by the Vice President to ensure the execution of Lincoln Burrows. When he gets screwed over by the Company, he decides to help the brothers in trying to bring the Company down. His act of giving his testimony to bring the VP to justice and his aid in bringing the Company down made him one of my favourite bad-guys-turned-good.

I think it’s good that they finalised this show where they did, instead of dragging it on further – a prison break, running, another prison break, running – it all gets repetitive and boring. The film that they made: “The Final Break” is an explanation of how Michael Schofield dies – tying up loose ends between the end of season 4 and the “4 years later” section in the last episode. It’s so sad. I hate sad endings, but I thought it was quite fitting and made this show more realistic. It just makes me wonder – if they can break Sara out of that prison in like 1.5 hours of the show.. was there really a need for a wholeee season of breaking out Lincoln?! Pah, nevermind. More tattoo eye candy :3. Oh, and Holly Valance’s role in season 1 as a czech pole dancing immigrant made me lol. And in “The Final Break”, was the little boy getting a tattoo on the side of the street…? I think he was, as he was being comforted for being brave (which isn’t really needed if it was just a transfer). Like wtf.. he’s like 4.