Prison Break Series Review

Tattooist: "Takes guys a few years to get the kind of ink you've got."
Michael: "I don't have a few years."

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

I watched the first episode of Prison Break when it first aired. That was back in a time when I was not really into the big, live action, one hour series'. Sure enough, it looked like a good idea. Finally, after being acquainted with a galore of other awesome big, live action, one hour series', I decided Prison Break sounded good enough to where I would give it a try. Of course, I do not regret this decision. It is an amazing show that has suspense enough to match Lost. Full of secrets, motley crews, secret organizations, government conspiracies, double crosses, action, drama, humor, and intelligence, Prison Break was a hell of a show. One that I wished I had watched while still on.

This is another great show that revolves around two brothers. Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) is a small time criminal who is framed for the murder of the US Vice President's brother. With all of the evidence against him to prove he's the one, he is sent to Fox River Penitentiary to await execution. Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), Lincoln's younger brother, is a genius structural engineer who designed the prison. Michael, convinced of his brother's innocence, devises a plan to break him out of prison and escape. After committing a crime, allowing himself to be arrested, and pleading guilty he is sent to Fox River where his plan is in motion, all carefully mapped out on his torso and limbs with tattoes. Along the way, the conspirators behind Lincoln's supposed crime try to tie up their loose ends and Michael must side with some of Fox River's lowest inmates in order to execute his plan. I can't spoil where the show goes from there.

I must admit, I have not seen that many great prison escape movies; The Shawshank Redemption was pretty awesome, though. I must say, though, that watching master planner Michael come up with new angles every episode was quite enjoyable. Elements from The Fugitive come into play later, obviously. The show is really kind of like a magic show: every week the characters get themselves trapped in new dangerous and intense situations where it looks like they can't escape and they use methods we didn't think of or weren't expecting to escape. It's really a lot of fun.

There are secrets revealed, and alliances made between characters that create dynamics throughout the series. Most notably is a shadow organization that you will come to know as The Company (not to be confused with the one from Heroes), of which Lincoln Burrows' frame job is the most minor of corruption and conspiracy. Another are the characters Michael meets, faces, or sides with within Fox River, who become players in the game he has thrown himself in. Questions such as why was Lincoln in particular framed, are very important and interesting. Of course, the biggest and most exciting question every episode is how Michael and co. are going to escape.

The show has a wide range of unique characters; granted they aren't all as colorful or as cool as those from other shows I've seen, but I felt for them and wanted most all of them (even some of the villains) to get away. Like Supernatural and, to a lesser degree, Lost, Prison Break's primary story revolves around two brothers: Michael and Lincoln. They are both different, but I ended up liking them both. Michael is portrayed early on as a calculating and efficient manipulator of events, willing to sacrifice freakishly in order to save his brother. While he tries to put on a cold demeanor, it becomes perfectly clear that Michael is really a man of morality and compassion who won't bring himself to kill even the worst enemies. His structurally intuitive mind is a character all of itself sometimes, when Michael is able to contrive methods of escape in a con or on a whim, decipher his opponents agendas, or improvise a situation to his best advantage. Along with actor Wentworth Miller's droll demeanor, with a bit of a deep suave voice, rugged good looks, and various emotions. Overall, Michael is, in general, a true hero. Lincoln is not a genius like Michael and is oddly looked down upon for not being as smart as him, which is used like an insult. After using an inheritance to insure his brother's future, Lincoln turned to a life of petty crime to help himself. He is a wounded man in the assassination plot, a fabricated conspiracy to insure specific political powers. Lincoln is a cunning strategist like his brother, and a tough fighter from living on the streets. He is an honorable man and often heroic, but he will do ruthless things should his family be in danger. Dominic Purcell is, like Wentworth Miller, another oddly cool, montonous actor. This guy makes Lincoln seem kinda chill. Other important characters include Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne-Callies), Fox River's idealistic head nurse, who immeditaly forms a kinship with Michael. Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), a small time thief and Michael's cell mate in Fox River; Sucre is a loyal, friendly guy whose subplot involves him trying to find his true love waiting for him outside of prison. Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper, brilliant), a psychotic pedophile, serial killer and feared man inside of Fox River; T-Bag, though considered a perverted, dumb hick, is actually a master manipulator himself who can figure out plans and strategies of his own against the heroes. Other notable Fox River figures include Charles Westmoreland (Muse Watson), a convicted manslaughter case who is also suspected of being D.B. Cooper; Benjamin Miles Franklin aka C-Note (Rockmund Dunbar), a crafty smuggler who resorts to conniving methods in order to get back home; John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare), a shifty and brutal gangster; Henry Pope (Stacy Keach), the moral warden of Fox River; Brad Bellick (Wade Williams), the often menacing head of the prison's security; or Veronica Donovon (Robin Tunney), the brothers childhood friend who tries, as a lawyer, to appeal against Lincoln's execution. Later essential characters would include Alex Mahone (William Fictner, awesome), an intuitive but compelled FBI Agent; Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein), a cold, ruthless operative within the conspiracy; Gretchen Morgan (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe), a cold blooded, lethal, yet mercurial conspiracy merc; and the infamous big fish who I will only name "Pad Man" (Leon Russom), who is as shadowy figure appearing behind the scenes of the shadow organization. Wow. I just named almost every character. Whoops. Guess they are pretty good.

A main theme running through this show, which has also been either a primary or secondary element in other great shows, is the theme of love and what we will sacrifice for the ones we care about. A theme of family and brotherhood is prevelent in many characters. Even a theme of corruption, extremely illustrated through homicidal carnage. It's a very interesting story.

So, Prison Break, in the end, was a great show. It was a fun show. One I would have loved to tune into to watch on TV now. Well, thank all for the internet. This does something that shows nowadays have gotten better at doing and that is the classic trait of suspsense within the show. Prison Break's suspense is in overdrive for the majority of each episode. The characters are cool, as I have clearly mentioned, you know only a little. The plot is always snakeish and fun, make great twists. Definitely worth watching back to back, that's a lot of fun but I'll bet the real fun would be waiting a week in suspense for the next episode. Very awesome and highly recommended on this end, I'd say Prison Break is well worth the time. Five out of five tattoes

One of hopefully a trilogy of series reviews from Your Modest Guru. Thanks for reading.