‘Prison Break’ Is Back And Crazier Than Ever

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Prison Break

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Out of all the recent TV revivals, Prison Break’s unlikely resurrection from the television graveyard is the most astonishing. Premiering in 2005, the first season of the Fox action series was a masterfully told story filled with mystery, intrigue, and more tattoos than you can shake a stick at. The first twenty-two episodes followed enigmatic structural engineer Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and his wonderfully ludicrous scheme of getting himself sentenced to Fox River State Penitentiary in order to help his brother Linc (Dominic Purcell) — who’s on death row for allegedly killing the brother of the Vice President of the United States — escape the level one maximum-security prison. But how can Michael, a simple engineer, possibly break his brother out of prison, you ask? He has the blueprints to the penitentiary tattooed all over his body.

Photo: Netflix

Sure, Michael’s elaborate plot is a hundred different types of Rube Goldberg machine meets Mouse Trap bonkers, but it’s also so much damn fun. Season 1 of Prison Break is an exceptional viewing experience. Then they made three more seasons ranging from “ehh” to “huh?” in quality. But questionable quality isn’t the reason the show’s return is so surprising. Prison Break’s rise from the rubble is shocking because Michael Scofield originally died at the end of the series, which begs the question: Did Michael Scofield tattoo the blueprints to the afterlife all over his body?!

Let’s just say yes and move on because in order to enjoy Prison Break you must first make peace with one incontrovertible fact: It’s insane. 

If you’re going to bring a show, and a character for that matter, back from the dead you gotta raise the stakes, so Prison Break 5: Hey, Michael’s Alive! begins with the discovery that the pied piper of prison escapes himself is being held captive inside a Yemen prison, which is presumably located at 15 Yemen Road. Yemen. Of course Michael’s back in prison. I emailed a fellow Prison Breaker when FOX released the new trailer for Season 5 to get this thoughts on the revival, and he had a one sentence response:

“HOW IS HE BACK IN JAIL!?”

But Michael isn’t the only character who’s up to his old tricks. Linc may not have killed the Veep’s brother back in Season 1, but his miscreant behavior directly led to the frame job that found him on death row. Since he’s no longer, oh you know, the MOST WANTED MAN IN AMERICA, you’d think he’d be on the straight and narrow Get a job. Invest time in a hobby that doesn’t involve breaking people out of prison and/or murder. Nope! Much like Sister Act 2 Linc is back in the habit and owes a bunch of randos $100,000. Also, he’s apparently been taking his Vin Diesel vitamins considering he only suffered a slight limp after taking a tumble through his windshield.

Somewhere in Hollywood a certain production team is fast and furiously typing a cease and desist letter in response to Prison Break’s use of illogical vehicular stunts.

Does the series routinely defy logic? Sure. But you know what? I don’t care! The more insane the better. If you’re going to bring the show back you got ramp up the mayhem. Sara’s now married to a concierge doctor from the Hamptons? Okay. Michael Scofield is now an alleged terrorist named Kaniel Outis? Why not! He plans to break out of prison using a piece of gum? I’m dubious, but I’ve never been inside a Yemen prison, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

I don’t watch the Fast franchise to learn about the complexities of physics, and I certainly don’t tune in to Prison Break for the realism. I enjoy the series and welcome it back with open arms because it’s fun to get lost in a world where a man can travel the globe escaping numerous maximum security prisons using nothing more than a little gumption, bubble gum, and a keen understanding of the art of origami.

Prison Break is escapism at its finest. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Where to stream Prison Break