iPrison Break!

Alright, why would I want to watch this show? Do I have anything in common with these people? Can I relate to any of these characters? Do I think gangs or criminals, or earning street cred in prison is cool? No, no, and no.


But that's not what this show is about. Yeah, you can say it's about breaking out of prison, that is why it is called Prison Break, but it is so much more than that. It's about love. It's about devotion. It's about friendship and overcoming differences, and giving of yourself to the fullest extent. It's pretty deep, and if you don't know, it's also one of the most intense shows I've seen; almost up to par with Heroes or LOST.

What surprises me about this show is not how amazing the writing is. Or how disgusting and endearing and insane some of the characters are, but how much I identify with several aspects of this show. I thought I identified with Dexter, and although that show will always be one of my favorites, that cold part of me is dead now. I feel like I am looking through a window, and no longer through Mr. Morgan's eyes. Which, in retrospect, is a good thing. But Prison Break.....I feel. I feel almost as much as I felt when I first saw Dexter.

Aspects of prison life depicted in the show mirror the everyday life of a soldier in training. The beds are the same, the dining facilities are the same, and the interaction between inmates and soldiers (in training) are the same. Scenes between suck-up inmates and the Corrections Officers reflect brown-nosing do-gooder soldiers who volunteer for every detail the Drill Sergeants could think of. I even remember people saying "we would get more rights in prison" while we were training. Even though we were being trained to be ruthless machines, I have a hunch that they were right. Spending two minutes listening to the phone ringing before a loved one would answer is depicted truthfully; as is the joy in an imates eyes as he sees someone from the outside world.

There is a culture shock which was a nice touch as well. Different cultures, not just white and black, but north and south, separate the inmates into preconceived hatred and intolerance of each other. When confronted about speaking to a black inmate, the main character claims that

"Our relationship transcends race."

"Nothing inside these walls transcends race, Michael."

People choose sides, whether they are forced to or not. But choices in these environments aren't always bad. You can choose to accept and even love your "Celly", or in my case, your Battle Buddy. The two are interchangeable terms as far as I'm concerned, and the friendship that our protagonist forms with his cell mate mirrors exactly that. The two of them look out for each other, and have a seemingly unbreakable bond. The two of them have their conflicts, and even break up in a sense, but always come back to each other in the end.

The other comparison I noticed was the amount of time each inmate was doing. They were counting down until they got out and got to see their family. They would say things like "I have 16 months left", or "I am in for Life Plus One, what is one more homicide?". People who were on death row were at peace, waiting for their time to come. It is strange how sometimes Dying ad Going Home seem to be the same thing, symbolically. People in the Army who have been at the training site or in country longer than you often spoke of 'doing their time', and getting out. Not the same thing, I know that, but they are just an interesting parallel.

...But enough about me, let's talk about you...

Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is an attractive young architect whose brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) was framed for the murder of the Vice President's brother. The series starts off with Scofield getting tattooed all over his arms and torso, tearing photos and newspaper articles off his walls, and robbing a bank in a three piece suit. His composure throughout the robbery and trial is surprisingly calm and cool. His legal council, who we find out to be a family friend and ex-girlfriend to brother Lincoln, persists that he fight against the odds.

Michael lays down for the judge and makes nice with all of the higher-ups at Fox River penitentiary. He wins the Warden's heart with his architectural skills, charms the lady doctor in the infirmary, but doesn't quite slip under the Correctional Officer's radar.

Michael finds his brother who has made peace with his death sentence, and shows him the blueprints that are hidden in the tattoo all over his body. He then proceeds to befriend other inmates who are key players in an ideal escape from Fox River. He gain the trust of Mob boss John Abruzzi who arranges transportation after the anticipated escape, the legendary D.B. Cooper who has money hidden outside for them, and an inmate named C-Note who scores Scofield an insulin blocker to fake diabetes and spend more time in the infirmary.

Those among Scofield's unintentional run-ins include his cell mate Fernando Sucre, temporary cell-mate Haywire, and sexual predator Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell. Sucre and Scofield form a bond that isn't without its faults, but by the end of the first season, it is thicker than gravy. Their comeradery is not only touching but is most often the greatly needed comic relief. Even this show was aired on something as benign as the Fox network, Prison Break is still a stressful and bleak storyline in an even bleaker environment. If it weren't for Sucre, this show would have no heart to go along with Scofield's soul.

Sure, the overtly sexual T-Bag makes you smirk as he licks his lips and smacks some asses, but his humor comes at a price. The wonderfully talented Robert Knepper plays him with charm and appeal, but always leaves the viewer with a bad taste in their mouth. T-bag ends up finding our protagonist's hole and threatens to squeal if he isn't in on the escape, and is the last of the motley crew in on the break. I just wish I didn't see him portaying Samuel in Heroes first, because as disgusting as T-Bag is, I still find him extremely attractive.

Meanwhile, outside of the prison, Scofield's lawyer is all of the sudden inspired to prove Lincoln's innocence three weeks before he is executed. The show gives us flashbacks and photographs as glimmers into the past Veronica Donovan had with Lincoln in college, but for some reason I don't care about this character at all. Her character gets shot at, almost blown up, and loses her engagement over this case, and the viewer still doesn't feel sorry for her. Sure, we want her to solve Lincoln's case and everything, but I think the audience's hope is more invested in Scofield's tattooed blueprints than her amateur investigatory skills.

Donovan runs into a fellow lawyer that is eager to help her clear Lincoln's name named Nick Savrinn. He turns out to be using her for her information to exonerate his own father the whole time. This isn't revealed until the very end of the season, but I figures it out three episodes in. Must be all of those LOST episodes finally paying off. Anyways, Nick redeems himself in the end by letting Donovan escape the federal spooks in exchange for a bullet between the eyes. The sad thing is is that I was more heartbroken over his passing than I would be if he had given Donovan up. That's how unrelatable and dry her character is.

That being said, Donovan does serve her purpose. She comes across a lot of pertinent information and helps Lincoln's illegitimate son, LJ, escape from the spooks that blew up her apartment. The Vice President has agents tracking them at all times, and one of them goes rogue towards the end, giving up his life to tell her the truth. He tells her that Stedman, the man Lincoln supposedly killed, is still alive and well, and is hiding out in a mansion somewhere in Montana. The rogue agent is shot by his own partner. This information prolongs Lincoln's execution date with some help from Sarah the doctor and her father, the governor. With no physical evidence, however, we are left at the end of the season with Donovan facing the man her ex supposedly killed, and the vice president poisoning the preisdent to take power. The puppet master is more maniacal than I thought.

The boys inside Fox River have a few false break attempts after running into a few architectural and authoritative problems along the way. Lincoln gets moved to more secure cell blocks, Michael gets put in the psych ward, and David (a new young insider) rats on our boys to Correctional Officer Bellick. When it finally does happen, however, Bellick and the Warden end up hogtied in different locations, and Sarah leaves the door to the infirmary unlocked for our boys to walk right in (or out, considering...). The Warden had called to move Lincoln to the infirmary before Michael tied him up in his own office, so everything was in place until D.B. Cooper falls victim to his wound from fighting off Bellick the day before. The old man tells Michael where the money is hidden, and dies in the infirmary literally feet away from his escape. Tragic, considering he was one of the few good people in the lot of escapees. Oh well, what do you do?

Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, Abruzzi, T-Bag, Haywire, David, and C-Note all cross the wire from the infirmary to the wall at the very last suspenseful second. Abruzzi has a van waiting for them, and tricks Haywire into getting out before they drive off. Michael tells David to leave because he knew he was the rat who caused them problems in the beginning, which leaves 6 in Abruzzi's van. Abruzzi sits behind T-Bag, and just as he reaches for a gun under his seat, T-Bag cuffs himself to Michael. he claims that no one can kill him because Michael is too important and will be carrying dead weight if he is harmed. Smart. Sly. This doesn't go over well.

The Oceanic 6, er sorry, the Fox River 6 get stuck in the mud and go on foot until they reach a barn where Abruzzi takes the liberty of relieving Michael of his dead weight. He cutsa off T-Bag's hand. Yeah, that's right. he cut off his hand. The five of them leave him there crying and reach Abruzzi's plane on the airstrip only to be left behind seconds before they get there.

That's how the season ends. They are being followed by all of the cops in the state, and are now on foot. Whoa.

I give this series a 8/10. Great Jeorrbbb.