Prison Breakwould’ve been a masterpiece ranked among the greatest TV shows ever made if it had just ended after season 1, but the series continued for another four seasons of nonsense.Paul Scheuring initially developedPrison Breakas a 14-part miniseries(viaThe Age), because Fox was concerned about the long-term prospects of a show built around one mission.
But, based on the popularity of serialized dramas like24andLost, Fox decided thatPrison Breakwould be a long-running series after all, whether the plot called for it or not. It’s not uncommon fora show developed as a miniseries to get renewed for a second seasonwhen the network executives get dollar signs in their eyes.
Stranger Things,Big Little Lies,Altered Carbon, andThe Flight Attendantwere all supposed to be one-and-done limited series before getting renewed for season 2.BeefandThe White Lotuswere both conceived as miniseries before being turned into anthology shows. ButcontinuingPrison Breakinto a contrived five-season sagaruined what could’ve been a masterpiece.
Prison Break Should Have Never Continued Past Season 1
It Told A Perfectly Self-Contained Story
The pilot episode ofPrison Breaksets up a captivating premise.Structural engineer Michael Scofieldgets himself deliberately incarcerated in Fox River State Penitentiary with a blueprint of the prison tattooed on his torso, so he can help his wrongfully convicted brother escape.In the penultimate episode of season 1, the brothers escapealong with six other inmates.
The beginning of the season set up Michael’s mission to break Lincoln out of jail and the end of the season completed that mission by having them escape through a tunnel.
There was no need to keep the story goingafter that. The beginning of the season set up Michael’s mission to break Lincoln out of jail and the end of the season completed that mission by having them escape through a tunnel. ButPrison Breakcontinued for four more seasonsafter it perfectly resolved its plot.
Prison Break’s Other Seasons Only Tarnished The Show’s Legacy
The Storylines Got Really Contrived
In the second season ofPrison Break,it seemed like this show might have the potential for future storylines. Just because the Fox River Eight had escaped, it didn’t mean they were out of the woods. In season 2, the show becomesThe Fugitiveas the escapees all go into hiding and try to avoid the authorities looking for them.
Prison Breakis streaming on Netflix and Hulu.
But the longerPrison Breakwent on, the more contrived its storylines got. It kept doubling down on the shady dealings of “The Company.” Season 3 put Michael in another prison in Panama, where he had to plan another escape. Season 4 became aFast & Furiousmovie as the Fox River Eight got hired by Homeland Security as mercenaries.
