"Prison Break" Pilot (2005)

Director:

Brett Ratner

Writers:

Paul Scheuring (creator)
Paul Scheuring (written by)

TV Series:

"Prison Break" (2005)

Original Air Date:

29 August 2005 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Michael Scofield is imprisoned in Fox River State Penitentiary. He finds his brother, Lincoln Burrows, who is a death row prisoner, and tells him that he is going to break them both out of the prison.

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Origami | Tattooed Map | Reference To Gandhi | Prison

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Dominic Purcell	...	Lincoln Burrows
Wentworth Miller	...	Michael Scofield
Robin Tunney	...	Veronica Donovan
Amaury Nolasco	...	Fernando Sucre
Marshall Allman	...	LJ Burrows
Peter Stormare	...	John Abruzzi
Wade Williams	...	Brad Bellick
Sarah Wayne Callies	...	Dr. Sara Tancredi
Rockmond Dunbar	...	Benjamin Miles 'C-Note' Franklin
Jessalyn Gilsig	...	Lisa Rix
Muse Watson	...	Charles Westmoreland
Paul Adelstein	...	Paul Kellerman
Camille Guaty	...	Maricruz Delgado
Chelcie Ross	...	Bishop McMorrow
Laura Wade	...	Syd, Tattoo Artist (as Laura Scott Wade)

Runtime:

Germany:42 min

Country:

USA | Brazil

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Goofs:

Continuity: In the pilot episode the judge refers to Fox River as a level 1 facility, however in Riots, Drills, and the Devil Pt. 2, when LJ is watching the news about the riot, the news anchor refers to Fox River as a level 5 institution.

Quotes:

Fernando Sucre: What's another word for "love?"
Michael Scofield: What's the context?
Fernando Sucre: Oh, you know, the "I love you so much, I ain't knocking over a liquor store again" context. Except, you know... classy.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Prison Break: VS. (#4.18)" (2009)

Captivating story, mazy relationships, good acting and well-designed sets

Intrigued and puzzled. Two words I consider well describe how you should feel after watching Prison Break's pilot. As a teenager films like The Great Escape and Escape from Alcatraz fascinated me. However when it first aired I didn't have any expectations as I had never heard of the show before. The first effect was intense, the second, this one, was even better.

The very first minutes we're introduced to the protagonists : Michael Scolfield, his lawyer Veronica Donovan and his brother Lincoln Burrows. The last is in prison but he claims his innocence. The first believes him and has apparently a twisted plan to help his brother. The second knows them since childhood but she doesn't really know how to help them nor if she should trust them. This first episode arises so many questions that it's impossible to list them all. Is Michael a genius or out of his freaking mind ? Is Lincoln innocent or guilty ? What about the other characters ? Indeed some were introduced and it's obvious they'll be involved in some way with Michael and the puzzle he has apparently designed and is about to solve. But of course things quickly don't go as planned and it seems he'll have to deal with numerous problems and dangerous characters. So the story is really interesting and viewers enjoying mind games should really dig it.

The acting is also quite good, but not flawless, and the performers manage to make most characters grow on us. In fact some of their connections reminded me of Lost because you don't really know their relationships or stories. The directing and production quality are also great and it really feels like Michael has found a new comfy home to make long time friends. But the best thing about it, knowing what happened next, is that the best is yet to come. So the surprising events that occurred in the pilot are just the tip of the iceberg. And once you have seen it the only thing you'll want to do is dive into an enigmatic realm of chaos and manipulation.