If I were to list the flaws in PB, it would fill pages. However, I still find it to be one of most thrilling and entertaining shows I have seen, and it puts a big grin on my face every time I watch an episode. Before watching Prison Break keep in mind that The Wire this is not. The Wire (another great show) is straight faced and makes accuracy in depicting law enforcement and criminals a high priority. With Prison Break, after a few episodes, the voice in your head that says 'this is ridiculous' won't even bother anymore and you'll be ready to enjoy an extremely thrilling and amusing show, packed with schemes and mind games, constant twists and "developments," crass humor coming from the mouths of incorrigible criminals, violence, chases and more. The first and second (until episode 20) seasons are really where the show peaks. Season 3 is largely pathetic and boring, and season 4, while being just as intense as 1 and 2, suffers from ad-lib plotting and continuity issues. Most of the praise in this review goes out to 1, 2, and 4. Micheal is a genius structural engineer who wants to break out his innocent brother on death row. From an apparently isolated prison escape, the story escalates into complicated levels of global conspiracy (a lot of which suffers from ad-lib plotting). By its name it should be obvious that this show deals mainly with criminals and the corrupt, ensuring colorful and entertaining characters. Along with these amusing characters, the main appeal of the first two seasons is in getting away--getting away from the guards as Micheal schemes and plans the escape, getting away from The Company and their cronies, getting away from the corrupt government agents, etc. While Micheal is a genius with a kind heart, never lacking in "friends," his struggles against the corruption in a largely fantastical legal system also puts him against a variety of interesting enemies and villains. In season one there are the guards, dangerous prisoners and agent Kellerman (who develops into a great and darkly amusing character), and in season two there is the pill-popping, hard-boiled and neurotic Agent Mahone, whose excellent villainous character is downgraded severely at the end of season two. This is where we hit a HUGE flaw in Prison Break: a great waste of good adversaries (on which the intensity of the show depends). Unlike Lost, which carries superfluous amounts of prolonged suspense, Prison Breaks delivers constant change and developments (not all of which are as entertaining as the ones in season 1 and 2 and some of 4). The plot is always changing, and so are the positions and states of characters in the overall story. To make way for villains at higher and higher posts, those at the lower positions are either killed or made into allies (this happens mainly in season 3 and four). With the exception of a certain sniper-handling character in season 2, when these adversaries become allies their character changes drastically and makes them rather uninteresting. Still, as these adversaries are cast aside, newer and more wicked ones make their way forward (take Gretchen). Another aspect I personally like about Prison Break is that youthful, impulsive romance usually takes a back seat to the action (I'm love romance, but not when it gets in the way or is hammered over the head). There are no 'Jack and Kate are stuck together all snug in a net and have to get grab a gun from the others pant pocket'-scenes, or 'Sawyer and Kate are in a cage and something bad is going to happen so they decide to resolve some sexual tension'-scenes, and PB is thankfully devoid of love triangles. I also really like the female characters. Sara's appearance is always plain and simple, and her character is direct, straight-talking, self-aware and compassionate, a refreshing break from constantly pms-ing voluptuous love-interests who are unceasingly plagued by tragic love triangles. Sara's opposite is Gretchen, introduced in season 3, who is a memorable character, yes, but whose depraved character might not be described properly without vulgarities.... The main character, Micheal Scofield, on whose shoulders the majority of the action depends, is in some ways an interesting and natural character, and in some ways not. While I got a kick out of his constant planning and scheming and his composed intensity, at other times I couldn't believe his reactions to be natural. Throughout the series he faces astronomical levels of stress and danger, yet his reaction usually doesn't let it show. At some points I was just waiting for Micheal to break down badly and hit rock bottom. Also, we never really get a sense of what his life was before this whole adventure started, and how he really feels about it? Does he think it's a necessity? Does he loath it, or does he enjoy it? Some of these questions are answered partially later on, but I didn't find them fully satisfactory. However, pangs of Micheal's morality are well depicted, as he repeatedly feels regret for the casualties that result from the means to his desired ends. I also really wish that the creators had hired some graphics help to show us how Micheal's brain dissects structure. They do show a couple of scenes, but I think they should have made full use of 3-D, etc, to show how Micheal's brain really gets the "structure" of things. The actor playing him does a decent job, conveying Micheal's quiet intensity well throughout. The other actors also do well. Purcell's character Lincoln is a really natural and consistent character, quiet, frank, aggressive if threatened -- believable for a person who is simultaneously a caring and devoted father and an ex-street thug. Flaws aside, Prison Break really shines at moments and delivers thrill after thrill. It can be brutal, tender, gratuitously violent, ridiculous, hilarious, frustrating, highly flawed but also highly entertaining and addictive.
Review of Prison Break
