Prison Break | Season One
Anna kept telling me to watch this series again and again. I do actually remember the TV spots for this series, which preceded the actual series being broadcast over here in the UK. I remember really thinking the idea was very intriguing however as you can imagine I completely missed it, since I’m honestly not very good at keeping to a schedule brought about by the TV box. It’s funny but I’ve watched more TV in the past couple of months than in the last few years, mainly because I can download and watch whenever I actually choose to watch them.
Anyway back to Prison Break; without a doubt one of the smartest and most gripping TV series ever made. I know bold statements but this is a very very different kettle of fish to all other great TV series of the past year or so (we’re talking Battlestar Galactica, Lost, Heroes, My Name is Earl etc). What makes this series so damn special? I guess part of the success in my eyes is it’s incredibly tight plotting.
The story centre around Michael Scofield (fantastic name, best one after McGyver) who orchestrates him being admitted into prison so that he can save his brother who’s on death row. Already the story resonates with me because it’s taken the prison story and flipped it in a direction I’m not used to. We’ve seen several ‘prison break’ type movies in the past (led of course by the exceptional Shawshank Redemption) but not exactly like this.
See Michael’s had a while to prepare for this. He’s put contingency after contingency after contingency. The really amazing thing is of course that absolutely EVERYTHING he’s planned gets a spanner in it at the end of every episode. The cliffhanger endings are pretty amazing and the tension is exceptionally well produced. There are several exceptional twists within the story and I think I counted one scheme where the acting was terrible (but that was from a supporting actor rather than the main cast).
Which leads me to the actors themselves. All the cast is exceptionally well chosen for their roles which is weird as I’ve not really seen (or can remember) seeing them in anything prior to this.
I love that the warden is actually a good guy. I think there was only a single moment in the entire first season where I thought he was a building up to being a bastard and I guess that’s another definite asset of this series, not following with specific stereotypes that I’ve become used to. Obviously the fact that the guy’s an engineer resonates with me a little bit (ok a lot) and it’s great to see how he gets himself out of one bad situation after another.
Ultimately however this series is about what one brother will do for the other one. The answer is a lot and those who have brothers understand this pretty well. Growing up you might want to kill each other or were constantly bickering about stuff, but ultimately after everything you knew that you couldn’t stay mad with each other for more than like 10 minutes. What impresses me the most about the story is when you finally are told the WHY. Why would Michael risk EVERYTHING he had, put himself through hell, enter prison to save his brother. Apart from the fact that it’s his brother, what would possess him to take matters in his own hands like this. The answer is basically the core reality of what brotherhood is all about. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone because I really loved the explanation and I think you’ll feel the same way.
Been a big fan of the show since Season 1. Damn good. I didn’t think they could get a Second season to be on par or better than the first, but they did. Plus, they added William Finchner.
↓ Quote | 23/1/2007
Too bad everything you like about it goes to shit on season 2. I still watch it, but it’s nowhere near as good as the first season.
↓ Quote | 23/1/2007
Another person who likes the series as well? Is Prison Break going for world domination? Seriously though; Maybe I should go watch this the series also.
↓ Quote | 24/1/2007
So, if you’re ever in trouble, think: WHAT WOULD MICHAEL SCOFIELD DO?
↓ Quote | 24/1/2007
“He’d kick an ass or two, that’s what Michael Scofield would do!”
___________
Anyhow, I wonder where Prison Break is going plot-wise…
It’s moved very neatly from ‘Prison drama’, to ‘escape’, and now through to ‘on the run’, but where next? I hope it keeps the fresh take on old storylines and doesn’t follow the whole Dr. Richard Kimble thing.
The big conspiracy element is also something that could fall XFiles style flat - big lead in and a poorly thought out ending.
So far the second series hasn’t yet gripped me as the first did. There are a few too many scenes where I’m left thinking, this could be interesting… and then it isn’t as interesting as I’d hoped, but still miles better than Lost. Maybe season one just spoilt me and I should lessen my expectations?
↓ Quote | 24/1/2007
meoq said:
I hear you on that end, the thing is Season One was just that TOO damn good for their own good. I can seriously only see maybe another season of this. After that it really should be ended. They simply can’t string this along more than two seasons, three at most, unless he goes back into prison and it’s a completely different kettle of fish, but it’ll have lost a major part of the appeal which was the reason for him being in there in the first place and the fact that he was super bloody prepared.
↓ Quote | 24/1/2007
Anna, you got yourself a site? Damn girl you never mentioned this to me, I’ve got to find it out this way :).
↓ Quote | 24/1/2007
Well I wanted to keep the suspense going, just like Michael Scoefield would… :-))
↓ Quote | 29/1/2007
A friend of mine practically forced me to get into this show, and I was definitely hooked that first season. This season I sometimes finish an episode wondering if the writers are actually trying to get me to stop watching…
From my understanding, this was really pitched as a 2 season series and will conclude at the end of this year. That’s about the only thing that keeps me watching at this point.
↓ Quote | 31/1/2007
kool serie thanx for that
↓ Quote | 10/2/2007
i agree with everyone season 1 was da bomb, as for season 2 they mess up alot its just too boring now, i mean u dont get to see any progress its like everytime they get a step higher they get pulled down 3 steps lower!!! how far did season 2 get to anyway??
↓ Quote | 11/2/2007
I love Prison Break is is fantastic I wonder how many more series’s they’ll be
↓ Quote | 17/2/2007
its fantastic and the first season was wow.I think its the best tv serie
↓ Quote | 19/3/2007
Where can I download the season one Thanks
↓ Quote | 11/4/2007