The Prison Break Reboot Needs To Recapture The Magic Of Season 1

While Prison Break‘s five seasons and movie are not perfect, the show has a 77% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes — and such an exciting concept that a reboot was basically inevitable. Prison Break became a masterpiece TV crime drama within its first 10 minutes, thanks to its unique story about a man preparing a prison escape using clues tattooed on his body.

The Prison Break reboot will be set in the same universe as the original show, but it will not feature the same characters or cast. The new characters are a varied team, including a politician, an innocent person, a detective, and a pregnant woman. While the plot has not been revealed, it is probably safe to assume that there will be a jailbreak at some point.

Prison Break Season 1 Was A Groundbreaking TV Show

The first season of Prison Break set up the plot with a series of mind-bending twists, a government conspiracy, a strained sibling relationship, and a daring plan. That said, every episode got more tense from there, as more characters were drawn into Michael’s prison escape plot, to his growing horror. While this was bad news for him, we got to watch some fantastic character development.

Prison Break has some of the most unforgettable character introductions of all time. That said, it rarely felt too crowded with characters, as the show kept its very simple premise at its center, even as the action grew more intense. Michael’s plan to break his brother out was at the heart of the show, with the complex escape plan unfolding little by little with each episode.

While there were some fantastic crime dramas in the 2000s, Prison Break was different. The show stood out for its incredibly intricate plan, which included moments of true genius, including Michael’s ability to break through a wall behind his cell. While the later seasons were still great, Michael ran out of tattoos after the escape. Then the show took liberties, confusing sci-fi elements with smart writing.

Not Even Prison Break’s Later Seasons Could Live Up To Season 1

The main cast of Prison Break surrounding a laptop and looking worried

Prison Break‘s five seasons and movie grew increasingly ambitious over time, but the show began to lose its way. The first season focused on Michael setting up the escape within prison and the government conspiracy outside. As the Fox River Eight broke out in the finale, season 2 focused on the ensuing manhunt. However, the show was struggling by season 3.

Season 3 involved an escape from a different prison, but no matter how popular the original Prison Break characters were, throwing them into the same situation in another country — without the genius setup in season 1 — simply didn’t work. While season 3 was entertaining, it was nowhere near as compelling as the show’s groundbreaking first season.

By season 4, Prison Break had abandoned a lot of the simple character development that season 1 had showcased. Instead, it brought in a sci-fi-style plot that was slick but lacked the soul of season 1, and introduced implausible twists throughout. Prison Break was always fun and easy to watch, but the later seasons never captured the magic of the first one.

The Prison Break Reboot Must Be More Than Just A Rehash Of The Original

Michael Scofield robbing a bank in Prison Break

Prison Break‘s first series might have been a masterpiece, but there are aspects of the show that have not aged as well as its plot, and simply reusing the same tropes would be a mistake. Most of the female characters had no common sense and little agency, and the Prison Break reboot will fail if it does not fix this flaw.

That said, Prison Break also featured some iconic villains, like T-Bag and Brad Bellick, and antiheroes, like John Abruzzi. The reboot must be able to match characters like this to avoid being constantly compared to the original show. Rather than having a direct equivalent, Prison Break‘s reboot needs to surprise its audience, whether they have seen the original or not.

While Prison Break was unique at the time it aired, many must-watch crime thriller TV shows have since been inspired by its intricate plot and cliffhanger endings. If the Prison Break reboot simply tries to rehash its predecessor, it is unlikely to bring anything new to the genre. Crime thriller fans might as well just watch season 1 again.

Prison Break’s New Show Will Only Succeed If It’s As Innovative As The Original

Prison Break, Abruzzi catches T-Bag in Riots, Drills and the Devil part one

The reboot is reportedly set in a co-ed prison that has not seen an escape for over 100 years. This means that there are already new plot points to be realized here. With one prisoner reportedly pregnant from her relationship with another, there’s already a race against time if this prisoner is going to be part of the escape before giving birth.

Even the escape itself must be tailored to the characters. While Prison Break ruined its best chance for a spinoff by killing Abruzzi, it was Michael’s intelligence and planning that made it work. The reboot needs more than an exciting escape, as it needs a strong character to be able to carry the plot and keep the tone of the original show.

Prison Break may have had a few weak spots, but the show is so iconic that people watched it despite its flaws. The constant sense of tension as Michael and his genius escape plan are constantly tested is a feeling that few other TV shows have been able to capture. The reboot must evoke the same feeling of suspense while giving us something new.