*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*
Almost all of us have at least heard of the show. For me, it was a friend’s recommendation that got me started on this one. And albeit my curiosity. The curiosity rooted from the fact that we have seen a sufficient number of prison based movies and read prison stories in books. Considering that sometimes even those movies seemed stretched, I was curious as to how an entire 4 season show can be about breaking out of prison unless it is the ‘Tartarus’.
The first two seasons didn’t disappoint me. In fact, the ending of the first season got me even more curious. “Now what?” was the question that came to my mind regarding the possibilities the plot was about to explore, which is somewhat rare considering that Prison Break is not one of your highly acclaimed shows that go on to win Emmys and Golden Globes and whatnot. Wentworth Miller does a great job of being the cool and geek-genius brother of the slow but strong Dominic Purcell.
You must be starting to get a hint of where this review is headed now. It is headed into the truckload of stereotypes and few drops of imagination this show has to offer. The plan to break out of the prison was genius and very nicely portrayed over several episodes. In fact, at one point of time they seem to be digging a hole for 5 episodes. Some might call it realistic. I found it dramatic. The ensemble prisonmates that are attempt to escape also consist of a set of stereotypes- Our genius and his beefy brother, A petty theif, an old robber, a IRAQ veteran turned robber, an immigrant, a prison smuggler, an insane guy and an obsessive criminal. If you haven’t seen the show, you must be wondering, why is this lot escaping? It starts with a series of walk ins and being caught red handed which leads to the inclusion of one more wanted/unwanted character into the escaping lot. And trust me, that was the first two seasons, the good part.
Post the second season, the show just starts to push the limits of your patience by putting Miller in a second prison from which he manages to escape as well. Ask me how? By digging a tunnel! Well, what would you expect from a show that calls the main antagonist organisation “The Company”. And when it runs out of that, it borrows from the holy grail of American action media- Mission Impossible, James Bond and the whole lot. Creating a fourth season that was even more unnecessary than the third one, it involves a slipshod plot to take down the company with actors who I can act better than in my sleep.
I do not hate this show. I have spent a lot of time and interest in watching this at one point of time. What I hate is the way the show plays with the patience and trust that a viewer places on it by more elongation than an elastic band, both intra and inter season.
One good thing that I am glad to have discovered in this show: This guy. Robert Knepper.
When I tell you that he is one of the best negative role actors in the television Industry, I am not exaggerating a bit.
He is one of the factors for which you should watch the show, along with the prison break plan in the first two seasons.
Arnab Mukherjee 