Prison Break

Prison Break is an American serial drama television series created by Paul Scheuring, which premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company on August 29, 2005. The series revolves around two brothers; one who has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other, a genius, who devises an elaborate plan to help him escape prison. The series is produced by Adelstein-Parouse Productions, in association with Original Television and 20th Century Fox Television. The current executive producers are head writer Scheuring, co-head writer Matt Olmstead, Kevin Hooks, Marty Adelstein, Dawn Parouse, Neal H. Moritz, and Brett Ratner.^[1] The series' theme music is composed by Ramin Djawadi, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2006.

The series was originally turned down by Fox in 2003, which was concerned about the long-term possibilities of such a series. Following the popularity of serialized prime time television series Lost and 24, Fox decided to back production in 2004. The first season received generally positive reviews,^[3] and performed well in the ratings. The first season was originally planned for a 13-episode run, but was extended to include an extra nine episodes due to its popularity. Prison Break has been nominated for several industry awards, and won the 2006 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. The first three seasons have been released on DVD, while the first and third seasons have been also been released on Blu-ray Disc. The series has been aired internationally, including several non-English speaking countries.

The success of the series has also inspired short videos for mobile phones, several official tie-ins in print and on the internet, and a video game in development. A spin-off series, Prison Break: Proof of Innocence, has been produced exclusively for mobile phones. The series has spawned an official magazine and a book written in an in-universe perspective. The fourth season is Prison Break's final season and it will return on April 17, 2009 to complete its series run.

Conception

The original concept of Prison Break — a man deliberately getting himself sent to prison in order to help his brother escape — was suggested to Paul Scheuring by producer Dawn Parouse, who wanted to produce an action-oriented series. Although Scheuring thought it was a good idea, he was initially stumped as to why someone would embark on such a mission or how he could develop it into a viable television show. He came up with the story of the wrongfully accused brother, and began working on the plot outline and devising the characters. In 2003, he pitched the idea to the Fox Broadcasting Company but was turned down as Fox felt nervous about the long-term possibilities of such a series. He subsequently showed the concept to other channels but was also turned down as it was thought to be more suited for a film project than a television series.^[5] Prison Break was later considered as a possible 14-part miniseries, which drew the interest of Steven Spielberg before his departure due to his involvement with War of the Worlds. Thus, the miniseries never materialized. Following the huge popularity of serialized prime time television series such as Lost and 24, the Fox Network had a change of heart and backed the production in 2004.

Filming locations

The first three seasons of Prison Break were primarily filmed outside of Hollywood. The majority of the first season of the series was filmed on location in and around Chicago. After it was closed down in 2002, Joliet Prison became the set of Prison Break in 2005, standing in as Fox River State Penitentiary on screen. Scenes set in Lincoln's cell, the infirmary and the prison yard were all shot on location at the prison. Lincoln's cell was the same one in which serial killer John Wayne Gacy was incarcerated, which at least one member of the production crew refused to enter, believing that it was haunted. Other sets were built at the prison, including the cell blocks that housed the general prison population; these blocks had three tiers of cells (as opposed to the real cell block's two) and had cells much larger than real cells to allow more space for the actors and cameras. Exterior scenes were filmed in areas around Chicago, Woodstock, and Joliet in Illinois. Other locations included O'Hare International Airport in Chicago and Toronto, Ontario in Canada. Prison Break spent $2 million per episode in the state of Illinois, which cost them a total of $24 million in 2005.

Renewed for a second season, Prison Break resumed filming on June 15, 2006 in Dallas, Texas due to the close proximity of rural and urban settings. Locations within a 30-minute radius of Dallas were chosen which included Little Elm, Decatur and Mineral Wells. Many of these locations were used to represent various American towns. The show was expected to spend in excess of $50 million in Texas over the course of the second season. For the final three episodes of the second season, filming took place in Pensacola, Florida to represent Panama. Each episode takes eight days to film and approximately $1.4 million goes to the local economy per episode.

The third season was shot in Texas and had a budget of $3 million per episode.Several of the exterior scenes with Lincoln and Gretchen negotiating the escape from the Panama jail were shot in the Casco Viejo quarter of Panama City. The principal photography for the fourth season was relocated to Los Angeles, California.

Music

The theme music of Prison Break and the incidental music of each episode are composed by Ramin Djawadi. The score for the first two seasons is featured in the Prison Break: Original Television Soundtrack, which was released on August 28, 2007. Djawadi and Ferry Corsten produced a remix of the theme music entitled "Prison Break Theme (Ferry Corsten Breakout Mix)" as a single, which was released by Fox Music in 2006. In Europe, rapper Faf Larage's song "Pas le temps" is used by television network M6 in France to replace the show's original theme music in the title sequence, which generated publicity and helped to localize the show.Similarly, "Ich glaub' an Dich (Prison Break Anthem)" (performed by Azad and Adel Tawil) and "Over the Rainbow" (performed by Leki) are used in the title sequence in Germany and Belgium respectively.

Format

Prison Break features a serialized story structure, similar to that of its first season companion show 24. In November 2008, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Fox had ordered two extra episodes of the current fourth season, which may serve as a two-hour series finale in 2009. There has been some speculation that a pre-determined end-date is being set for Prison Break, similar to Lost. At the 2009 TV Critics Press Tour, Kevin Reilly told reporters that the series would end with the fourth season. Despite decreasing ratings, Reilly attributed the cancellation to creativity: "The show has just played out. You get to a point creatively where you feel all the stories have been told, and you want to end strong and not gimp out in the end of the season." Kristin Dos Santos of E! has reported that there may be several extra episodes following the remaining six. Reilly has also confirmed that the series will end with a two-hour finale, rather than a rumored TV movie. Regarding the finale, Reilly says, "They have a really cool ending, actually. I know where they end, and it's a hell of an idea."

Cast and characters

Prison Break maintains an ensemble cast for each season along with many recurring guest stars. The first season features a cast of ten actors who receive star billing, who were based in Chicago or at Fox River State Penitentiary. The second season features a cast of nine actors who receive billing; three characters are downgraded from series regular to recurring status, another is upgraded, and a new character is introduced. The third season introduces four new characters; two of whom are prisoners at Penitenciaría Federal de Sona.

Most of the changes in the cast have been due to character deaths. Series creator, Paul Scheuring, explains that killing off major characters "makes the audience that much more fearful for our protagonists" and that "it actually does help us in terms of reducing story lines".The two protagonists of the series, Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield, are the only characters to have appeared in every episode of the series.

Main cast

• Dominic Purcell as Lincoln Burrows (Season 1–4): Lincoln is a high school drop-out and a convicted felon, who is wrongfully accused of and charged with the murder of Terence Steadman, the brother of the Vice President of the United States. Purcell was cast three days before the start of production and consequently, he was the last actor to join the original cast. He auditioned for the role while he had a recurring role as Tommy Ravetto on North Shore. Since working on John Doe, Purcell has had an amiable relationship with Fox. Hence, he was sent the pilot script of Prison Break. Scheuring's first impression of Purcell did not convince him as a fit for the role since the actor went to the audition with his hair styled and a tan. However, Purcell's acting won the role. He arrived on the set on the first day of filming with a shaved head, which amazed Scheuring with the physical likeness of the series' two leading actors.
• Wentworth Miller as Michael Scofield (Season 1–4): Michael is Lincoln's brother and worked as a structural engineer before devoting full-time to his brother's case. In order to save his brother's life, Michael creates an elaborate plan to help his brother escape from prison. In an interview, Paul Scheuring recalled that most of the actors who tested for the role "would come in playing mysterious, but it was so cheesy and false." A week before the start of production, Miller auditioned for the role and impressed Scheuring with his performance; he was cast the following day.
• Robin Tunney as Veronica Donovan (Season 1–2): Veronica is Michael and Lincoln's childhood friend and decides to review Lincoln's case at Michael's insistence. She becomes Lincoln's lawyer and appears as a major character in the first season.
• Marshall Allman as Lincoln "L. J." Burrows Jr. (Season 1–2): L. J. is the teenage son of Lincoln Burrows and is greatly affected by his father's death sentence. He is forced into hiding after he becomes the target of the people who want Lincoln dead.
• Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre (Season 1–4): Sucre develops a friendship with Michael during time at Fox River State Penitentiary, where he was his cell-mate. He becomes Michael and Lincoln's ally, and provides comic relief to the show. His character's story focuses mainly on his wish to reunite with his girlfriend. Upon receiving the pilot script, Nolasco's first thought was that it was "one of those failed pilots that the network didn't really want" since most of the series pilots would have started production by that time. Admitting that he doesn't like to read, Nolasco was amazed that the script was a "huge page-turner". Prior to his last audition for the role, Nolasco recalled his nervousness, which grew when Paul Scheuring told him that he was their favourite choice. Subsequently, he was cast in the role.
• Robert Knepper as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Season 1–4): T-Bag appears in all four seasons of the series as a cunning, violent and manipulative psychopath, consistently underestimated by those around him.
• Peter Stormare as John Abruzzi (Season 1): Due to his role as the leader of a Chicago mafia, Abruzzi became a prominent figure at Fox River State Penitentiary. He agrees to provide an escape plane for Michael in exchange for the location of the eyewitness to his crimes, Otto Fibonacci. He appears regularly in the first half of the first season and makes selected appearances towards the end of the first season and the beginning of the second season.
• Rockmond Dunbar as Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin (Season 1–2): Desperate for his family, C-Note blackmails Michael at Fox River to join his escape team. He appears in the series as a major character in the first and second seasons.
• Wade Williams as Brad Bellick (Season 1–4): Appearing in all four seasons, Bellick was introduced as the captain of Fox River's correctional officers. After reading the pilot script, Williams initially did not want to portray the role of Bellick because the character was "horrible and despicable". His reluctance stemmed from being the father of a four-year-old daughter. However, his manager persuaded him to audition for the role and Williams landed the role of Bellick.
• Sarah Wayne Callies as Sara Tancredi (Season 1–2, 4): Sara is the prison doctor at Fox River and the daughter of Governor Frank Tancredi, who is linked into the plot that brings Lincoln to Fox River. She takes a liking to Michael and eventually aids his escape. She ultimately joins them on the run. Callies was the first actress the producers saw at the audition for the role of Sara Tancredi and was also the first to become a principal cast member.
• Paul Adelstein as Paul Kellerman (Season 1–2): Kellerman was introduced as a Secret Service agent working for the Vice President to make sure that the execution of Lincoln Burrows goes smoothly. Eventually, his character changes from that of a villain to an ally to Michael and Lincoln. He appears as a major character in the first and second seasons.
• William Fichtner as Alexander Mahone (Season 2–4): Introduced as an FBI agent in the second season, Mahone's assignment was to locate the fugitives. Mahone is intellectually matched with Michael and his background unfolds as the series progresses. In season 3 he finds himself incarcerated with Michael in Sona and is eventually forced to become his ally through season 4.
• Chris Vance as James Whistler (Season 3): Whistler is incarcerated in Sona for the murder of the Mayor's son and appears as a major character in the third season.
• Robert Wisdom as Norman "Lechero" St. John (Season 3): Appearing as a major character in the third season, Lechero is a prisoner at Sona who rules the prison as a dictator and a Panamanian drug kingpin.
• Danay Garcia as Sofia Lugo: Sofia was introduced in the third season as Whistler's girlfriend, at the beginning of season 4 it is revealed she has started to date Lincoln Burrows.
• Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as Gretchen Morgan (Season 3–4): Introduced as "Susan B. Anthony", Gretchen is an operative for the company who is in charge of ensuring the escape of James Whistler.
• Michael Rapaport as Donald Self (Season 4): Introduced in season 4, Self is a Department of Homeland Security special agent who teams up with the gang to take down The Company.

Season synopsis

Season 1

The first season follows the rescue of Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), who is accused of murdering Terrence Steadman (Jeff Perry), the brother of the Vice President of the United States. Lincoln is sentenced to death and is incarcerated in Fox River State Penitentiary where he awaits his execution. Lincoln's brother, brilliant structural engineer Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), is convinced of Lincoln's innocence and formulates an escape plan. In order to gain access to Fox River, Michael commits armed robbery. Michael befriends the prison doctor Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) when he pretends to suffer from Type 1 diabetes, in order to gain daily access to the prison's infirmary. The brothers' fight to ward off the execution is aided by their lifelong friend Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney), who begins to investigate the conspiracy that put Lincoln in jail. However, they are hindered by covert agents, members of an organization known as The Company. The Company was responsible for framing Lincoln, and they did so because of Lincoln's father, Aldo Burrows, and his former connections to the company. The brothers, along with six other inmates, Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper), Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin (Rockmond Dunbar), David "Tweener" Apolskis (Lane Garrison), John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare), and Charles "Haywire" Patoshik (Silas Weir Mitchell), who come to be known as the Fox River Eight, escape in the season finale.

Episodes

#	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate	Production code
1	1	"Pilot"	Brett Ratner	Paul Scheuring	August 29, 2005	1AKJ79
Michael Scofield gets himself imprisoned in Fox River State Penitentiary as part of an elaborate plan to break out his brother, Lincoln, who is facing execution for a crime he did not commit. Michael meets him roommate Surcre, who gives him a tour of the prison. Michael manages to join Prison Industries, run by Abruzzi, and meets Sara, whom he tries to charm. Fox River's warden, Henry Pope asks Michael if he can finish making a model of the Taj Mahal for his anniversary with his wife. Michael reunites with Lincoln, and reveals his mysterious body tattoo is the blueprint to Fox River.
2	2	"Allen"	Michael W. Watkins	Paul Scheuring	August 29, 2005	1AKJ01
A race riot starts brewing amongst the black and white prisoners of Fox River. Michael attempts to stay neutral, but finds that impossible. Michael obtains an Allen bolt, and uses it to unscrew his cell's toilet. When the riot does break out, T-Bag thinks that Michael killed one of his friends. C-Note gives Michael medication so that he can see Sara on a regular basis. At the end of the episode, Michael is ambushed by Abruzzi and tortured for information on an informant. Meanwhile, Veronica sees evidence that seems to prove that Lincoln really did murder Terrence Steadman.
3	3	"Cell Test"	Brad Turner	Michael Pavone	September 5, 2005	1AKJ02
Michael tests whether his cellmate Sucre can keep the escape plan a secret. Sucre passes Michael's test, but wants nothing to do with the escape plan. T-Bag wants revenge on Michael for supposedly betraying the white inmates, and Abruzzi tries to get Fibonacci's location from Michael by assisting instead of assaulting him. Veronica is contacted by a woman who claims to have information about Steadman's murder, but the woman is murdered by Agent Kellerman on orders of Caroline Reynolds.
4	4	"Cute Poison"	Matt Earl Beesley	Matt Olmstead	September 12, 2005	1AKJ03
Michael's new roommate, Haywire, starts to unravel the secret behind Michael's tattoos. When Sucre discovers that his cousin Hector is making a move on his fiancee, he decides he wants in on the escape. Michael manages to get Sucre back as his roommate, and they both, along with John Abruzzi start corroding the pipes behind Michael's cell. In the meantime, Veronica Donovan meets Nick Savrinn, who tells her that he will assist her in her investigation. Agent Kellerman learns of Michael's placement at Fox River and arranges a transfer to a different prison for the following day.
5	5	"English, Fitz or Percy"	Randall Zisk	Zack Estrin	September 19, 2005	1AKJ04
Having discovered his connection to Lincoln, Agents Kellerman and Hale try to have Michael transferred out of Fox River by blackmailing Warden Pope. Michael enlists the team's help to discover part of the escape route, whether to take English, Fitz or Percy, which turns out to be street names outside the prison. He has the authorities believe that he attempts to escape, where he discovers police cars flooding English and Percy, but not Fitz. In the end, Pope decides not to have him transferred. Meanwhile, Donovan and Savrinn continue to exonerate Lincoln, but their tape goes missing, and Donovan suspects Savrinn is working against her.
6	6	"Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 1)"	Robert Mandel	Nick Santora	September 26, 2005	1AKJ05
Falling behind schedule, Michael maneuvers the prisoners and guards into initiating a lockdown of the prison to give himself more time to dig a hole, but this backfires when T-Bag starts a full-scale riot. Worse, T-Bag and CO Hudson has discovered the escape plan, where T-Bag wants in, and threatens to kill the CO, despite being told not to. Sara's life is threatened after the sickbay prisoners start a riot of their own. Michael sees this via CCTV and risks his escape plan to rescue her. Outside the prison, Savrinn proves to Donovan that he can be trusted, when he finds out that the anonymous call to have Lincoln arrested comes from Washington D.C.
7	7	"Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 2)"	Vern Gillum	Karyn Usher	October 3, 2005	1AKJ06
As governor Tancredi plans on having the prison raided, Michael manages to rescue Sara from the rowdy prisoners in sick-bay. They are able to evade the prisoners, and Sara escapes to the outside. Sucre and Abruzzi continue digging and eventually breaks through the walls into a pipe. Lincoln stops the inmate who has orders to kill him. By the end of the riot, T-Bag kills Hudson, after being told not to. Veronica and Nick follow a lead to Washington D.C. where they receive a phonecall, with a mysterious voice telling them that they are dead.
8	8	"The Old Head"	Jace Alexander	Monica Macer	October 24, 2005	1AKJ07
After discovering that the guards are sitting right on top of a vital part of the plan, Michael tries to recruit Westmoreland into the escape team. At first, he refuses, but after Bellick kills his cat, he sets fire to the building which houses a part of the escape and frames Bellick for it. Outside, Veronica and Nick narrowly avoid an explosion and hide to give Kellerman and Hale the impression that they died. Meanwhile, the agents kill L.J's mother and step-father, and he is on the run. It is revealed the two agents takes orders from the Vice President.
9	9	"Tweener"	Matt Earl Beesley	Paul Scheuring	October 31, 2005	1AKJ08
Veronica and Nick manage to get hold of L.J by tricking Hale and Kellerman into believing they are somewhere else. Michael tries to protect a young new inmate, Tweener, from T-Bag's predations. Meanwhile, the escape plan is endangered when Abruzzi falls out of favour with Philly Falzone and loses control of PI, and hands the reins down to another inmate. C-Note begins to investigate his suspicions about Michael.
10	10	"Sleight of Hand"	Dwight H. Little	Nick Santora	November 7, 2005	1AKJ09
Veronica, Nick and LJ are pursued by an agent of The Company, who takes over from Hale and Kellerman, but the two agents don't like it. Abruzzi and Michael try to figure out how to regain control of PI, but to do so Michael may have to give up Fibonacci. He manages to send Falzone to a false lead in Canada, where they face international gun charges and parole violation. Abruzzi regains control of PI. However, C-Note forces his way onto the escape team.
11	11	"And Then There Were 7"	Jesús Salvador Treviño	Zack Estrin	November 14, 2005	1AKJ10
The escape team and prison staff are shocked to discover that Michael has a wife when she arrives to give him an item for the plan, a key card to get to his personal effects. Unfortunately, Geary steals a watch he needs, and enlists Tweener's help to do it. Westmoreland changes his mind about escaping, after hearing that his daughter is dying. Quinn tracks down Veronica, Nick and L.J, but they escape, and leave Quinn to die in a well. In the end, Michael realises that there are too many people in the escape team, and they have to remove one.
12	12	"Odd Man Out"	Bobby Roth	Karyn Usher	November 21, 2005	1AKJ11
With one too many people, they decide to get rid of T-Bag. However, he tells them that he called someone on the outside, and if they don't hear from him, they will call the authorities concerning the escape. Abruzzi decides to have T-Bag's contacts scared off, but ends badly when they end up dead. Abruzzi plans on killing T-Bag, but during his crisis of faith, he lets him live if he backs out of the escape, which results in T-Bag slitting his throat, and left to die. Veronica receives a phonecall from Hale, where he says that he has answers, and wants to meet up with her. Lincoln has to stall the guards from uncovering the escape plan, which results in him being taken away.
13	13	"End of the Tunnel"	Sanford Bookstaver	Paul Scheuring	November 28, 2005	1AKJ12
Veronica meets up with Hale, where he tells her that Terrence Steadman is still alive, but before he could give her proof, Kellerman arrives on the scene, and kills him when he finds the papers naming him as an accessory. In Fox River, Abruzzi is sent to hospital. The team readies for the escape but Michael is unwilling to leave Lincoln behind, who has been placed in the solitary. Fortunately, as usual Michael has a plan, and secretly sends him a pill which gives him the same effects of food poisoning, and is sent to the infirmary, one of the key locations of the escape. Unfortunately, on the night of the escape, the prison has replaced a corroded pipe, meaning the team will not break out.
14	14	"The Rat"	Kevin Hooks	Matt Olmstead	March 20, 2006	1AKJ13
The first escape attempt fails, and with Lincoln's execution only hours away, Michael tampers with the electric chair, though Bellick is one step ahead, after appointing Tweener as his rat. Michael pleads for Sara to appeal to her father, the Governor of Illinois, to review Lincoln's case, but this fails as he works for Vice President Reynolds. On the night he is to be executed, Michael and Veronica says goodbye to Lincoln, and he is sent to the chair.
15	15	"By the Skin and the Teeth"	Fred Gerber	Nick Santora	March 27, 2006	1AKJ14
Lincoln's execution is delayed when anonymous evidence comes to their attention. For that, Nick and Veronica exhume "Steadman's" body, only to find that the body was infact Steadman's. With an additional few weeks, Michael can now continue with the escape plan. With plan B, he is given a guard's uniform from the prison's laundry and sneaks into the prison's asylum undetected to find the pipes which will lead them to the infirmary. However on the way back, his back is burnt, and Sara finds evidence of a guard's uniform on his wound. Futhermore, his wound has burnt off parts of his tattoo, which is vital to the escape plan.
16	16	"Brother's Keeper"	Greg Yaitanes	Zack Estrin	April 3, 2006	1AKJ15
This episode is set three years before Michael's incarceration and features the lives of the various main characters, prior to their time at Fox River. The main plot of the episode revolves around the murder set-up that led to Lincoln's conviction and the reason of Michael's decision to save his brother. Elsewhere, it is revealed that Sara was a drug addict, Sucre was set up by one of his cousins after he sees Maricruz, C-Note is dishonourably discharged from the army after reporting prisoner misconduct in Kuwait, and T-Bag is seeing Susan Hollander, who later finds out of who he is and turns him into the authorities.
17	17	"J-Cat"	Guy Ferland	Karyn Usher	April 10, 2006	1AKJ16
While searching for information regarding the Company, they take Quinn's cell phone, where L.J finds clues concerning Kellerman. He breaks into his house to get revenge for his mother's death, but is arrested before he could kill him. Michael is sent to solitary after he is unable to answer Pope's questions about his burn. Sucre is forced to make sure the escape plan stays undetected, which gets him caught, though the guards don't know of the escape. After he is no use to Bellick, he has Tweener transferred to a nasty inmate. In the end, Michael fakes a mental breakdown in order to get into the psych ward, so he could get assistance with Haywire, though Haywire has no idea who Michael is.
18	18	"Bluff"	Jace Alexander	Nick Santora & Karyn Usher	April 17, 2006	1AKJ17
Michael tries to get Haywire to remember him, by making him spit out his medication. Soon, Haywire remembers and draws the missing piece of his puzzle. Meanwhile, now that Michael's cell is empty, the escape team work on winning money to buy it before it is auctioned off. They win in an illegal poker game, thanks to T-Bag's hands, and C-Note's bluff. Unfortunately, Geary tells the team that he has already actioned the cell, so they frame him for burning Scofield, and is quickly fired. After L.J is arrested, a motion has passed allowing Lincoln to visit him. However, on the way the transport van is run off the road by a lorry and crashes.
19	19	"The Key"	Sergio Mimica Gezzan	Zack Estrin & Matt Olmstead	April 24, 2006	1AKJ18
Lincoln is rescued from a car crash by his father, and learns the reason behind his set-up for Steadman's murder. Unfortunately, the authorities and Kellerman are tracking him. Kellerman makes it to the scene first, and after confronting Lincoln, he sees Bellick arrive, where he gives himself up, and Kellerman flees. Veronica finds evidence leading to Blackfoot, Montana. In Fox River, Michael needs the infirmary key to complete the escape plan but is unable to steal it from Sara, so he asks his wife for help. However, by the time Michael is able to make a duplicate of the key, Sara switches the locks. Tweener is made aware of the escape plan, and tells Bellick, who finds the hole in the break room.
20	20	"Tonight"	Bobby Roth	Zack Estrin	May 1, 2006	1AKJ19
Bellick discovers the hole, only to be knocked out by Westmoreland, though he is injured in the process. With this revelation, the team must escape tonight. With no time or alternatives, Michael is forced to involve Sara in the breakout, and asks her to leave the door open for him. Tweener joins the team. Veronica plans on going to Black Foot, but is stopped by Nick, who holds her at gunpoint. Michael also needs Pope's help, so he sabotages the Taj Mahal and holds a shank to the Pope to get him to cooperate.
21	21	"Go"	Dean White	Matt Olmstead	May 8, 2006	1AKJ20
Michael forces Pope to have Lincoln released from the solitary, before knocking him out. Nick decides to let Veronica go and send her to Black Foot. However, as Nick returns to his father, Abruzzi's man shows up and kills them both. Michael and his escape crew start breaking out from behind Michael's cell during tier-time. There, they make it through into the psych ward, disguised as patients and make it through to the infirmary. However, Haywire joins in on the escape, and Westmoreland collapses and dies from his injuries, but not before telling Michael where he left his $5 million. Michael, Lincoln, Abruzzi, Haywire, C-Note, T-Bag, Tweener and Sucre successfully escape from Fox River.
22	22	"Flight"	Kevin Hooks	Paul Scheuring	May 15, 2006	1AKJ21
Now outside the prison walls, Michael, Lincoln and six other escapees race for their freedom as the authorities close in on them. Caroline Reynolds is abandoned by the Company and decides to take matters into her own hands, by having the President assassinated so she can take over. Veronica arrives in Montana and finds the evidence that will prove Lincoln's innocence, the very alive Terrence Steadman. T-Bag handcuffs himself to Michael to allow Abruzzi to let him live, though Abruzzi cuts off his hand. The team abandons him, Tweener and Haywire to fend for themselves. However, the plane Abruzzi has arranged leaves without them as the authorities surround the airport, and the team is forced to run.

Season 2

The second season begins eight hours after the escape, focusing mainly on the escapees. Series creator Paul Scheuring describes the second season as "The Fugitive times eight" and likens it to the "second half of The Great Escape".^[14] The fugitives split up and journey to locations across the country with the authorities close behind them as they each pursue their individual goals. Brad Bellick (Wade Williams) gets fired from the prison where he worked as a guard and chases after the inmates himself for the reward money. Several of the escapees reunite in search of a large cache of money buried long ago by another prisoner. Federal agent Alexander Mahone (William Fichtner) is assigned to track down and capture the eight fugitives, but is revealed to be working for The Company, which wants all eight men dead. When Sara discovers her dead father, Governor Frank Tancredi, she meets with Michael, remaining with him as the brothers try to bring down the current President, a Company member. To ensure the brothers' safety, Sara allows herself to be arrested and faces trial. During the trial, the testimony of former Secret Service agent Paul Kellerman, who used to work for the Company-controlled President, exonerates Lincoln and Sara. Several of the escapees are killed or recaptured, but the brothers make it to Panama. Michael, T-Bag and Mahone are arrested by the Panamanian authorities and are imprisoned at the Penitenciaría Federal de Sona where they find Bellick who had also been arrested..

Episodes

#	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate	Production code
23	1	"Manhunt"	Kevin Hooks	Paul Scheuring	August 21, 2006	2AKJ01
Eight hours after escaping from Fox River, Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, C-Note and Abruzzi head for Oswego, Illinois as FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone is assigned to lead the pursuit of the escapees. T-Bag finds medical aid for his severed hand, and Sara is interrogated by the FBI after she recovers from her morphine overdose. Veronica finds Terrence Steadman held captive in an estate, however agents from The Company arrive and kill her.
24	2	"Otis"	Bobby Roth	Matt Olmstead	August 28, 2006	2AKJ02
Michael and Lincoln part ways with Sucre, C-Note and Abruzzi, and try to rescue L.J. from a prison sentence. Agent Mahone manages to thwart their plan, and Lincoln is shot in the leg while L.J. is sent to a detention center in Arizona. Bellick and Warden Pope face hearings for their roles in the breakout; Pope is suspended and Bellick is discharged for unlawful dealing with prison convicts. Tweener is offered a ride by a college student driving to Utah, and T-Bag's left hand is reattached, where he later kills the vet.
25	3	"Scan"	Bryan Spicer	Zack Estrin	September 4, 2006	2AKJ03
Michael and Lincoln go to Nika for help, and fake their own deaths by staging a car explosion. While searching through the carnage, Mahone accidentally mentions Oscar Shales, the only fugitive whom people believe Mahone never recaptured. Mahone grows distressed and swallows several pills concealed in his pen. Even though their relatives are being observed by authorities, Sucre searches for Maricruz and C-Note seeks out his family. Sara is arrested for aiding the escape, but her father posts her bail and orders her to attend daily Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Bellick and Geary become bounty hunters and start tracking Michael and Lincoln.
26	4	"First Down"	Bobby Roth	Nick Santora	September 11, 2006	2AKJ04
Bellick and Geary catch Michael, Lincoln and Nika. Bellick tells Michael that he knows about the money Westmoreland hid in Utah, and that he is going to join them on their trip to pick up the money. Abruzzi is determined to exact his revenge on a mob informant as Mahone narrows his search on him. Abruzzi is shot dead by police after failing to surrender, and Mahone learns that Michael and Lincoln are still alive. Kellerman tries to befriend Sara under an alias, and T-Bag is offered a lift from a stranger.
27	5	"Map 1213"	Peter O’Fallon	Karyn Usher	September 18, 2006	2AKJ05
Mahone takes an interest in the five million dollars hidden by D. B. Cooper, who was known in Fox River under the alias Westmoreland. After having escaped from Bellick and Geary, Michael and Lincoln race to locate Westmoreland's ranch. The brothers encounter Tweener, who tells them that T-Bag has the map locating the money. T-Bag memorizes the map and eats it, and agrees to take Michael and Lincoln to the ranch in exchange for a share of the money. When they arrive at the designated location, they find that a subdivision has been built where the silo once was. Sucre is determined to stop Maricruz's wedding in Las Vegas, while Kellerman continues to befriend Sara.
28	6	"Subdivision"	Eric Laneuville	Monica Macer	September 25, 2006	2AKJ06
Michael, Lincoln, T-Bag and Tweener search for Westmoreland's money, and are unexpectedly joined by Sucre and C-Note. The group locates the house which was built on the money and convinces the owner that they are sent by an electric company to conduct repairs. Mahone arrives in Utah and captures Tweener, while Haywire surfaces in Wisconsin. Governor Tancredi sees Kellerman at the United States Capitol, and warns Sara not to see him anymore. Sara rejects her father's demand and meets Kellerman at the supermarket.
29	7	"Buried"	Sergio Mimica Gezzan	Seth Hoffman	October 2, 2006	2AKJ07
Lincoln leaves Michael in order to go search for L.J. in Arizona. Michael, C-Note and T-Bag succeed in locating Westmoreland's money; however, Sucre threatens to kill them if they leave. Mahone confesses to Tweener that he murdered Shales, and proceeds to kill him. Sara is informed that her father's nomination for Vice President was dropped by President Caroline Reynolds, and finds him dead by hanging. Haywire plans to build a raft and live in a windmill in Holland.
30	8	"Dead Fall"	Vincent Misiano	Zack Estrin	October 23, 2006	2AKJ08
Sucre takes the money and leaves, forcing the others to go their own ways. Michael shortly reunites with Sucre, as Sucre's actions were a part of Michael's plan. However, Michael and Sucre cannot find the money, and T-Bag is shown driving away with it. Sucre learns that Maricruz did not get married, and leaves to find her. Bellick and Geary learn that T-Bag has the money and decide to hunt him. Lincoln reunites with L.J. while Sara is hunted by The Company, and both decide to find Michael. Mahone is investigated by Internal Affairs for Tweener's suspicious death, and it is revealed that he is being blackmailed by The Company to kill the Fox River Eight.
31	9	"Unearthed"	Kevin Hooks	Nick Santora	October 30, 2006	2AKJ09
Sara deciphers Michael's coded message and goes to meet him, but is followed by Kellerman and Mahone. T-Bag locks Westmoreland's money in a storage locker, and tries to find his ex-girlfriend Susan. He finds her house empty, but is ambushed by Bellick and Geary, who threaten to reamputate his hand if he does not reveal the location of the money. Michael discovers that Mahone had secretly killed Shales, and calls him to reveal what he knows. C-Note finds his family, and Lincoln and L.J. are arrested by the police.
32	10	"Rendezvous"	Dwight Little	Karyn Usher	November 6, 2006	2AKJ10
Bellick and Geary find Westmoreland's money, but Geary knocks Bellick unconscious and takes everything. Michael and Sara rendezvous, but Mahone arrives and disrupts their meeting. After they escape, Sara tries to leave, but is confronted by Kellerman. Lincoln and L.J. are rescued from the police by Lincoln's father Aldo. Aldo tells Lincoln that he can exonerate him with the evidence he has gathered, and an agent from The Company is ordered to kill them.
33	11	"Bolshoi Booze"	Greg Yaitanes	Monica Macer & Seth Hoffman	November 13, 2006	2AKJ11
Michael tries to outsmart a coyote to secure a getaway plane, but his plan backfires. Sucre arrives and saves Michael, and they let the coyote and his men leave. Aldo and Lincoln head to Bolshoi Booze to meet Michael, while L.J. leaves for safety with one of Aldo's crew. T-Bag escapes from Susan's house by severing his hand to escape his bonds. He finds and kills Geary and takes the money with him when he leaves. Kellerman tortures Sara as Mahone figures out the location of Bolshoi Booze.
34	12	"Disconnect"	Karen Gaviola	Nick Santora & Karyn Usher	November 20, 2006	2AKJ12
Sara manages to escape from Kellerman, who still reports to The Company that he has killed her. An operative from The Company, Agent Kim, erases Kellerman from all of the government records. Michael meets with Aldo and Lincoln, and Aldo explains about The Company and tells them to find Sara. Mahone arrives and shoots at them; Aldo is shot and dies shorty after. Michael, Lincoln and Sucre head to the getaway plane, where the brothers tell Sucre that they will stay behind. Mahone follows Michael and Lincoln in a car chase, and accidentally totals both cars. C-Note's wife Kacee is arrested by police, and Bellick is implicated in Geary's murder.
35	13	"The Killing Box"	Bobby Roth	Zack Estrin	November 27, 2006	2AKJ13
Michael and Lincoln are held at gunpoint by Mahone, but the brothers are arrested by Border Patrol before Mahone can kill them. The brothers are taken to a holding facility, where Mahone is ordered by Agent Kim to kill them. As they are being transported to Fox River, their van is ambushed and they manage to escape. Kellerman shoots Mahone, and tells the brothers that he wants to help take down The Company. T-Bag tracks down his ex-girlfriend Susan, Bellick returns to Fox River as an inmate, and Sucre is forced to parachute off his getaway plane.
36	14	"John Doe"	Kevin Hooks	Matt Olmstead & Nick Santora	January 22, 2007	2AKJ14
T-Bag is welcomed by Susan's young children, but is forced to take them hostage when Susan tries to kill him. Mahone recovers from his wound and tells Agent Kim that he does not want to work for The Company anymore. Moments later, Mahone is informed that his son has been in a car accident, and he is forced to resume his hunt of the Fox River Eight. Michael, Lincoln and Kellerman go to Montana to find Steadman. Unwilling to reveal himself to the public, Steadman steals Lincoln's gun and commits suicide. Bellick has trouble with other Fox River inmates and C-Note continues his journey with his daughter.
37	15	"The Message"	Bobby Roth	Zack Estrin & Karyn Usher	January 29, 2007	2AKJ15
In order to broadcast a message to Sara on television, Michael, Lincoln and Kellerman kidnap a cameraman. In the message, Lincoln declares his innocence and blames the murders on The Company. Michael announces that Sara is innocent, and that Mahone has murdered Abruzzi, Tweener and Shales. Bellick is sent to the infirmary and is visited by Mahone, and tells him that the quotes used by Michael are actully chapter titles in the Alcoholics Anonymous book. By analyzing the chapters in the book, Mahone discovers that Michael is planning to rendezvous with Sara. Meanwhile, Haywire buys beer for two teenagers and Sucre steals a car in Mexico.
38	16	"Chicago"	Jesse Bochco	Matt Olmstead & Nick Santora	February 5, 2007	2AKJ16
Sara reunites with Michael and Lincoln on a train to Chicago. When Sara learns that they are with Kellerman, she attempts to murder him, but is stopped by Michael. Michael admits his feeling for Sara and they start a romantic relationship. Mahone enlists help from Bellick, promising that the murder charges will be dropped if he helps hunt down the remaining members of the Fox River Eight. Bellick accepts the offer and manages to corner Haywire on the top of a silo, and Mahone convinces him to commit suicide. C-Note is held up at a diner with his daughter, and T-Bag continues to hold Susan and her family hostage.
39	17	"Bad Blood"	Nelson McCormick	Paul Scheuring & Karyn Usher	February 12, 2007	2AKJ17
As his daughter's illness worsens, C-Note decides to surrender. He contacts Mahone, who tells him that his wife has been released from prison, and turns himself in. Sucre reunites with Maricruz, while T-Bag visits his childhood home and releases his captives. Michael and Sara seek out Henry Pope for help in recovering information that can bring down The Company. Pope manages to retrieve a sound file containing a recorded conversation between Steadman and President Reynolds, which took place after Steadman's supposed death. Agent Kim attempts to kidnap Pope, but is stopped by Michael.
40	18	"Wash"	Bobby Roth	Nick Santora	February 19, 2007	2AKJ18
Lincoln, Michael and Sara contact Cooper Green, whom they believe can help exonerate Lincoln. Green tells them that it cannot be confirmed if the conversation took place after Steadman's supposed death, but suggests that they use it as a bargaining chip to get a Presidential pardon instead. Bellick is ordered by Mahone to capture Sucre, who is living with Maricruz at his aunt's farm. T-Bag steals a psychiatrist's identity, and unknowingly boards the same flight as Bellick to Mexico. Mahone convinces C-Note to commit suicide, and Kellerman prepares to assassinate President Reynolds.
41	19	"Sweet Caroline"	Dwight Little	Karyn Usher	March 5, 2007	2AKJ19
C-Note is stopped from committing suicide and Agent Wheeler offers him his freedom if he testifies against Mahone. Michael uses the audio file to bargain with President Reynolds, and she agrees to give Lincoln and Michael a full pardon. However, The Company blackmails her with the same audio file, and she instead resigns from the Presidency. In Mexico, T-Bag loses Westmoreland's money in the luggage carousel at the airport. Bellick captures Sucre and intends to take him back to Mahone, but Sucre convinces Bellick to find Westmoreland's money instead.
42	20	"Panama"	Vincent Misiano	Zack Estrin	March 19, 2007	2AKJ20
T-Bag manages to retrieve Westmoreland's money, and Bellick and Sucre chase after him. When T-Bag escapes to Panama, Bellick tells Sucre that he has taken Maricruz hostage, and that he will release her when they have found the money. Sara surrenders to the FBI in order to allow Michael and Lincoln to escape to Panama. C-Note agrees to testify against Mahone in exchange for his freedom, and is reunited with his family. Mahone arrives in Panama, while Michael decides to capture T-Bag.
43	21	"Fin Del Camino"	Bobby Roth	Matt Olmstead & Seth Hoffman	March 26, 2007	2AKJ21
Michael, Sucre and Bellick work together to capture T-Bag. Lincoln attempts to thwart Mahone's plan to capture Michael, however he is captured himself. In Chicago, Sara attends her trial, and Kellerman testifies to Sara's innocence. T-Bag is arrested by police, while Michael takes the money and returns to his ship, "Christina Rose". Mahone calls Michael and tells him that he has captured Lincoln, and demands the ship and the money in return for Lincoln's release.
44	22	"Sona"	Kevin Hooks	Paul Scheuring	April 2, 2007	2AKJ22
Kellerman's testimony frees Sara and Lincoln of their charges, and Sara leaves for Panama as Kellerman is supposedly killed by members of The Company. Sucre searches for Bellick in order to find Maricruz. Sara reunites with Michael and Lincoln and tells them they have been exonerated. Agent Kim appears and attempts to capture the brothers, but is shot dead by Sara. Michael, Mahone, Bellick and T-Bag are all arrested by the police and imprisoned in Penitenciaría Federal de Sona.

Season 3

The third season follows both Michael inside Sona and Lincoln on the outside in Panama. Sona is a prison that has been run by the inmates and guarded only from the outside since a riot the year before. Burrows is quickly contacted by Gretchen Morgan (a Company operative who was in charge of operations in Panama) who kidnapped his son LJ (Marshall Allman) and Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), the woman Michael loves. He is told that The Company wants Scofield to break James Whistler (Chris Vance) out of Sona. The season follows Michael and Whistler's trials in formulating an escape plan, as Michael has to deal with extreme tension and as Lincoln deals with the Company's operative Gretchen Morgan (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Sucre gets a job at the prison to aid Michael in his escape plan. When Lincoln attempts to rescue Sara and LJ following a clue provided by Sara, Gretchen claims to have beheaded Sara and sends Lincoln a head in a box as a warning. As the season ends, the pair manage to escape along with Mahone, and another inmate McGrady leaving behind several accomplices including T-Bag and Bellick. Sucre's identity is discovered by a prison guard and is thrown into Sona just after the escape. LJ and Sofia (who was captured for a guarantee that Whistler would go with her) are traded for Whistler, and Michael is out for revenge against Gretchen for Sara's death.

Episodes

#	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate	Production code
45	1	"Orientación"	Kevin Hooks	Paul Scheuring	September 17, 2007	3AKJ01
Michael, T-Bag, Bellick and Mahone are incarcerated at Sona penitentiary in Panama. Michael is forced to perform in a fight to the death with another inmate. He beats him, but refuses to kill him. Mahone rescues Michael by killing the inmate after the inmate breaks the rules by brandishing a shank. Bellick has become the lowest type of prisoner, and befriends another low prisoner, who is later killed after attempting to escape. Meanwhile, outside prison, the Company wishes Michael to break out another inmate, James Whistler. At first he refuses, until he learns through Lincoln that they have kidnapped L.J and Sara to get him to cooperate.
46	2	"Fire/Water"	Bobby Roth	Matt Olmstead	September 24, 2007	3AKJ02
Michael cannot find Whistler, as he is hiding from the prisoners because he has a bounty on his head, and Bellick knows where he is. Meanwhile, a scuffle leads to the loss of Sona's water supply, where other prisoners start a revolt, and T-Bag slithers his way into Lechero's graces. Sucre buys a gun and forces Bellick to tell him where Maricruz is, who actually returned to the US. He later finds out the hard way that he cannot see her again. Lincoln offers him a job to assist Michael to break Whistler out, but declines. Mahone is able to find Whistler in order to get out of Sona. However, Michael manages to return Sona's water supply. The bounty on Whistler's head is dropped.
47	3	"Call Waiting"	Milan Cheylov	Zack Estrin	October 1, 2007	3AKJ03
After Michael admits he has no idea how to break Whistler out, he asks Lincoln to find Sara and L.J. Michael blackmails T-Bag to get Lechero's phone, where the Company allows Sara to call Michael. She gives him vital clues on her location, and Lincoln is able to find them. However, the Company escapes from the hideout before he could rescue them. Whistler tells Michael that the Company wants him out of prison, so they could force him to find someone. Bellick manages to get up the ladder again, and is no longer a low inmate. Susan B. Anthony contacts Lincoln, and tells him to pick up a box, in order to persuade him not to attempt to rescue Sara and L.J again.
48	4	"Good Fences"	Michael Switzer	Nick Santora	October 8, 2007	3AKJ04
Lincoln finds Sara's head in the box, and hides it from Michael. Mahone is haunted by hallucinations of Haywire, who tells him that Michael will double cross him. T-Bag becomes a member of Lechero's crew after murdering Nieves. Michael shuts down the prison's power, and persuades Lechero to let him fix it on No Man's Land. In the process, he reactivates the Electric fence. Bellick attempts to expose Michael's escape plan backfires. Lincoln and Sofia, Whistler's girlfriend plan to pay Sona's gravedigger to work for him, but is killed by Susan after he could not be trusted. Sucre manages to replace him, and uses a chemical to melt the electric fence as part of Michael's escape plan.
49	5	"Interference"	Karen Gaviola	Karyn Usher	October 22, 2007	3AKJ05
With only a day until they deadline, Michael plans to break out during the day, since escape at night would be impossible. Lincoln doesn't say this to Susan, so the escape team could plan on rescuing L.J. Meanwhile, a new inmate enters Sona, unnerving Whistler and raising Michael's suspicions. Lincoln and Sofia join forces. Michael works on distracting the tower guards to ensure the escape, but is backfired when guards find him looking at them, and locks down his cell, which contains some tools vital to the escape plan. Lechero's cousin, Augusto pays Sucre to get goods into Sona.
50	6	"Photo Finish"	Kevin Hooks	Seth Hoffman	November 5, 2007	3AKJ06
Mahone is approached by Sullins and Lang, and offers him a way out of Sona, which he eventually takes. An inmate is found murdered in Sona, and Whistler is a suspect. However, in the end Lechero kills one of his own men instead. As Lincoln plans on spiking a guard's coffee cup, he mistakenly tells Susan that they will escape by day. Michael threatens to cancel the escape plan unless he sees proof that Sara is still alive, but is devastated when Lincoln is forced to admit Sara is dead, and as revenge drops the chicken foot on Whistler.
51	7	"Vamonos"	Vincent Misiano	Zack Estrin & Kalinda Vazquez	November 5, 2007	3AKJ07
Michael uses the chicken foot as a diversion for their escape, but it is backfired after cloud coverage blocks the sunlight, exposing the blind spot. Michael and Whistler are forced to fight, and make a tough decision on who is going to die. However, before one could be killed, the guards raid Sona again after they find the ladder, and kills the cell's owner, believing him to plan the escape. Lechero finds out that Michael is planning a break out, and wants in, believing the prisoners are starting to lose faith in him. Lincoln attempts to rescue L.J again, but fails. Mahone realises that his trial is postponed. In the end, it is revealed that Whistler actually works for Susan, and she allows him more time to escape.
52	8	"Bang & Burn"	Bobby Roth	Christian Trokey & Nick Santora	November 12, 2007	3AKJ08
Mahone is to testify against the Company, but due to his drug addiction, he is unable to testify, and is denied back into the US. Lechero shows Michael that Sona has a collapsed tunnel, which is instrumental in the new escape plan. Meanwhile, the Company takes the escape into their own hands, and targets Lincoln and Sucre. Fortunately, Lincoln manages to take out the assassins. Sofia finds proof that Whistler isn't who he says he is. The Company sends two attack helicopters to break Whistler out. However, Michael is able to prevent him from doing so, and the helicopters retreat after taking fire. However, General Zavala steps in, and takes Michael away to solitary confinement.
53	9	"Boxed In"	Craig Ross	Karyn Usher	January 14, 2008	3AKJ09
Michael is taken to harsh solitary confinement in order to make him confess to the escape attempt. He breaks and tells Zavala everything. He finds Susan, who is revealed to be Gretchen Morgan. He tortured her in order to reveal L.J's location. However, she sends him into a decoy and kills him. Bellick is forced to fight an inmate, and manages to kill him by using some acetone. Mahone returns to Sona, and decides to face his withdrawal. Sucre gets his hands on more money by making the Company believe that he will work against Lincoln. Sammy, Lechero's right hand man is given a gift from Augusto in order for him to take out Lechero, a gun.
54	10	"Dirt Nap"	Michael Switzer	Matt Olmstead & Seth Hoffman	January 21, 2008	3AKJ10
T-Bag and Bellick are now part of the escape plan, and since Sammy is now in charge, T-Bag wants Bellick to use the same tactic to kill Sammy, but he is out of acetone. Lincoln buys a bomb to take out Gretchen. Sammy puts a bounty on Michael's head, but soon finds him planning to escape. Fortunately, Michael manages to sabotage the tunnel's support, and Sammy dies from the tunnel's cave-in. Lechero is now back in power again, although Lincoln tells Michael about what Sofia found concerning Whistler.
55	11	"Under and Out"	Greg Yaitanes	Zack Estrin	February 4, 2008	3AKJ11
Gretchen kidnaps Sofia in order to have Whistler give the Company what they want. Heavy rains force Michael to move up the escape timetable and break out of Sona that evening. McGrady joins in on the escape, and T-Bag and Lechero form an alliance as Bellick hopes to form one with Mahone. Lincoln and Sucre help bring the lights down on Sona. However, Sucre runs into some unexpected trouble with his alias. With only 30 seconds of lag time until the generators kick in after the power cut, Lechero, Bellick and T-Bag force Michael to let them escape first, or Whistler dies.
56	12	"Hell or High Water"	Nelson McCormick	Nick Santora	February 11, 2008	3AKJ12
Lechero, Bellick and T-Bag attempt their escape, but the generators kick in sooner, and they are caught, and Lechero is shot. This turns out to be a diversion for Michael, Whistler, Mahone and McGrady to escape. However, Whistler looses his bird book. The team are able to alude authorities by water and make it back on land, where they are tracked by the Company. They elude them, and Lincoln contacts Gretchen on a new exchange plan. However, from panic, Whistler flees.
57	13	"The Art of the Deal"	Bobby Roth	Matt Olmstead & Seth Hoffman	February 18, 2008	3AKJ13
Michael and Lincoln quickly catch Whistler, where he is to be exchanged for L.J and Sofia's lives. Michael plans on making the exchange in a museum. Anticipating they'll get gunned down as soon as they exit, Michael is able to create a diversion to get out alive. However, a scuffle between them and the Company results in Sofia getting shot. McGardy reunites with his family in Colombia. After Sona guards learn of Sucre's identity and fail to get information from him regarding Michael, he is tossed into Sona, where T-Bag manages to take control of the prison after killing Lechero. Mahone decides to rejoin the Company. While Sofia recovers from her injury, Michael leaves his brother to find Gretchen, to get revenge for Sara's death.

Season 4

The fourth season starts with Michael avenging Sara's "death", before learning that Gretchen did not kill her as he thought. Michael also learns the truth about Whistler, that he has secretly been working alongside Mahone to take down the Company. A Company operative takes Whistler's life shortly after this. Sona has burned down and Sucre, Bellick and T-Bag have escaped during the chaos. After returning to Chicago to look for Sara, Michael is arrested and recruited by Don Self (Michael Rapaport), a Department of Homeland Security agent, to help bring down the Company in exchange for his freedom. Lincoln, who was arrested in Panama is transferred to Chicago, and along with Mahone, Sucre, and Bellick with whom a deal is made. Also joining the group are Sara, who escaped from Gretchen which resulted in Gretchen's own captivity by the Company, having failed to secure a valuable item, and Roland (James Hiroyuki Liao), a hacker who was assigned to help them after getting arrested for identity theft. Together, they devise a plan to retrieve Scylla, thought of as the Company's 'little black book', from the Company that will help to destroy them. In the meantime, Wyatt (Cress Williams), an agent from the Company, attempts to track Michael and Lincoln down. When the group eventually succeeds in stealing Scylla, Self betrays them and tries to sell Scylla, but fails. Right before the mid-season break, it is revealed that Michael and Lincoln's mother is still alive and has obtained Scylla.

Episodes

#	#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate	Production code
58	1	"Scylla"	Kevin Hooks	Matt Olmstead	September 1, 2008	4AKJ01
After three weeks of searching, Michael finds Gretchen and Whistler in Los Angeles to avenge Sara's death, where they tell him she escaped and is still alive. He finds her through Bruce Bennett and the two reunite. In Panama, Sucre, Bellick and T-Bag escape from Sona after a riot. T-Bag hitches a ride to the US, though the driver steals his money and leaves him for dead in the Mexican desert. Lincoln is arrested after killing a Company agent. Sucre and Bellick are arrested also, and Mahone is arrested after he finds out that Company agent, Wyatt has murdered his son. The arrested are soon brought together by Homeland Security agent Don Self in an offer to bring down the Company once and for all.
59	2	"Breaking & Entering"	Bobby Roth	Zack Estrin	September 1, 2008	4AKJ02
Michael and his gang are brought in to retrieve Scylla, a blackbook for the Company. The only way to do this, is to break into the cardholder's home, and download the information from a device made by Roland, a computer geek. They get the information by planting the device on a maid, though she sends the device back to the home, where Michael and the team retrieve the device by creating a diversion. T-Bag manages to return to the US and finds a location from Whistler's bird book, where he finds something concerning Whistler's double life. Wyatt has Gretchen imprisoned. Roland retrieves the information from Scylla, but breaks the news that Scylla is six cards, and they need the other five to get to it.
60	3	"Shut Down"	Milan Cheylov	Nick Santora	September 8, 2008	4AKJ03
With five more cards than anticipated, Homeland Security shuts down the operation and send the group behind bars again. Michael, Lincoln, Mahone and Sara escape to uncover clues about where the other card holders are, Michael records a meeting with all six cardholders, and with this new development, Self decides to continue the operation. T-Bag uses Whistler's new identity to make a new life for himself. Wyatt captrues Bruce Bennett and injects him with truth serum to uncover Sara's whereabouts, before killing him. Lincoln has a change of heart for Mahone after he hears his son has been murdered, and agrees to help find Cameron's killer.
61	4	"Eagles & Angels"	Michael Switzer	Karyn Usher	September 15, 2008	4AKJ04
The team find the second cardholder, and attend a police benefit by disguising as police officers to obtain the next card. T-Bag starts working at GATE Corporation and starts reading the information from Whistler's bird book. Meanwhile, Sara hears of Bennett's death, which they believe to be suicide, and is striken with grief and guilt. She goes to a bar, where one man steals her credit card, alerting Wyatt to her location, and starts following her to find her team to get Scylla.
62	5	"Safe & Sound"	Karen Gaviola	Seth Hoffman	September 22, 2008	4AKJ05
The search for the next card key holder brings Michael and Lincoln to the Treasury Department, which is hard to break into, though they succesfully manage to download the third card. The General orders all his cardholders to keep the card with them at all times. Lincoln gets concerned for Michael after noticing his nosebleed. Sara manages to evade Wyatt from learning the team's location. Sucre and Bellick search for T-Bag to get to Whistler's bird book. Gretchen manages to escape from her capture. After seeing Pam, Mahone starts his mission to avenge his son's death.
63	6	"Blow Out"	Brian Spicer	Kalinda Vazquez	September 29, 2008	4AKJ06
Michael and the team track the next cardholder to a racetrack and gets the information from the card, however in the process Mahone is arrested, and he has the device with him. Self arranges a deal to retrieve the device, though Mahone is still behind bars. However, Michael and the team manage pull off a sophisticated escape during Mahone's trial, where he narrowly escaped getting killed by Wyatt, the man who murdered his son. The Company targets Self after he digs up information of General Krantz. T-Bag's alias, Cole Pfeiffer is being investigated for fraud by one of GATE's salepeople. In a panic, T-Bag runs to his home to pack up, where he stumbles across Gretchen, demanding to know who he is.
64	7	"Five the Hard Way"	Gary A. Brown	Christian Trokey	October 6, 2008	4AKJ07
Lincoln takes members of the team to Las Vegas to track down the fifth card. They learn that the cardholder needs a male member of the team to get close to the card. Sucre is to take part, where he learns that the cardholder needs someone to be a one-time bedmate for his wife. Sucre is able to get the fifth card, however Roland has his device confiscated when he is caught gambling. Sara learns that Michael is having a brain aneurysm, like his mother had. Meanwhile, T-Bag works with Gretchen, where she kills the man investigating T-Bag, and kidnaps Michael and Bellick to get Michael to find Scylla by using the bird book. They make it to GATE and finds a room that could lead them to it. Mahone is able to rescue Michael and Bellick and capture T-Bag, though Michael gets a phonecall from Gretchen.
65	8	"The Price"	Bobby Roth	Graham Roland	October 20, 2008	4AKJ08
While Michael is forced to form an alliance with Gretchen, and with the device gone, the team targets the General to get the final card, though Wyatt is tipped off and stops it. The General organises Scylla to be moved, as Michael works out the GATE is near the Company building, where Scylla is being held. It is soon revealed that Roland is the traitor, and arranges a meet with Wyatt for the whereabouts of the team, in exchange for money. However, Wyatt tortures him instead, and after he learns of their location, he shoots him in the abdomen. However, the team tracks them and captures Wyatt. Michael stays with Roland until he dies.
66	9	"Greatness Achieved"	Jesse Bochco	Nick Santora	November 3, 2008	4AKJ09
Wyatt is captured, where the team forge his voice to make the General believe that the team is dead. Afterwards Mahone tortures him, and forces him to apologise to Pam, before Mahone kills him by making him drown. Gretchen makes her own plan on getting the final card, by getting to the General. In order to get to the Company headquarters, the team shuts down a water pipe to make a hole and break into the Company. However, in the process Michael suffers a seizure from his condition. They manage to put a pipe through to safely go through the water main. However, it slips, and Bellick risks his life to put it back up. Just as they succeed, the water returns, and Bellick drowns.
67	10	"The Legend"	Dwight Little	Karyn Usher	November 10, 2008	4AKJ10
While the team, including T-Bag mourn the loss of Bellick, they continue to break into the Company, where Mahone visits the architect behind the security of the vault Scylla is in, only to find he is taken by Company agents. It is revealed that GATE secretary, Trishanne works with Self. Michael and Sara visit a hospital to check on his condition. They learn that Michael has to have surgery the next day, which Michael doesn't agree to, since the General is moving Scylla, and their window of opportunity is closing quickly.
68	11	"Quiet Riot"	Kevin Hooks	Seth Hoffman	November 17, 2008	4AKJ11
Gretchen tries to get the last card by luring the General to her, but he finds out her intentions and threatens to kill her if he sees her again. Self and Trishanne find a lead on Feng Huan, the intended buyer for Scylla should T-Bag and Gretchen get there, but the two are captured by Huan and his men. The rest of the team break into the vault, which has sensitive noise, pressure and temperature alarms. The team succssfully manages to get to Scylla. However, the General sees this through CCTV and is sending his men to stop them.
69	12	"Selfless"	Michael Switzer	Kalinda Vazquez	November 24, 2008	4AKJ12
Michael, Lincoln, Mahone and Sucre anticipate that the General is coming and manages to subdue his guards, as well as get the General's card to get Scylla. Although they are stuck in the Company headquarters, their freedom is secured after Sara holds Lisa Tabak, the General's daughter hostage. They are able to leave the headquarters alive, and with Scylla. Self and Trishanne manage to escape from Huan and kills him and his men. While T-Bag and Gretchen wait for Scofield, the boss of GATE notices their machine guns and the two are forced to hold everyone hostage, though Trishanne is eventually able to apprehend T-Bag. With Scylla, Self takes it and organises the team's releases. However, the celebration is cut short when Self has sent the team empty pieces of paper rather than their release, and he kills Trishanne, to sell Scylla himself.
70	13	"Deal Or No Deal"	Bobby Roth	Christian Trokey	December 1, 2008	4AKJ13
Self tricks Homeland Security into believing that Michael and Burrows has killed him, where he proceeds to get Gretchen and T-Bag into finding a buyer for Scylla, by holding Gretchen's sister and daughter hostage. Michael and the team are again on the run, from both Homeland and the Company. However, Homeland is convinced of Self's doublecross, and intends on killing Michael and Lincoln to prevent any fallout, though the brothers are saved by a Company agent, only to get killed by Lincoln. Gretchen finds a conduit, the man who can arrange a buyer. However, Self notices a piece of Scylla is missing, and Michael has it, when Self calls Michael concerning this, Michael merely tells him to "come and get it".
71	14	"Just Business"	Mark Helfrich	Graham Roland	December 8, 2008	4AKJ14
Self's search for the missing piece gets him captured by the group, but is forced to fell after Gretchen arrives. While T-Bag holds Gretchen's family hostage, a Company agent disguised as a bible salesman arrives. T-Bag lets the family go, before he is captured by the agent. Mahone meets with Lang and Wheeler to arrange a meeting with the Attorney General, but realises this is a ruse, and is taken away. Michael is able to get Scylla from Self, but as he escapes, he collapses from his condition, and is taken away by the Company, though Self escapes with Scylla again. Lincoln decides to join the Company, where they promise to take care of Michael in exchange for the safe return of Scylla.
72	15	"Going Under"	Karen Gaviola	Zack Estrin	December 15, 2008	4AKJ15
While Lincoln works with Sucre to get Scylla back, Self kills the conduit and arranges the meet with the buyer, who plans on killing Self and Gretchen, though Sucre and Lincoln find them both and takes them into Company custody, but Scylla is gone. Meanwhile, Michael gets his surgery, where he has visions of Charles Westmoreland and uncovers what Scylla actually is. After the surgery is a success, Michael tells Sara that he thinks Scylla is a formula for a means of harnessing the full potential of solar energy. Mahone manages to escape from Lang and Wheeler. In the end, Michael learns that not only does Lincoln now work for the Company, but his mother did also.
73	16	"The Sunshine State"	Kevin Hooks	Matt Olmstead & Nicholas Wootton	December 22, 2008	4AKJ16
Lincoln, Gretchen, Self and T-Bag travel to Miami, Florida to look for Scylla. Mahone soon joins in. Gretchen is suspicious that the buyer is from the Company and decides to betray the team to get to Scylla, but double crosses them and gets shot. The rest of the team abandon her to the cops, but Scylla is gone. Meanwhile, Tabak tells Sara where the Company is holding Michael, since they attempt to brainwash him to work for them. He learns that his mother may still be alive. With Sara's help, Michael manages to escape. In the end, Lincoln gets a phonecall from the person who has bought Scylla, where he tells the buyer that he is coming after him, not knowing that the buyer is actually his mother, alive and well.

Awards and nominations

Following a successful airing of the series' first thirteen episodes, Prison Break was nominated for its first award, the 2005 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Drama. The other nominees in the same category were Commander in Chief and Criminal Minds. Prison Break won the award in January 2006 and it is the only award the show has won to date. In January 2006, the show had two nominations at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, which were Best Drama Television Series and Best Actor in a Drama Television Series for Wentworth Miller's performance. The show's lead actor, Wentworth Miller, received another nomination for his performance in the first season at the 2005 Saturn Awards for Best Actor on Television. Likewise, the series was nominated for 2005 Saturn Award for Best Network Television Series. At the 2006 Television Critics Association Awards, the show was nominated for Best New Drama Series. Nominations for technical awards include the 2006 Eddie Award for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television (Mark Helfrich for the pilot episode) and the 2006 Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music (Ramin Djawadi). In December 2006, Robert Knepper was nominated for the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.