Binge-watchers rejoice because Netflix just got every single episode of an iconic thriller series that will have you clicking “play next episode” long into the night. Yes, “Prison Break” has returned to Netflix following a seven-year hiatus, and it’s just as compelling as ever.
As of today (Monday, July 29), all five seasons of “Prison Break” are available to stream on Netflix U.S. (sorry, international subscribers). That’s 90 episodes total including the made-for-TV movie “Prison Break: The Final Break”, which originally served as the series finale, before it was revived in 2017 for a fifth season (and there’s rumors of a sixth too).
While binge-watchers may tear through the entirety of “Prison Break” over the next few weeks, I want to give a particular shout-out to the show’s first season, which I believe is arguably the best debut season in television history. It does an incredible job introducing viewers to a memorable cast of characters, setting up some pretty sizeable stakes, building plenty of mysteries and culminating with a satisfying finale.
If you’re looking for a new Netflix series with enough episodes to keep you watching for a while, then here’s why you need to binge “Prison Break” now that it’s back on the streaming service...
What is “Prison Break” about?
“Prison Break” opens with a literal bang as engineer Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) commits an armed robbery and is subsequently incarcerated at Fox River State Penitentiary. However, Michael is not a career criminal reeling from a job gone wrong, instead, he’s exactly where he wants to be now that he's behind bars.
It's soon revealed that Michael carefully planned to get himself thrown into the slammer to help his brother Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) escape from prison. Lincoln is on death row, convicted of a crime he swears he didn’t commit, so Michael has developed an elaborate plan to break his brother out of the maximum security prison and clear his name.
Of course, even the best-laid plans don’t always go off without a hitch, and as Michael puts his meticulously designed scheme into practice, the brothers have to quickly adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and a ticking clock as the day of Lincoln’s execution draws near.
Along the way, the pair also encounter a host of memorable supporting characters including Michael’s cellmate Sucre (Amaury Nolasco), psychotic prisoner Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell (Robert Knepper), kind-hearted doctor Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), and sadistic prison officer Brad Bellick (Wade Williams).
“Prison Break” is compulsively compelling
I’ve got significant problems with the later seasons of “Prison Break”. The fourth season is tonally uneven, and the third was impacted by the 2007 Writers Guild Strike so feels half-baked. However, “Prison Break” season 1 is unquestionably one of the strongest seasons of television, period.
I can vividly recall watching it for the first time on a portable DVD player during a family vacation some 15 years ago, and it speaks volumes to its quality that I was more concerned with watching the next episode than lounging in the sun or splashing about in the pool.
What makes “Prison Break” initially so compelling is that each episode adds another piece to the puzzle. Over the course of the season’s 22 episodes, viewers slowly see Michael’s elaborate plan come together, and there are several wrinkles thrown into the mix just to keep things interesting, and to prevent the show from becoming too predictable. Plus, no spoilers, but the finale offers a suitably rewarding payoff as all the carefully placed dominos begin to fall.
“Prison Break” season 1 is a masterclass in how to hook a viewer. Pretty much every episode ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, and I don’t envy the people who watched the show live and had to wait an entire week between installments. Fortunately, if you watch it on Netflix you can avoid a tortious gap after each episode and enjoy at your preferred pace.
Should you stream “Prison Break” on Netflix?
You should absolutely watch “Prison Break” season 1 on Netflix. However, whether you should see the show through to its end is a slightly tricky question. I'll say that season 2 mostly manages to maintain the show’s momentum, and the switch-up from a prison setting is refreshing. However, the seasons afterward range from flawed but fun to pretty terrible.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for something with a lot of episodes to keep you busy over the summer, “Prison Break” is a worthy candidate. Even if you only watch the first couple of seasons, you’ll quickly see why it was considered “appointment television” for millions of viewers in the late 2000s. Just don’t expect subsequent seasons to maintain the high quality of the very first outing.
Alternatively, if you want another made-for-binge-watching show to consider on Netflix, the streamer also added the complete series of “Lost” earlier this month. Looking for something a little fresher? We’ve got a roundup of all the shiny new TV shows you can watch this week.
"Prison Break" seasons 1-5 are streaming on Netflix right now
More from Tom's Guide
