TV: Prison Break (2017) Season 5 Episode 1 - Reviewed



With other Fox branded series like 24 trying multiple failed revivals, 2017 gives us a bit of an action retread with the return of Lincoln Burrows and his highly intelligent brother Michael Scofield. As Robert Knepper, Sarah Wayne Callies, Rockmond Dunbar and Amaury Nolasco all make the trek back to their televised heyday, this will at least be a fun reunion of sorts. We hope. Fortunately for us, this feels more like the season 3 we should have gotten years ago before the mysterious Scylla and government cover-ups became the main focal point of their escapist adventure.

This first episode sucks us right back into a world behind bars as Scofield's death is revealed to be a fake. Keeping our hopes high, it seems like they've been able to lock down the original tone and look of the show.

Prison Break left the air in 2009 to little fanfare. After a couple bad seasons and a mangled ending that the network tried to fix with the outrageous The Final Break, the escapists left the air permanently. Now, they're back and they're ready to escape again. In a nonsensical way, audiences are expected to set aside everything we knew about Prison Break until now as many of the most popular characters are back to start anew as Mr. Scofield is once again trapped behind bars requiring his older brother to provide an escape and possible redemption. The coolest thing about this part one is that it truly feels similar to the season one and two of the show. The editing is par for the course. And the shooting style sits right at home with the original run of Prison Break. 


Of course we need to set our expectations at the door. This has always been the type of series that requires suspension of disbelief. But that's why we watch. While Purcell struggles to get a new foothold on his character, others like Callies and Dunbar slide right back into their respective roles. And Knepper's return as T-Bag is a sight to behold. As the best part of his long running career of bad guys, the one handed bandit is made whole and the creepy factor of Mr. Bagwell is at full tilt. If they can maintain his villainous run throughout this 9 episode arc, he will most likely remain the most interesting part of Prison Break as a whole.

Bro, listen to what Vin Diesel always says in
those Fast and the Furious movies.
'It's all about family'. 

Part one serves as a great reintroduction that puts the viewer right back in the center of the fun. Unlike that dreaded 24: Legacy, Prison Break has something to go on. Having most of the original cast back and keeping the setting familiar will definitely be a positive as fans are looking for a little bit of nostalgia to latch onto. Despite a few stumbling blocks, this is what we've been waiting for. Check it out.

Score


-CG