Prison Breakwas one of the most exciting and creative dramas on TV, with the plot evolving each episode. The show follows the quiet genius, Michael Scofield, who gets himself sent to the same prison as his falsely accused brother, intending to break him out. The escape plan ishidden in tattoos covering Michael’s body, and most early episodes featured a different tattoo.
OverPrison Break’s five seasons and spin-off movie, the show changed genres, which was not popular with viewers. That said, most seasons still include mind-bending plot twists, especially involving more prison breaks.Prison Break’s quality might have dropped in later seasons, but many episodes are still masterpieces, and it remains a fantastic TV drama.
10Manhunt
Season 2, Episode 1
Prison Break’s first season ended with an intense cliffhanger asthe Fox River Eightfinally escaped from Fox River Penitentiary. Despite the heartbreaking death of one of the show’s best characters,Prison Breakmoves forward quickly, following the escapees as they have to think on their feet. “Manhunt” is one of the most unpredictable episodes, throwing curveball after curveball.
The season 2 premiere is a fantasticPrison Breakcharacter study, giving us more insight into how each of the main characters behaves in a new environment. It completelyopens up the story with a new and formidable antagonist, new locations, and a completely new storyline, yet it feels tightly woven rather than cluttered, starting season 2 off with a masterpiece episode.
9By The Skin And The Teeth
Season 1, Episode 15
The season 1 episode"By the Skin and the Teeth" is arguably thePrison Breakepisode with the highest stakes, as this is when it appears that Michael’s plan will fail. Lincoln is sent to the electric chair, as Michael scrambles for options. This episode is a masterclass in tension, and has some of the best scenes in the show.
In this one episode, Michael comes close to having his entire plan fail, losing his brother, and suffers extreme pain as part of his tattoo is burned from his back. Michael is not the most emotional character in the show, so Wentworth Miller had to convey all of this with more subtlety than otherPrison Breakactors.
8Orientación
Season 3, Episode 1
Prison Breaktakes place in several different prisons, and season 3 takes Michael tothe terrifying Sona Prison. Incarcerating Michael once more could have made the show feel samey, butthe season 3 episode “Orientación” perfectly conveys the new situation in far more brutal surroundings. The episode acts as a series of glimpses into the coming season.
Season 3 is a much shorter season ofPrison Break, so the first episode had a lot of work to do in setting up the story. There are no scenes in “Orientación” that do not either move the plot forward, introduce new characters, or provide some fan service. The fight scene shows Mahone at his best, promising more to come.
7Selfless
Season 4, Episode 12
Prison Breakis aTV show that changed so much it became unrecognizable, and this was not a popular creative choice among its viewers. Season 4 was closer to sci-fi, takingPrison Breakin a very different direction from its grittier roots. That said, the season 4 episode “Selfless” combined the best things about the earlier seasons with the show’s new direction.
“Selfless” shows Michael and the team breaking into the secret vault that contained Scylla. While they have broken in and out of locations in earlier seasons, the sci-fi element worked here, making “Selfless” into a masterpiece.The episode combines slick science fiction with a heist, revisiting the more brutal parts of the showwhen characters are killed off without warning.
6Buried
Season 2, Episode 7
Prison Break’s cliffhanger-filled plot defined the show so much that it is often easy to forget that it could be hilarious. The season 2 episode “Buried” is one of the best in the show, providing some comedy moments that balance out the tension. The men have found the buried money, but their plan to retrieve it is ridiculously far-fetched.
“Buried” shows T-Bag at his slimy best, distracting a homeowner while the men pretend to be construction workers. Still, while the digging scenes are great comic relief, the episode also contains one ofthe most tragic scenes inPrison Break. Tweener’s death at the hands of Mahone is heartbreaking, and the episode’s emotional rollercoaster makes it one of the show’s best.
5First Down
Season 2, Episode 4
One ofPrison Break’s greatest strengths was its lack of predictability, and while it was clear that not all the Fox River Eight would survive, the first man to die was a shock. The mafia boss, John Abruzzi, was one of the best characters in the show. While many characters deserved better endings, “First Down” gave Abruzzithe best death scene inPrison Break.
The episode was a masterpiece for the build-up to Abruzzi’s ending, as he had seemed untouchable up until that point. It is not only unpredictable, but it also gave us a new villain in Mahone, who was responsible for taking Abruzzi down. Abruzzi’s defiant final line, “I kneel only to God. I don’t see him here,” is one of the best in the entire show.
4Flight
Season 1, Episode 22
Prison Break’s first season finale is the episode that we were all waiting for, as Michael and Lincoln finally break out of Fox River with some unwelcome extra people. It is one ofthe best episodes ofPrison Breakfor its timing, increasing the danger at the last moment, and still giving some major shocks, like when Abruzzi chops off T-Bag’s hand.
The episode perfectly resolves some major plot points, like who escapes the prison, while setting up season 2 with a cliffhanger that nobody could have predicted. The final stages of Michael’s escape plan revolve around a plane, and seeing it take off without them is one of the most powerful and shocking moments of the show, as the men run for their lives.
3Tonight
Season 1, Episode 20
Of all thecharacters who deserved better inPrison Break, Westmoreland is surely near the top of the list. While his is a relatively minor role for most of the show,the episode “Flight” is a character study, shown in very few words, making it a masterpiece for its storytelling. Westmoreland joins the team at the last minute, but then suffers a terrible injury.
Westmoreland spends most of the episode dealing with a stab wound, insisting that he is fine. Over the course of the episode, it is clear that he knows his wound is serious, and is likely dying. The moments that show his dressing and re-dressing his bleeding injury are some of the most disturbing in the show, and Muse Watson’s performance is heartbreaking.
2Riots, Drills, And The Devil
Season 1, Episodes 6 -7
“Riots, Drills, and the Devil” is a two-part episode forPrison Break, and it is a brilliant couple of hours, showcasing everything that the show does well. As a riot unfolds in Fox River, Sara finds herself in danger, while Michael’s men break through a major wall. The episode also pays a great Easter egg tribute to Peter Stormare’s past role as The Devil inConstantine.
The two-parter revolves around a devil tattoo on Michael, and its genius role in showing the men where to drill. At the same time,it is full of the brutal violence thatPrison Breakbecame known for, while developingthe core relationship between Michael and Sara. Holding so many plot threads together is difficult for any show, andPrison Breakdid it perfectly here.
1Go
Season 1, Episode 21
“Go” is widely regarded as the best episode inPrison Break, and it isthe culmination of the series' biggest plot, with the team starting the escape from inside Michael’s cell. It is the highest-rated episode ofPrison Breakon IMDb, with a 9.6 score, and extremely intense to watch. “Go” shows Veronica being betrayed and Westmoreland’s tragic death, while being optimistic for other characters.
WhilePrison Breakhad one more episode to show Michael and the Fox River Eight’s actions after the escape, “Go” is the episode in which the men finally make it out of the prison. This, combined with the emotional punches involving other characters, makes “Go” the most tense episode inPrison Break, but also the most satisfying.
