PRISON BREAK
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A little while ago I reviewed Part 1 of Season 1. Part 2 has also come out and now I shall review this one! Unfortunately I was too impatient to wait for the whole of season one to come out on DVD therefore I had to buy it in two halves which cost me more!

Prison Break is a TV series which was originally shown on FOX in America and then on channel 5 in the UK. Season one containing 22 episodes was shown from January to May however when released on DVD it was split into two halves Season One - Part One and Season One - Part 2. Season One can also be bought as a whole box set for a cheaper price. For all those who bought Part One back in August this is a must have to conclude the first season. And if you haven't seen Prison Break then buy the complete season because it's great! This DVD contains episodes 14-22.

~~~Plot~~~

Lincoln Burrows gets thrown into prison for murdering the vice-president's brother. However Michael Scofield (Lincoln's Brother) believes he is innocent. This leads him to try and find a way to break Lincoln out, fortunately he has the prison plans because he is a structural engineer, so he robs a bank and gets thrown into Fox River (the prison that Lincoln is in) for armed robbery. Part One has already shown Michael being thrown into prison and the many problems he faces. However now Michael has bigger problems since Abruzzi, a fellow inmate who has contacts on the outside is no longer around. Part 2 shows Michael taking more risks as he realises that some of his original plans will no longer work but how will he cope under pressure and death threats from his fellow inmates?

~~~Characters~~~

Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) - Michael gives up his great life to break out Lincoln because he believes Lincoln is innocent. Michael is exceptionally smart but part 2 shows the stress of prison life and we see him begin to crack. Wentworth acting is very good and certainly a heart-throb for many girls.

Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcells) - Lincoln awaits for the day he dies and Michael has been promising him for weeks to get him out. But is it too late and has Lincoln given up hope.

Veronica Donovan (Robin Tunney) - Is there a hint of relationship between Veronica and Lincoln from part 1? Even if not Veronica is still a key character as she is Lincoln's lawyer and is prepared to free him at all costs. But how far will she go?

John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare) - In part 1 we have seen the mean side behind Abruzzi and we fear him after what he did to Michael in the second episode of part 1. However will he return in part 2? And if he does is he still on the escape team? (I won't give any more away!)

Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) - He is Michael's cell mate and as we have seen in part 1 they have a great relationship. However will this continue in the second part or is the racial tension just too great and will it break their friendship? Sucre also has a pregnant wife on the outside however she is contemplating marrying someone else, Sucre's cousin! Will Sucre get out before she says I do?

LJ Burrows (Marshall Allman) - Nothing goes right for LJ. He is on run from the law and the agents are getting closer. What will happen to this boy and will he ever have a proper family?

Brad Bellick (Wade Williams) - Most senior guard at prison break who hates Michael and thinks he's up to something. Bellick keeps an annoyingly close eye on Michael and hiders the escape plan and uses Tweener to tell him information. Bellick finds out something he shouldn't know and suddenly Michael is in trouble.

Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper) - T-Bag unfortunately is still alive and kicking and that is certainly what he does. The attempted death of T-Bag has failed and now he keeps a close watch on the others and makes sure he is in the know. He is a disgusting character however he says some very funny things. If he did go I would certainly miss the humour however he is not a friendly bloke and causes several problems. Will the team get rid of him once and for all?

Benjamin "C-Note" Franklin (Rockmond Dunbar) - The only reason C-note wants to break out is to be with his family, however as racial tensions arise he is the first to try and play the colour card to try and break up the group.

David "Tweener" Apolskis (Lane Garrison) - Just a kid who unfortunately is in prison for stealing. You can't help but feel sorry for this boy who is disliked by Bellick and suffers as a result. However he soon becomes a snitch and gets Michael into serious trouble.

Charles "Haywire" Patoshik (Silas Weir Mitchell) - Locked up in what is know as Wack Shak for all the mentally ill prisoners. Michael gets to know Haywire through unfortunate events however eventually needs his help and promises to help him escape. However Haywire doesn't believe him and soon threatens their escape.

Charles Westmoreland - A fairly old man who has a lot of money. Michael needs this money and allows him to join the escape plan since he wants to see his daughter who is dying of cancer. However Charles is not as fit and young as rest and will he be able to cope with all the pressures of escaping?

Agent Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein) - FBI agent trying to get Lincoln killed. He also tried to track down LJ however Kellerman is a nasty piece of work and he doesn't care who he ahs to kill to get what he wants.

Dr. Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies) - The doctor at Fox River and daughter of a very important governor. There is definitely some romance between Sara and Michael, however can their be a relationship in prison and will Michael be able to leave her.

Nick Savrinn - This character from bad to good consistently. We never know whether he is good or bad. However when he becomes influenced through black mail he isn't as nice as we thought he was.

Warden Henry Pope (Stacy Keach) - He is the warden of the prison with a special liking towards Michael whom he trusts. Will this trust last or will the Warden sniff a rat?

~~~Episodes~~~

Here are brief summaries of episodes 14-22.

*The Rat*

Lincoln is going to be executed very soon and time is running out for everyone. Michael doesn't have enough time to break him out and Veronica is struggling to find enough evidence to find Lincoln innocent. The date draws closer and we begin to lose hope as does Lincoln.

Michael: I did everything I could.
Lincoln: I know you did.

*By the Skin and Teeth*

Lincoln is ready in the chair to be executed and a phone call stops the execution as Veronica presents the judge with some evidence. Michael's original plans will not work so he has to go through the prison yard instead where there are security cameras and lights everywhere. Michael gets seriously injured but he is more concerned about his tattoo which has gone. Now he hasn't got the blueprints how can he get out?

Michael: The blueprints, the ones we need to get from the psych ward to the infirmary, our map out of here...they're gone

*Brother's Keeper*

This episode is a series of flashbacks of certain inmates and the doctor on how they ended up where they are. This episode allows us to have more knowledge on the key characters and we end up feeling more sorry for some but more hatred for others.

*J-Cat*

He gets himself thrown into solitary however there is still a huge whole in the guard's room which he has failed to cover up which poses a huge risk.

*Bluff*

Lincoln tries to talk to Michael to keep him calm but Michael gets angrier and angrier as he tries to work out the missing part of tattoo. Eventually Michael seems to crack and is thrown into the Wack Shak. Here he meets Haywire again…

*The Key*

Michael needs to get the key to the infirmary but he doesn't know how to get it of Sara.

Abruzzi: Oh, the old sinner who was confined to these walls, he's dead. A new soul deserves to be free.
Michael: Well the old sinner was gonna have a jet ready for us. Is the new soul gonna be able to pull that off?
Abruzzi: Noah had his ark, did he not?

*Tonight*
Bellick is closer than ever to discovering the escape plan and it's only a matter of time. This outs pressure on Michael to hurry up however Michael is still thinking about Sara and whether to involve her. Veronica finds something out about Nick which puts her at danger and puts their trust for each other on the line.

*Go*

The inmates get ready to escape whilst tensions and nerves run high between them. Michael has some last minute arranging to do whilst the others prepare making them nervous. Veronica and Nick start to realise how complex the cover-up must be. The escape eventually gets put into action however several things go wrong.

Westmoreland: Give Anna her papa's love.
Michael: I will. I will.

*Flight*

Captain Bellick and the Warden Pope know about the escape and news spreads fast. Even if they do get over the wall are they safe? Veronica finds a huge piece of information to prove Lincoln innocent.

Lincoln: Michael…if this doesn't work out, I just want you to know I -
Michael: I know. I know

~~~Other information~~~

Language - English
Country - USA
Director - Paul T. Scheuring
Genre - Drama
DVD Region - Region 2
Number of discs - 3
Classification - 15
Subtitles languages - English, Norwegian, Danish, Sweden
Barcode: 5039036028134
Run time: 374 minutes

~~~Worth it?~~~

As I have mentioned earlier it is only worth buying this DVD if you have bought Season One Part One otherwise you are better of buying the whole set. At the moment it costs about £25, depends where you shop but it originally sold for £35. However the whole box set only costs £45 which is why if you have not yet bought a copy you should just get the whole of season one. The DVD can be bought from WHSmiths, HMV and online at Amazon. You can also download episodes online for £0.99 from itunes and $1.99 from Amazon.

~~~Extras~~~

There is a deleted scene in the extras which I have watched of course! It doesn't add much to the story line but it is interesting to watch anyway. There is also "Making a Scene", "Making of Prison Break" (which I am sure has been on TV), "'If These Walls Could Speak: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center" and "Beyond the Walls" which shows TV spots where they have recorded the show. Making of Prison Break is quite interesting and has some interesting information on. "'If These Walls Could Speak: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center" is intresting and worth a watch because it gives you information on the prison which I found very intresting. Even on Michaels' cell…

~~~Overall~~~

I enjoyed the second half of season one just as much as I enjoyed the first half. Everything I said in my last review applies here again! This plot is gripping and suitable for all, old and young (although not too young) and both males and females. The plot never is straight forward and nothing is what it seems.

The writers have cleverly written this series and they keep you guessing right the way through but even when you think you have it all sussed they throw something else in. The story line in very complex but surprisingly simple to follow and understand. The writer have written the episodes well too as at the end of each episode there is a cliff-hanger so you are waiting to see what happens next. And what happens next is never what you think it would be! The writers cleverly put Michael into extremely difficult situations and find a cunning way to get him out.

Although the plot is not entirely believable, you can easily imagine it and the writers have to push the boundaries of reality a little further (they don't fly or anything!) to make it more exciting. This series isn't just for TV fans but those who like a range of shows.

Prison Break is becoming increasingly popular and after watching the first series it is easy to see why. If you have not seen prison break I strongly recommend you go out there and buy the DVD boxset soon because series 2 will be on our TVs shortly.

~~~Websites~~~

www.fox.com/prisonbreak (the official prison break site)

www.five.com (channel showing prison break)

www.amazon.co.uk (DVD available)

www.apple.com/itunes (episodes available to download)

For all the current fans of prison break and potential fans I would like to inform you that series two is now on TV on channel 5, 10pm on Monday. Although I am sure you already know that!

Thank you for reading and please take a look at the photos!