Prison Break finished in 2017 after five seasons on Fox Network. There will never be a season six of the show. The show was a big hit for Fox, especially in the first few seasons. It was also one of the first shows that a lot of people watched all at once on Netflix. Some people think that Prison Break might be back for a sixth season because it was one of the most exciting shows on TV. When Prison Break season 5 came out nine years after season 4, it was kind of like a fresh start for the show.
But the reboot didn’t work out well in the end, and Prison Break season 5 wasn’t even close to as successful as the first four seasons. Prison Break had a huge following during its first four seasons, and even though season 5 wasn’t very good, many people were still excited about the show’s future. But a few things happened that meant Prison Break would not be back for a sixth season after season 5.
Why Creative Conflicts Nearly Ended Prison Break for Good?
People thought that Prison Break was cancelled because of a drop in numbers after season 4, but the show was actually cancelled because of problems with the writing. At the time, press said that the show’s boss, Kevin Reilly, said that all the stories had been told and that the show had “played out.” The makers of Prison Break must have thought at first that they didn’t know where to take the show after season 4 ended with the story of Fox River Eight.
But it was clear that something had changed in the nine years since season 4 of Prison Break, which is why Fox renewed the show for a fifth season. It turns out that Prison Break season 5 wasn’t very good, so it looks like creator Paul Scheuring and Fox boss Kevin Reilly were right when they said the show was over. It happens a lot for great TV shows togo on longer than they should, so Prison Break’s season 5 reboot is not the only one that does this.
Prison Break Season 6 – Planned But Never Released:
As bad as seasons 4 and 5 of Prison Break were, there were plans for a sixth season for a while. Fox seemed to lose interest in the show, though, so those plans didn’t work out. Wentworth Miller, who plays one of the show’s main characters, Michael Scofield, said he wouldn’t be back for a sixth season because he wanted to stop playing straight roles.
The fact that Prison Break almost came back for a sixth season after being cancelled twice shows how popular it was. Fox must have thought that the Prison Break series could still bring in money, if only for a little while. The Prison Break crowd had definitely shrunk since the show’s first season, and it wasn’t likely that it would grow again without Wentworth Miller playing Michael Scofield.
Meet the Cast of Prison Break:
- Wentworth Miller (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as Michael Scofield, a structural engineer who goes to prison at Fox River State Penitentiary for armed robbery.
- Dominic Purcell (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) as Lincoln Burrows, aka Linc, Michael’s brother, who’s incarcerated at Fox River.
- Robert Knepper (iZombie) as Theodore Bagwell, aka T-Bag, Michael and Linc’s fellow inmate.
- Wade Williams (Mercy Street) as Brad Bellick, a prison guard at Fox River.
- Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) as Sara Tancredi, a prison doctor at Fox River.
- Amaury Nolasco (Hightown) as Fernando Sucre, Michael’s cellmate at Fox River.
- Rockmond Dunbar (9-1-1) as Benjamin Miles Franklin, aka C-Note, an inmate known as the unofficial pharmacist of Fox River.
- Michael Rapaport (Atypical) as Donald Self, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security.
- Paul Adelstein (Cruel Summer) as Paul Kellerman, a former Secret Service agent.
- Robin Tunney (The Mentalist) as Veronica Donovan, Michael and Linc’s longtime friend.
- William Fichtner (Mom) as Alexander Mahone, a federal agent.
- Peter Stormare (American Gods) as John Abruzzi, an inmate at Fox River and a Chicago mob boss.
- Marshall Allman (The Wolf of Snow Hollow) as LJ Burrows Jr., Linc’s son.
- Danay Garcia (Fear the Walking Dead) as Sofia Lugo.
- Chris Vance (The Transporter) as James Whistler, an inmate at Penitenciaría Federal de Sona in Panama.
- Robert Wisdom (Barry) as Norman St. John, aka Lechero, a prisoner at Sona.
- Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (The Vampire Diaries) as Gretchen Morgan, an operative of The Company.
- Inbar Lavi (Lucifer) as Sheba, a resistance leader in Yemen.
- Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) as Jacob Anton Ness, an economics professor.
- Augustus Prew (The Morning Show) as David Martin, aka Whip, who partners with Michael in Season 5.
The Case Against Prison Break’s Comeback
With the benefit of time, it looks like Prison Break should never have returned after being cancelled the first time. It’s risky to bring back a show that hasn’t been on for a long time, especially since Michael Scofield’s death in season 4 of Prison Break was probably the best way for the show to end. Michael’s death seemed like the obvious end to his story, and it made it very hard for Prison Break season 5 to happen. Because of this, the show had to go back and explain Michael’s escape right away, which hurt his character arc.
Also, as the show went on, Prison Break became very boring. People kept getting out of jail only to be sent back to another one. Scofield and his friends broke out of jail more than once, but each time it seemed like less of a deal because they knew they would be sent back soon. The idea behind Prison Break doesn’t work for five seasons because it will keep happening over and over again.
There are a lot of surprising turns in Prison Break, but after a while, it gets too obvious to keep its mystery. The fact that Prison Break already had problems with these things in season 5 makes it even better that there was never a sixth season. Fox learnt from its mistakes with Prison Break season 5 and decided not to air the sixth season, which could have hurt the show’s image.
Will There Be a Need for Another Prison Break’s Comeback?
It looks like the first time they brought back Prison Break was a mistake, but there is a way that they could make it work again. As the show went on, one of its problems was that it never got as exciting as the first season and the original plan to leave. Once the actors got away, the show had to keep coming up with new ways to lock them up and make them escape again. To solve this problem, however, it might be enough to just move on from the original personalities.
Fans really felt sorry for Michael, Lincoln, and the others, but their story is over. Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller have both said no to a return of Prison Break’s. This shows that the group is ready to move on, and so should the show. The new season of Prison Break shouldn’t put the Burrows brothers back in jail. Instead, it should focus on a new group of people and a new escape. If the return of Prison Break’s goes well, it could become a variety show where each season is about a different break.
Since Prison Break is doing well on streaming services, it makes sense that many people want to bring the show back in some way. But people who want to see a rebirth happen should be ready to take a chance on a new path and not make the same mistakes again.
Where is the Backdrop of Prison Break?
The first season takes place in the made-up Fox River State Penitentiary, which is close to Chicago. The second season takes place in the US and in Panama. The third season takes place in Panama. The fourth season is mostly set in Los Angeles. And the fifth season is set in Yemen and several places in the US.
Also Read: Upload Season 4 – Release Date, Plot and What to Expect?