Pilot

Season 1, Episode 1, Aired
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Episode Summary

Michael Scofield, a structural engineer, attempts to rob a bank in order to get incarcerated at Fox River State Penitentiary, where his brother Lincoln Burrows, accused of murdering the Vice President's brother, is scheduled to be executed.
''At Fox River, Michael approaches a number of inmates, all of whom play an important role in his plan to free his brother from the inside.
''Meanwhile, Secret Service Agents Kellerman and Hale are determined to make sure the execution goes through as planned.
''Lincoln's son, LJ, gets into trouble.moreless
9.4
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
1,652 votes
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Fan Episode Reviews (83)

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  • this was a good piliot

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 14, 2010 Report Abuse
    in the beging of the show you get indtroduced to the charaters and the pliot of the show . in this pilot they introudce the some of the story behide the two brothers and how one brother michle wants to go save his other brother who he thinks who is being framed for murder and how he gets him self put into the same prison as his brother and is tring to get him self out. and tatoos the blue prints of the prison right on him this is a good ep i tought. for the first ep and introduces a really good show.moreless

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    0 0

  • Captivating story, mazy relationships, good acting and well-designed sets

    8.0
    "Great"
    By goa103, Nov 14, 2009 Report Abuse
    Intrigued and puzzled. Two words I consider well describe how you should feel after watching Prison Break's pilot. As a teenager films like The Great Escape and Escape from Alcatraz fascinated me. However when it first aired I didn't have any expectations as I had never heard of the show before. The first effect was intense, the second, this one, was even better.

    The very first minutes we're introduced to the protagonists : Michael Scolfield, his lawyer Veronica Donovan and his brother Lincoln Burrows. The last is in prison but he claims his innocence. The first believes him and has apparently a twisted plan to help his brother. The second knows them since childhood but she doesn't really know how to help them nor if she should trust them. This first episode arises so many questions that it's impossible to list them all. Is Michael a genius or out of his freaking mind ? Is Lincoln innocent or guilty ? What about the other characters ? Indeed some were introduced and it's obvious they'll be involved in some way with Michael and the puzzle he has apparently designed and is about to solve. But of course things quickly don't go as planned and it seems he'll have to deal with numerous problems and dangerous characters. So the story is really interesting and viewers enjoying mind games should really dig it.

    The acting is also quite good, but not flawless, and the performers manage to make most characters grow on us. In fact some of their connections reminded me of Lost because you don't really know their relationships or stories. The directing and production quality are also great and it really feels like Michael has found a new comfy home to make long time friends. But the best thing about it, knowing what happened next, is that the best is yet to come. So the surprising events that occurred in the pilot are just the tip of the iceberg. And once you have seen it the only thing you'll want to do is dive into an enigmatic realm of chaos and manipulation.moreless

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    0 0

  • Pilot episode for Prison Break.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By seriesguy3998, Nov 01, 2009 Report Abuse
    Prison Break
    Season 1
    Episode 1: Pilot
    Michael Scofield gets himself caught and sent to Fox River so he can free his brother before his execution. The episode introduces the characters of Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, Veronica, Sara, Bellick, John Abruzzi and C-Note.

    This is an amazing episode. Great starting episode for a great series. The series is thrilling, full of action and suspense. It gets exciting with time. Prison Break's pilot is one of the best episodes of season 1, you just cant not like it, and I have the urge to say that if you didnt then you are completely out of your freaking mind!moreless

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  • Good Pilot

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Dante_Edy, Jun 16, 2009 Report Abuse
    Prison Break is a series that sacrifices logic for emotions. Therefore, the viewer have to leave is logical side and appreciate the series and feel the intensity that prison break can deliver.

    I think that this episode dont deserve a 9, since this is not the best that this series can deliver.

    This first episode set everything, since characters, the general idea of the plot and the conspiracy.

    The conspiracy is the weak link of prison break, since this is not 24. I will see how this will roll.

    Michael's madness is interesting, and this is what will kept you to want to see more episodes of prison break, since his plans to free his brother seems impossible right now.moreless

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  • A little too generic for my liking, but I'll stick with it for now...

    4.0
    "Poor"
    By MovieMark, Mar 28, 2009 Report Abuse
    This imbalanced pilot suffers from a lack of events, and while I'd usually commend a show that attempts to throw their characters at the screen with complicated backgrounds, you at least have to make sure these people are interesting. From this episode, I found the performances to be rather wooden, the script a little too snarky, and the overall premise to be a little on the silly side. These character seem tortured, but there's nothing to distinguish one from the other. It's all rather safe storytelling, that will hopefully evolve into a gritty series. For now, though, Prison Breaks already feels rather standard. Yes, it's just the pilot, so I gotta cut it some slack, but there's very little here to entertain other than to spot a few familiar faces from other TV shows I happen to watch. It thinks it's cleverer than it actually is and falters because of it.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Stacy Keach (Warden Pope) spent six months in a British prison and modeled his character after the warden of that prison. Edit
    • Michael's inmate number is 94941. Edit
    • When Sid is done with the tattoo, Michael puts his shirt back on to leave. When you get a tattoo you actually have to keep a bandage on it for a few days because of blood and ink rejection. Anyway, his shirt would get stained from the ink. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Lincoln is 35 when he's sent to Fox River. Edit
    • This episode was nominated for a Eddie Award for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television. Edit
    • Several characters are named after presidents and politicians. Lincoln Burrows is named after President Abraham Lincoln. Michael Scofield and Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin are named after politicians Edward Scofield and Benjamin Franklin. Agent Paul Kellerman may have been named after Roy Kellerman, the Secret Service agent who was riding in President John F. Kennedy's limousine at the time of his assassination. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Abruzzi: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Edit
    • Lincoln: I'm not asking you to love me, I already screwed that chance up long ago. I'm asking you to love yourself. You still can put the brakes on this thing. LJ: So, that's what fatherly advice is like? (LJ stands up) Lincoln: (looking at LJ) Where are you going? LJ: (to Lincoln) I got homework. Lincoln: They're putting me to death, L.J. In a month's time I'll be dead. You get that? LJ: You're already dead to me. Edit
    • C-Note: What you need, man? Michael: PUGNAC. C-Note: I only speak English, white boy. Michael: It's an insulin blocker, standard over the counter variety, you can get at any pharmacy. C-Note: You can get it at medical then. Michael: I can't get it at medical. C-Note: Why not? Michael: Because they're already giving me insulin shots. C-Note (C-Note laughs): You're one mixed up cracker, you know that? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • The name of the prison in the show, Fox River, shares the name of a river that runs through Western Chicago land, near the real prison filming location. Edit
    • Abruzzi: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. This is a quote from the mob movie The Godfather II, although originally from Sun Tzu's The Art of War Edit
    • Sucre: (to Michael seeing his first shanking) Welcome to Prisney-land, Fish. -It's meant ironically, with Disneyland being the original intended destination, not prison, in the greeting. Edit

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