Dear FOX programming bigwigs,
Thank you. No, really, I mean it. I know, I know, you’re probably surprised and even a little disappointed. Up until now, you’ve done a really super job making all us viewers angry, what with all the cancellations and schedule rearrangements. But a couple of days ago, I read a little piece of news that actually made me sigh with relief:
You’ve canceled Prison Break.
You see, I’ve been a faithful viewer of Prison Break since season one. How could I not be sucked into the story of Michael Scofield? It was so compelling in the beginning. The whole idea was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Who ever heard of somebody robbing a bank so he could go to the same prison as his brother on death row, just so he could then bust them out? Let alone covering himself in tattoos to serve as a checklist for his escape plan. The characters were well written, the drama was intense, and I didn’t even worry about where the show was going to go at the end of the season when they escaped, because I had faith that the writers would make it work.
In season two, the game changed as the men were out of the prison on the run, but it was still an entertaining ride. We were introduced to Alexander Mahone, an FBI agent and Paul Kellerman, of the Secret Service, both on the hunt for Scofield and Burrows. Their personal stories combined with their current job kept the show fresh when it could have been tedious. Some of the plot points were a little silly, it’s true, but I was still loving Prison Break as much as I did when it first premiered.
Then came the part where things started getting iffy for me. At the end of season two, the writers started to grasp at straws. What were they going to do to keep the show going? I can just see the brainstorming session: “Oh, I’ve got it — let’s throw some of them back in prison so they’ll have to break out again, only this time, in PANAMA!” We got an interesting new character, Gretchen, a cold heartless (yet stunning, and always perfectly made up) bitch holding Michael’s girlfriend, Sara, and Lincoln’s son, LJ, hostage. But we also got Sofia, girlfriend of fellow inmate James Whistler, whose purpose seemed to be simply to grate on my nerves.
The show was becoming more and more trite as we watched Michael go through the process of breaking out of prison all over again, but I just couldn’t bring myself to stop watching. I was already invested in the characters and I just couldn’t give up on them. Now halfway through season four, things are more ridiculous than ever. We get:
If all that sounds confusing, it’s because it really, really is.
I just can’t take it anymore, but I can’t let go either, which means I always start to watch but then I usually fall asleep towards the end. So thank you, FOX, for putting me out of my misery by wrapping up the show so that I can get on with my life and do something else with that hour of my time every week (which will probably be, watch something else). I’d also like to ask that the writers come up with some reasonable kind of resolution to the story, but I don’t know if that’s even possible anymore, so I will just accept the fact that the show is going to end however it ends and be relieved when it’s gone.
I know this was a rare occurance of common sense on your part. Now, go ahead and get back to work re-arranging shows around American Idol, and cancelling whatever looks promising. After all, you probably shouldn’t let the viewers think you’re making good decisions a habit.
Clacked by Cate Cropp
on Jan 15, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I feel the same. I just couldn’t let go even though I realized how absurd it had become. In many ways, it’s a testament to the original hook being so strong.
Looking back on the show, I wish they’d done a story reset after season one and then each following season. They could have had a different stories, motivations, and characters. It’s a common idea I’ve read online expressed by people discussing the shows direction. Unfortunately, that kind of thing isn’t realistic given the nature of US network TV.
*POST AUTHOR*
That would’ve been an awesome idea for the show. The thing that really made it special in the beginning was the relationship between Michael and Linc–now it’s about something else entirely.
From what I hear, Harper’s Island is doing exactly what you think Prison Break should’ve done–once they wrap up the first season, if it gets renewed, it’s going to start all over with a new cast and a new mystery. I’m interested to see if that plays out.