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Much of the buzz surrounding Prison Break during this fall television season has focused on one individual. Wentworth Miller, the man dubbed by many to be the breakout star of the new season, is rightly praised for his portrayal of Michael Scofield, a man who gets himself thrown into prison for the sole purpose of breaking his brother out of prison. Considering that Miller is not dueling with acting heavyweights in this program – with apologies to veteran actor Stacy Keach – singling him out for attention in this crew is no glowing achievement. This is not to say that Miller does not perform admirably, but rather, it is meant to draw attention to the fact that the show’s writing and twisting plot are what really drive Prison Break. Actors may come and go, but as long as the plot keeps zipping along at the same brisk pace, fans will keep tuning in for more.

Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) has been sentenced to death for the assassination of the Vice President’s brother, a crime of which he claims to be innocent. Burrows does not exactly have a spotless past, and he was certainly involved with some shady characters when he was arrested for this crime. That being said, Burrows is innocent, the victim of a conspiracy that stretches all the way up to the highest levels of the government. This helps to explain why Burrows is on death row, with his execution mere days away. Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) cannot sit idly by while his only brother is executed, so he stages a robbery in order to have himself arrested. Armed with his brains, an outlandish plan, and the most inventive tattoo every seen on television, Scofield soon finds himself walking alongside his brother in an Illinois penitentiary. Once he’s inside, it’s his mission to get back outside.

Michael Scofield, as we later learn, is a borderline genius, one who has thought through just about every contingency before undertaking this arduous task. He has detailed information about his fellow inmates, helping him to know what buttons to push in order to gain their trust – and their assistance. He knows the ins and outs of the prison, in large part because his architectural firm designed the place! Did I mention that he has the prison blueprints tattooed on his body?! As he begins to assemble his motley crew – beginning with mobster John Abruzzi (Peter Stormare) and cellmate Fernando Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) – numerous roadblocks pop up to foil Scofield’s plan. Our hero is left to battle a sinister corrections officer, dissension within his own team, and his brother’s death sentence, and it appears that time is slowly slipping away from him.

Prison Break has been such a refreshing offering for fans this fall, especially those used to waiting until 24’s return in January to get their fix of tension-filled excitement. Inheriting its predecessor’s timeslot until winter, Prison Break has done an excellent job of hooking viewers early, providing lots of twists and misdirection, and generally keeping this taut thriller moving at breakneck speed. Alas, it appears that the program is a victim of its own success – or poor planning by Fox. Without a home on Fox’s winter schedule, thanks to the return of 24 and American Idol, Prison Break has been placed on hiatus until the spring. This is not a reflection of its performance, but rather, it points to the surprising success that Fox has had with its dramas in the past twelve months. Who would have guessed that Fox would ever have too many quality shows?!

Prison Break is not without its ups and downs, as the first few months of the television season have proven. Fox was wise to preview this program before the rest of the networks’ fall lineups returned, because it allowed for easy sampling of a drama that can be very addictive. The show has stumbled from time to time trying to integrate its prison plots with those occurring outside the walls, although revelations about the true nature of the conspiracy have served to add more substance to the real world goings-on. Likewise, Lincoln’s ongoing interactions with his son seem to serve only as a distraction from the meaty breakout plot details. Those plot points, however, are more than enough to propel this series along, and, with any luck, they may just be enough to hold the show’s fans over until Prison Break returns in the spring. Let’s hope Michael, Lincoln, and the boys can hold out that long.

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