The narrative shifts gears entirely. No longer running or hiding in a prison, the brothers are recruited by the government to take down "The Company," the shadowy organization responsible for their suffering.

Picking up minutes after the Season 1 finale, the "Fox River Eight" are on the run. The scope expands significantly as the show adopts a style often compared to The Fugitive . The season introduces Alexander Mahone, an FBI agent who is Michael’s intellectual equal.

The second season shifts from a "prison break" to a nationwide manhunt, described by creators as "The Fugitive times eight."

When Prison Break premiered on Fox in 2005, it brought a high-concept thriller to television screens: a structural engineer gets incarcerated in the same prison where his brother sits on death row, intending to break them both out using the prison's blueprints hidden in a full-body tattoo.

Aired from 2005 to 2006, the first season is a masterclass in tension, focusing entirely on the escape from Fox River State Penitentiary.