The highly-anticipated "Fox River Eight" prison escapees and Sara Tancredi, one of the few recurring female characters in Prison Break.

While a show that is largely set in a male prison, understandably, has few female characters, Prison Break features a handful of recurring ones. Season 1 had the lawyer turned investigator, Veronica Donovan, and season 2 introduced the ambitious antagonist, President Caroline Reynolds. That said, the only main female character to appear in almost every season of Prison Break is the former Fox River Penitentiary doctor, Sara Tancredi. The main characters in Prison Break have varied backgrounds and histories, and the show has given viewers some outstanding villains and fan favorites. However, the problem concerns the female characters.

Prison Break's Female Characters All Have One Thing In Common

Veronica Had The Potential To Be A Prison Break Icon, But She Was Wasted In Season 2

In a couple of decades, since the first season of Prison Break aired, there have been some truly excellent true crime documentaries and mind-bending thrillers with a female lead. This means that rewatching Prison Break in the 2020s is an uncomfortable experience at times. Despite coming from different cultural, family, and educational backgrounds, virtually all the female characters share one character flaw, and that is a lack of common sense. Many ignore several red flags in a row, and even Veronica walks alone into the home of an antagonist, with no escape plan, which costs her her life.

Veronica is played by Robin Tunney, who, before Prison Break, was known for playing characters with more of a troubled past.

Veronica begins Prison Break as a lawyer, with the skills and means to challenge the corrupt authorities in a way that the socially awkward Michael and less-articulate Lincoln cannot. As she works alongside Nick, she begins to develop new investigation skills, which could have made her a formidable enemy to The Company. However, just as Veronica was on the edge of uncovering the truth, she was killed in one of the most tragic moments in Prison Break. This shocking scene wasted her potential, as Veronica had unique strengths and connections that none of the other Prison Break characters had.

Prison Break's Portrayal Of Women Ranges From Ridiculous To Offensive

Nika's Character Arc Grew More Bizarre With Every Episode

Tweener's behavior would raise alarm bells with most women. When he travels with Debra, he is twitchy, clearly lying about his backstory, leaves their shared bathroom wearing just a towel, and then heavily encourages her to drink. Still, rather than calling for help, Debra sleeps with him and gives him her car. Prison Break's portrayal of women continues to be ridiculous, as most women who share a scene with T-Bag suffer from similar unrealistic writing, which may insult the intelligence of many women. At the worst end of Prison Break's female character spectrum, Nika is an offensive Eastern European stereotype.

If Nika had been written realistically, she could have become a main Prison Break character.

Michael paid off Nika's traffickers and married her, giving her a green card and him conjugal visits. While Nika is kind, she is also a sexualized blend of stereotypes. Nika works in a strip club and uses her sexuality to manipulate Bellick before her desperation for money makes her betray Michael, and Nika's final ission that she is in love with him rounds off her bizarre Prison Break arc. Every decision she made perpetuated the "sexy golddigger" stereotype, but if Nika had been written realistically, she could have become a main Prison Break character, as she was so likable.

Despite Its Flaws, Prison Break Was One Of The Most Compelling Thriller Shows Of All Time

The Prison Break Spin-Off Could Bring Back The Best Parts Of The Original Series

While Prison Break may not have written its female characters well, its plot was incredibly detailed and every episode featured very high stakes, making the show extremely bingeable. The fact that it centered on Michael's intricate tattoo gave Prison Break a unique concept, and viewers were hooked by the cliffhangers that ended most episodes. Though the show was occasionally criticized for its far-fetched plots, Prison Break was never predictable and some of the most unexpected things to happen in Prison Break genuinely shocked viewers. Prison Break may have lost its way by season 3, but it was never boring.

With a Prison Break reboot confirmed to be in the works, there are many ways that the new show could incorporate the best parts of the original series. The earlier seasons featured likable characters like Sucre alongside terrifying villains like T-Bag, and the new show will almost certainly include a mix of extremely different characters. Prison Break should have given more screen time to characters like John Abruzzi, whose mafia connections could have been explored further. That said, the reboot could work with the current trend for mafia and crime boss shows by featuring another connected character.

To Succeed In A New Decade, Prison Break Must Fix Its Problems With Female Characters

Caroline Reynolds Had The Potential To Be A Well-Rounded Villain (But She Can't Be Used Now)

Since Prison Break aired, there have been several critically acclaimed crime dramas that are either female-led or have well-written female characters, including Orange is the New Black, Killing Eve, and Luther. This improvement in the writing of female characters throws the harsh realities about rewatching Prison Break into even more of a spotlight. If the reboot of Prison Break is to succeed, the writers must fix its problem with female characters, ensuring that they are not one-dimensional stereotypes and behave more realistically. Some of the main Prison Break characters had potential, which the reboot could build on.

US President Caroline Reynolds was formidable and went to murderous lengths to hide her incestuous relationship with her brother. This backstory could have made her a unique and fascinating villain, and as Caroline's last Prison Break appearance shows her reg from office, she could be brought back for the reboot. Unfortunately, there would be little point in doing so as most viewers would find her story all too familiar.

A Rebooted Prison Break Has The Potential To Be Enormously Successful With A Female Audience

The Prison Break Reboot Should Not Take Place In A Women's Prison (But It Could Be Interesting)

To make a Prison Break reboot successful without its original characters, the show must offer something new. This should include compelling new characters, as this was one of the best things about the original series, but it could also involve a genre change. Prison Break's most tragic character is based on a true story, and the show could lean into true crime, which has a large female fanbase. The Prison Break reboot could include elements of a real-life heist and powerful female characters, bringing some modern and much-needed features to the show.

Modernizing Prison Break does not necessarily mean setting it in a women's prison. Attempting to undo past mistakes by remaking a show with a majority female cast is a strategy that is often used but rarely effective. It would be better to ensure that female characters in the Prison Break reboot are all well-written, no matter how many there are. That said, setting the Prison Break reboot in a women's prison might not be as obvious a move as it has been in other shows, as season 4's core story involved breaking Sara out of prison.