The Prison Break timeline grew more complex when The Final Break was introduced, and yet another retcon changed the two previous endings after season 5.

Despite Prison Break's seemingly confusing timeline, viewers can watch the first four seasons of the show without needing to watch The Final Break or the subsequent season 5. However, both of these sequels introduced interesting ideas to the series and give viewers more of fan-favorite characters like Alex Mahone and T-Bag. That said, Prison Break season 5 is often considered a mistake, and it has a 56% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes. While season 5 returned to the prison setting of seasons 1 and 3, its ending was controversial and the Prison Break reboot could retcon the finale again.

Prison Break's Season 4 Finale Was The Show's Original Ending

The End Of Prison Break Season 4 Shows The Main Characters At Michael's Grave

Prison Break season 4 ended on a largely happy note, which both tied up loose ends and offered fan service. Eric Kellerman's dramatic change from main antagonist to last-minute hero was one of the most unexpected things to happen in Prison Break. When he was revealed to be alive, he offered exoneration to the main characters. This twist neatly wrapped the main characters' stories up, with most of them starting new lives with their families. That said, the additional ending set four years later showed that one character did not survive to live happily ever after, despite overcoming incredible challenges.

Michael's nose started to bleed again while he and Sara planned their future.

Season 4 might have contained some of the sweetest moments between Michael and Sara, but the last episode showed an ominous sign that all was not well. While walking, Michael's nose started to bleed again while he and Sara were planning their future together. This was a clear clue that the rare brain tumor that Michael had been diagnosed with was not cured, despite what The Company had promised they would do if he stole Scylla. The final scene in Prison Break season 4 shows the main characters visiting Michael's grave, implying that the tumor had eventually killed him off-screen.

The Final Break Was Set Before Season 4's Finale And Revealed How Michael Died

The Final Break Brought New Ideas To The Prison Break Concept

The Final Break offered a different explanation for Michael's death. The storyline is set shortly before season 4's finale. In Prison Break's two-part The Final Break, Michael and Sara's wedding is interrupted when Sara is arrested for the murder of the season 4 antagonist, Christina Rose Scofield. This leads to Michael and Lincoln breaking Sara out of prison with the help of Mahone and Sucre. When Michael breaks through an electronic door, he is electrocuted, sacrificing himself so that Sara can escape. Though Michael still has a brain tumor, The Final Break offers this alternative explanation of his death.

There are four total prison breaks in Prison Break, with the characters escaping (or helping others to escape) from Fox River, Sona, Miami-Dade, and Ogygia prisons.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Prison Break were explosive, action-packed, and unbearably tense at times, with each episode ending on a cliffhanger. As the seasons progressed, the show's tone more closely resembled a James Bond movie than the more grounded and tense original season. The Final Break brought a fresh new twist to the original Prison Break formula, being set in a women's prison and focusing on Sara rather than the men. The two-part series also featured the suspense and urgency of some of the best episodes of Prison Break, earning it an 82% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Prison Break Season 5 Retconned Season 4's Ending And Ended On A Positive Note

Prison Break Season 5 Made Some Major Mistakes With Its Characters

Despite that relatively grounded beginning, Prison Break has a habit of resurrecting killed characters. This includes Kellerman, Sara Tancredi, and Christina Rose Scofield. Prison Break season 5 continued this tradition by retconning season 4's ending and bringing Michael back from the dead. The series shows the previous characters uniting to break Michael out of yet another prison after he faked his death. By the end of this season, Michael and Sara finally got a happy ending, with Michael exonerated and his identity restored. Still, the previous bittersweet endings were more well-received, while Alex Mahone's absence overshadowed Prison Break's season 5.

While bringing back Fernando Sucre and giving C-Note more screen time were good decisions for the season, Prison Break season 5 had some major flaws. After Michael and Sara's romance had been so significant throughout the show, having her remarry was an odd decision, especially as the show ended with the two together anyway. Prison Break's constant attempts to redeem T-Bag continued in season 5, and the decision to ignore Alex Mahone was not well received, as the character was a fan favorite. Season 5 had some exciting moments but felt unnecessary when it retconned the previous seasons' character dynamics.

Which Prison Break Finale Is The Best One?

The Prison Break Reboot Could Retcon One Of The Previous Endings

Prison Break had some tragic moments and never shied away from the brutal reality of prison life. This often led to beloved characters like Westmoreland and Haywire dying. While many of Prison Break's saddest scenes were hard to watch, they made the show better by raising the stakes for its other characters. Season 4's original ending gave most of the characters happy endings while showing that even the most skilled characters could still die too. This relatively peaceful ending with Sara raising Michael Jr. was Prison Break's best ending. Although The Final Break was well-received, it was not necessarily needed.

The Prison Break reboot will not feature Michael or Lincoln, but it will be reportedly set in the same universe as the original series. This means that the show could quietly retcon one of the endings. As Prison Break season 6 comes from the creator of the Mayans M.C. TV show, the show could bring back the grittier tone of the previous seasons, without the science-fiction elements prevalent in season 4. Though no original Prison Break actors have been confirmed to appear, the reboot will feature a co-ed prison where characters might know of Michael's escape from Fox River.