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Lincoln Burrows is on borrowed time. He’s been convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, and now he awaits his execution at Fox River Penitentiary. However, Lincoln (Dominic Purcell) is surprised to see his brother Michael (Wentworth Miller) in the same prison. It turns out Michael has a plan to break his brother out, but it won’t be easy. Not only will they have to escape Fox River, but the brothers will also have to expose a conspiracy that threatens to rock the entire nation.

Prison Break is a television drama that aired on Fox from 2005-2009, with a revival in 2017. The television series thrilled viewers with each episode, as the Fox River Eight dodged authorities and took on a secret organization. If you’ve ever wanted to get into Prison Break but weren’t sure how, Popverse has you covered! This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the hit television thriller, including how to watch Prison Break in order, when Prison Break was released, and the Prison Break spin off.

How to watch Prison Break in release order

Watching Prison Break in order is fairly easy. Just start with season 1 and continue from there. Fox ended the series in 2009 after 4 seasons. The television film Prison Break: The Final Break was aired shortly after the series ended, serving as a grand finale to the show. In 2017 Fox revived the series as a limited event. Although promotional material gave it the tagline Prison Break: Resurrection, DVD boxsets and streaming services classify this revival as Prison Break season 5.

Between Prison Break season 2 and 3, a spin-off series titled Prison Break: Proof of Innocence was released for mobile phones. For more on that series, please see the appropriate section later in this guide. This doesn't include the Prison Break spinoff, as details on that are still underwraps. 

With all that in mind, here is the release order for Prison Break….

• Prison Break season 1 (television season, 2005-2006)
• Prison Break season 2 (television season, 2006-2007)
• Prison Break: Proof of Innocence (26-episode mobile phone series, 2006)
• Prison Break season 3 (television season, 2007-2008)
• Prison Break season 4 (television season, 2008-2009)
• Prison Break: The Final Break (2009 television film)
• Prison Break season 5 (television season, 2017)
• Untitled Prison Break reboot (TBA)

How to watch Prison Break in chronological order

While Prison Break is mostly told in a linear fashion, there are a few times when the series jumps around the timeline. For example, Prison Break: The Final Break takes place in the middle of the season 4 finale. The television film is placed right after the present day scenes, and before the time jump epilogue.

Don’t feel overwhelmed, because the following timeline will help you make sense of all the flashbacks, flash-forwards, and everything in between. This doesn't include the Prison Break spinoff, as details on that are still underwraps. 

• 2001: Prison Break season 1 episode 16 ‘Brother’s Keeper’ (2001 flashback scenes)
• 2002: Prison Break season 1 episode 16 ‘Brother’s Keeper’ (2002 flashback scenes)
• April-May 2005: Prison Break season 1 (present day scenes)
• May 27-June 17, 2005: Prison Break season 2
• June 18-June 28, 2005: Prison Break season 3
• Summer-Fall 2005: Prison Break season 4 (present day scenes)
• November 4, 2005: Prison Break: The Final Break
• 2009: Prison Break season 4 episode 22 ‘Killing Your Number’ (time jump at the end of the episode)
• 2017: Prison Break season 5

Note: Prison Break season 5 contradicted the timeline from Prison Break season 4. When Michael fakes his death in Prison Break season 4, the gravestone lists his death date as 2005. However, Prison Break season 5 modifies this, placing his faked death in 2010. We’ll chalk this up to a continuity error. Alternatively, we can assume that the writers were using a sliding timescale. Either way, our timeline uses the original gravestone date.

When was Prison Break released?

Prison Break debuted August 29, 2005 on Fox - with an estimated 10.5 million people watching it live, making it the most-watched show in America that night for anyone aged 18 to 49. The Prison Break release date put it head-to-head with stiff competition including Monday Night Football, WWE Raw, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Two and a Half Men. The overnight success led Fox to go all-in on the show, ordering an additional nine episodes for the first season to go with the already agreed-on 13.

This comes just two years after Fox initially turned down the show, with the creator Paul Scheuring saying the network was unsure the concept could last beyond one season (ha!). The series was pitched to other networks with the same response, leading some thought to doing it as either a movie or a TV miniseries that Steven Spielberg was briefly attached to. But following the success of Fox's 24 and ABC's Lost, Fox came back to the table and ordered the series.

Does Prison Break share a universe with any other television shows?

Prison Break is set in the same universe as the A&E drama Breakout Kings. The show follows a task force assembled by the U.S. Marshalls to capture fugitives. Incarcerated convicts are offered the chance to join the task force for a reduced prison sentence. The series was created by Nick Santora and Matt Olmstead, two writers who worked on Prison Break. Robert Knepper reprises his role as T-Bag in the third episode of the series, establishing that the two shows exist in the same fictional television world.

Are they doing a Prison Break spinoff or Prison Break reboot?

In 2023 Hulu began developing a reboot of Prison Break. Elgin James, the creator of Mayans M.C., will serve as the showrunner for the reboot. James previously served a one-year sentence at Metropolitan Detention Center, which should give him a unique perspective as a showrunner. According to a report from Deadline, the reboot will still be set in the same world as the original but will focus on a new group of characters. As of this writing, there is currently no release date or casting news for the project.

When do they get out of prison in Prison Break?

If you don’t want any spoilers, skip this section. However, if you are going through the series and are curious about when the inevitable prison break is coming, read on……….

Don’t worry, you don’t have to go through 5 seasons of the show waiting for Lincoln and Michael to escape from prison. The brothers and six other inmates escape in the penultimate episode of season 1, ‘Go.’ The escaped convicts become known as the Fox River Eight. Of course, escaping from prison is only the first step. Lincoln and Michael still have to deal with the authorities and the Company.  

What season is Prison Break: The Final Break?

Prison Break: The Final Break is a television film that takes place at the end of Prison Break season 4. While it originally aired as an 89-minute television film, streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have placed them at the end of Prison Break season 4, broken up into two episodes, ‘The Old Ball and Chain’ and ‘Free.’ In short, Prison Break: The Final Break is set between Prison Break season 4 and 5, but it can be considered an extension or epilogue to season 4.

Should I watch the Prison Break movie before season 5?

Yes, you should watch Prison Break: The Final Break before starting Prison Break season 5. If you’re watching the series on a streaming service like Hulu or Netflix, then this is easy, because the television movie is included as the last two episodes of season 4. If you’re watching the episodes in order on one of those streaming services, then the movie will queue up before you start season 5.

If you skip the film then you will miss essential developments and character moments. In fact, prior to Prison Break’s season 5 revival, the television film was originally meant to serve as a grand finale for the series. As such, it contains some big moments that you won’t want to miss.

What’s the deal with Prison Break: Proof of Innocence?

Prison Break: Proof of Innocence is a 2006 spin-off series that was released exclusively for mobile phones. Keep in mind, mobile phones weren’t as technologically advanced in 2006, so Proof of Innocence didn’t have the best video quality. Each episode (or ‘mobisode,’ as they were called) was sponsored by Toyota. As such, every episode prominently features a Toyota Yaris. No actors or characters from Prison Break showed up for the spin-off. Instead, the mobile series focuses on a new character named Amber McCall, who is looking for evidence to clear L.J. Burrows’ name.

Prison Break: Proof of Innocence isn’t officially streaming anywhere, but fans have uploaded the complete series to YouTube. While it isn’t essential viewing, it’s still a fun way to spend more time in the Prison Break universe…..if you can stomach the clunky Toyota product placement.

Is the video game Prison Break: The Conspiracy canon?

Prison Break: The Conspiracy is a 2010 video game released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. The game allows you to play as Tom Paxton, an agent of the Company who has been sent to Fox River Penitentiary to spy on Lincoln Burrows. Paxton was an original character created for the game and never appears in the Fox television series.

Prison Break: The Conspiracy is set during the first season of the television series, however, many of the events play out differently. As much, consider this game as an alternate universe. In other words, Prison Break The Conspiracy is not canon.  

Where can I watch Prison Break

You don’t need a commissary account to watch Prison Break, but you will need a Netflix or Hulu account. The prison drama is currently available on both of those streaming services. If you have the Disney+/Hulu bundle, then you can use Disney+ to stream the series as well. Prison Break: The Final Break is included with the rest of the episodes. The television film is split up as two episodes at the end of season 4, ‘The Old Ball and Chain’ and ‘Free.’ Prison Break: Proof of Innocence is not currently available on any streaming services. However, every episode has been uploaded to YouTube.

Please note, Prison Break might wind up on another streaming service if Netflix or Hulu’s streaming agreements expire.