Prison Break - Season 3

After escaping from prison in the first season and running from the law in the second, where could the show go next? Back to prison - in Panama! Season three was a bit of a retread, sort of an accelerated remake of the first, except the conditions were worse. Most of the old characters manage to find their way into the situation, some former criminals now helping from the outside and old law enforcement now in jail. The show's running low on good female characters, which can happen when you keep killing them off. I think the actress who played Michael's love interest must have quit, because she didn't even show up to film her death. Luckily, the new snarky evil agent that's in on the conspiracy is female to help balance it. Except I always hate those characters.

While it's a little convenient for them to have to break out of jail again, it's hard to be bothered too much by the contrivance when the show is called Prison Break. It's still entertaining to watch Michael's schemes come to fruition, I'm just not sure how much longer the formula can hold up. Now that they're out of prison again, hopefully they can stay out and the rivalry between them and The Company (ooh!) can actually develop and go somewhere. Serial shows like this have to change to stay good because there's only so many ways you can make running away from something interesting. The third season wasn't worse in a significant way, the story just wasn't compelling since it was a retread of old ground.