Stephen King Was Obsessed With This Crime Thriller Series On Hulu

This post contains spoilers for "Prison Break."

What film or show comes to mind when someone says "popular prison escape story?" You might think of "The Count of Monte Cristo," a tale that, after all, uses a memorable prison escape as a catalyst for revenge and retribution. However, folks are more likely to mention 1994's "The Shawshank Redemption," an almost operatic tale of corruption and violence that ends on a hopeful, cathartic note. This critically acclaimed film is, of course, based on Stephen King's "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption," one of the author's most compelling realist novellas about perseverance in the face of systemic injustice. With this in mind, it makes sense for King to have an affinity for similar prison break stories, especially ones that approach the same premise from a vastly different angle.

In 2008, King wrote a passionate op-ed about Fox's "Prison Break" for Entertainment Weekly, praising the "bright exteriors, crisp cutting, [and] outrageous action sequences" that contribute to the show's watchable nature. "I love 'Prison Break' madly, deeply, truly," King wrote, gushing over the outlandish, dramatic shenanigans that occur in the first three seasons of the show. However, King cautioned against viewing the whole thing in one go, as the show's convoluted plot points are bound to make your "frakkin' head explode." This is true, as "Prison Break" has never resolved its central conflicts without resorting to mind-numbing theatrics (which arguably worked in favor of the first few prison breaks).

But what happens when there is no prison to break out of? Well, this is when the show's characters are shoved into tangled conspiracies and confusing revenge plots to justify a prison break-in. Once inside, they need to break out of it, of course. And so, the dreaded cycle continues.

That said, a mediocre-at-best crime drama getting the Stephen King stamp of approval holds some weight, and there must be something about "Prison Break" that speaks to the popular consciousness. Let's talk about the near-perfect first season of the show, how everything went downhill since then, and why the final seasons of "Prison Break" completely ran out of steam.

"Prison Break" opens with architect Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) devising a plan to break his brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell) out of prison. There's more to this than good old familial love: Lincoln is actually innocent and has been wrongfully sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. That sounds a bit excessive, doesn't it? Well, Lincoln has been accused of murdering Terrence Steadman (who's played by multiple actors on the show), the brother of the Vice President of the United States. This complicates matters, as security in Fox River State Penitentiary has been significantly beefed up since Lincoln's arrival.

Season 1 has a lot of fun with the tension between Michael's meticulous schemes and the reality of Fox River's intricate security system, paving the path for thrilling, nail-biting sequences that drastically elevate the stakes. Moreover, the fact that Michael is walking around Fox River with the escape plan tattooed on his body is straight-up ludicrous, as is the fact he's able to befriend the right people who can aid his escape.

A lot of things do not make sense here, but it simply does not matter: "Prison Break" succeeds in getting us to suspend our disbelief throughout its first season. Seasons 2 and 3, on the other hand, fumble the smooth pacing of their predecessor, yet still have enough meat on their narrative bones to sustain our interest. This, sadly, brings us to the absolutely abysmal season 4, which makes this once-enjoyably silly show a chore to sit through by robbing its of its amusing unpredictability and unconventional charm.

By the time season 5 rolled out, "Prison Break" had completely strayed from the path that had once allowed it to thrive as the television counterpart to "Fast & Furious" (which is a generous comparison). There is little pleasure to be had in investing in characters who die and come back on a whim, whether that involves them casually shaking off fatal wounds, illnesses, or broken bones. Indeed, the ridiculous, confusing storylines that once made this series good — great even — eventually came to make it seem hacky and formulaic. Tragically, the aftertaste it leaves behind is one of wasted potential.

"Prison Break" is currently available to stream on Hulu.