Michael meets a dying inmate known as "Old Head" (West Nile virus) who once escaped from Fox River. He gives Michael cryptic advice about the timing of guard rotations. This episode is slower but crucial for the mental game. Air Date: October 31, 2005

If you have never seen Prison Break , start with Episode 1. Do not skip anything. By the time you finish you will understand why millions of viewers spent their Wednesday nights on the edge of their seats.

A flashback-heavy episode that explains the events leading up to the pilot. We see Michael designing the prison for his former employer, meeting Sara for the first time, and getting the tattoo. We also see Lincoln’s final days before his arrest. It is the emotional backbone of the entire season. Air Date: April 17, 2006

A: 100% yes. Everything—the characters, the conspiracies, the relationships—originates in Season 1.

A two-part episode widely considered the season’s first major peak. A prison riot erupts, trapping Sara in the infirmary. Michael has to choose between his escape plan and saving her. He saves her, deepening their bond and delaying his timeline. The riot also allows T-Bag to show his vicious side, and Lincoln has a near-death experience. Air Date: October 24, 2005

Michael gets transferred to the psych ward ("J-Cat" stands for "psychiatric patient") to access a specific door. He must pretend to be insane while dealing with a terrifying inmate named Haywire (Silas Weir Mitchell), who sees the truth in Michael’s tattoo. Air Date: April 24, 2006

Abruzzi, who was stabbed in a previous episode, returns to the prison and immediately wants revenge on T-Bag. Michael plays a dangerous game of bluffing to keep the group from killing each other. The escape is just hours away. Air Date: May 1, 2006