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What Can ‘Prison Break’ Season 5 Creators Learn From ‘The X-Files’? [Spoilers]

By Nicholas Kitonyi
Published on: 13:31 PST, May 29, 2016

Prison Break Season 5 is coming to our screens in 2017, in a similar fashion to that which re-introduced The X-Files after 14 years out. Prison Break has already started filming in Vancouver and Morocco and will premiere fall next year on Fox Network.

So, since both shows are produced by the same television network, Fox, and they returned after a long time out what can Prison Break creators learn from The X-Files?

While The X-Files Season 10 started on a high note, and probably ended in a similar fashion after airing Episode 6, there were bits and pieces in the other episodes that clearly failed to match the standards set out in Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 10.

Prison Break Season 5 just had an extended trailer released last week, which showed that Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) who purportedly died during the Final Break finale is still alive and held up in a Yemen prison. It is a miniseries, which means that just like The X-Files it will be a limited edition of the crime drama show.

However, dedicated fans are out to make sure that the show is renewed for more seasons as they look to catch up again with the likes of Theodore Bagwell “T-Bag” (Robert Knepper) and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), among others.

This is the same thing The X-Files super fans were looking for in the show’s Season 10, and since the last episode aired on February 22, there has been significant information pointing towards a renewal. This comes despite the fact that there was a major gap in the storyline between Episodes 2-5, which may have left some fans in an unnecessary cliffhanger.

However, Prison Break is bound to be slightly different in showcasing the lead storyline, especially due to the number of characters that were able to rejoin the show for the miniseries.

For instance, Paul Kellerman (Paul Adelstein), the man who linked Scofield and his team with a non-governmental organization to exchange Scylla for their freedom is set to return. His return could bring some developments with regard to what happened to project Scylla.

But above all, the real driving force behind the show’s success will continue to take center stage as Lincoln and his friends try to break Scofield out of prison.

In The X-Files, the storyline on the investigation of the alien DNA effects seemed to develop for the first two episodes of Season 10 and only resurfaced again in the final episode. This was probably one of the show’s main drawbacks.

From an X-Files superfan, it would appear as though the idea was to get something to fill the gaps between Episodes 2 and 6. While the other episodes were particularly good in their own standing, the idea to create a gap in the storyline in between didn’t do the show any good.

However, the finale episode of The X-Files Season 10 was smashing, and it certainly looks as though there could be room for another season, especially given the way things ended.

In a recent statement, Fox appeared to confirm that everyone including the lead cast of Mulder and Scully are onboard for a reopening of the series. In this case, it would mean a full season and an open window for renewals contrary to the miniseries that aired in January and February.

So, it appears as though, regardless of a topsy-turvy miniseries, which surprisingly had incredible ratings and viewership, The X-Files is set to continue for more seasons.

In light of this, Prison Break‘s creators now know exactly what they need to do to get the show running for more than a single miniseries.

First, they need to have a magnificent start to gain high ratings and attract an audience while in the end; the cliffhanger must be worth a new complete season. But more importantly, Prison Break creators need to keep the storyline fresh in the minds of viewers by letting it run throughout the show, something that The X-Files lacked.

[Image via Fox TV/Cropped and Resized]

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