The essential episodes of Prison Break

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Prison Break — each pick states its reason.

1. 01

   S01E01 · Pilot · August 29, 2005 · 1h

   Pilot8.1

   Lincoln Burrows is currently on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for an assassination his younger brother Michael is convinced he did not commit. With no other options and time winding down, Michael takes drastic measures to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary. Once he's inside, Michael - a structural engineer with the blueprints for the prison - begins to execute an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove him innocent. When Michael arrives at Fox River State Penitentiary, he meets the prison denizens who will, unknowingly, help in his escape plans - his cellmate, the lovelorn Sucre; beautiful prison doctor Dr. Sara Tancredi, who happens to be the governor's daughter; former mob boss John Abruzzi; and Warden Henry Pope. Meanwhile, outside the prison walls, the brothers' childhood friend and Lincoln's lost love, attorney Veronica Donovan, works within the law to free them; Lincoln's teenage son LJ may be going down a path similar to his convicted father's; and Secret Service Agent Paul Kellerman's investigation into Lincoln's case proves that there may be a national conspiracy.

2. 02

   S01E06 · Top rated · September 26, 2005 · 1h

   Riots, Drills and the Devil (1)8.3

   Michael turns up the heat to break through to the other side (of his cell wall). Unbeknownst to Lincoln, outside forces plan to move up his execution day. Veronica and Nick track a lead to Washington, DC. A full scale riot in the prison threatens the lives of inmates and employees alike and gives T-Bag an opportunity to uncover a startling secret.

3. 03

   S01E07 · Top rated · October 3, 2005 · 1h

   Riots, Drills and the Devil (2)8.4

   As the full-scale riot escalates, Michael faces a difficult decision regarding the life of Dr. Sara; Abruzzi and Sucre team up to break the devil's back; T-Bag tastes blood in his quest to be included in the escape plan; Lincoln has a potentially fatal confrontation; and Veronica and Nick track a lead to Washington, DC.

4. 04

   S01E08 · Top rated · October 24, 2005 · 1h

   The Old Head8.3

   Michael's plan hits a snag when he discovers an old storage shed crucial to the escape has been turned into the guard's break room. Veronica and Nick get an explosive warning to back off their investigation to prove Lincoln's innocence; LJ goes on the run; the conspiracy claims three more lives; the identity of the mystery woman calling the shots is revealed.

5. 05

   S01E12 · Top rated · November 21, 2005 · 1h

   Odd Man Out8.3

   With proof that his escape plan is working, Michael gets suited up to overcome the vertical limits of his last obstacle. Back in PI, as the escape attempt draws near, the group tries to reduce their number by one and targets T-Bag, who has some insurance in his pocket. Outside the prison walls, LJ slips away to attend his mother's funeral, which is also attended by her murderer. Veronica gets a call from an unlikely source who sheds light on the night of Terrence Steadman's assassination.

6. 06

   S01E14 · Top rated · March 20, 2006 · 1h

   The Rat8.3

   With the escape attempt a failure, the inmates must make their way back to their cells without being detected. Dr. Sara asks the Governor for fatherly forgiveness; Veronica and Nick make a final plea to the judge overseeing Lincoln's case; and with only hours until Lincoln's execution, Michael devises an electrifying plan to keep him alive.

7. 07

   S01E19 · Top rated · April 24, 2006 · 1h

   The Key8.3

   The mystery man reveals himself to Lincoln as well as his connection to some bad company; when Michael realizes Sara holds the key to the escape plan, he takes their relationship to another level; Fox River turns into a mob scene when a familiar face returns; Tweener must choose sides; and Bellick may finally discover the "hole" truth.

8. 08

   S01E20 · Top rated · May 1, 2006 · 1h

   Tonight8.6

   Westmoreland uses Bellick to plug a hole in the escape plan, which forces Michael to move up the breakout timetable. A fearful Tweener pledges his loyalty to Michael and in return may get out of jail for free; Michael feels that he has no choice but to involve Sara in the plan and must betray his father figure; and Veronica finds her life in jeopardy from her closest ally, who has a surprising connection to a Fox River inmate.

9. 09

   S01E21 · Season 1 peak · May 8, 2006 · 1h

   Go8.7

   Dr. Sara questions if she should leave a light on and the door open for Michael, who must betray the Pope in order to carry out his escape plan. Veronica finds evidence that points her to Montana, but realizes that her closest ally may actually be her greatest enemy. Michael, Lincoln and the other inmates make a break for it, but after the alarm is sounded, find out who will make it over the wall, who will be left behind and who will leave the prison in a body bag.

10. 10

    S01E22 · Top rated · May 15, 2006 · 1h

    Flight8.3

    With the escape in motion, Michael, Lincoln and the inmates take flight outside the prison walls, risking life and limb to evade capture. Warden Pope and Captain Bellick embark on a relentless pursuit to capture the escapees; the Vice President fears she will lose her command as well as her life; and Veronica tracks down the most significant piece of evidence to prove Lincoln's innocence.

11. 11

    S02E01 · Season 2 peak · August 21, 2006 · 1h

    Manhunt8.4

    Picking up eight hours after their escape from Fox River, Michael, Lincoln, Sucre, Abruzzi and C-Note are on the run for their lives as a vengeful Bellick leads the prison guards seeking to capture their escaped quarry; Dr. Sara is in critical condition from her overdose; Veronica finds herself a prisoner with Terrance; T-Bag tries to get the upper hand while fleeing from the authorities; and a new take-charge FBI investigator proves to be Scofield's match.

12. 12

    S03E01 · Season 3 peak · September 17, 2007 · 1h

    Orientación7.7

    The season opener finds Michael Scofield in Sona, a hellish and deadly Panamanian prison where a previous riot has forced all authority out and has left the prisoners in charge of their own lives (and deaths). With the fate of his loved ones hanging in the balance, Michael must to find Whistler, a mysterious fellow inmate hiding within the prison's sewer system, in order to break him out from a prison from which there is no way out. Meanwhile, Lincoln searches for a missing Sara and receives troubling news about LJ on "Orientacion."

13. 13

    S04E11 · Season 4 peak · November 17, 2008 · 1h

    Quiet Riot7.8

    Michael races against time and his ailing health to break into the Company headquarters to steal Scylla, but the break-in's success lies with Sucre. Gretchen dresses up for a meeting with the General and one final attempt to get the last card key. T-Bag must make a decision to leave his criminal ways for good.

14. 14

    S05E01 · Season 5 peak · April 4, 2017 · 1h

    Ogygia7.5

    In the season premiere clues surface that suggest a previously thought-to-be-dead Michael may be alive. Lincoln and Sara, Michael's wife until he was presumed dead, reunite to engineer the series' biggest escape ever, as three of Fox River State Penitentiary's most notorious escapees, Sucre, T-Bag and C-Note, are pulled back into the action.

15. 15

    S05E09 · Series finale · May 30, 2017 · 1h

    Behind the Eyes7.1

    Dangerous threats keep Michael and Lincoln fighting to protect Sara and Mike. Meanwhile, Poseidon continues to try and outsmart Michael and the rest of the gang, which leads them to the ultimate showdown, and not everyone makes it out alive.