WARNING: Stop reading if you have not watched the series finale of Prison Break. I mean it. Everyone else, onward and downward…
I know. Since Prison Break concluded its four-year run tonight by sending its chiseled protagonist to the big slammer in the sky, you’re grieving. You want answers. You want justice. You want someone to pay.
Would you settle for answers?
‘Cause that’s all I’ve got. But at least there are a lot of ‘em, straight from executive producer Matt Olmstead. Read ‘em and… oh, I see. You’re already weeping. Well, read ‘em, anyway. Maybe it’ll help.
Why’d you have to kill him?!
MATT OLMSTEAD: It started as a discussion with Wentwoth [Miller] around Season 2. He brought up a good point: His character’s hands are as dirty as anyone’s. If you look at the initial act that he committed — robbing a bank to get into prison to break his brother out — there were ramifications to that; a lot of people got hurt. Not by them, but when they rattled the cage of the company that was after them, the body count started to pile out. And Michael was aware of this. And we’ve addressed his guilt throughout the show. But at a certain point, it felt nobler to have the character die so that others could live. It just felt a little weird for us to have Michael and Sara holding hands on the beach walking away — though that would be gratifying in the moment. Knowing that there was pretty much a scorched path behind them in terms of what happened, [having him die] balanced the books for us. He also paid the ultimate sacrifice and, in doing so, everyone else close to him was able to live, including his child.
Michael-Sara fans will argue that they deserved a happy ending
after watching these two go to hell and back for four seasons. What
would you say to them?
OLMSTEAD: For me, it is a happy ending. Look at the very first
episode of the season when Michael realizes Sara’s alive. They have a
chance to run away, and they both elect not to because, as two
people of conscience, they can’t live with what they both now have
experienced. And at the end of the finale, when they’re on the beach and talking about the baby that’s coming, that’s a huge victory in
that they both stood their ground and, with the help of other people,
brought down the ultimate antagonist. So they have their moment.
Can we assume that we’ll learn more about the ultimate sacrifice
Michael made in the two-hour direct-to-DVD prequel movie [due July 28]?
OLMSTEAD: Yes, it dramatizes what happened to Michael. The nose bleed
that reared its ugly head at the end of [tonight's finale] was a factor
in his ultimate demise in that he knew that he probably didn’t have
that long to live, but it wasn’t the sole factor. It informed certain
decisions that lead to his demise.
The two-hour movie picks up right after the finale, right?
OLMSTEAD: Yeah, it takes place fairly soon after they’re exonerated.
What’s the premise?
OLMSTEAD: Sara is on the hook for [killing] Michael’s mother and she
gets locked up while pregnant. The tables are turned… once a doctor in
prison now imprisoned, and Michael’s on the outside. The majority of
the cast is back. It’s Michael, Lincoln, Sara, Sucre, T-Bag, Mahone… all the heavy-hitters.
Seeing Paul Adelstein back as Kellerman was a nice surprise. How’d that come about?
OLMSTEAD: We reached out to Paul and pitched him the idea of what
his character would be doing, and he liked it very much. And then I
told him that we would be jumping ahead four years to show where all
the characters are, and I asked him where he would want [Kellerman] to
be; he was included in the [creative process]. We traded
a lot of e-mails and the ideas ran the gamut. We ultimately arrived at
what it was, which is he rose to a position of power, but that the
widow of his [former] partner that he killed revisits him. In the scene
I wrote, she spits on his shoes. [On the day of shooting], I got a call
from the director, Kevin Hooks, and he said, "Paul’s here, and he [thinks] she would
spit in his face." And I said, "Have at it." So she spit in his face.
And then he’s in the limo afterward and you can see that private
moment where [he realizes] he can never outrun his past. That’s one of
my favorite sequences in the flash-forward. He played the self-loathing
and regret beautifully.
Did you encounter any problems getting ABC to loan him to you since he’s now on Private Practice?
OLMSTEAD: Everybody was very accommodating, and I think it all stems
from a universal goodwill towards Paul as a person. He’s a really good
guy and people wanted to do him a favor. And we were able to get all
his scenes done in one day.
Was there anyone you wanted to get back for the finale and couldn’t?
OLMSTEAD: The only person we couldn’t get was Marshall Allman, who
played Lincoln’s son. We would have loved to have gotten him.
Looking back on the four seasons, anything you would have done differently?
OLMSTEAD: I don’t have a whole lot of regrets. [Another journalist]
wrote that we left it all out on the field by the end of the series,
and I feel the same way. Every story was exhausted. Every creative
juice wrung out. It was a completely worthwhile experience, and I know
the other writers [agree]. It was a difficult show to pull
off, and we did it.
Comments (1-30) of 506 Add your comment
WTF, Sara and Michael together was the way it should have ended. The guy deserved a happy ever after ending. Big time BS. Not a happy fan…
BS response to a BS ending. Thanks for nothing.
Wondering why did his tombstone read 1974-2005?
Ending was perfectly fit to the series. He paid the ultimate price so that everyone around him would be safe. He always knew it would probably end that way.
There was no need to kill him off. All we knew, he was cured from his condition after the surgery by the Company.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/15/upfront-preview-fox-still-has-some-bones-to-pick-plus-new-shows/
My biggest question is did he at least get to see his kid before he died.
I hate that he died…I guess I will the rest of my answers in July.
i dont think he got to see his kid because his tombstone reads he lived to just over 31 years and lincoln mentions him just turning 31 to sarah when theyre in vegas. so im guessin he died about a month after the series ended.
I hope he waited to at least for his son to be born before he killed himself (which I got from this interview, not the finale). But if I am following the dates correctly…he didn’t.
This is absolutely the worst idea the writers ever had. Way to completely ruin a wonderful 4 year run. This endind makes me never want to watch the show again, let alone buy the “movie” or any season dvds. This has got to be one of, if not *the* worst ending to a show I have ever seen.
I’m also wondering about the date on the tombstone…
Such a slap in the face to every fan that has invested in this show & supported it all of these years. Thanks for nothing.
Crystal
His tombstone would say 2005 because the show doesn’t run in real time. Everything that happened happened in the length of like a year.
less it all happened in like 4 months at most because in the 4th season they talk about fox river and i think its michael that mentions 3 months have passed im not sure if it was him but yea, everything happened in about 3-4 months.
I got awfully tired of the show by the third season and haven’t watched many of the eps of s4. But I did tune in tonight. I thought they ended it as best they could. Michael’s death was sad, but I can see why the producers made that decision.
I noticed about his death being in 2005 as well. Are they telling us that the events of the whole series were over just a few months? The show began in 2005.
Head hurts. No need to think about it any more.
Bev
It ended perfectly, bravo… Thanks for the article Auss
I think the timeline of the show is around 4 months. So this means that Michael never got to see his son either.
If you ask me, this ending was just the writer’s way of squeezing a few more dollars out of a cancelled show. If they hadn’t done something drastic like kill off THE MAIN CHARACTER, there would be no premise for a 2 hour movie prequal, available for SALE on dvd.
That’s pretty low, Matt Olmstead…
It said 2005 cause that’s obviously when he died
The grave scene was four years later, not his death. The series only took place over a few month period and began in 2004. According to the article we should be finding out how he dies
I liked how the story ended.More to the point I am glad Mahone and Sucre(probabaly my favorite next to Micheal ) both had happy endings.I see how Micheal dying works but it still is heartbreaking.
I would have liked the General to have had a different ending.Locked up in prison with T-bag leading him around by the pocket.Though the ending they gave him was satisfying as well as Kellerman’sAlso I would ahve liked to see the sexy and dangerous gretchen one more time
Michael’s death was a nice surprise to an otherwise too conventional happy ending, but even if he lived, I’m fine with that. The characters, for all the hell they went through, deserved their well earned peace. Coming from a fan that lost interest almost completely since season four began, that was an excellent way to end the show.
P.S. What’s the song being played during the four year time jump?
Prison Break is a fantastic show and I am sad to see it go. I overall liked the last episode, but I dont think Michael should have died at the end. I am sad by this ending and feel there could have been a better way to end this series.
Speaking on what Deano said, what happened to Gretchen? I’m assuming she didn’t die from your response…
Gretchen is probably in jail.
If gretchen is in jail then thats really bad to hear about
We all new from Episode 1 of Season 1 that this show could not last forever. It has had high moments and low moments throughout the last four years. Nothing could have ever topped Season 1, but in my opinion tonights episode did all that it could to each character and each story line. Michael gave all that he could (including his life) so that those he loved could have a chance at ‘a happy ending’. Little Michael has a large family that will love him and keep him safe. I almost don’t want to know what happened in those missing four years. Almost. Thanks to everyone in the cast and crew for bringing this story into our livingrooms. It will always be one of my favorites.
I have enough grief in my regular life; I had truly hoped for a happy ending, not a “happy” ending. I just wanted a satisfying resolution for two characters who have been through so much to be together.
After 4 years of fighting and running why would you kill Michael with cancer? All he, Lincoln and Sara wanted was just to be TOGETHER and free one day. Are you kidding me by saying that they didn’t deserve that? If not for the great characters, what about the faithful fans? It’s depressing enough in times like these…and then my favorite tv show goes and kills the main character for no reason!! It’s the last episode and Michael’s death does nothing for the storyline…Just let the man have a happy ending!! It’s over, but still think this was the wrong decision. It almost feels like it was a waste of 4 years…thanks.
Prison Break was an awesome show and it is sad to see it go. It ended differently than I had expected to, but that’s the magic of Hollywood. Well done.
why was michael nose bleeding and his tombstone say 1974 to 2005 but i love prison break so the show should never end
I am more shocked that Prison Break is over than how it ended. I can’t believe it’s over!!! But with Michael dead now there’s no way it can come back!!!!
Not impressed with Michael’s death. Although Mike and Sarah had their happy “moment”, it was not enough to put it all in equilibrium to a sufficient level.
I agree, he couldn’t just walk away with the death count on his conscience, but did he really have to die?
Guess we’ll see the details in July…
absolutely beautiful! The ending was great. Sure Michael dying is sad, but its fitting. Im left speechless. A great ending to one of my favorite shows of all time. I can’t wait for the DVD.
I disagree with the ending written for Michael. The flash forward could have done a recount for years and decades to show him and Sara living a full life. Or, he could have become an agent or something to better honor the mastermind his character is. It’s just my opinion, but I refuse to believe this finale was the most creative and fair to the story as well as the fans.