1.01 "Pilot / Fratelli"
Data di trasmissione USA: 29/08/2005
Data di trasmissione ITA: 18/05/2006
Scritto da: Paul Scheuring
Diretto da: Brett Ratner
Show Star: Wentworth Miller (Michael Scofield), Peter Stormare (John Abruzzi), Robin Tunney (Veronica Donovan), Wade Williams (Officer Brian Bellick), Dominic Purcell (Lincoln Burrows), Sarah Wayne Callies (Dr. Sara Tancredi), Amaury Nolasco (Fernando Sucre), Marshall Allman (LJ Burrows)
Recurring Role: Christian Stolte (C.O. #1), Rockmond Dunbar (C-Note), Jessalyn Gilsig (Lisa Burrows), Muse Watson (Charles Westmoreland), Camille Guaty (Maricruz), Stacy Keach (Warden Henry Pope)
Guest Star: Anthony Starke (Sebastian), Jeff Parker (Tsili), Ora Jones (Wendy), Nicolas Iovino (Brian), Cheryl Lynn Bruce (Judge), Phillip Edward Van Lear (C.O. #2), Peggy Roeder (Teller), Danny McCarthy (Special Agent Danny Hale), Rolando Boyce (Cop), Jay Whitaker (Sweatsuit), Philip Rayburn Smith (Adrian Rix), Gianni Russo (Smallhouse), Rich Komenich (Maggio), Dan Maxwell (Cronie #1), David Pacheco (Speaking Prisoner #1), Paul Adelstein (Special Agent Paul Kellerman), Chelcie Ross (Bishop McMorrow), Laura Scott Wade (n/a), Billy Chase (Speaking Prisoner #3), Alan Wilder (Prison Chaplain), Darnell Jackson (Speaking Prisoner #2)

Michael Scofield, un brillante ingegnere edile, è un uomo disperato in una situazione altrettanto disperata: suo fratello, Lincoln Burrows, è stato condannato a morte per l'omicidio del fratello del Vicepresidente degli Stati Uniti e, rinchiuso nel Fox River State Penitentiary, attende rassegnato il giorno dell'esecuzione. Nonostante le prove schiaccianti, Michael è tuttavia convinto dell'innocenza del fratello e non avendo altre possibilità e avvicinandosi ormai il giorno dell'esecuzione, inscena una rapina in una banca di Chicago col solo scopo di farsi incarcerare nella stessa prigione del fratello e far evadere così il fratello. Michael ha infatti partecipato con la sua società, attraverso un sub-appalto, alla ristrutturazione dell'edificio avvenuta solo pochi anni prima e possiede perciò le mappe della prigione. Ma il possesso delle mappe è soltanto il primo tassello di un complesso puzzle per arrivare alla fuga dal carcere... Giunto al Fox River, Michael è costretto a confrontarsi non soltanto con gli altri detenuti, ma anche con le guardie capitanate da Brad Bellick. Per mettere in atto il suo piano, Michael dovrà stringere accordi con i suoi compagni di penitenziario, a cominciare dal mafioso John Abruzzi, capo delle P.I., le Prison Industries. Nel frattempo, all'esterno della prigione, l'ex fidanzata di Lincoln, l'avvocato Veronica Donovan, comincia a nutrire dei dubbi sulla colpevolezza dell'uomo e inizia ad indagare. Quello che sembrava un caso chiuso si rivela tutt'altro...

Note & Curiosità
Le scene relative alla prigione sono girate in un vero penitenziario, la Joliet Prison, a Joliet, Illinois, USA.
La data dell'esecuzione di Lincoln è fissata per l'11 maggio.
Il soprannome di Lincoln in prigione è "Linc the Sink".
La cella dove è rinchiuso Michael è la numero 40.
La Baylor University esiste veramente: è una scuola di legge e si trova a Waco, Texas.
Tra gli articoli affissi alla parete della casa di Michael molti riguardano i personaggi che incontrerà in prigione, come John Abruzzi, D.B. Cooper, la dottoressa Tancredi; si nota inoltre cerchiata la parola 'pugnac'.
Il pugnac è realmente un inibitore dell'insulina ma non è un prodotto da banco.
Le regole del penitenziario sono due: 1. Non ti spetta nulla 2. Rileggiti la regola numero 1.
Welcome to Prisney-land, Fish! dice Sucre a Michael. E' una chiara allusione al parco di divertimenti Disneyland.

In Italia
2.287.000 spettatori - 14.96% di share - contatti 6.914.000 (dati delle repliche non pervenuti)
Note all'edizione italiana: vai alla scheda.

Quotes
Abruzzi (a Michael): Kudos, Fish. You’ve got spine.

Lisa: I figured he (LJ) could use some fatherly advice before it’s...
Lincoln: Gone forever?
Lisa: I didn’t mean that.
Lincoln: I know you didn’t.

Michael (sul modellino del Taj Mahal): The Taj... it would be a shame for the eighth wonder of the modern world to collapse because the stress isn’t properly propagated.

Sucre: Why do you want to see Burrows so bad anyways?
Michael: Because he’s my brother.

Sucre: Man killed the Vice President’s brother. In a month he’s getting the chair, which means no one up this river is more dangerous than him cause he’s got nothin to lose now. What are they going to do? Kill him twice?
Michael: Is there a way I can get to him?
Sucre: The only time those boys get out is for chapel and P.I.
Michael: P.I. What’s that?
Sucre: Prison Industry. The guys that get along get to work painting, scrapping, making mattresses you name it.

Bellick: You talking out the side of your neck?
Michael: Come again?
Bellick: I said are you being a smartass?
Michael: Just tryin to fly low, avoid the radar, boss. Do my time and get out.

Officer: Okay people, step inside the door. Keep the line moving. Let’s go. We ain’t got all day to get this done. Keep it moving. Move it.
Bellick: Name and back number.
Michael: Scofield, Michael. 94941.

Special Agent: You have a habit of answering a question with a question.
Bishop McMorrow: And you have a way of asking questions that beg more questions.

Veronica: I loved him (Lincoln) as much as you did.
Michael: Past tense for you maybe, not me.

LJ: I don’t have a father.
Lisa: It wasn’t an immaculate conception, honey, trust me.

Warden Pope: Son, it’s better for me to owe you one in here than it is for you to owe me one, I can promise you that.
Michael: I take my chances.

Warden Pope: I can’t help wondering what someone with your credentials is doing in a place like this.
Michael: Took a wrong turn a few months back, I guess.
Warden Pope: You make it sound like a traffic infraction, like all you did was turn the wrong way up a one-way street.
Michael: Everyone turns up one sooner or later.

Sucre: No good, Fish. No one gets an audience with the Pope - not unless he’s real interested in what you got going on.

Sucre (sul termine che Michael gli ha suggerito da usare nella lettera per Maricruz): 'Passion', what were you thinking?
Michael: Hey, you went for it.
Sucre: She (Maricruz) probably thinks I went sissy up in here.

Michael (a Lincoln): I’m getting you out of here (prison).
Lincoln: It’s impossible.
Michael: Not if you designed the place, it isn’t.

Dr. Tancredi: I got news for you, Michael. 'Trust me' means absolutely zero inside these walls.

Michael: Wouldn’t think you’d find the daughter of a frontier justice frank working in a prison - as a doctor, no less.
Dr. Tancredi: I believe in being part of the solution, not the problem.
Michael: Be the change you wanna see in the world.

Michael: Maybe you ought to hear what I got to say.
Abruzzi: You got nothing I need.
Michael: Wouldn’t be too sure of that (mette una papera fatta con la carta sul tavolo).
Abruzzi: My mistake - just what I need - a duck.

Sucre: I’m proposing to my girl, if you gotta know.
Michael: In a letter?
Sucre: You got a better way?
Michael: Face to face works pretty good.

Sucre: What’s another word for love?
Michael: What’s the context?
Sucre: Oh, you know... yeah, "I love you so much, I aint ever knockin’ over a liquor store again" context.

Lincoln (a Michael): All I keep thinking, looking back onto this, I was set up. I know whoever it was who set me up wants me in the ground as quickly as possible.

Sucre: I wouldn’t get excited if I were you, Fish. You aint sniffin’ none of P.I..
Michael: Why is that?
Sucre: Cause John Abruzzi runs it.
Michael: "Johnabruzzi" John Abruzzi?
Sucre: "Johnabruzzi" John Abruzzi.

Sucre (a Michael): Welcome to Prisneyland, Fish.

Sucre (a Michael): Suggest you take seat, Fish. Nothing to do up here but serve time - and nobody gonna serve it for you.

Bellick: There isn’t any flying under my radar.
Michael: Good to know.

Bellick: You’re religious man, Scofield?
Michael: Never really thought about it.
Bellick: Good. Because the Ten Commandments don’t mean a box of piss in here.

Giudice: The closest level one facility would be Fox River state penitentiary. As for the term of your sentence, I’m setting it five years. You’ll be eligible for parole in half that time. Sentence to be carried out immediately.

Giudice: Given your lack of prior criminal conduct, I am inclined to a probation. However, the fact that you discharged a deadly weapon during the commission of the crime suggests malice to me. For that reason, I find it in compend that you see the inside of a prison cell, Mr. Scofield.

Veronica: I’ve known you my entire life, you don’t have a violent bone in your body. And I know you didn’t need the money.
Michael: Veronica.
Veronica: Why won’t you let me help you?
Michael: You’ve been good to me - my whole life - you have. But you got to let me deal with this. Okay?

Veronica: You Honor, we’d like to recess if we could, me client’s a bit confused at the moment.
Michael: I’m not Your Honor.
Veronica: He is Your Honor.
Judge: Perhaps you should heed your representations advice; take some time to consider your response.
Michael: I’ve already done that Your Honor.
Judge: I’ll retire to my chambers to determine sentencing. Courts recessed until one thirty.

Bellick: Rarely in a case of armed robbery do we hear a plea of no contest. Are you sure about this, Mr. Scofield?
Michael: I’m sure, Your Honor.

Michael: I’m not playing games. Open it.
Impiegata banca: Sir, you have a half a million dollars cash in your bag, don’t you think it would be better...

Michael (a Lincoln): I’m not here on vacation, trust me.

Lincoln: You’ve seen the blueprints.
Michael: Better than that... I’ve got them on me.
Lincoln: Are you kidding me, am I supposed to see something here?
Michael: Look closer.