One of the most addictive first seasons in TV history. If you love intricate heists, cat-and-mouse games, and rooting for anti-heroes, this is essential viewing. Just don't overthink the engineering.

By the back half of the season, the show expanded its scope. The episode count allowed for "bottle episodes" and side plots that fleshed out the supporting cast. We got the tragic romance between Sucre and Maricruz, the political conspiracy involving the Vice President, and the deepening mystery of "D.B. Cooper." The writers used the length to play with audience expectations. Just when you thought they were ready to go, a character would have a crisis of conscience, or a new inmate would discover the hole. The sheer length of the season mimicked the feeling of a long sentence—every day was a struggle to survive.