The first season was entirely dedicated to Michael Scofield’s ( Wentworth Miller ) meticulously crafted blueprint to break his brother, Lincoln Burrows ( Dominic Purcell ), out of Fox River State Penitentiary. For Season 2, series creator Paul Scheuring famously described the new direction as "The Fugitive times eight," likening it directly to the chaotic second half of the cinematic classic The Great Escape .

Before Mahone’s arrival, Scofield was always the smartest man in any room. Mahone leveled the playing field. As an expert in profiling, he was the first character capable of decoding Michael’s intricate plans and tattoos in real-time. Coupled with his dark dependency on prescription pills and a dark secret involving a buried body in his backyard, Mahone became a fan favorite and a perfect foil to Michael's calculated heroism. Behind-the-Scenes: Relocating the Entire Production

To authentically capture a cross-country manhunt, the production had to make a massive physical move.