Prison Breakbecame famous for its twists and turns, but the show’s biggest twist of all changed nothing after it was saved for the final season.Prison Break’s main characterswere a mix of villains, protagonists, and antiheroes, whose uneasy relationships with each other gave the show most of its tension. The titular prison break refers to the show’s central plot, in which Michael Scofield attempts to break his brother, Lincoln Burrows, out of prison after he is framed for murder. The brothers might not always see eye to eye, but their instinct to protect each other never wavers.

Prison Breakbecame a totally different show after season 1, seeming more like a tense police procedural drama with a sci-fi twist.Prison Breakbecame more far-fetched over time, and this storytelling strategy was not always well-received by reviewers. Still, the show was rarely boring, and themost unexpected things to happen inPrison Breakoften changed the relationships between the characters for good. That said,Prison Break’s biggest twist had no effect on the characters involved at all, making it an unusual plot choice, especially considering it took place so late in the show’s run.

Roland Glenn and the other guys using a laptop in prison break

Prison Break Season 4 Revealed Michael And Lincoln Were Not Biological Brothers

It Is Possible That Prison Break’s Christina Scofield Was Lying

InPrison Break’s season 4 episode, “S.O.B.,“Christina Rose Scofield tells Michael that he and Lincoln are not biological brothers. When Michael captures her, Christina stalls for time by telling Michael that she and Aldo adopted Lincoln when he was three. According to Christina, Lincoln’s parents wereagents of The Company, and after they were killed in an explosion, there was nowhere else for the orphaned Lincoln to go except home with her and Aldo. She claims that Michael has “always known” deep down that they are not biological brothers, but this may not be the case.

A twist inPrison Breakreveals Christina to be alive after her sons believed her to be long dead, revealing her to be capable of extreme manipulation.

Alexander Mahone in Prison Break

In Christina’s first scene, she is on the phone with Lincoln, and after she hangs up, she tells her bodyguard, “that was my son.” The line was written to reveal that Christina was alive, but it also makes it possible that she was lying about Lincoln’s parentage.Christina spent most of her limited time inPrison Breaktrying to manipulate Michael and Lincoln, and it is likely that nothing she says could be trusted. While she was trying to use this new information to break Michael’s loyalty to Lincoln, it had the opposite effect.

Lincoln Being Adopted Changed Nothing About His Relationship With Michael

Even Prison Break’s Writers Have Kept The Truth Ambiguous

The relationship between the brothers has contributed to some ofPrison Break’s most tragic scenes, with one brother often hiding information to protect the other. That said, even if it is true that Lincoln was adopted, their relationship has always been brotherly, and the revelation changed nothing. It did not even givePrison Breakan extra moment of dramatic tension, with Michael telling Christina, “Lincoln was more of a brother to me than you were ever a mother. You left, he stayed.” This shallow twist shows howPrison Breaklost its way, resorting to shock tactics to keep viewers' interest.

Prison Break’s Biggest Twist Is Even More Surprising After This Character’s Actions In Season 2

Alex Mahone is one of Prison Break’s most popular characters, but he was the main antagonist in season 2, which made his change of heart surprising.

One of theharsh realities of rewatchingPrison Breakis knowing that some questions are unlikely to get a definitive answer. One of these is Lincoln’s parentage.The episode’s audio commentary featuredPrison Break’s writers, producer, and Lincoln actor Dominic Purcell. During the commentary, they discussed the twist, with writer Karyn Usher saying that she had intended Christina’s bombshell to be another of her lies. Still, Michael and Lincoln are not told the truth in the show, leavingPrison Break’s viewers unaware that the two may be biological brothers after all, though this makes no difference to them.

Prison Break TV Series Poster