Michael Scofield

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Michael J. Scofield is a protagonist of the Fox River escape and the main character of the series. When his older brother, Lincoln Burrows, is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, Michael creates an elaborate plan to break him out of prison.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Background 1.2 Planning the Escape 1.3 Season 2 1.4 Season 3 1.5 Season 4 2 See Also 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Background

Born on October 8, 1974, after his father's desertion of the family, Michael Scofield was given his mother's maiden name as his surname. (1x4) Various flashbacks from subsequent episodes provide further information into the relationship between Michael and his brother Lincoln, and the reasons behind Michael's determination in helping Lincoln to escape his death sentence.

When Michael was eleven and Lincoln was fifteen, their mother died of liver cancer. Lincoln became his guardian and took care of him. This became one of Michael's reasons for hatching an escape plan to help his brother. (1x5, 1x16) Having lost both their parents, Lincoln descended into a life of crime while preventing Michael from suffering the same fate.

Michael was a gifted pupil and finished Morton East High School with an impeccable record.^[1] He graduated Magna Cum Laude with Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Loyola University in Chicago. He went on to become a successful structural engineer at the firm of Middleton, Maxwell and Schaum in downtown Chicago. He says that he has no religion, as he had no time to think about it before getting into jail (1x1), although it appears he was raised Catholic, as he goes to confession in New Mexico and tells the priest it is his first confession in a long time. (2x11)

[edit] Planning the Escape

Michael's discovery of his misperception of his brother and his brother's sacrifice for him prompts him to change and help Lincoln. After finding out about Lincoln's $90,000 debt to pay for his education, Michael apologizes to his brother and begins to investigate his case. However, all the evidence points to Lincoln as the murderer of Terrence Steadman. After he cannot help his brother via any legal means and Lincoln's last appeals are denied, Michael decides to take matters into his own hands. Coincidentally, Michael's firm had been responsible for retrofitting Fox River State Penitentiary, the prison where Lincoln is to be incarcerated until his execution. Retrieving the blueprints of the facility, Michael spends a year creating an elaborate plan to break out his brother. (1x16)

Over the course of four months, Michael has specific sections of the prison tattooed onto his upper body by the tattoo artist Syd (1x1), hidden within gothic imagery of battling angels and demons. His chest features an image of a demon slaying an angel and contains blueprints of the prison's underground tunnels and passageways. His back has the angel killing the demon and hides an overhead view of the layout of the prison. His left arm has images of the demons, and the right has images of angels, as well as numerous clues and reminders (e.g. chemical formulae, phone numbers and names of necessary parts he must procure within the prison).^[2] Michael also analyzed every detail of the prison and the people inside he might need to form relationships with in order to manipulate them.

After urging his brother to swear that he is innocent, he paid a visit to Syd, who finished tattooing Michael design onto his body. On that very night he returned to his apartment near the Chicago River and tore off the newspaper clippings and destroyed his computer. In order to get into Fox River, Michael stages a bank robbery, pleads no contest at his trial, and requests that he be sent to the prison nearest to his home. His inmate number is 94941. (1x1)

Season 1

Once there, he needs to recruit a number of people to aid in the escape: his cell mate Fernando Sucre to help him dig, mob henchman John Abruzzi to get him on PI (Prison Industries, the maintenance crew) and provide air transport once they escape, and Charles Westmoreland, who he believes to be D. B. Cooper and can help finance their lives as fugitives with his hidden one and half million dollars (later reveiled to be actually five million dollars). Michael feigns type 1 diabetes, giving him daily access to the infirmary (the escapees' exit point from the prison) and allowing him to build a relationship with Dr. Sara Tancredi , who happens to be the daughter of Governor of Illinois, Frank Tancredi.

Two of Michael's toes are cut off by John Abruzzi, a mafia boss who wants to extract the location of mob informant Otto Fibonacci from Michael. When Michael refuses to divulge the information, he strikes a deal: Abruzzi would supply an escape plane in exchange for Fibonacci's address. In addition to this, a section of Michael's tattoo on his back is burned off as he hides from a guard (1x15), compromising the plan, and eventually landing him in solitary confinement for a period of time, dealing a severe blow to his motivation and morale. These, however, are only a few setbacks he faced in his attempt to break his brother out of prison.

More people join the escape team than Michael had speculated. This, coupled with other obstacles Michael faces, forces him to reformulate the plan time and time again. Michael's cool facade also begins to wear off. Michael's relationships with Warden Pope and Dr. Sara Tancredi deepen over time, but he eventually manipulates both of them to save his brother's life. After asking Sara to leave the infirmary door unlocked and threatening the warden in his office, Michael finally escapes over the walls of Fox River with his brother and other inmates.

[edit] Season 2

In the second season of the series, the story continues to follow Michael, his brother and other escapees as they try to evade the authorities pursuing them. The first three episodes demonstrates again the level of intricacy of Michael's plan. His preparation prior to his incarceration at Fox River becomes useful as Michael leads his brother, Sucre, C-Note and Abruzzi in the season premiere episode to a hidden cache in Oswego and obtains a fresh change of clothes. Furthermore, Michael retrieves a backpack which contained money, a mobile phone, pre-paid phone cards, and fake passports. Unfortunately for Michael, an FBI Agent named Alexander Mahone has realized that Scofield was the mastermind of the operation, and is intrigued by Michael's meticulous intellect. The introduction of this new character becomes Michael's nemesis. In short order, Mahone discovers the meanings of three of his tattoos, and almost catches him at the graveyard when he discovers the meaning of "Ripe Chance Woods".

Later, Michael and Lincoln plan to stage another minor prison-break to liberate L. J. (Marshall Allman) from the Cook County Courthouse before the teenager's hearing for the double murder of Lisa and Adrian Rix. (2x2) Their plan is foiled after Agent Mahone deciphered their code to LJ. In addition, Lincoln takes a bullet which forced them to go the home of Nika Volek. After retrieving their car, Michael and Lincoln set off the explosives that Michael had previously installed in their car in an attempt to fool the authorities that they are dead.

Mahone continues to track Michael's process as he leaves Illinois to go to Utah in order to retrieve Westmoreland's five million dollars. After escaping from Brad Bellick and Roy Geary and leaving Nika on the side of a road (2x4), Michael and Lincoln head to Tooele, Utah to find Westmoreland's money. They are subsequently joined by Tweener, T-Bag, Sucre and C-Note. Michael and Lincoln separates for the first time in the series when Lincoln decides to find L.J. after his sudden release from prison. After some time, Michael, Sucre, T-Bag and C-Note finally locate Westmoreland's money. Although Michael and Sucre had planned to trick their comrades, it is T-Bag who ends up with the money after he fooled them. Michael saves Sucre's life after he falls into the river (2x8) which he repaids in kind when he rescues Michael from the coyote. (2x11)

Aware of Mahone's diligence and knowledge of his plan, Michael makes an ultimatum with Mahone by using the information he found out about Oscar Shales as leverage; if Mahone lets he and his family disappear, he will keep the secret about Shales safe. Despite this, Mahone continues to get closer to Michael as he locates the rendezvous point between him and Sara Tancredi in New Mexico. (2x12) Michael meets up with Sara, who is reluctant to escape to Panama with him. They are found and pursued by Mahone but Michael later traps Mahone inside an abandoned factory. After Sara declined his invitation to Panama, Michael moves forward with his plan, unaware of the fact that Kellerman had captured her.

As his past actions begin to take a toll on him, Michael goes to a church where he makes a confession about his wrongdoings. In his confession, Michael mentions a man who he saw bled to death. (2x11) This relates to a story that Michael later tells. (2x12) In a flashback sequence, it is revealed that this man was his foster father, who was killed by Aldo Burrows, his biological father. Michael reunites with Sucre, Lincoln and his father at the "Bolshoi Booze" location, after a problematic meeting with the coyote. As they head to the location of the escape plane, Aldo attempts to explain to Michael. However, Mahone is able to follow the family and wounds Aldo. Before Aldo died in Michael's arms, he told Lincoln and Michael that he loved them and to find Sara Tancredi who he believes may save Lincoln. Michael and Lincoln decide not to go to Panama and bids Sucre farewell. While attempting to call Sara, their car is hit by Mahone and the brothers are recaptured.

The brothers are apprehended by Border Patrol agents before Mahone can kill them. Later, Paul Kellerman helps them escape by arranging for an escape route (deceiving Kim and Mahone into thinking that he will create an opportunity to kill them without attracting attention), then shooting Mahone and running off with them. Kellerman, Michael, and Lincoln will apparently team up in upcoming episodes to take down President Reynolds, who has ruined each of their lives. (2x13)

Michael and Lincoln are aided in their escape by Paul Kellerman, who turns against "The Company" in an act of self-preservation. Kellerman takes them to Terrence Steadman, the man Lincoln is accused of murdering. Steadman's suicide forces Michael, Lincoln and Kellerman to find Sara since she holds the key to unlocking information that can expose the conspiracy. After Sara joins them, Michael, Lincoln and Kellerman head to Chicago, where Sara's father has hidden the information. On the way, Michael and Sara express their feelings for each other.

With the help of the former Fox River warden Henry Pope, Michael and Sara succeed in getting the USB drive in Frank Tancredi's private locker. After leaving Kellerman behind, Lincoln, Michael and Sara soon found that the recorded conversation on the USB could not be used as evidence due to its modified time-stamp. They decide to blackmail Reynolds instead. When this also fails, Michael and Lincoln are forced to escape to Panama but are forced to leave Sara behind after she is arrested. (2x20) Upon discovering that T-Bag is in Panama City, Michael decides to go and capture him, which he successfully does. However, when Michael returns his boat with Westmoreland's money to find Lincoln missing, he receives a call from Mahone, who demands the boat and the money in exchange for Lincoln's life. Michael outsmarts Mahone and escapes with Lincoln. At his new boat, Michael and Lincoln are reunited with Sara, who tells them that Lincoln has been exonerated after Kellerman's testimony.

Their happiness is short-lived when Agent Kim arrives and threatens to kill Lincoln and take Michael to Sona, which causes Sara to shoot him. As the three flee from the scene with the police pursuing them, Michael and Sara separate from Lincoln and end up surrounded in a small isolated shack. After expressing their love for each other, they leave the shack. Unbeknownst to Sara, Michael confesses to Kim's killing and is arrested in her place. Michael is then imprisoned at the Penitenciaría Federal de Sona (Sona Federal Penitentiary). (2x22)

[edit] Season 3

In the season premiere, Michael witnesses a brutal duel between inmates, the usual manner of settling disputes at Sona. He unintentionally makes an enemy of one of the most influential and powerful inmates at Sona, a drug lord named Lechero. He is soon informed by Lincoln that The Company needs him to break somebody out of Sona (James Whistler), and that they have taken Sara and LJ hostage to ensure his cooperation. He began to look for Whistler, only to find that he has a bounty on his head: whoever kills him can receive exoneration from the mayor of Panama City. As a result, Whistler had gone into hiding in the sewers. He eventually found him and successfully persuade Lechero to remove the bounty on his head.

With seven days to bust Whistler out of prison, Michael tried to take matters into his own hands and uses it to contact Sara and receive a coded message about her location. He relays this information to Linc, who unsuccessfully attempts to rescue Sara and LJ and gets Sara killed as a result. Michael then purposely short out the power, causing Lechero to call on Michael to fix it. Michael restores power to the prison and also manages to restore power to a previously broken electric fence. It is revealed that Michael fixed the fence so that the electricity will superheat a chemical that Sucre (who was hired as the new grave digger) sprays on it, as the heated chemical is able to melt steel.

Michael spies the Sona's guards but is seen by the second one, due to the lens glare. He observed that at 3:13 p.m., there would be a glare which causes one of the guards to look over to the other side. After a small raid takes place, the prisoners are rounded up in the yard. Captain Hurtado questions Michael to the point that he upholsters his pistol and puts it to Michael's head. Whistler manages to intervene on Michael's behalf. With the help of Mahone, Michael concluded that by drugging one of the guard's coffee, they could have that guard. As the escape plan continues Michael finally learns of Sara's death, which has a devastating impact on him. In a moment of weakness he seems to challenge Whistler to a duel death but this reveals this to be only a diversion for the escape. The escape ultimately fails.

When the Company decided to rescue Whistler themselves, Michael foils their plans but he was suspected of such an operation. At the end of the episode he is being escorted out of SONA and is kept in solitary, being interrogated. He evenly relented and told them about Whistler, who then revealed that Gretchen Morgan is in charge of the operation. Later Michael finds out the officers that were with Gretchen have been killed. Michael and Whistler are returned to SONA. It was then when they turned to a new escape plan, with the help of Lechero, and that is through an underground tunnel.

Later in the tunnels with Mahone, Whistler and Lechero, he says they need braces to hold up the escape tunnel. Then, when part of the tunnel is about to fall, Michael puts a little piece of metal in to hold it up. Their escape plan was jeopardized with Sammy taking over SONA prison and investigating their escape, but Sammy was killed after the tunnel fell upon him. It is then revealed that Michael killed Sammy by taking out that little metal piece. McGrady joined the team in the escape. Later Michael, Whistler, Mahone, and McGrady escape from Sona, with Lechero, T-Bag and Bellick caught in the escape.This now marks him as the only member of the Fox River Eight to continuously elude authorities.

Michael successfully tricks Gretchen into giving LJ and Sofia back safely. When a shootout begins out a museum in Panama, Michael grabs the gun from Linc's car and has Gretchen in his sights, but she escapes when police start to shoot at her. Later on outside the hospital, LJ gave him the same origami rose that Michael had given to Sara on her birthday. Fuelled by revenge, he bids farewell to his family as he goes on a solo mission to hunt down Gretchen.

[edit] Season 4

Season 4 starts off approximately three weeks after season 3 with Michael back in LA, waiting to intercept Whistler and Gretchen while they're on a mission. He is about to shoot Gretchen when he finds out that Sara may still be alive. Michael phones Lincoln and asks him what Lincoln actually saw that night in the garage with the head in the box. He also finds out that Sona was burnt down a few days ago and that Sucre, T-bag and Bellick escaped. After that he heads off to a meeting with Mahone & Whistler and finds out Whistler is a freelancer working with the FBI in order to obtain Scylla. Whistler is then assasinated by Wyatt. Michael flees and calls Bruce Bennett wondering if Sara is still alive but is then apprehended by the LAPD.

Michael is taken to FBI headquarters where he meets Donald Self. an FBI agent who was working with Michael's father and Whistler to obtain Scylla. He than tells Michael that in Panama his brother has been arrested and that both of them face major time unless they help him find Scylla. Before Michael can answer him, both of the brothers are bailed out by Bruce. Bruce then takes Lincoln and Michael to a house where they find Sara.

Later on Michael gives back the rose he made for Sara in Fox River. Wyatt locates them and opens fire at Lincoln with Michael and Sara in the house. They all escape, realizing the company will not stop until they're all dead. Michael phones Self and tells him they're in.

Throughout the season Michael was suffering from nose bleeds and passing out. Eventually it's revealed that he has a tumor on his temporal lobe. With help from The Company, Michael has surgery but it is later revealed at the series finale that the tumor was not removed. The Company had only slowed it down. Michael died in November 2005, but beforehand he fathered a son, Michael Jr., with Sara.

[edit] See Also

• Tattoo
• The Escape Plan

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Michael Scofield's biography at Fox.com

Michael Scofield
Family	Aldo Burrows · Christina Scofield · Lincoln Burrows · Nika Volek · L.J. Burrows
Accomplice	Sara Tancredi · Henry Pope · Coyote · Paul Kellerman · Chaco · Dejesus · Cooper Green · Jane Phillips · Derrick Sweeney Terrence Steadman · Syd
Others	Alexander Mahone · Chuck · Pam Mahone · Wayne Merrick · Brad Bellick

Notable inmates in Sona
Escaped	Theodore Bagwell · Brad Bellick · Alexander Mahone · Michael Scofield · James Whistler · Fernando Sucre
Serving	Cheo · Lechero · Tracy McGrady · Papo · Pistachio · Sammy
Deceased	Drug addict · Nieves · Sapo · Wyatt