Actor did a fantastic job aging the character from a brat into a traumatized survivor. You can see the deadness in LJ’s eyes in Season 4—this is a kid who watched his stepdad die, his mom die, his dad nearly executed, and spent months in a Panamanian hellhole.
What do you think? Was LJ a necessary character or a narrative dead weight? Let me know in the comments below. lj in prison break
In the grand scheme of the show, LJ is often dismissed as the typical “annoying TV teenager.” But looking back, his character arc is one of the most tragic—and most mishandled—in the series. Let’s not forget: Without LJ, there is no prison break. Lincoln took the fall for Terrence Steadman’s death to pay off his debts—debts he incurred trying to give LJ a better life. LJ’s strained relationship with his dad is what makes Lincoln a sympathetic figure in the pilot. He’s not just a death row inmate; he’s a father who failed his son. Actor did a fantastic job aging the character
By Season 4, LJ is almost entirely sidelined. He is shipped off to live with an aunt off-screen. The show literally drives him to the airport and waves goodbye. After being the emotional core of the first two seasons, the son is written out with the casualness of a sitcom character moving to college. LJ Burrows is a victim of Prison Break’s escalating absurdity. In a grounded thriller, LJ represents the innocent life our heroes are trying to save. In a convoluted spy-vs-conspiracy soap opera, he is baggage that slows down the car chases. Was LJ a necessary character or a narrative dead weight
Once the crew escapes to Panama, the writers seemed to have no idea what to do with LJ. In Season 3 (Sona), LJ is kidnapped again to force Lincoln into working for The Company. This is where the character fatigue sets in. How many times can we watch LJ get tied to a chair?