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Template:Prison Break character Lincoln Burrows played by Dominic Purcell, is a protagonist of the Fox television series Prison Break. His brother, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) incarcerates himself into prison in order to help Lincoln escape from his death sentence.

After their mother's death, Lincoln became Michael's guardian. Lincoln dropped out of Morgan Park High School during his sophomore year and began his life of crime. Prior to being convicted for the murder of the Vice President's brother, he had been convicted of theft, criminal damage to property, possession of drug paraphernalia, and battery. He and Lisa Rix had a son together, Lincoln Burrows, Jr. (L.J.) (Marshall Allman).

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When Michael was 18, Lincoln borrowed $90,000 to pay for Michael's university education, telling him that it was his half of his mother's life insurance. There really was no life insurance and this money was the start of the events which ultimately led to Lincoln being sentenced to death. This was revealed in the flashback episode, "Brother's Keeper".

Appearance

The plot of Prison Break revolves around Lincoln Burrows' setup for the murder of the vice president's brother and Michael Scofield's plan in helping him escape from his death sentence. As one of the principal characters, Lincoln plays a prominent role in the series and has appeared in every episode so far.

Season 1

Lincoln was accused of murdering the vice president's brother, Terrence Steadman, when a parking garage surveillance video showed him committing the murder. He pled not guilty at the trial, but was convicted on all counts and sentenced to death. He has exhausted all of his appeals and his death date is set for May 11.

The day before the planned escape, Lincoln tried to stall a guard from walking in on the escape route on which the inmates were working, causing him to be locked up in solitary confinement. In "By the Skin and the Teeth", his execution was delayed temporarily when a man, who appeared to be Lincoln and Michael's father, sent documents to a judge. Lincoln's execution was postponed for two weeks, rescheduled to May 26th, giving more time for his brother to reformulate the escape plan.

A week later, his son, L.J. was arrested for the attempted murder of "Owen Kravecki", which was the alias of Agent Kellerman (Paul Adelstein). Surprisingly, he was granted leave to see his son. This was thought to be orchestrated by Kellerman and Vice President Reynolds (Patricia Wettig) as they wanted to eliminate Lincoln as soon as possible. After the prison van crashed, Lincoln's father saved Lincoln from being strangled to death by Kellerman in episode "The Key". Relocated to a car junkyard, Lincoln's father revealed that Lincoln was chosen for the set-up for Terrence Steadman's murder because he had leaked classified information about Ecofield. Hence, in order to capture Lincoln's father, "The Company" put Lincoln on death row to force him out into the open. However, Lincoln's father did not appear until three years after Lincoln's sentence. Disgusted at his father for leaving him when he was young, Lincoln blamed him for Lisa's death, and Michael and LJ's incarcerations. However, when Kellerman discovered their hideout, Lincoln told his father to leave so he would not be discovered. Lincoln then called out to Bellick in order to save his own life.

Recaptured, Lincoln was put into solitary confinement with 24-hour surveillance at Fox River. This further complicated Michael's plan who now only needs the key to the infirmary to complete his escape plan. When Michael was granted permission to visit him, Lincoln told Michael to leave without him since time was running out for the escape team after Bellick discovered the hole. On the night of the escape, Michael forcibly made the Warden transfer Lincoln to the infirmary. Moments later, Lincoln, Michael and a few other inmates made it over the walls of Fox River. They were last seen in the season finale, being chased by the police after the plane they were supposed to use to escape left them behind.

Season 2

Along with his brother and the other escapees in the season premiere, Lincoln successfully evade Brad Bellick (Wade Williams) and his guards. Commandeering an SUV, they travel to Oswego, where Michael had hid a change of clothes in the grave of E. Chance Woods. Michael and Lincoln also had cash and fake passports hidden in a backpack for themselves.

When Veronica (Robin Tunney) telephoned Lincoln to inform him that she'd located the living Terrence Steadman, Lincoln grimly played witness to Veronica's final moments as the agents she thought had come to her aid shot her three times. Lincoln was momentarily stunned by the profound loss, and immediately demanded that he and Michael break L.J. out of the Cook County Courthouse before his son's hearing. Despite Michael's initial protests, the two formulated an impromptu prison-break plan; Lincoln learned the time of the hearing by phoning the courthouse and pretending to be a member of the press, then contacted L.J. by pretending to be the teenager's recently deceased attorney, Nick Savrinn (Frank Grillo). Lincoln and Michael's plan was only narrowly foiled when FBI Special Agent Mahone (William Fichtner) decoded Lincoln's message to L.J. — "on the third, look out for Otis Wright; keep your head up". Unfortunately, Lincoln took a bullet in the leg in the subsequent flight from the police.

Michael takes Lincoln to the apartment of his wife Nika Volek (Holly Valance), and tends to his wound. After Michael recovers his Honda Accord, Lincoln joins Michael on a drive to Route 38 where they elude Mahone by forcing their car off a bridge and a car bomb that detonates when the radio's "scan" feature reaches 103.7 FM.Lincoln refuses to engage in "Rock, Paper, Scissors". After the federal agents reach the scene, they assume Michael and Lincoln to be killed. However, they had been trailed by their old prison nemeses, Bellick and Geary, who by this time had learned of the buried money in Tooele, Utah. The brothers outsmart the two former guards and take their car, which they take to Tooele. They reunite with Tweener (Lane Garrison) and T-Bag (Robert Knepper) in Toole. After they reach the housing subdivision where the money is buried, they are joined by Sucre (Amaury Nolasco) and C-Note (Rockmond Dunbar), and proceed to dig. However, Agent Kellerman, in an attempt to set a trap for Lincoln, arranges for LJ to be released from prison. Lincoln insists on retrieving his son, as he is "out in the open". Michael eventually concedes and gives Lincoln an rendezvous point for him and LJ to rejoin him. Lincoln is able to rescue LJ and escape by paying a man on the street to punch LJ, landing him in a hospital. Lincoln sneaked into the hospital and left with LJ out a window before the "F.B.I." agents realized what was happening.

As Lincoln and L.J. escape and head to the rendezvous point to meet with Michael. They run into trouble as they are spotted by a lady working at a diner. They ditch their car, and decided to catch a train ride. As they are waiting for the train, Lincoln is spotted by the man nearby reading a newspaper. A local police officer comes by and Lincoln and L.J. flee on foot. After a short run, L.J. is hit by a car and Lincoln is taken into custody.

References

1. Lincoln Burrows' biography Fox Broadcasting Company.

External links

• Lincoln Burrows' biography at Fox.com

• Prisoners of Prison Break
• The Fox River Eight
• Fictional people from Illinois
• Fictional fathers
• Fictional thieves