Who says the third time’s a charm?

At 7.9 million viewers, Monday night’s premiere of Prison Break was a ratings dud.  Season Three’s opener was down approximately 2 million as compared to last year.  Even reruns of How I Met Your Mother and The New Adventures of Old Christine fared better in the same time slot last night.  Unfortunately, this slow start doesn’t bode well for the rest of Prison’s season.  Come next Monday, the inmates will be facing stiff competition from Dancing With The Stars and a new episode of Mother.

But should the execs at Fox really be surprised by the low turnout?  I think it’s safe to say they underestimated the fans who wanted more than rehash.  This time it’s Lincoln trying to save Michael?  What a twist!  Half the cast is locked up in the same prison?  Convenient!  Pretty boy Michael Scofield hasn’t been turned into someone’s b**** in that hellish Panamanian prison? C’mon!!!!  Does anyone honestly believe he could survive with that steely glare alone?  I was already miffed when I heard Dr. Sara Tancredi would be absent from the show; last night’s lackluster episode has just compounded my disappointment.

Granted, this show has never been based on plausibility…but it was once based on creativity.  Just knowing the series could be extended for another two or three years is already tiring me out.  And since the writers are constrained by the show’s title—who will eventually end up in prison next?  Lincoln’s son?