How is it getting back to this character?
It was an interesting process. I re-watched the earlier seasons, went back to my notes, old scripts and everything I’d written on them. I realised that it’s seven years later, and things change a lot in seven years in a person’s life! When we left Sara, she was neither a wife nor a mother. And she has been both of those things for every minute of the seven years since we’ve seen her. So, at a certain point, I wanted to really let her change, and make sure that she was a different woman — because she has to be.
Can you talk about where Sara is when this series opens?
She went down a very dark hole of grieving. I think it’s probably a hole she wouldn’t have come out of, except that she had a son. At a certain point, she realized that her grief was a luxury her son could not afford. So, she pulled herself together and decided to raise him. She decided that her devotion to her dead husband would be manifested by the love she poured into their son; part of that included trying to give him a stable home. She’s remarried, and it’s not like this is the love of her life.
How did you react when you first heard of the next Prison Break?
I didn’t believe it! It took about a month or two to convince me that they were serious. It was emotional to think about going back into that world.
What’s the dynamic like between Sara and Lincoln now?
I imagine that for years, Lincoln was really the one that helped her with her son, and yet I think eventually, he went off on his own. He found a way of getting himself back into trouble. But I think there’s a lot of love and trust between the two of them.
How much of the show has stayed with you over the years?
The durability of the show has really surprised me. It has never been far from my consciousness, or my experience, because people are always talking to me about it. I have such a huge amount of gratitude to the show, because everything stemmed from that.
Does Prison Break evolving into a cult show up the pressure that you feel coming back?
No, it’s amazing. The fans have given us so much of their loyalty, and their love, and their devotion that I’ve definitely come out wanting to make sure that whatever we create for them for another season deserves that affection.
(Prison Break Season 5 airs at 9 PM every Saturday on Star World and Star World HD)
