Europeangoldfinch.net is a website mentioned in the second season of the American television series Prison Break. The real-life domain name was registered by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation on July 31, 2006. The website launched with a brief FAQ on the European Goldfinch as well as a message board with non-editable threads, where the fictional posters discuss the European Goldfinch.
The site was first mentioned in the sixth episode of the show's second season, "Subdivision", which aired on September 25, 2006. During the episode, Michael Scofield tells Fernando Sucre about the site, which they can use to communicate. Eleven episodes later, in "Wash", Benjamin Miles "C-Note" Franklin uses the website as part of a deal with F.B.I. Special Agent Alexander Mahone.
In the show
In a thread on the website's forum entitled "US Southwest Sighting???", a poster named "FISH 40" posts a message that reads, "Bolshoi Booze 6/4". In the show, a "fish" is a new prisoner at Fox River, while "40" refers to the number of Michael Scofield's cell. The phrase "Bolshoi Booze" became an important part of the plot in episode "Bolshoi Booze". The post was made prior to the broadcast of the episode. Moreover, "6/4" refers to the date June 4th.
After the episode "Bad Blood" was aired, a post by "C-Finch69" was put on the site. It also correlates to C-Note's storyline in "Wash" where he attempts to lure Michael to Agent Mahone. The message reads:Fish: My daughter's sick. I need help.
Any word on the money? --C. Michael replies with the message, "C: Bag has the money. Sorry to hear about your daughter. Good luck."
Mahone later uses the website, pretending to be Sucre, to inform Michael that T-Bag is in Panama City as part of a sting operation with T-Bag himself in "Panama".
European Gold Finches are also primarily kept and bred in captivity around the world because of their distinctive appearance and pleasant song. In earlier times, the Goldfinch was kept as a cagebird for its song. Because of their deliberate escapes from captivity and they have colonized southeastern Australia and New Zealand. This bird symbolism is used to represent the Fox River escapees.
Mistakes
Two threads of messages, which appeared directly after the launch of the website, were dated incorrectly when compared to the timeline of the episodes. The first message made by a poster named "Fish40" was dated in March. Since "Fish40" is referring to the series protagonist, Michael Scofield, a discrepancy arose as the protagonist would not have known that he would be placed in cell 40 until he was incarcerated, which took place in April in the series pilot. The date of the post was later changed to "5/31" - May 31st. In addition to this, a post by KVFinchlover7475 was also put on the website in a thread titled "EGF site update!". The poster explains: "As some of you may have noticed, the dates on the site have been a little wonky.
In "Panama", Michael's cell phone displayed "I'm in. Let me know when you get there.", with Michael's name at the end of the post, which the post on the website does not have.
Character Usernames:
Michael: Fish40
Sucre (Mahone): 3.5Nando
C-Note: C-Finch69
