'Alcatraz' - 'Pilot/Ernest Cobb': We have to go back!
What did everybody think of FOX's new J.J. Abrams drama?
Sarah Jones and Sam Neill in "Alcatraz."
I posted my review of FOX's "Alcatraz" this morning. Now it's your turn. On the J.J. Abrams continuum (whether or not you want to include non-sci-fi stuff like "Felicity" and/or stuff he was only tangentially involved in like "Six Degrees" and "What About Brian?"), where does this rank? Were you engaged by the two cases investigated by the team? Happy to see Jorge Garcia playing such a Hurley-esque character? Is Sarah Jones a compelling lead? Did the final moment of the second episode excite you or make you shrug?
Have at it. As I said in the review, I imagine I'll check back later in the season to see if it's gotten any less formulaic.
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January 16, 2012 at 11:29PM EST Reply to CommentIntriguing
Alex T.
January 16, 2012 at 11:32PM EST Reply to CommentI was really expecting worse. Probably the biggest weakness is the dialogue which made me laugh hysterically at times, and it wasn't supposed to.
Nevadasmith
January 16, 2012 at 11:39PM EST Reply to CommentSarah Jones has potential and is very very easy on the eyes
Hwat She has potential to look like a 16 year old boy.
January 17, 2012 at 8:21PM ESTRyanfromCT
January 16, 2012 at 11:44PM EST Reply to CommentI am in on this show for now...listening to Jorge Garcia talk over sad piano and violins seemed to work for a while last time out...
Dave
January 16, 2012 at 11:48PM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed it. We don't watch much police procedural in our house, so we easily get sucked into the occasional Castle episode. It has a convenient time slot for us, so we may stick with it for a few more weeks. I gave similar sentiments as Alan to my wife: I hope they just dive in from the get go and let the show be awesome from the start, but judging by Abrams' comments, that's not the case. Either way, I feel similar feelings as with Person of Interest: intriguing enough to try to watch, but it's not appointment TV (currently only Chuck and Fringe in our house).
Though I must say, hearing Michael Giacchino's music on TV again made me very happy (along with the Lostian sound effects... I didn't watch Alias, so apologies if they're actually Aliasian).
Sadie bell
January 17, 2012 at 12:08AM EST Reply to CommentPromising, or atleast intriguing. I wish the time travelling inmate would've seemed more disoriented, but it is not like they are going for believability...though the best sci-fi makes you think it is possible.
Julius
January 17, 2012 at 12:19AM EST Reply to CommentThe show was generic jj Abrams. How dare they waste Same Neill.
RWGibson13 I dunno. I think he was plenty creepy here, with the promise of more to come. When he shot the sniper convict in the hand with the whole "No more shooting," line, I was nodding along with probably half of the viewing audience...
January 17, 2012 at 2:25AM ESTRWG (not always easy to create a character who walks that kind of line)
ChampSkins
January 17, 2012 at 1:11AM EST Reply to CommentI liked it... Very much like Fringe was in the first few episodes, and while it seems to be pretty formulaic, there is definitely a much larger arc that once they learn to explore it, ala Fringe, then it will be much better. I am hooked, and will definitely be watching.
All things considered, much bigger upgrade over the show that was on at the same time in the fall... cough cough, terra nova.
Bob
January 17, 2012 at 2:07AM EST Reply to CommentHonestly, it's Time Trax with the convicts going into the future instead of the past. Sam Neil is doing this weird thing where he's channeling his best Gregory Itzin.
RWGibson13
January 17, 2012 at 2:19AM EST Reply to CommentCaught a bit of the first two episodes tonight and...well, I like the lead character here from the outset more than I liked the gal from "Fringe." Dunno exactly why, though.
But that second episode... "The Warden" was absolutely the best thing about it. If nothing else, I might stick around to sample future episodes just because of that character, the actor, and visions of what they might eventually do with him. The combination of character and actor bring back fond memories of the early appearances of "The Cigarette-Smoking Man" and John Locke.
RWG (a thoroughly creepy - in the best sort of way - individual)
BigTed
January 17, 2012 at 4:21AM EST Reply to CommentGarcia seems oddly subdued -- it seems like they tried to pep up his character by making him the unlikely combination of comic-store owner in addition to Alcatraz historian, but his natural humor just kind of disappears beneath the ponderousness and violence. (Plus, sad to say, one of the least realistic aspects of this show is that he could be running all over the city with a 25-year-old policewoman without getting out of breath. (For example, how exactly did he get to the shooter's hilltop perch from the carnival?)
Jack
January 17, 2012 at 8:27AM EST Reply to CommentLet's all just call it Fringe-atraz.
kronicfatigue
January 17, 2012 at 8:54AM EST Reply to CommentIt was good enough (or rather, not bad enough) where I find it perfectly "watchable". But this is from a guy who still hasn't had the guts to delete Grimm off his season pass. I hope this show is less about trying to figure out what's going on, and rather dealing with what's going on. In other words, if the blonde hasn't grabbed the head guy by episode four and said "okay, seriously, tell me everything you know, b/c this is weird", then I won't find it realistic. I thought the first inmate was going to have a protagonist feel to him, but killing two cops like that is pretty unrecoverable.
Jenny
January 17, 2012 at 9:38AM EST Reply to CommentWhile many shows employ plot armor (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotArmor) as a necessary evil, it was especially obvious here and clumsily executed. The sniper takes out everyone with single kill shots, except for the cast member, who just goes into an obviously temporary coma.
It was unnecessarily awkward, as it could have been explained by her getting pushed mostly out of harm's way in the split second before the shot. But as filmed, it didn't go down like that. Stuff like this pulls me out of my suspension of disbelief.
Matt from Raleigh
January 17, 2012 at 9:43AM EST Reply to CommentIt wasn't bad and better than Terra Nova.
Sam Neill was definitely terrific slumming for US television and will get me to come back next week. Hurley (and yes that's what I'm going to call him) played Hurley fine.
Unlike others I found Sarah Jones weak in this role. It may have just been scripts but I thought she was overshadowed by the series regulars.
And also have I had a weird character/plot point flashback to Crossing Jordan with Robert Forester as Ken Howard and Sarah Jones as Jill Hennessy.
Anyway, I'll tune in next week.
Brooksy
January 17, 2012 at 11:00AM EST Reply to CommentOK, so this is Fringe-atraz. Just 3 comments: female characters can't carry TV action series w/out a lot of gimmicks, because the males who like to watch action series don't identify with female leads; mundane murdering murderers on the loose isn't going to be interesting week in and week out, time-travel or no time-travel; and I'm distracted by worrying about Jorge Garcia, who seems like a really nice guy, dying young from a fatal heart attack like John Candy.
GarySF
January 17, 2012 at 11:10AM EST Reply to CommentAs with Am Horror Story, I found Alcatraz much better and more engaging then I expected based on your review. There were ample flashback to illuminate each convict's story and motives, and the present day stuff was interesting enough. My wife, a big fan of police procedurals, certainly liked the investigations, and we both enjoyed the thread of mystery. Garcia being Hurley-esque is always welcome in my book, and I liked that Sam Neill's character wasn't painted as an over-the-top villain (at least with respect to the other law enforcement characters). Also was pleasantly surprised to see Jack's character from the pilot carry into the 2nd episode, which gave me hope that this won't be strictly an escapee-of-the-week format. It's no Lost, but looking forward to seeing the mystery slowly revealed.
Prettok It's going to get crazy if the cast keeps increasing by 1 after every episode.
January 17, 2012 at 4:12PM ESTGarySF This series life expectancy is 300 episodes, tops, assuming one escapee per week. Of course, some of them might be working together, so realistically we're looking at 260 episodes or so.
January 18, 2012 at 11:59PM ESTNick
January 17, 2012 at 11:26AM EST Reply to CommentThat was just incredibly boring to me. The one thing which has me willing to come back for a third is the surprise at the end of the second. Question now is will they do anything with it? Otherwise, this is not worth my time. Maybe I'll check in during the last few minutes of each installment, as that seems the only time anything with intrigue or of real consequence will occur.
maggie
January 17, 2012 at 11:27AM EST Reply to CommentCriminal waste of Robert Forster (my favorite Old Man Crush). One dinky scene in 1st ep, and then nothing at all in the second? Sheesh.
maggie
January 17, 2012 at 11:28AM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...Criminal waste of Robert Forster (my favorite Old Man Crush). One dinky scene in 1st ep, and then nothing at all in the second? Sheesh.
theholyavenger
January 17, 2012 at 12:04PM EST Reply to CommentI really liked the friendship/partnership between Hurley and the cop. They had some nice moments. Everything else is meh so far.
Ken
January 17, 2012 at 12:33PM EST Reply to CommentI do agree with Alan about the lack of cuture shock. But I did enjoy it. Almost came off as a wandering season 3 LOST episode (probably due to the score, directing, Jorge etc). I did enjoy it enough to stick with it, however, knowing FOX's quick hook for these types of shows, I can see being dissapointed.
Slushy
January 17, 2012 at 2:01PM EST Reply to CommentI enjoyed it -- will stick with it for now.
As far as the lack of culture shock exhibited by the convicts, I'm okay with it. They've suggested that there is a bigger mastermind behind it all, so whoever's in charge would likely have helped the convicts acclimate to present day before sending them off on missions.
Kevin
January 17, 2012 at 2:12PM EST Reply to CommentI liked most of it and the premise and potential will have me stick around for a few more episodes. Like with all shows of this type, if you start pulling at some of the threads, (like how could she not know her grandfather was an inmate, how were the guards for this super-secret prison recruited, how would they justify just making the sniper disappear when it would be the top story day in day out in SF, etc.), you can lose interest quickly.
However, the show has enough style, enough meanancing Sam Neill, enough Hurley to make me want to stick around and see how things progress.
I am also curious to see how they handle the first guard that pops up in the present day (remember, they said it was 256 criminals, 46 guards) and I imagine there must be a one or two "Red" types that will show up, so how will they deal with the convict that just wants to get on with livin and put his criminal past behind him.
All in all, intriguing enough for me to stick around.
Prettok Red types?
January 17, 2012 at 4:08PM ESTberkowit28
January 17, 2012 at 2:19PM EST Reply to CommentI don't know Garcia from other shows or appearances. To me, it looked like Hagrid had wandered into this show and lost his British accent. He seemed at home, though. It adds an extra dimension.
Suzombie
January 17, 2012 at 3:07PM EST Reply to CommentWhile I enjoyed it, I almost wish they had held on to the big reveal at the end on the second episode a little longer. I am not feeling at all engaged by the characters yet and reacted to it with "huh". But do I really care? Not so sure yet.
fraying
January 17, 2012 at 3:47PM EST Reply to CommentNew Alcatraz drinking game: Drink every time someone says "Alcatraz."
Dale
January 17, 2012 at 4:48PM EST Reply to CommentEnjoyed the show. However I was most intrigued by the fact that Sarah Jones (the lead) looks like a cross-racial doppelganger of a young Tamara Jones. Look her up on IMDB, see what I mean. Face, hair, facial expressions, everything!
briguyx
January 17, 2012 at 6:55PM EST Reply to CommentMy problem was there was a lot of time in the flashbacks showing the inhumane treatment at Alcatraz, but is that supposed to make us sympathize with killers?
Schmye Bubbula
January 17, 2012 at 10:26PM EST Reply to CommentI thought it was awesome! I had to set aside my Mac and give it my full attention. When it was over, I promptly watched the whole two hours again, with even closer attention. I admit that I was fascinated with Sarah Jones (a tougher babe cop than Kelli Giddish), and I think the Lostian music drew me in, but I like the story & rapid-fire pace, and it's more than a mere procedural to me. I've loved Fringe from the start, but Alcatraz strikes me as more "important" TV. I'm very satisfied.
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