TV REVIEW: 'ALCATRAZ'
Could Fox's New Mystery Thriller Be the Next 'Lost'?
(Fox) Alcatraz, the latest in the "What to do after Lost" contest, seems to have some good things going for it: a strong cast, an air of mystery, and a premise that allows it to be easily procedural and episodic. Most important of all, in the world of sci-fi mystery television, Alcatraz is constructed in such a way that its central mysteries can be divulged at a controlled (see possibly frustrating) pace.
There were over 300 inmates at Alcatraz -- the most dangerous people in the US of A -- and in 1963, they were all transferred to other sites as Alcatraz was shut down over upkeep and funding issues, only to be left a hollow shell for tourists and Michael Bay and Brett Ratner movies. But the title sequence of Alcatraz reveals, not too deftly, that that's not what happened -- "no, not at all."
In fact, all 300 of these folk, and some of the working staff, disappeared to who-knows-where -- besides this show's writers -- and now they're popping back up in San Francisco, aged not a day, and getting back into the old habits of murder, kidnapping, violence, and working out their issues through some good cold revenge. In the biz, this kind of concoction is referred to as "high concept." Lower concept: Lost. People crash on an island. They have pasts. They have to survive. The end. And while Lost revealed itself to be so much more than that, it had humble beginnings. Alcatraz starts a bit more detailed and therefore narrow. It's difficult to imagine how much and how the show expands while sticking to its original conceit.
Were they abducted by aliens? Did aliens want a violent rampage to break out in San Francisco in 2012? Is it something supernatural? Are they the ghostmen of Alcatraz? Is this the time warp? Is this The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Regardless of its destination, Alcatraz is a show built, as evidenced from the two-hour premiere, with this episode-by-episode blueprint: Find the prisoner of the week, stop prisoner of the week, reveal interesting tidbits from prisoner of the week's past.
.jpg)
For the success that Lost was, it did experience a bloodletting of viewership as it grew more dense through its six seasons. Alcatraz's setup, though narrowed, is wise in today's TV land because audiences love straight-up murder. Fly over country doesn't have a taste for the Occupy Movement or universal health care, but give them blood, a question, and 42 minutes, and they're in. Alcatraz is hoping to combine the quality, mystery, and rabid fan base of shows like Lost with the week-in, week-out workman success of "one off" murder shows ranging from just about anything on CBS, to ABC's Castle and NBC's Law & Order franchise.
It can't be said for certain how successful Alcatraz will be after two hours, but at least the ingredients seem right in the cooking. Jorge Garcia is called back by Lost vets JJ Abrams and Elizabeth Sarnoff (who spearhead this show) to play smart Hurley, aka Diego Soto -- a comic book-collecting PhD and Alcatraz expert. He's partnered with hard-nosed "hot girl" (the show describes her this way itself), Sarah Jones as Rebecca Madsen -- a former SFPD officer called up to the special unit tracking these late-return criminals. That uber-secret organization is lead by a welcome Sam Neill, who thus far is doing the best work on the show and lends it a sense of credibility. It's like watching Dr. Grant from Jurassic Park if he wasn't afraid to headbutt people or shoot them in the hand point blank. The gravitas he brings his character, Emerson Hauser, embodies the thesis of the show: bada**, but with something to hide. They're all cushioned in some competent camera work, some welcome performances from the bad guys of the week, and Michael Giacchino's score (another Lost alum) that gives the show the sense of importance it needs.
Alcatraz is likely to find mileage through its accessibility, as well as its questions. Chief of most, besides where did these prisoners go for 60 years and what do they know now, will be how many of them were really bad, and how many of the "good guys" are really good?
The debate continues Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. on Fox.
For Fans Of: Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest
Why We Like It: Mystery, Sci-Fi Undertones, JJ Abrams
Featured content
Recent comments
