Friday, March 9, 2012

What I’m Watching: Alcatraz (Double Dose)


Alcatraz: Season 1, Episodes 9 & 10 “The Ames Brothers & Sonny Burnett” (B+)

Though it means that there are fewer episodes left, I do love the idea of having two episodes of this show back-to-back in one night. In these two installments, we get intimidating but very different villains, starting the first duo we’ve seen, who just happen to work with a third partner, a guard just as exciting as them about finding the treasure hidden in the tunnels of the prison. The episode was productive because it got Doc and Rebecca directly involved in the middle of the night in the midst of a power outage, and also propelled the 1960s storyline forward, as Ray got closer to the Warden as a result of his assistance in busting their alleged escape attempt. It’s intriguing to think that the Warden might himself be a 63, and I’m hopeful that this show has time to determine whether that’s the case. The Warden and E.B. were clearly at odds more often than not, and it’s a shame that E.B. has already been killed in the present and couldn’t be reunited with his old boss. In episode two, it was a pleasure then a disturbing fright to see Theo Rossi, the kindly Juice from “Sons of Anarchy,” as the kidnapper-turned-killer Sonny Burnett. He’s a true example of how Alcatraz can, in just a few days, manage to turn someone averse to killing into a brutal murderer. His methodology of revenge was truly disturbing, and it’s fortunate that they were able to save his former protégé’s daughter. Knowing that the 63s can heal rapidly just make things more interesting, but what really stuck with me was Doc’s closing statement that they’re going to have to live with what they’ve done once this is all over.

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