Alcatraz isn’t playing it safe in the early goings, is it? While some shows may try to lighten the load a little and keep things safe while building an audience, they go full throttle into a sadistic and severely unnerving child kidnapper/killer called ‘Kit Nelson.’ His very introduction in the beginning of the episode confirms my hope that we don’t see any of the laziness we saw from the writers in the first hour of what is fast becoming the best sci-fi show in TV (especially with the recent departure of Chuck). The scene transitions quickly from a peaceful one of a “father” tucking his children into bed, to one of complete fear and terror as a kidnapper chooses his next victim.
When Soto hears about the kidnapper’s calling card on his police scanner (actually a scanner app), he knows immediately that it’s Kit and that the team has to move fast if they want to save the kid. It seems Kit has a pattern to his crime (don’t they all?) in which he takes the kid around to various activities for three days, and then returns him home… dead.
The most interesting parts about this episode, though, is not what happens in the here and now, but rather the flashbacks. We see Kit getting the bejeezus kicked out of him out in the yard with nary a guard jumping to his aide. While in the infirmary, Kit gets some sage-like advice from our now favorite blood donor, Thomas Madsen. Now I know that back in the day they used to get a ton of “donated” blood from prisoners, but this makes the third time we’ve seen Mr. Madsen “donating” and doling out words of wisdom to another time-jumping prisoner.
We also see some more of the Warden and learn that he’s a veteran who definitely has a sense of loyalty but also not the most moralistic means of justice. Of course when dealing with the lowest of the low in most of these prisoners, maybe his version of justice is a fitting one. There is bit of business with the Warden using matches with Kit in a dark cell that gives some depth to the Warden, while simultaneously providing a good aide to the plot.
I was glad to see that Soto’s drive to save the kid and stop Kit was not directly linked to Alcatraz like Kit kidnapped his Uncle or something like that. It would have been an easy tie-in and maybe provided the reason for Soto’s Alcatraz obsession, but it also wouldn’t have had the lasting impact that the real reason had, that he was kidnapped at a young age. It fits with what Hauser says early on, that a traumatic event can emotionally stunt a person, in this case Soto at the age of 11.
The kid is recovered after some serious detective work, mostly on Soto’s part, and you assume Kit is going to be apprehended and taken to Alcatraz Part Deux. Not exactly. Hauser comes in as Kit has the kid’s head and neck in a vice grip and plugs him right in the noggin. Kit is still delivered to the new Alcatraz, however, body bag and all, and it is here that we see yet another big reveal: Dr. Beauregard. The doctor’s introduction and his autopsy of Kit is a wonderful scene with the music playing, a little dance and shake, and a cigarette dangling.
So now we have another person in Hauser’s employ that has time jumped from 1963. I’m hoping this doesn’t become too regular of an occurrence, because it would start to diminish its impact, but it does make you wonder what exactly their end game is. The banter between Hauser and Beauregard was especially interesting. What exactly was Hauser getting at with making sure Beauregard was ready? Are these prisoners being used for some sort of genetic harvest? What’s with all the blood getting taken from Madsen? So many questions have been positioned in so few episodes.
I think the Alcatraz writers have learned from the follies of shows like Lost and Heroes. Whether it be too convoluted of plot threads, or serving up way too many questions with no answers in sight, both shows’ legacies were hampered at times (moreso Heroes than Lost).
Granted we’re only three episodes in, but there are the seeds here that give the impression Alcatraz is destined for great things. Of course New Coke was supposed to be huge, too.
– James Zappie
