Alcatraz - Pilot - Review

The plot centers around Alcatraz. The Rock. The isolated prison some of the world's most famous criminals were sent to before the place shut down. A bunch of prisoners disappeared instead of being shipped back to the mainland and are reappearing 50 years later without having aged at all. It seems that they are being used specifically to do the bidding of someone else. I feel like I've seen this plot before but I'm still interested in who is behind it all and why.

We have the stereotypical tough girl cop who is constantly trying to prove herself amongst a bunch of big and bad guys. That's fine. Whatever. So far I'm not really feeling her character. I don't know if it is the ridiculous stunts that she's forced to take part in (I mean, really, jumping from roofs and scaling buildings without even a scratch? Come on now) or the fact she called Sam Neill a dick. Okay, it was directed at his character but still.

She's the "muscle" that viewers have. Her partner is played by Jorge Garcia (previously of LOST) and he's the brains and comic relief. Sam Neill plays the mysterious higher up that probably knows more than he's telling. I love Sam Neill so really, in my mind, he can do no wrong.

I did find myself being 100 times more interested in the bad guy of the episode, Jack Sylvane. He was entirely more interesting than the lead backstory we were given and I found myself wishing his character could be redeemed so we could see more of him in the future. Without the presence of a tough, male lead to help shoot the bad guys I was hoping he'd stick around. Plus, he was easy on the eyes.

Will I tune in again? Yes. Although, it might be a fixture on my dvr in the future to watch the following morning. I got the impression it was a modern day, slightly less violent and blood gushing version of Boardwalk Empire. So if you enjoy that show or shows like it, I think it's safe to say that you'll enjoy this one.

What did you guys think?