Alcatraz is a mysterious island

     FOX's Alcatraz begins with over three hundred prisoners and prison employees disappearing inexplicably in 1963. In the present day, Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones, Sons of Anarchy, Big Love), who lost her partner three months ago, encounters one of those prisoners, who hasn't aged a day. With the help of Alcatraz expert Doctor Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia, Lost, Becker), Rebecca uncovers a secret federal investigation led by one of the guards who found the empty prison fifty years ago, Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill, The Tudors, Jurassic Park). Emerson won't give the unlikely duo hardly any information, but does allow them to work for him, hunting down these reappearing baddies. 

     Alcatraz brings to mind two other series J.J. Abrams had a hand in: Lost and Fringe. Look at the facts. There is a mysterious island. Characters show up with no idea what is going on. Portions of every episode are flashbacks to prior events. It's a procedural where a small team investigates things the public at large can't know about to protect the greater good. Plus, the tone and music match up pretty well with both of those other shows.

     Which is not to say that Alcatraz is a copy cat, because it's far from it. It brings it's own story completely, with a talented cast and some superb writing. It does harken back to early Fringe somewhat in its setup, but is likely to branch out in various ways as it goes on. The concept of some unseen evil putting things into motion isn't unique, and yet, it manages to feel fresh when the questions are laid out in such a neat, intriguing way. Some reviewers have panned it, but that seems odd, because this one has really no beef with the first two hours, which thrill. Even a couple of things that seem odd, like characters not questioning plot points, start to appear more than surface, and so a set up for back story or depth.

     The cast is terrific. One cannot possibly get enough of Sam Neill or Jorge Garcia in one's lifetime. Neill goes for a level of malice he honed in The Tudors, but seems to have a vulnerable, friendly side he is trying to hide. Garcia isn't as much the comic relief that he was in Lost, since he needs to carry this series more squarely. He gets serious, but is still the relatable one, viewers' entry into this world. Jones is good, make no mistake about it, though the role does scream for Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff, and since there is a physical resemblance, it's hard not to be disappointed that Alcatraz goes for a lesser known thespian. That being said, given how comfortable the actress seems in the part, it likely won't be long before Jones firmly takes Rebecca as her own, and any comparisons drop away.

     Setting part of the series in the past is an interesting choice, made all the more so by the decision of the writers to have the flashback scenes in both the "Pilot" and the second hour, "Ernest Cobb," take place in 1960, three years prior to the disappearance. What is the significance with allowing for a three year build up? Does that mean this trope will be used for three seasons, like in Lost, with a major mystery concluding at that point? Or will it progress more quickly, as a specific story needs to be told in that era, and it will play out in one season.

     Alcatraz is unlikely to stay in the present anytime soon, given the inclusion of two series regulars that only appear in the 1960's timeframe. Jonny Coyne (The Bill) plays Chief Warden Edwin James, a somewhat sadistic, tough man seemingly totally in charge of the island. Jason Butler Harner (Next) is Deputy Warden E.B. Tiller, a character murdered in present day by the first escaped convict in the "Pilot." James is dead before the series begins. So, yeah, they need to stay in the past.

     Part of the mystique of the show centers around Rebecca, obviously a focal point. Not only is she raised by former Alcatraz guard Ray Archer (Robert Forster, Heroes), but the man she is chasing when her partner dies is none other the her grandfather, Tommy Madsen (David Hoflin, Neighbours), whom she is startled to learn was a prisoner on The Rock! What is Tommy doing there, and why is he sneaking around? What's more, Tommy is definitely aware of who Rebecca is, given the way that he looks at her.

     The biggest impact so far, though, is the surprise sniping of Hauser's assistant (whom may be a bit more than that), Lucy Banerjee (Parminder Nagra, ER). Even more shocking, she shows up in 1960's Alcatraz! Which means she could be the key to what Hauser knows, and why the whole investigation is set up. She may know almost nothing, like the two prisoners caught so far, who do things that they cannot explain their motivation for, or she may have already figured it out. Or maybe she is partly responsible for what happened. There is no telling at this point, but it's a hell of a set up for what's to come.

     The only fear with Alcatraz is that broadcast networks tend to prefer procedurals. Fringe flirts with that format from time to time, but mostly stays its own thing. But Fringe also suffers from low ratings, despite how wonderfully creative it is. Alcatraz has the potential to be a heck of a serial, one that draws people in week after week, if FOX will allow it to be such. Unfortunately, many viewers, and thus advertisers, prefer mindless crap. Some behind the scenes drama worries that this will be the case, and episodes will start to fall into a familiar formula. If it can avoid that pitfall, Alcatraz will soar. If not, it won't be worth watching for long.

     Watch Alcatraz Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Glee - "Furt"

     Bizarre. That is the best word I can use to describe last night's Glee, or at least the first half. I certainly can't call this one of the best episodes of the series, although it did contain a few of the best moments. It felt to me like a season one episode, a bit all over the place, except that the plot didn't bend to the songs. In fact, it was a full twenty-two minutes into the episode (counting commercials) before the first note was even sung. When was the last time that happened?

     I was really looking forward to the arrival of Sue's (Jane Lynch) mother, ever since it had been announced that Carol Burnett would tackle the role. I still submit that it is a perfect mother-daughter pairing. And I'm glad they got to sing together, especially a weird song like "Ohio". Their chemistry was fantastic. But why did it take such a weird plot to bring them together? Sue had some of her best moments of the series thus far, but it had nothing to do with the wedding, and I'll get to that in a moment.

     In this week's episode, Sue signed up for online dating, and discovered that her only match was herself. How does that even happen? Had she previously created a profile that she had forgotten about, and apparently, despite Sue's previous relationship with a man, both Sue profiles were looking for other women. I have no problem with Sue the lesbian; the actress that portrays her is one, and I adore Lynch. But to marry yourself, and the fact that no one was really shown trying to put a stop to it, other than her mother, but for self-serving reasons, was truly weird. The only great part about it was that we got to see Sue in a tracksuit gown.

     The Season of Kurt (Chris Colfer) continues. I know this upsets some people, but as an avid Kurt fan who didn't get nearly enough of him in season one, I'm delighted. This week, Kurt had three major, somewhat connected plots.

     Let's go with Karofsky (Max Adler) first. The bully has continued to torment Kurt, and it came to a head this week as Kurt's friends finally decided to stand up for him. The result was that Sam (Chord Overstreet) ended up with a black eye, Mike Chang (Harry Shrum Jr.) became even more likable, quite a feat, and for some reason, Artie was included in this, too. I'm all for equality of handicapped people, but did anyone find it strange when the mostly timid guy in a wheelchair tried to intimidate a big, strong guy physically? And the fact that they didn't accomplish anything by the confrontation, except to further a Finn (Cory Monteith) plot was confusing, too.

     Regardless, it was awesome to see Sue stand up for Kurt. We've seen the protectiveness Sue can have for the unfairly treated before, both with her sister, and at Regionals last year. She's never shown the same deference to Kurt. I think it did not detract at all from her compassion that she continued to call Kurt 'lady'. She was even willing to give up her job as principal to defend him. This is a Sue that I love.

     But when Karofsky was returned to the school by the board, Kurt gave up. This was probably the most bizarre twist in the episode. He finally has an awesome support system in place, with friends, a new brother, and even Sue looking out for him, but he chooses this moment to stop fighting. It was a slap in the fact to Sue, Finn, and the others. I'm sure something will bring Kurt back to McKinley, but in the meantime, it was not a cool move. Not to mention, as I've said before, the private school he will be attending is at least TWO HOURS away!

     I've referenced Finn, and he definitely had his best story of the season so far. I haven't been a big fan of Monteith or his character as a rule, but he really nailed it, deftly handling the part in a way we haven't seen the character in a long time, reminding us why he was cast as a lead in the first place. Hit with doubt about himself, realizing he was not living up to his role as a leader or a brother, he stepped up to the plate and did what was right. Go, Finn!

      Of course, the biggest draw was the wedding of Kurt's father, Burt (Mike O'Malley) to Finn's mother, Carole (Romy Rosemont). Their relationship has really grown, and despite the short time they had been together, it felt right that Burt should propose. I do question how quick the wedding came together, especially as fancy as it was, and Kurt was planning it alone while dealing with everything else. But the wedding and the reception provided the most solid scenes in the episode. Every single actor and actress looked to be genuinely having fun, and it was infectious to myself, and likely many other viewers.

     Finn's song to Kurt, "Just the Way You Are" (another song I don't like that Glee has improved measurably) was certainly a high point, as was the ceremony song with the kids and Burt dancing down the aisle. Yeah, Carole danced, too, but she wasn't having as much fun as the rest of them, especially Burt. It was a long wait last night for a couple of good songs, but they finally arrived.

     One last night, the official proclamation of Sam and Quinn's (Dianna Agron) relationship was expected, but wonderful. However, now practically everyone in the club has paired up except for best buds Kurt and Mercedes (Amber Riley). Not only is that unnatural, though predictable for a TV show, but it leaves poor Mercedes out in the cold! As much as I love Kurt's beefed up role this fall, I think come winter it should be the Season of Mercedes! Who's with me?
 

     Quick trivia! I could be wrong, but was Kurt wearing that huge airplane broach on his sweater in the principal's office scene a homage to Lost? The man playing Karofsky's father, Daniel Roebuck, was a small, but important, presence to the now-ended ABC drama. Maybe I'm reading too much into things, but it tickled me. Why else would Kurt wear it? It looked a bit out of place.

     Glee airs Tuesday nights at 8pm on FOX. Next week is Sectionals, and we're almost done with this batch of episodes. The show won't be back until February, so make sure you don't miss it!

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Article first published as TV Review: Glee "Furt" on Blogcritics.

The Event will be one to watch

    NBC has a new show this year that wants to become event television: The Event, which premiered last night. I don't really know what's going on, of course. This isn't the type of show where viewers are meant to, at least not at first. But peppered with a slew of likable and talented actors, and with some intriguing plot already laid out, The Event is certainly better than last year's similar offering, Flash Forward.

     As near as I can tell, there will be five main players in this series. President Elias Martinez (Blair Underwood, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money, L.A. Law) found out about some event and secret group at an Alaskan hideaway about a year and a half before the series began. Sophia Maguire (Laura Innes, ER) has been locked away there, but has now arrived in Washington to announce something with the president. Sean Walker (Jason Ritter, Parenthood, Joan of Arcadia) is the everyman hero, whose girlfriend, Leila (played by Sarah Roemer), has been kidnapped by unknown people for unknown reasons. Michael Buchanan (Scott Patterson, Gilmore Girls) is Sean's girlfriend's father, and is clearly being blackmailed into doing bad things. And I'm not sure exactly who Simon Lee (Ian Anthony Dale, Day Break, Surface) is, but he's important enough to get close to the president, and smart enough to know that Michael is up to, and to try to stop him. Or maybe he was tracking Sean. That's unclear.

     If you haven't watched last night's premiere yet, stop reading here until you do.

     All five of these people have very interconnected stories, with Simon being the bridge between the two duos listed above. I don't particularly care about Simon, but the I already do about Martinez, Sean, and Michael. Martinez is shown to be a very principled president in the scenes before the action starts, in the vein of other great television presidents such as David Palmer and Jed Bartlet. The pilot was smart enough to give us plenty of Sean's background, and what his relationship with Michael is. There's a bond there appropriate for a soon-to-be-related couple of men, and it's touching. The fact that the woman they both love, in different ways of course, is in danger excuses their extreme behavior.

     The question is, why are Sean and Michael acting like they do in the framing story? My only complaint is that this should have been a two hour premiere. So much of the first hour had to take us back a week, or a year and a half, to set up the characters, that the framing story with all of the big stuff was not given time to be fleshed out. I presume we'll find out how Michael and Sean got to be on that airplane next week.

     The series is also clearly going to go into impossible territory. The plane disappearing into some energy-infused hole in the middle of the air seemed more appropriate for Fringe than The Event, which tells me that this isn't a cookie cutter series, and I might be interested in watching it. I assume Sophia will soon get the chance to explain to Martinez (and the viewer) what's happening.

     The other thing going for The Event is the supporting cast, which boasts such small screen heavyweights as Zeljko Ivanek (Heroes, Damages, True Blood, Big Love, 24, Oz) and Bill Smitrovich (The Practice, Life Goes On, Without a Trace). While neither did much more than stand around in this week's episode, I'm sure they will get to more than flex their acting muscles as the season unfolds.

     Only time will tell is this is the next Lost or a fizzling dud. But the signs in the premiere look promising. The Event airs Mondays nights at 9pm on NBC. 

Article first published as TV Review: The Event will be one to watch on Blogcritics.