Alcatraz is the latest J.J.Abrams production, his second series this year after "Person of interest". The pilot features direction from veteran TV director Nick Cannon and a leading role from Sam Neil. The production value is high and it shows. Sadly the problem lies within the story itself.
The premise is somewhat muddled to begin with. Some Alcatraz prisoners disappear from the past, only to appear in our age, without any explanation or reason. So a task force is made lead by Mr.Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill), police woman Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Dr.Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia). Their aim is to gather up these criminals and, at least for Mr Hunter, enclose them in a modern version of Alcatraz. All that is hastily explained in the pilot in order to lead us to a typical forensic show with a "twist". Also, the show is rather based on coincidence. Sarah who just happens to have a partner dead while chasing a criminal from Alcatraz, happens to be at a crime scene then bumps up to the Dr who happens to have info on the institution and so on. If you compare it with the meticulous structure of let's say "The Killing" (different kind of show but, for me, an exemplary series) it stretches believability up to a ridiculous point and instead of fascinating it just creates confusion for the sake of confusion.
As for the acting part everybody is OK but, sadly, nobody excels. In contrast with "Fringe" there are no fascinating performances, especially when it comes to John Noble's brilliance there. Sam Neil looks like acting in an auto pilot and mostly just stands there smiling without doing much. Sarah Jones is also OK for her part but does not seem like the kind of actress that will pull the series into the future.
So, overall, for the level of expectation that I had and for all the talent involved here this pilot was pretty shallow and mediocre. The story has premise but if they develop it in a standard "procedural" manner I expect it to fade away soon. For now it left me more with a taste of "Six degrees" than "Lost" or "Fringe", I am afraid.
The premise is somewhat muddled to begin with. Some Alcatraz prisoners disappear from the past, only to appear in our age, without any explanation or reason. So a task force is made lead by Mr.Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill), police woman Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Dr.Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia). Their aim is to gather up these criminals and, at least for Mr Hunter, enclose them in a modern version of Alcatraz. All that is hastily explained in the pilot in order to lead us to a typical forensic show with a "twist". Also, the show is rather based on coincidence. Sarah who just happens to have a partner dead while chasing a criminal from Alcatraz, happens to be at a crime scene then bumps up to the Dr who happens to have info on the institution and so on. If you compare it with the meticulous structure of let's say "The Killing" (different kind of show but, for me, an exemplary series) it stretches believability up to a ridiculous point and instead of fascinating it just creates confusion for the sake of confusion.
As for the acting part everybody is OK but, sadly, nobody excels. In contrast with "Fringe" there are no fascinating performances, especially when it comes to John Noble's brilliance there. Sam Neil looks like acting in an auto pilot and mostly just stands there smiling without doing much. Sarah Jones is also OK for her part but does not seem like the kind of actress that will pull the series into the future.
So, overall, for the level of expectation that I had and for all the talent involved here this pilot was pretty shallow and mediocre. The story has premise but if they develop it in a standard "procedural" manner I expect it to fade away soon. For now it left me more with a taste of "Six degrees" than "Lost" or "Fringe", I am afraid.