J.J. Abrams, one of the creative minds behind Lost, is heading to another mysterious island. This time though it’s not remote, it’s San Francisco’s Alcatraz.
Five decades ago, some event caused 302 of the prisoners and guards in the prison to disappear. Now, they’re reappeared and have started committing crimes across the city. Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill), one of the two guards who didn’t vanish, heads up a special task force to investigate and to try to figure out what’s going on.
Lost ran for six seasons and viewers had to really pay attention to understand what was going on. Abrams insists that this new show won’t be as hard to follow. But, will you want to even start? Here’s what the critics are saying:
Washington Post: “There is something to like in Alcatraz’s smooth momentum. The show has a spirit that comes through in spite of the flavorless cheese crumbles piled atop it. As Rebecca, Jones is an intriguing discovery, and Neill classes up the joint. But overall, the script has some of the sparkless blah that has plagued Fox’s other big-name sci-fi show this season, Terra Nova.”
NY Daily News: “Happily, there are reasons to watch Alcatraz, starting with an appealing cast and a premise that really does not require a college degree in the mythology of other worlds.”
Hollywood Reporter: “The writing if flat and expository-laden. The drama – outside of the mystery of how it all happened – is saddled to predictable plots. The exterior shots (and some location shooting) in San Francisco look beautiful. But it might be easier just to buy a postcard and save yourself the time of investing in Alcatraz, another series that can’t seem to do much with what it’s given.”
LA Times: “Undoubtedly Alcatraz is among the best the midseason has to offer, and though it may whip like the TARDIS through the outer reaches of time and believability, Abrams wisely included a procedural element to sustain it; Alcatraz is, after all, built upon a rock.”
TIME: “For now, I’ll put this prison drama on probation. I don’t expect to watch Alcatraz every week, but I’ll check back. later. If it’s not the next Fringe, much less the next Lost, I at least want to know what it will be when it finally becomes Alcatraz.”
USA Today: “And of course, there’s another problem: that inchoate, TV-watcher fear that the show may become too interesting, as Abrams’ shows tend to do. Alcatraz is easy enough to follow tonight, with twists and surprises that are enjoyable and not enervating. But you still may leave it wondering how long it will be before there are eight timelines and six universes. That’s the thing with islands. They can be easier to get on than get off.”
So, what do you think? Will you watch Alcatraz tonight? If you’ve already seen it, will you tune in again next week?
Image courtesy FOX.
I am one hour into ‘Traz & about to go into a trance from boredom! And I thought that one show,ya know that show he buried another LOST star in, I thought THAT show was a snoozefest! And it IS! But this one might be it’s companion piece in PurineTelevised mediocrity.
All I can say is….Oh JJ WTF!?!? Why so dumb chum? Get back to your intellectual jaunts to anywhere, where you belong!
I really liked it. cross between lost and X factor. I hope it gets its legs and keeps going.
You will or already have lost anyone who knows police procedures — either tighten up this part of your program or loose a good portion of your audience.
I wanted to claw my eyes out
Not as good as lost. But I like it.
I’ll pass. Lost was a hodgepodge of storytelling that never EVER lead to any resolution. Just more of the same. It would surprise me if viewers would fall for that again and continue to watch it week after week.
Usyally, writers can convey a story to an audience. Lost is where the audience stayed. The writers weren’t confident and explained what was going on in the story through catch up episodes. Kind of dumb and makes the audience look dumber.
The intrigue is what will draw me back to watch next week. I am still perturbed by the way Lost ended, so perhaps I am hoping for just as alluring of a program, but to a more satiating finale.
Liked it. Have already set up the DVR to record!
Liked it. Have already set up the DVR to record!
Frustrating and full of killing. NO THANKS!!
The new Alcatraz pilot was very disappointing to us and much of it was totally sick, with so much thoughtless killing of completely innocent people. Sam Neill was good as usual but the cocky female cop was irrritating to watch in her naive and unprofessional style (reminded us of Julie in the old Mod Squad). In any case, this show is not fit for Prime time family viewing.
we’ll see. enjoyed the premiere. but if its anything like Lost I was completely inattentive & bored by season 3. we’ll see what the season has to offer!
I loved the show.
Really enjoyed the pilot more than I expected. I was thinking that it would be more of a crime drama, with a bit of a twist, but the twist takes center stage and I love it. Looking forward to future episodes!
Don’t think it will becas good as Lost, but so farvit isworth watching.
Hope it is given a chance to succeed.