Alcatraz

:

Season 1
  • Network: FOX
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 16, 2012
User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 148 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 87 out of 148
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 148
  3. Negative: 20 out of 148
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User Reviews

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  1. stormD23
    Jan 16, 2012
    3
    Granted Alcatraz has an interesting premise. As long as the ratings don't disappoint, this show should never run out of juice, after all, there are over hundreds of missing criminals to base future episodes and seasons on. Though, after watching the first two episodes, I can't help but feel like there are some seriously humdrum characters in this show. The leads seem boring to me. I'd likeGranted Alcatraz has an interesting premise. As long as the ratings don't disappoint, this show should never run out of juice, after all, there are over hundreds of missing criminals to base future episodes and seasons on. Though, after watching the first two episodes, I can't help but feel like there are some seriously humdrum characters in this show. The leads seem boring to me. I'd like to rate the show higher, but i'm not sure how long I'll be able to remain interested in it. A great premise can take you a long way, but if the series lacks interesting characters, eventually it will grow tiresome.… Expand
  2. B3ckett
    Feb 29, 2012
    3
    I was hoping that J.J. Abrams learned on the last seasons of Lost and wouldn't disappoint me with Alcatraz. Especially with Hurley on it. Well... he pulled it off. The show is just plain dumb and boring. Garcia IS Hurley here, the protagonist can find bullets within seconds in a park or deduct just everything from anything. The show is just outrageously simple. It doesn't surprise you inI was hoping that J.J. Abrams learned on the last seasons of Lost and wouldn't disappoint me with Alcatraz. Especially with Hurley on it. Well... he pulled it off. The show is just plain dumb and boring. Garcia IS Hurley here, the protagonist can find bullets within seconds in a park or deduct just everything from anything. The show is just outrageously simple. It doesn't surprise you in any way and I think it should get canned. Hell, it doesn't even make you think for a second.

    The pace is drastically slow, characters are boring and shallow. Acting isn't even worth mentioning. It could've been a good show. I just don't understand why J.J. and half of the Lost crew, that work on this, can look at themselves in the mirror spurting week after week a show so dull.    … Expand
  3. agagil
    Jan 18, 2012
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This show had such promise, a talented creator, a basic idea with some merit, decent cast. Alas, the weak script doesn't hold water. Instead of an interesting drama we get another police show in which a blond cop teams up with a genius professor in order to catch bad guys, all the time working for a secret government agency. Haven't we seen this hundreds of times before? Seems like they tried to combine CSI, The 4400 and Fringe into one lousy show.

    The script itself is astonishingly stupid. A guy who disappeared 30 years ago, pops up and goes on a violence spree although we are told countless times that he is not a killer, only a thief. The deputy warden used to treat him badly because that's what deputy wardens do, without any motives or explanations, they're just "bad" people, so he kills him. And then he decides to kill two more cops and another man from whom he takes a key, in order to plant the seed for the show's mystery. The first episode ends with him visiting the grave of his dead ex-wife who divorced him while he was in prison in order to marry his brother. By the way before visiting the grave he kidnaps the brother however we are never told if he killed him or not. Seems the writers forgot about the brother.

    I almost cried from the absurdity of that last paragraph! They writers actually forgot about the brother. What's the point of him kidnapping him if we are not shown the police freeing him. I would advise showing this episode in film school in order to teach people what not to do.    … Expand
  4. shepsii
    Feb 3, 2012
    3
    Just really, really mediocre. The show's "goody" characters hide secrets from the audience uneccesarily, the dialog is terrible, simplistic and makes me feel like the writers are saying, "do you get what's happened here? No? Ok let us go over it for a 5th time!" As a fan of both Fringe and Lost I am horrifically disappointed by this effort.
  5. Ken_M
    Jan 17, 2012
    3
    Having lived in the Bay Area for 8 years and enjoying "Lost", I *really* wanted to like this show. Unfortunately, though, the dialogue was pretty poor and the acting was so-so at best. I'll tune in for the next few episodes, but I'll be quickly tuning out if they're anything like the first two episodes.
  6. FredMertz72
    May 25, 2012
    1
    What a good concept. Not enough SciFi on TV with a touch of criminal action. How much better would it have been if Rebecca was the expert and Diego Soto was the Detective? What you say... a male Detective on a tv show! no way...

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best TV Season of 2012
16
#16 Most Discussed TV Season of 2012
76
#76 Most Shared TV Season of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    Jan 17, 2012
    40
    The characters are so TV cute (and in some cases TV pretty) and the storytelling so mechanical, that I couldn't give myself over to it either way.
    Read full review
  2. Slate
    Reviewed by: Troy Patterson
    Jan 17, 2012
    40
    Soto helps the mood of the show with his wry attitude and occasional gee-whiz-ardry, and he helps to move the plot along by stating facts that Rebecca would otherwise have to pause and look up.
    Read full review
  3. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Jan 17, 2012
    60
    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.
    Read full review
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