Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
#76
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
As much as I like this show, I strongly suspect it's walking dead.
1) It's a mystery, which Nielsen viewers typically don't like
2) It's being put on hiatus for a couple of months beginning in early March. Basically, give the show some time to build a little bit of momentum, then cut it off at the knees. The best way to grow a show's audience.
1) It's a mystery, which Nielsen viewers typically don't like
2) It's being put on hiatus for a couple of months beginning in early March. Basically, give the show some time to build a little bit of momentum, then cut it off at the knees. The best way to grow a show's audience.
2) It's not being put on hiatus. Season is completed in March. All 12 episodes will have aired. Touch is taking the timeslot until the end of the season.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
#78
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
One thing I don't get: why these people are obeying orders. You're alive, still young, out of prison, and 50 years in the future. You are not personally contacted by anybody, nor so far as you can tell is anybody tailing you to ensure compliance (and you don't know about modern surveillance tech). Why not "disappear" and live happily ever after?
#79
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
If this continues to do well for the remainder of the season, I would expect a 2nd season to premiere in the Fall.
#81
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I think the Networks are soon going to realize that 10 to 13 episodes per season is "ideal" for a drama show...and we're going to see more of it. A) It's a lot cheaper and B) there's less "filler" episodes. It's something both the Brits and HBO have known for years.
#83
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I really dug this. The 4400 vibe is obvious, but it's also giving me an Operation: Mindcrime vibe too which is/would be very cool.
I think Rebecca is the weak link though. Sam Neil is great, as is Jorge Garcia. My biggest complaint is the commercials. Holy fuck, it felt like there was a commercial break every 7 minutes.
The guy playing Ernest Cobb is a spitting image of Giovanni Ribisi. I wonder if they are related in some fashion.
As soon as I heard it it made me realize that it was one of the best things about Lost that I missed. However, it could quickly be overdone for a procedural. I thought it's worked so far.
That gave me a laugh.
Is it really any different than someone knowing all the stats to the 1963 Yankees? What about knowing about every little detail about every battle in WWII? Knowing every line of dialog in all the Star Wars films? People have their hobbies. Dr. "Hurly" wrote about his obsession. He even based characters in his comics on people from Alcatraz. I don't find it that far fetched that he would know so much about the inmates.
I was hesitant about this happening, but I think I'm fully on board for this now.
I think Rebecca is the weak link though. Sam Neil is great, as is Jorge Garcia. My biggest complaint is the commercials. Holy fuck, it felt like there was a commercial break every 7 minutes.
The guy playing Ernest Cobb is a spitting image of Giovanni Ribisi. I wonder if they are related in some fashion.
That gave me a laugh.
Hurley is going to annoy me with his on the spot recollection/exposition of each of the criminal of the week. There was so much leap of logic that I cannot stop rolling my eyes. I was so looking forward to this and will get it a few more weeks to hopefully get better.
I think the Networks are soon going to realize that 10 to 13 episodes per season is "ideal" for a drama show...and we're going to see more of it. A) It's a lot cheaper and B) there's less "filler" episodes. It's something both the Brits and HBO have known for years.
#85
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I think the Networks are soon going to realize that 10 to 13 episodes per season is "ideal" for a drama show...and we're going to see more of it. A) It's a lot cheaper and B) there's less "filler" episodes. It's something both the Brits and HBO have known for years.
If the networks did switch to 13 episodes as a standard, they'd have to double the amount of shows they air in order to fill up a standard TV season. That's double the cast, double the crew, double everything.
Look at what FOX has done this season. First they air 13 episodes of Terra Nova, now they're gonna air 12 episodes of Alcatraz. Do you really think FOX saved money doing this instead of doing 25 episodes of one or the other? And then they still have Touch, which will be using the same timeslot.
Then if you look long term, shorter seasons hurt the show when it gets to syndication, since they get bigger deals when they have more episodes.
#86
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
If the government covered up the inmate disappearances with fake transfers and death certificates, which is kinda thin, how did they cover up the missing guards?
#87
Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I agree. It was interesting and I enjoyed the episodes. I'm definitely interested to see where they go with it. It does appear to be a fairly standard killer of the week show though. Inmate X is back and killing people. What's his backstory? What's his M.O.? A little detective work and some techno babble. Oh lightbulb goes off and Detective Juggs figures it out. Sam Neil takes him to the secret jail in the woods. So the meat of each episode will just be the detective work, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hopefully the mystery is compelling enough to keep me interested enough to watch them track down a different killer each week. I'm in for now but do hope the mystery isn't a cliche cop out like alien abductions.
Detective Juggs.
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
Hopefully, one of the killers will be sent on his Manchurian Candidate mission to kill someone somewhere hot so we can get Jones in a bikini. These producers need to think - or move to HBO.
Last edited by CRM114; 01-18-12 at 09:42 AM.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
Granted they did catch the first two but they have mentioned that they won't catch each one and we don't even know what they are going to do with the guards that disappeared. I am giving it some time before I judge.
I remember how everyone was saying the same thing about Anna Torv on Fringe until they fleshed out her story and gave her some stuff to do (Leonard Nimoy voice and mannerisms).
I remember how everyone was saying the same thing about Anna Torv on Fringe until they fleshed out her story and gave her some stuff to do (Leonard Nimoy voice and mannerisms).
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I absolutely enjoyed it.
Those where not the first two to show up. Remember her Grandfather was there for a while. As far as we know we don't know how many there are.
Also - my prediction - The season will end with all of those who are in the new prison disappearing again.
Those where not the first two to show up. Remember her Grandfather was there for a while. As far as we know we don't know how many there are.
Also - my prediction - The season will end with all of those who are in the new prison disappearing again.
#91
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
Like I said before, it does seem obvious that it will have a "killer of the week" type storyline, but at the same time there seems to be some kind of connection between the first two killers at least. They each stared daggers at each other when they met again in the techno prison. And then there's the Lucy connection. I mean a straight killer of the week story with some fluff thrown in a la CSI or Law and Order would be lame and so far I don't see that being the case. There does seem to be an overall story arc and I'm confident it will all tie together in some way. Who knows if it'll be a good tie in though.
I don't know...for some reason I almost think of it as a video game where your mission is to go around and "collect" people and return them. I almost find myself looking at the upper corner of the screen and seeing 2/263. It's like GOAL: Find Jack and return him to prison. Goal complete. New goal: Find Cobb and return him to prison. Goal complete. New goal: Have hot monkey sex with Detective Juggs.
I don't know...for some reason I almost think of it as a video game where your mission is to go around and "collect" people and return them. I almost find myself looking at the upper corner of the screen and seeing 2/263. It's like GOAL: Find Jack and return him to prison. Goal complete. New goal: Find Cobb and return him to prison. Goal complete. New goal: Have hot monkey sex with Detective Juggs.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I wish most shows had only a dozen or so episodes. It forces the creators to tell the story succinctly and (imo) more effectively. That's one of the reasons I love shows like Dexter and Homeland.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I'll let it go after this post, but aliens are a lot more likely (given the billions of stars out there and the billions of planets) than time travel. So it's ironic to me to see a statement that we hope the answers aren't something unrealistic like aliens, and instead something more realistic like time travel.
Again, if you accept the general premise of people disappearing in 1963 and appearing in 2012, I think it's pretty pointless to fret over the feasibility of the eventual explanation, as none of them are incredibly feasible. It's all Science Fiction.
Anyway, I'm in for the season. A perfect short run (I prefer them), engaging premise, engaging cast, decent stories so far, and I like Alcatraz island and San Francisco.
Again, if you accept the general premise of people disappearing in 1963 and appearing in 2012, I think it's pretty pointless to fret over the feasibility of the eventual explanation, as none of them are incredibly feasible. It's all Science Fiction.
Anyway, I'm in for the season. A perfect short run (I prefer them), engaging premise, engaging cast, decent stories so far, and I like Alcatraz island and San Francisco.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
MikahC -
I completely agree. I'm not looking for plausibility, I just suspend my disbelief and look for internal consistency and good storytelling.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
Also, I think it's clear that Sam Neil knows a lot more than what he's telling. Duh! And I know some people don't like that, I'm not a big fan either, but it's the kind of things to expect from these shows.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
Oh, and about the Alcatraz tickets.
They show that scene so that we knew that he was prepared. We know that. I think they wanted us to think that there are several companies that do tours to Alcatraz, and that's why they would check the ticket before leaving. Of course in reality there's only one company, so there's no need to show the ticket.
They show that scene so that we knew that he was prepared. We know that. I think they wanted us to think that there are several companies that do tours to Alcatraz, and that's why they would check the ticket before leaving. Of course in reality there's only one company, so there's no need to show the ticket.
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Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
I'll let it go after this post, but aliens are a lot more likely (given the billions of stars out there and the billions of planets) than time travel. So it's ironic to me to see a statement that we hope the answers aren't something unrealistic like aliens, and instead something more realistic like time travel.
Again, if you accept the general premise of people disappearing in 1963 and appearing in 2012, I think it's pretty pointless to fret over the feasibility of the eventual explanation, as none of them are incredibly feasible. It's all Science Fiction.
Again, if you accept the general premise of people disappearing in 1963 and appearing in 2012, I think it's pretty pointless to fret over the feasibility of the eventual explanation, as none of them are incredibly feasible. It's all Science Fiction.
As long as these guys are only moving forward in time (and Lucy or anyone else is not moving backward in time), I think time travel is just as believable, if not more believable, an explanation as aliens.
#99
Re: Alcatraz -- 2 Hour Series Premiere -- "Pilot/Ernest Cobb" -- 1/16/12
Doesn't have to be time travel. They can suspend time (ie Cryogenics) or even cloning w/memory implantation. I am sure we could think of a few more if we tried.
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