Are you addicted yet? Although we didn’t get any answers to last week’s twist about Lucy being from 1963, this week’s episode of Alcatraz left us with a lot more questions. I’m worried about the prisoner/guard per week angle that the show is heading towards. Although it’s still fresh and works right now, I’m worried that it will all become too anti-climatic with every person getting caught in each episode. I think the writers and producers are smarter than that though and hopefully thinking ahead so that doesn’t happen.
This week’s episode of Alcatraz introduces us to Kit Nelson, a creepy child killer. Kit is the latest Alcatraz inmate from 1963 returning to present day to continue his evil crimes. In present day Kit takes an 11 year old boy named Dylan from his house and leaves a chrysanthemum on his bed. Diego Soto, listening to a police scanner, recognizes this pattern of crime and lets Rebecca and Emerson know that the latest inmate has returned. As the show goes back and forth from 1963 and present day, we learn that Kit killed his 11 year brother. He left the chrysanthemum on his mother’s bed because it was her favourite flower. After he killed his brother he continued on with the same pattern, killing boys the same age and leaving the chrysanthemum on their bed. He even takes the boys to do his deceased brother’s favourite activities (fishing, movies, eating cherry pie with his left hand).
This episode was as much about Diego “Doc” Soto as it was about Kit Nelson. Soto was the one that solved this case. Due to his amazing memory of all the Alcatraz inmates he knew where Kit was going to take the kid next (cherry pie and the bomb shelter). Although his negotiation skills are a bit lacking I was really happy to see Hurley…I mean Diego have a purpose on this team. He’s not just the comic relief of this show; he’s there for a reason. We also found out that Diego was kidnapped and somehow escaped when he was 11. Does this have anything to do with his obsession with Alcatraz?
The episode ends with a stand off between Rebecca and Kit (holding Dylan). Unexpectedly, Emerson Hauser comes out of nowhere and shoots Kit in the head. Hauser is shown bringing Kit’s dead body to Alcatraz 2.0 and Dr. Beauregard. Yes, that is the same doctor that was tending to inmates in the original Alcatraz. What the?? Also – what is Dr. Beauregard going to do with the body?
Overall, episode 3 has continued to peak my interest in this show. We figured out the man behind the curtain in the infirmary is Tommy Madsen, Rebecca’s grandfather. He was also giving blood – lots of blood! Is this going to start a cloning theory? Remember, last week Jack Sylvane was shown in the infirmary as well giving blood.
My main problem with this episode is that the story of Kit Nelson didn’t explain why he was sent back to present day. What is the purpose of Kit Nelson? In last week’s premieres, it was clearer why the two other prisoners were sent back. Jack Sylvane was sent to retrieve the mysterious key and Ernest Cobb was sent to kill Lucy. I assumed the individual missions of the prisoners was an important part to the story. Maybe I missed something? Like I said before, I know the writers and producers are smarter than this so I expect more from this episode will make sense by the end of this season.
AMANDA’S QUESTIONS: What happened to Doc when he was 11? Are Hauser and Lucy in love? How is Tommy Madsen part of the bigger picture? What is with the blood? What does Dr. Beauregard do with the bodies?
The cloning theory is an interesting one and it makes sense if it is where the show is headed. It sort of makes sense, I mean, the prisoners seem to know what about technologies of the present day, locations/architecture- so time travel seems out of the question.
This was the first prisoner who was not captured alive so far, and I wonder what the consequence of that is, and how that will pan out as the show goes along.
Side note, Hauser is remarkably strong…he carried dead-weight Kit Nelson on his shoulder at the end of the show without any struggle…there’s got to be something supernatural about him too.
I am addicted… however I hope some questions are answered soon. If it’s anything like “Lost” we will be waiting a long time for answers.