Alcatraz is a mysterious show that proposes the truth behind the closing of Alcatraz prison is that in 1963 all the prisoners and guards just vanished one night.  Now in modern day San Francisco these people are re-appearing just as mysteriously, not having aged a day.  Detective Rebecca Madsen (Jones; Sons of Anarchy) and Alcatraz expert Diego Soto (Garcia; LOST) stumble upon the happenings and a secret task force run by the equally mysterious Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill; Jurassic Park) and are enlisted to help capture some of the worst criminals of their day.  The story of the events on 1960′s Alcatraz are told alongside the modern day story as well.

Alcatraz definitely had some buzz around it since it’s announcement, and for good reason.  It’s a new JJ Abrams show starring Jorge Garcia and counting many LOST alums among its production crew.  It seems the hype died down a little with it being scheduled for mid-season.  I think this was actually a smart move.  Premiering as it did in January there was a lot less competition for viewers and less crowding for it to get lost in.  The primary buzz though has been that it’s very LOST-like.  I have to disagree completely.  Besides a cast member and some producers and the mysterious nature, Alcatraz feels a lot more like Fringe if we’re going to compare it to other Bad Robot productions.  It’s a little more self contained and individual.  Like a good cop procedural but with a mystical, mysterious side in the background.

I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t think too much about Alcatraz.  If I did I didn’t expect much.  I’m an unabashed LOST fan and have seen a lot of shows try and copy it and fail horribly.  Even with some of the same people, it’s hard to capture magic in a bottle twice.  But tuning in I was instantly drawn in.

The story is super intriguing.  How’d these people disappear? Who’s behind it? Why are they coming back now? And who’s giving them new orders? There’s a lot of questions right out of the gate and more coming.  So if you’re into that type of thing then you’ll enjoy this.  But beyond that there’s a lot of other things done right.

Like I mentioned above this is more a procedural cop show than a sci-fi or fantasy show at it’s core.  You’ve got each episode being about this detective and her partner trying to catch criminals based on evidence both from current day and from the past.  That part should appeal to a broader audience than many other serial shows.  I do see Alcatraz becoming more serial and hard to just tune into casually as it progresses, but possibly not too much.  That’s yet to be seen.  I think it can possibly walk that magic line that networks have been searching for.

The casting is another thing that Alcatraz has going for it.  Everyone wants to work on a show like this.  Sarah Jones is really good in this role, although perhaps the weakest of the cast.  Sam Neill does the mysterious leader thing incredibly well.  And of course Jorge Garcia brings his charisma and talent that just lights up the screen.

Overall I recommend getting on board Alcatraz as soon as you can.