# Alcatraz starts tonight. Anybody watching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743 "2012-01-16T23:59:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/101 "2012-01-27T03:04:06Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Damn, I missed that whole grandfather thing. Makes sense now. > > Let’s see. A JJ Abrams show. Set on an island. Flashbacks. Time travel. Looming, “complicated” mythology. A character named Jack. Jorge Garcia. A hatch that leads to an underground prison. If we find out there’s some enormous electromagnetic hotspot on the island, I’m going to start screaming “Waaaaaaaaaaalt!” I’m hoping one of the doors ladycop mentioned they couldn’t open leads to a frozen donkey wheel. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/102 "2012-01-27T18:51:12Z")
The first two episodes were okay, not great. The third one though, I really enjoyed it. I’m not giving up on it yet. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/103 "2012-01-27T22:43:07Z")
> [@ripopgome](#): > > THANK YOU! I was really wondering how the guy-dead-for-40-years was going to pass the background check based on your current California ID, and manage to skip the 10-day waiting period. I can imagine perhaps he “acquired” a silencer somewhere, _maybe_, but then I guess he would have acquired the gun the same (illegal) way. Well, since the first guy (in the premiere) woke up with a coat, pocket full of cash, and a boat ticket, I assumed rifle-shooter guy was similarly guided to the rifle (in a bus station locker, or somesuch) by whatever person/group/whatever is doing this. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/104 "2012-01-27T23:31:08Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Well, since the first guy (in the premiere) woke up with a coat, pocket full of cash, and a boat ticket, I assumed rifle-shooter guy was similarly guided to the rifle (in a bus station locker, or somesuch) by whatever person/group/whatever is doing this. Umm, no, they tracked him down by going to the gun store where he bought it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/105 "2012-01-31T22:36:21Z")
I’m giving the show exactly one more chance in light of this most recent episode, since I don’t like how it’s shaping up: - Within seconds of hearing about the crime, the fat guy knows who the criminal is; - The criminal, despite being skipped forward 50 years, is sufficiently and casually well-versed in modern technology to know about surveillance cameras and such (last week’s criminal had no problem with the concept of cellphones) - Despite this guy killing people, the secret agents need to take him alive _and_ keep him away from the regular police, instead of just letting the SWAT team snipers kill him - The criminal is compelled to retrieve another golden key by forces and through mechanisms unknown … I can’t even remember how the episode actually ended because I’d lost interest. I saw the preview for next week talks about a guard returning, and solely out of mild curiosity how that will be handled will bring me back, but that’s it. I’m going to have to have to be significantly impressed to continue beyond that. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/106 "2012-01-31T23:10:33Z")
Well shoot. I just came back to say the show’s really starting to grow on me. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/107 "2012-01-31T23:40:04Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m giving the show exactly one more chance in light of this most recent episode, since I don’t like how it’s shaping up: I skipped it last night. Did Lucy wake up yet? ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/108 "2012-02-01T12:53:14Z")
Lucy did not wake up but we did learn a little bit more about her back story. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/109 "2012-02-02T05:07:02Z")
There are also a whole set of a science guys working for Sam Neill who ladycop and Hugo don’t know about yet. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/110 "2012-02-03T00:50:00Z")
> [@brocks](#): > > I skipped it last night. Did Lucy wake up yet? She wasn’t in the present day story, but in the flashbacks, she’s shown attending a dinner party with the warden, prison doc, ass. warden, and ass. warden’s sister, who has some sort of disability. I believe the sister was played by the actress that played Blaire’s cousin Jeri on Facts of Life, but I don’t know if that means the character has the same disorder as her or not. If your cable provider (if you have one) has OnDemand, the episode should be available on there to watch at your convenience (that’s how I watched it). It might also be online somewhere, try Fox’s website. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/111 "2012-02-03T02:06:12Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > There are also a whole set of a science guys working for Sam Neill who ladycop and Hugo don’t know about yet. Not at all? I thought Hugo said “I guess he trusts Science-guys more than us”, which made me think he does know they exist. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/112 "2012-02-04T07:01:54Z")
It’s also on Hulu. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/113 "2012-02-04T07:44:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The other thing I noticed is that all the prisoners are white… Actually, this is pretty accurate - integration, even of prisons, wasn’t that big a thing in 1963. In Alcatraz (the real one), almost [80% of the prisoners were white](http://www.notfrisco2.com/alcatraz/charts/index.html). My wife and I have Tivo’d this and finally watched the first three episodes (the last one being the guy who kills kids.) It’s OK, not as initially compelling as _Lost_ was, but we’ll continue watching this one. The thing that bugged me the most is the prisoners relative ease in traversing modern life - I am going to assume that they’ve had Ways of the Future training sometime in the intervening 50 years. And Sam Neill is, logically, way too young to be the 1963 guard… if the actor is 64, then he would have been 15 years old in 1963, not the seemingly-21yo portrayed. The guard would already have been forced into retirement as FBI agents are legally required to retire at the age of 57. The director of the FBI can grant 1-year exemptions, but only to the age of 60. [http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/facts-and-figures-2010-2011/working-for-the-fbi](http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/facts-and-figures-2010-2011/working-for-the-fbi) ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/114 "2012-02-04T20:22:09Z")
I think I’m throwing in the towel. Too bad. This COULD have been a good show. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/115 "2012-02-04T20:54:38Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Actually, this is pretty accurate - integration, even of prisons, wasn’t that big a thing in 1963. In Alcatraz (the real one), almost [80% of the prisoners were white](http://www.notfrisco2.com/alcatraz/charts/index.html). Not so sure about that. The pie chart says 1933 - 1962. It could be that the racial distribution didn’t change in 30 years, but I doubt it. Unless… the pool of prisoners was drawn mostly from CA, which has always had a relatively low percentage of blacks (it’s about half the national average today). ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/116 "2012-02-04T22:16:07Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > And Sam Neill is, logically, way too young to be the 1963 guard… if the actor is 64, then he would have been 15 years old in 1963, not the seemingly-21yo portrayed. The guard would already have been forced into retirement as FBI agents are legally required to retire at the age of 57. The director of the FBI can grant 1-year exemptions, but only to the age of 60. > > [http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/facts-and-figures-2010-2011/working-for-the-fbi](http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/facts-and-figures-2010-2011/working-for-the-fbi) That’s just what “they” want us to think… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/117 "2012-02-07T03:47:37Z")
Wow…Hoyt sure cleans up good! Nice to see him without a southern accent for once, though I have to wonder what his normal one is, as he seems to have a bit of…something…going on in this episode. Supposed to be South Boston or somewhat? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/118 "2012-02-07T12:56:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The other thing I noticed is that all the prisoners are white. There is a black guy in an upcoming episode. It’s [Mahershalalhashbaz Al](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahershalalhashbaz_Ali) and I assume he is a prisoner, though I guess he could be a guard. I think all the guards they have shown so far are white, though. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/119 "2012-02-08T02:10:42Z")
Prediction: The inmates didn’t time travel. Tommy Madsen is immortal and they used his blood to make everyone on the island immortal. They hid them away to do whatever they wanted to do, then used the doctor’s mind wipe tech to delete their memory, leaving just enough behind so they aren’t totally confused by the future and can direct them to do things. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/120 "2012-02-08T02:21:31Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Prediction: The inmates didn’t time travel. Tommy Madsen is immortal and they used his blood to make everyone on the island immortal. They hid them away to do whatever they wanted to do, then used the doctor’s mind wipe tech to delete their memory, leaving just enough behind so they aren’t totally confused by the future and can direct them to do things. No, did you see that part where they keep “the circle of super nerds” hid away in the back room? They made some sort of vague reference to fault lines. Plus that gaurd guy said “.. and all the sudden, it wasn’t 1963 any more.” Actually, that last part could fit your theory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743.md?page=7)