# 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:** 12\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/141 "2012-03-27T16:54:10Z")
Well, we got to the end of the season without cancellation. When they got into the super secret room, I was half expecting to see Desmond there, tapping out 4 8 15 … ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/142 "2012-03-27T17:24:46Z")
We didn’t get a cancellation but they went through the episodes two at a time at least twice in order to finish them quicker. That they were trying to get it over with faster doesn’t strike me as a good sign. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/143 "2012-03-27T18:19:24Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > We didn’t get a cancellation but they went through the episodes two at a time at least twice in order to finish them quicker. That they were trying to get it over with faster doesn’t strike me as a good sign. One of the times was because a show got pre-empted due to an awards show, or maybe a car race. The other time was the finale. I’m guessing it was always intended to end last night. I thought the show got stronger as it went on. The individual episodes got a bit more graphic, and they seemed tighter than the first few. They didn’t give as much attention to the mysterious backstory. Whatever was revealed last night didn’t really help my understanding much. I still think they are making it up as they go along. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/144 "2012-03-28T13:59:56Z")
I DID like the car chase through San Francisco - very much a tribute to the one in “Bullitt”: a Mustang chasing a Dodge Charger (the Mustang appeared in the Dodge’s rear view mirror - a nice touch). They even threw in a green VW Beetle for the cars to pass a couple of times! Very well done, imho. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/145 "2012-03-28T14:27:31Z")
The finale looked very well planned out visually. The entire thing looked like a graphic novel. Not surprising given the creative team, but I noticed. What I didn’t notice, until they put her in that tight shirt framed with a gun holster, was that Sarah Jones is stacked. I didn’t appreciate the excessive and random plot-twists-for-next-season, particularly the stuff with Sam Niell talking with the guy who has the president’s ear or whatever. Just… the secret room, Tommy Madsen getting away, and will they revive Rebecca would have been enough. ---
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/146 "2012-03-28T15:25:27Z")
Re: The Secret Room Help me remember an episode from earlier this season. The warden (back in 1960) brought an inmate (I forget which one) down into the secret room. The inmate was asking what was behind the door, and the warden was very vague. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I got the distinct impression that behind the door was some kind of monster that was going to eat the inmate. I’m trying to reconcile this with the reveal Monday night, and (obviously) having a tough time. I’m going to guess that my original impression was mistaken, but I can’t remember the scene well enough to figure out another interpretation that might gel better with the ending of Monday’s episode. Does anyone recall? Sorry, I can’t remember exactly which episode this happened in, but I do remember that it was right at the end. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/147 "2012-03-28T20:55:43Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > They even threw in a green VW Beetle for the cars to pass a couple of times! I was wondering if anyone else noticed that. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/148 "2012-03-28T21:27:56Z")
I kind of lost interest, but am still curious about the mythology. Did we find out anything about why and how the prisoners were sent into the future? ---
**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:** [March 29, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/149 "2012-03-29T01:59:31Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > I kind of lost interest, but am still curious about the mythology. Did we find out anything about why and how the prisoners were sent into the future? No, not really, other than it’s made clear that it wasn’t just some random event. I was planned out well in advance (at least a decade). ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/150 "2012-05-10T14:56:01Z")
[Alcatraz was canceled, as expected.](http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/09/fox-touch-renewed/) It really was an OK show and better than a lot of crap that is on. I won’t miss it a ton, but do wish it had at least one more season. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/151 "2012-05-10T16:29:28Z")
Awww nuts, blonde detective will be dead forever. ---
**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:** [May 10, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743/152 "2012-05-10T17:02:46Z")
Drats. I’ll admit it wasn’t a great show, but I enjoyed it. I hope the writers come out with a “This is what would have happened.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcatraz-starts-tonight-anybody-watching/609743.md?page=7)