Alcatraz ‘Paxton Petty’ Preview!

Tomorrow the sixth episode of Alcatraz airs, it is entitled ‘Paxton Petty’, a reference to yet another criminal that has returned. So far the entire matter of returning Alcatraz inmates is shrouded in mystery, something that is slowly getting on my nerves as this show seems to lose the ‘suspense of disbelief’ factor that shows like Fringe, Lost and The X-files managed for far longer.

The drama on this show is OK, the background story of the returning criminals and wardens is certainly an exciting reason. The story of how Detective Madsen and Dr Soto catch these criminals in the present is less interesting as they perform many improbable actions. Other shows from ‘Bad Robot Productions’ like ‘Person of Interest’ are in that fact meticulous in explaining how criminals are caught. The character of Rebecca Madsen has so far not managed to rise to the level of Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) or Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson).

For some episodes the question that has lingered on the minds of many viewers is why these inmates behave in such a criminal fashion as lying low doesn’t seem to have crossed their mind. The character of Dr Luccile Banerjee (Parminder Nagra) who got shot in the second episode is now becoming noticeably absent and we have not been given any details as to her health status. Her appearance on Alcatraz Island in 1963 was very exciting but then that was a few episodes back.

These are major issues that this show will have to deal (as well as many I haven’t mentioned here) while at the same time viewer ratings seem to slide downwards. This could well end up being a ‘Bad Robot Productions’ one-season-show and the reasons why are obvious.

Now, lets not be a complete doomsday thinker. Every show needs time to grow, problems can always be solved later on. Lets focus on ‘Paxton Petty’.

Here is the press release…

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13 –“ALCATRAZ”.

A CONVICTED BOMBER REAPPEARS ON AN ALL-NEW “ALCATRAZ” MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, ON FOX
When our unlikely trio tracks former inmate Paxton Petty (James Pizzinato), a sick landmine bomber who has returned only to place bombs throughout populated areas of San Francisco, methods of the past are applied to the present in the all-new “Paxton Petty” episode of ALCATRAZ airing Monday, Feb. 13

Cast: Sarah Jones as Detective Rebecca Madsen; Jorge Garcia as Dr. Diego Soto; Sam Neill as Emerson Hauser; Parminder Nagra as Lucy Banerjee; Robert Forster as Ray Archer; Jonny Coyne as Warden Edwin James; Jason Butler Harner as Associate Warden ED Tiller.
Guest Cast: James Pizzinato as Paxton Petty; David Hoflin as Tommy Madson; Leon Rippy as Dr. Beauregard; Mehcad Brooks as Matt Tanner

And here is the trailer…

The trailer is certainly… Explosive.