Alcatraz, the notorious former prison off San Francisco, would be a fine setting for a story about inmates and guards.
In the hands of “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams, it becomes much more: a touchstone for a time-shifting tale about inmates disappearing in the 1970s and reappearing in the present, looking not a day older, and now on a murder spree. It’s also a backdrop for a conspiracy thriller about a government agent who knows more about the prison’s history than he’s telling, and an eerie landmark in a modern detective story set in the city, featuring a female cop who is curious about some unresolved cases and a comic- book dealer who happens to be an Alcatraz-history buff.
Think “Prison Break” meets “Lost” meets “Cold Case.”
“Alcatraz” premieres Monday on Fox with two episodes, 7-9 p.m. locally on KDVR-Channel 31.
Typical of Abrams, there’s a lot of plot unspooling, in more than one era.
The stunning pilot is one of midseason’s best, a nerve-jangling leap through the J.J. looking glass. It’s a thriller, it’s a procedural, it’s a chance to see “Lost’s” Jorge Garcia (Hurley) again, off that damn island and onto another one, this time with ferry access.
Sarah Jones plays Rebecca Madsen, the comely detective who stumbles onto a mystery: When the fingerprints in a case lead to a seemingly impossible suspect, a man who died some 30 years ago as an inmate at Alcatraz, she’s intrigued. Her grandfather and surrogate uncle were guards at the prison, so she’s particularly interested in the bizarre case.
Garcia plays “Doc” Soto, the Alcatraz expert and comic-book enthusiast.
Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park”) brings his patented inscrutable deadpan and steely blue eyes to the story, playing the government honcho, Agent Hauser, who is running an operation that may be more wide-ranging than it seems.
Also among the huge cast, Parminder Nagra (“ER”) is Hauser’s assistant, destined for bigger things.
Monday’s second hour involves a sniper in Lee Harvey Oswald eyeglasses seen in two time frames.
It’s all very creepy, mysterious and loaded with questions. The plot turns often feel random and the exposition tends to come out of nowhere.
Making sense isn’t the point, at least at first. We’ve learned to trust Abrams for a joy ride. Don’t expect answers for a long while.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
