Grade: C+
A procedurals attempt is to try & up the ante each week. Either with a new & more devious villain or with higher stakes & deeper conflict for its main characters.
Alcatraz has proven that it does not have much regard for furthering its characters outside of some unprovided feelings between Emerson Hauser & Lucy to the more believable turmoil Rebecca feels toward her father & returned inmate Tommy Madsen. While
”Sonny Burnett’ continues the tradition of the series by continuing to not provide development for its main present day characters it at least provides a more gripping story toward its returned inmate of the week with a lush backstory & tension building present day stakes.
As the title suggests, the episode revolves around returned inmate Sonny Burnett a ransom artist who ended up falling in love with his last ransom. This situation of course turned deadly for him in prison as he staked his protection on money that was burned by his ransom putting his live on The Rock at risk. What
”Sonny Burnett” provides was a nice, although already done, look inside the evolution of an inmate who must fight to survive. Much like the journey Sean Penn’s character takes on in
Bad Boys, Sonny must become tuff to survive in Alcatraz after his protection money goes missing. This missing protection money also provides the present timeline tension as Sonny goes after his last victim who burned the money out of spite for the kidnap.
As the episode moves along we see a journey of somewhat de-evolution to survive in the prison environment without protection. The fact to prove ones worth through bloodshed is all part of the game &
”Sonny Burnett” relays the told story to a T. Though no real reveal comes toward the mystery of the returning 63 the episode does provides a better looks & well laid out story for what would be a basic procedural. The only problem is the fact that the whole story revolves around a returned inmate & as
Alcatraz continues to draw closer & closer toward its end it continues to elude its mystery entirely.
