Review:  Alcatraz – S1, E10 – “Clarence Montgomery.”

Air date: Monday, March 12, 2012 at 9/8c on FOX

Rating: ★★★★★

Ellen Casey’s body is found on a golf course with her throat slashed. Clarence Thomas (Mahershala Ali), the first black man to run the kitchen of a San Francisco country club, is found guilty of murdering Casey, a woman he deeply loves. Fifty years later, another woman is found dead and the murder scene is eerily reminiscent of Casey’s murder. Team Alcatraz must determine if this criminal act has been committed by one of their ‘63s’ or if this is a copycat crime that belongs to the SFPD’s Homicide department.

Doc (Jorge Garcia) proactively scans the news in search of any possible Alcatraz connections, showing his commitment to his team. His incredible capacity for retention and knowledge of the prison’s history alerts him that the golf course murder is connected to Thomas.

Mahershala Ali plays Clarence Thomas who was convicted for murdering his girlfriend.

The boxes containing inmates’ personal belongings prove golden yet again but the fact that Rebecca (Sarah Jones) and Doc never experience issues retrieving them amazes me. If anyone has the contact information of the person responsible for such amazing storage and archiving skills, tell them I need help organizing my closets. As we’ve seen before, the last objects owned by Thomas provide critical clues to trace his whereabouts. However, this time Rebecca and Doc also benefit from help by Nikki (Jeananne Goossen), the city’s coroner who apparently has a ‘thing’ for Doc. Would someone please alert Doc that “drinks tomorrow” isn’t some sort of role playing online game?

We learn via flashbacks that Warden James (Jonny Coyne) takes an immediate interest in Thomas and his culinary skills upon his arrival on the island. James presents his plan under the guise of Thomas earning redemption and building a new future for himself. But is it really? All I know is whenever Warden James takes an interest in one of the inmates; it spells trouble for that person.

The Warden’s proposal is a clever way of exploring the pre-civil rights era of racial disparity in a prison where not surprisingly, segregation is the norm. As Thomas works hard cooking his first meal, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as Warden James introduces the meal as a feast along with the concept of parley. Yes, Warden James is going there in his ongoing and irreverent efforts to rehabilitate his inmates but as E.B. Tiller (Jason Butler Harner) wisely points out, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  Pandemonium ensues as white inmates refuse to eat food made by a colored cook.

All of these events take a heavy toll on Thomas, a man who has already dealt with the consequences of being a pioneer in social issues.

Throughout the episode, we hear Thomas bitterly repeat various versions of his same idea:  “I can only be what the world wants me to be.” In my opinion, the reasons why he says this several times is purposely left open for interpretation but the sad manner in which he repeats it makes me empathize with him.

The friction between Warden James and Tiller is quickly becoming a focal storyline and I rub my hands together in anticipation and excitement. Basically, in one corner, Warden James comes from the school of thought that criminals can be converted and rehabilitated. Tiller stands on the opposite corner, dismissing the notion that people can change for the better and they should be treated like the criminals they are.

I have a feeling we’re going to learn a lot about the secrets of Alcatraz via their dynamic as the power play between them will surely bring exciting drama.

How about the other way around, can a gifted cook turn into a violent murderer?

After learning Thomas was a cook, Rebecca (Sarah Jones) and Doc (Jorge Garcia) are hot on his trail.

The signs of trouble are everywhere. Seeking to sabotage the Warden’s rehabilitation plans, Tiller tortures Thomas. Thomas is also another victim of the mysterious blood draws as Dr. Beauregard (Leon Rippy) plays a version of the crazy horror movie scientist by performing experiments on him.  Ironically, Beauregard is supposedly using methods developed by Dr. Sengupta (Parmider Nagra), but obviously with a twist.

I like Nagra as an actress and I miss seeing her regularly on the show. She does an excellent job in the scenes where her alter ego character from the past interrogates inmates. The expressions she conveys are right on point with the purpose of the scene. Her inclusion in this episode appears to be part of the build-up for the season finale, in that her fate seems to be tied to finding an inmate with a matching blood type with colloidal silver.

Guest star Ali is also very convincing in portraying Thomas as a broken man beaten down by circumstances he feels are beyond his control. The way he holds his body, the emotions he uses are very telling of the emotional state of his character.

Humans are creatures of habit and Thomas’ cooking specialties allow Rebecca and Doc to track him down. As we learn about Thomas’ state of mind, I can’t help but wonder whether it’s the result of successful prison experiments or a case of self-fulfilling prophecy?  Whatever your opinion is, I think we can agree some men aren’t able to escape the prison world despite being free.

Towards the end of the show, I’m delighted to see The Palace of the Fine Arts, one my favorite San Francisco spots. It’s too bad it’s dominated by backroom political dealings, but it shows even the all mighty Hauser (Sam Neill) has to make concessions.

The editing in “Clarence Thomas” deserves notice as it efficiently moves us between the extremes of such emotions as sympathy, hope and horror for Thomas. Ultimately, in the midst of a tragic ending we witness the bonds of friendship being tested in extreme circumstances. A loyal friend is a precious thing, indeed.

As Alcatraz is two shows away from wrapping up its first season, it’s obvious we’ll continue to follow the blood trail just as we’re left to wonder exactly what kind of warden was Warden James?

Tune in to Alcatraz Mondays at 9/8c only on FOX.

For all things Alcatraz, visit the show’s official site at http://www.fox.com/alcatraz.

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