Review:  Alcatraz – S1, E13, “Tommy Madsen”

Air date: Monday, March 26, 2012 at 9/8c on FOX

Rating: ★★★★★

The opening sequence of part two of Alcatraz’s season finale starts with a bang. It’s a departure from its usual format, with Rebecca (Sarah Jones) on the ground, gravely wounded. It’s unclear what has happened but it involves a car chase just as we’re transported 36 hours earlier.  Who did this to Rebecca, and why?

I’m already excited to see the conclusion of the second part of this finale when I realize “Tommy Madsen” has three storylines. I love complex storylines that weave into a riddle and with this being the season finale, I expect a steep climax. My gut tells me we’ll continue to follow the blood trail that ultimately leads to Warden James (Jonny Coyne), but will this be it? There has to be at least one or two twists thrown into the mix. We’ll see.

Tommy Madsen (David Hoflin) is a critical piece in unveiling the Alcatraz mystery.

So, we begin with trouble, a.k.a. Tommy Madsen (David Hoflin), breaking into a man’s home. He seems interested in finding the homeowner’s wife, which can’t be a good thing.  Next, Rebecca has a conversation with Ray, an officer at her uncle’s bar, which may have sealed her fate.

“Be very careful with this,” he warns Rebecca. We know this is no empty threat because she’s digging into the heels of secretive people, and experience tells me they are highly disapproving of others who stick their noses into their business.

Last but not least, Joe ‘Ghost’ Limerick (Brendan Fletcher) resurfaces. He’s one the 63s that killed Garrett Stillman (Greg Ellis) to secure the coveted third key.  In a near frantic state, he checks into a private psychiatric hospital, demanding a place to lay low. Interestingly enough, the hospital is owned by–surprise, surprise–Broadway Mutual, Harlan Simmons’ (Steven Grayhm) company.

As expected, these present-day events actually originated in the 1960s, when they were all prisoners. For example, we learn Limerick is called ‘The Ghost’ as no one ever escapes Alcatraz. Next, we witness a horrific scene that takes us to the other side of the blood trail: the colloidal silver-infused blood transfusions.  After Madsen is indulged by Warden James in San Francisco, I’m certain he’s the first inmate to successfully undergo the blood experiments.

The mention of Faust by Warden James puts me on alert. Someone is going to make a deal with the devil.  The flashback to the day Madsen and James spent together is a critical one because we witness how an alliance of 50 years is forged.  There is a lot to learn about Madsen, but I think his ‘wish’ has to be one of the few decent deeds he has committed in his lifetime, yet he seals the fate of his brother Ray and his son.

Doc (Jorge Garcia) scholarly knowledge about Alcatraz comes really handy in the finale.

I love the scenes in present day San Francisco between Beauregard (Leon Rippy) and Lucy (Parminder Nagra), especially when he calls her “‘Poodle.”  Rippy continues to steal scenes with his irreverent dark and sarcastic humor even when their conversation turns serious.  Lucy has some relevant questions about the colloidal silver blood she now carries, which leads to an unexpectedly tender and candid conversation with the doctor about the state of her relationship with Hauser (Sam Neill).

In the meantime, Hauser is so consumed by keeping Lucy safe to figure out all that is weighing heavy in her mind. It’s amusing to see their dynamics and I particularly enjoyed the multiple instances where Lucy pushes back at Hauser and makes it clear to him she will not allow him to keep her in an ivory tower to be guarded like a fragile object. It’s pretty obvious their relationship is in trouble.

Hauser’s concerns eventually have him arranging a meeting with a powerful military man. It’s meaningful how they immediately focus on the whereabouts of Warden James, but Hauser also obtains travel documents so he and Lucy can travel to Paraguay. The favor comes with a price, and this is a meeting that is not too favorable for Hauser. He’s unable to secure a face-to-face meeting with the elusive Simmons (hmm!) and is forced to debrief Rebecca and Doc (Jorge Garcia) about the infamous keys, particularly the missing third key, which Madsen seems to covet.

What comes next is an amazing homage to Steve McQueen’s “Bullitt,” with a car chase that involves the same two types of cars involved in the film.  As the episode comes to a close, the three main storylines start converging as the veil slowly lifts on two crime camps: Harlan Simmons, who currently has possession of the third key, and Warden James, who seeks it.

The car chase scene in "Tommy Madsen" plays homage to the 1968 film "Bullitt."

What happens to the key, and who ends up with it?

Doc outsmarts everyone, but Madsen outsmarts Rebecca in a cruel manner. But before he does it, he reveals an extremely important fact:  Simmons broke a promise to Warden James.  This is a heavy revelation, but it’s totally in line with Simmons’ character as we saw in “Cal Sweeney.”  Not only am I left wondering if Simmons’ elusiveness is due to his youthful appearance, but could this have anything to do with the gold found by Warden James?

At the hospital, tempers flare and Hauser shows total lack of sensitivity by leaving with the third key which opens the warden’s secret den. I’m surprised to see Lucy with him, and what is inside the room answers a lot of questions.   The room is a hidden command center capable of tracking all of the 63s with state of the art equipment for the 60s. To fill in the gaps, we are taken to an important flashback. Warden James has a collaborator, a creepy doctor/scientist (Matt Craven) who has had an eye on Madsen ever since the Korean War.   The discussion, which focuses on Madsen being the ‘advance guy,’ suggests he’s the first individual lined up for a series of “jumps.” Things get more fascinating in present time as Lucy and Hauser find the creepy doctor in the command center.  Talk about impeccable timing! Coincidence much?  Judging by the man’s maniacal laugh and the rest of the conversation, I say not only is it a safe bet to say this man is responsible for prepping and pushing the 63s through time, but also that he has now “jumped,” too, which hints that was likely the last person in that sequence. Therefore, it appears all of the 63s have successfully “jumped,” into present time.  As the finale’s last scene fades to black, I wonder if this means Rebecca could use some colloidal blood, too.

All in all, this is a great season finale, indeed; but the biggest Alcatraz mystery continues to be whether the show will be renewed for a second season. I’ll keep my fingers crossed!

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

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