Alcatraz Open Thread

Did you watch Alcatraz last night? What did you think of it? Did you love it? I did! I LOVED IT.

Here are the Top 5 things I loved about it (some minor spoilers):

1. I love Jorge Garcia! I love his character, Dr. Diego Soto, soooooooooo much! I really love how he is shown to be sensitive and empathetic during his every interaction with any other character. And it is not pandering or paternal, but simply considerate, which is, frankly, pretty revolutionary for a male hero on a network show. Jorge Garcia plays him so well; he can break my heart just with a look. Jorge Garcia, you are awesome.

2. I love Sarah Jones! I love her character, Det. Rebecca Madsen, soooooooooo much! I love that there has never been any question about her competency in her professional role because of her womanhood, because the show's writers aren't so goddamn lazy that they think throwing out casual misogyny only so it can be refuted is radical and feminist. Instead, they're doing something genuinely radical and feminist, which is to write a character that sounds and feels and behaves like a real-life woman might, instead of a writing a dude character with a female name. Thank you, writers! Thank you, Elizabeth Sarnoff! Thank you, Jack Bender! Thank you, Sarah Jones!

3. I love Robert Forster! I once read that he doesn't really like playing bad guys, and I don't really know if that's true, but it kind of gave ma a soft spot for him.

4. I love the mystery that's building. I loved the scene in the car with Sam Neill and Guy Hastings, the guard, and Guy's heartbreak when he says, as a statement, with grim resignation, "I'm never going to see her again, am I." I love that this show won't let you enjoy the mystery, won't let you see the violence, won't let you in on the family secrets, without reminding you squarely of the consequences of this THING that happened. I love that the show loves its characters enough to exhort us to care about each of them.

5. Everything else!