Namely, the shows that will not return this fall.

Were you most looking forward to further exploration of Cassie’s dark magic on The Secret Circle? Carlene’s cleavage on GCB? The supernatural mysteries of the world’s most iconic prison on Alcatraz?

Consider the recently-cancelled shows across the dial and vote now: Which will you miss most?

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Touch has been renewed. Alcatraz and The Finder have been canceled.

Touch, which features Kiefer Sutherland as the father of a gifted, silent boy, joins Bones and Fringe as dramas that have been picked up new seasons.

The Finder, meanwhile, will air what will now be a series finale tomorrow night.

These were really the only three shows remaining on the Fox bubble, as the network will unveil its official fall/winter schedule on Monday in New York City.

The post Fox Renews Touch, Axes Alcatraz and The Finder appeared first on TV Fanatic.

But a number of shows are still residing on this network’s bubble, as promising pilots such as the buzzed about Kevin Williamson/Kevin Bacon drama will need to replace some current program(s) on the schedule.

Which will get the axe? Hint: it won’t be American Idol.

None of the following shows have received a green light yet for 2012-2013. Study the list and vote for the one you most want to see return to Fox this fall:

We’ve run this same exercise for the other four major networks as well. Make your voice heard now on…

• The CW series you most want to save.
• The NBC show you can’t live without.
• The ABC series you look forward to on a weekly basis.
• The CBS program you’d cry over if it went away.

The post Fox: Save Which Show? appeared first on TV Fanatic.

Except the show had an extremely bumpy ride, throwing in often lazy plot devices, never really exploring the characters beyond their most basic outline and piling on the enigmatic secrets in the hopes that it would distract from the relatively average cases that took place each episode.

Don’t get me wrong, the drama garnered strong potential from the idea of the disappearing prisoners and soon found itself improving in connecting the past with the present. And, yes, I was curious enough to want to know where it was headed with all of the special keys, silver-lined blood, familial connections, and the time travel (jump, wormhole, whatever your theory) to see through to the end.

The first part of the two-hour finale, “Garret Stillman” was clearly the set up for the latter half, not giving us really anything more we didn’t already know. Even the dramatic reveal that Tommy Madsen was Stillman’s handler didn’t do too much shock and awe.

However, the journey to that point, following around Stillman on his master plan both in the past and the present was an entertaining ride. It provided motives for both times while maintaining connections between the two. And who doesn’t like watching a calculating bad guy pull off clever moves like a chess game?

Harlan Simmons, who appeared back in “Cal Sweeney,” was reintroduced as more of a key player than we might have thought. It seems that now the man has become a reclusive billionaire with an original understanding with the Warden.

Why the Warden chose any of the men that he chose for each specific mission is still unknown, but it was interesting to eventually learn that he and Stillman are now on two different sides. Who do you root for in a war of the criminals? Yes, I know that technically the Warden isn’t a bad guy, but he plays fiendishly evil with his cartoonish grins that’s it hard to say he even played for the good guys.

Of course, the season has for the most part revolved around retrieving the keys to open the Warden’s super secret door.

I strongly feared the finale ending right as the door opened to a bright light much like Lost and it’s infamous hatch, but thankfully the show managed to allow us and its characters to enter the room. And so, inside the secret room was the revelation that the ’63s aren’t just appearing in San Francisco but rather the whole of the United States.

Clearly a set up for the next season, but it still doesn’t answer why the criminals only choose to commit crimes one at a time. Why don’t they all go crazy and cause havoc at once?

And then there was the creepy scientist who managed to bring the Warden’s ideas to life and somehow send the inmates and himself forward in time. Why? What’s the purpose? Was Tommy Madsen trying to get the keys for the Warden so he could get to the scientist?

I’m still confused on Tommy Madsen’s purpose in general. At times he’s seemed to play at the beat of his own drum, while other times he seemed to be taking orders. In fact, after he stabbed Rebecca, his own granddaughter, any compassion I might have felt for him went right out the door. Who is this guy? Can he really be a bad guy himself and not just misunderstood?

But what I’m sure was supposed to be the shocker of the “Tommy Madsen” episode was Rebecca flatlining. That’s right: Dying.

It’s hard to actually believe that her character would suffer the finality of that fate (I was even so convinced that I was more interested to see what was in the room than wait for her to wake up), but what if the show had the crazy notion to actually kill off her character?

Would it mean a huge emotional impact? Probably not because I never felt like I really got to know her, but getting rid of a character like that would be a huge game changer. It most likely would never happen, after all, Lucy managed to return will some silver blood and she was back to helping the team. I just hope that if she does come back, she comes back stronger, more in charge, rather than an obedient and complacent character. She is the lead after all!

I give the finale credit in moving the show forward at a reasonable but enticing pace, answering some questions, giving us a pretty cool car chase reminiscent of the film Bullit, and managing to make the past and present scenes equally important. There was plenty good here and often for finales, they try and bring their top game.

And yet even with what I liked about the two hour event, I still felt like it was missing something.

There was a continuing sense that the show was still in its early stages of working out the kinks, trying to establish a deeper story that would eventually discover the inner workings of its characters as it expanded its mythos. If anything, the finale seemed to try and find closure for the mish mosh of happenings in the hopes that season two might find a more succinct, compelling, and streamlined approach at providing a tale that wasn’t all over the place.

I do hope that Alcatraz gets renewed for a season two and does have the chance to expand beyond its basic premise, beyond its basic characters, and explore a world that can and should be gripping from start to finish. Let’s hope the finale is that jumping off board and not simply the conclusive flatline.

What did you think of the finale? What did you think of the show? Were your questions answered? Do you hope the show continues? Sound off below!

The post Alcatraz Season Finale Review: Unlocking the Mystery appeared first on TV Fanatic.

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Rebecca and Diego not only became privy to the colloidal silver in the blood info, but they also discovered Lucy appearing in an old video taken at the Alcatraz prison over fifty years ago. That’s right, Lucy is a ’63!

Which I’m sure is huge news for them because that verifies that Emerson has been keeping secrets. Although, to be fair, Emerson has pretty much always kept secrets. He’s not really an open book when it comes to his reappearing prisoners or certainly with his matters of the heart. Should they really be surprised that he’s kept everything hush hush?

Unfortunately, because viewers already knew the secrets, any real chance for new thought provoking discussion will probably have to wait until next Monday’s finale.

But Lucy waking up was a huge moment. It’s been Emerson’s driven quest to find any prisoner with matching blood type to help revive her, meaning that every other focus – from the mysterious keys, to the secret room, to why everyone is returning – was pushed to the side. And that’s fine from a character standpoint because it means that Emerson does garner some kind of compassion and emotional connection beyond his determined desires about the prison.

Except… the coma lasted for far too long and the final shot of her eyes opening was predictable and lacked a gravitas for what should have been a climactic moment for the audience.

Maybe it’s because we hadn’t known Lucy long enough to feel the same care that Emerson might when she was actually shot. Yet the flashbacks have done a decent job in establishing her as a character back then, both as a doctor and in her relationship with Emerson.

Thankfully, this episode was strong in regard to Lucy and the true take on her not as a villain joining in the mischievous ranks of the Warden and E.B. Tiller. There was a sense of compassion and interest to help even with Webb Porter being a criminal. She truly is that softer side and its hard to imagine how she become entangled in the disappearing mess in the first place.

Even her relationship to Emerson seems genuine and he remarks at her care and concern in a way that enlightens him. It’s nice getting to see the two together on romantic occasions especially with the present being devoid of any interaction between the two. Are they still lovers? Are they still in love? I wish I could see more of Sam Neil’s Emerson interactions with Lucy and not experience simply his gruff and angry side.

The case of the week certainly helped establish Lucy’s regard for the prisoners, as well a connection to the present for a significant moment.

Plus the fact that Webb wasn’t simply killing people for no reason, but rather echoing his drowning through their deaths and then using their hair for his musical tastes, was both creepy and well done. It expanded upon him as a character trapped within his own mind of desire, subjected to difficulties because of his ear problems. The guy clearly had issues.

I still find Rebecca Madsen to be your run-of-the-mill female cop, and, in fact, has become even more bland in the process. There isn’t the same type of life in her character that there was in the pilot. She’s not assertive or questioning or much of anything. Rebecca simply finds the case, follows the clues, whips out her gun, and catches the bad guy. She’s basic and I wish that would change, especially as the character that got the ball rolling in terms of uncovering the ’63s, Diego, and Emerson. She’s too important to be ignored.

I did rather enjoy seeing all the past villains appear on screen. It gives the show a real sense of continuity as well as the chance to think, “Hey, I recognize that guy from before!” I can’t help but think that there’s something big in store for all of them. Hopefully, their stories aren’t done once they are put back behind bars.

“Webb Porter” was another fair episode, but it didn’t provide many answers. Let’s hope I’m not writing that again after the season finale.

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The ultimate problem is the series so far has, for the most part, been relatively generic. It’s not awful by any means, (although a few episodes have felt overly cliche with plenty of head-scratching moments) but it still hasn’t struck that particular level of genre-defining, drawn-out characters. Has anyone really felt overly anxious to find out what happens next?

The drama remains trapped in the unfortunate world of being something that you could possibly tune into when channel surfing, a la whatever Law & Order or CSI episode happens to be on, but won’t make you feel compelled to watch because some character is going to make a huge series altering decision.The show still feels average.

If anything, there is plenty of potential, much like your grade school teachers used to say about you when you weren’t giving it your all even though they knew you could. And I certainly continue to give credit to the interesting concept of vanishing and reappearing criminals from Alcatraz. It’s a cool idea.

Even the plot of “Clarence Montgomery” was an interesting take, focusing on a man who was innocent when he was sent to the prison and ended up becoming a murderer because he watched a subliminal brainwashing movie.

In fact, I truly felt sorry for Clarence. He seemed like a decent guy with a gift for making succulent meals who was convicted of a murder in large part because of the color of his skin. And to top it off, he got caught up in a mini power struggle between the Warden and E.B. Tiller, ending with him visiting the doctor for some electroshock therapy. And voila, it’s 50 years later and he can’t control when he kills. Luck really was never in his favor.

The episode gave plenty of time for viewers to see this man’s struggle, right down to his final moments of anguish and despair at what he had become. I didn’t want him to die even when he seemed to be begging to be let go from his vicious cycle. Some great acting from Mahershala Ali to give a convincing portrayal of this conflicted prisoner.

Once again, another mystery popped out of the cells of Alcatraz in that some brainwashing techniques were being used. Why would the Warden want killers? Was he planning to take over the world? Maybe an overzealous thought even for the over animated character, but what if? And let’s be real, did anyone actually believe him when he said he did nothing to the blood?

But did I find myself caring about our main trio? Not to the same extent I wanted someone to help Clarence.

Rebecca, Diego and Emerson seem to be just along for the show’s ride. It’s hard to truly describe them as dimensional characters that excite you, entice you and make you love them. There’s not a lot new about them to go off, so the series leaves them to their standard routine actions. Rebecca runs around gun drawn (thankfully she wasn’t captured) trying to lead the team. Emerson actually leads the team, but he’s still too angry and distant to really want to work with anyone. Then there’s Diego, who always knows immediately what bad guy needs to be chased and provides some funny commentary because he’s not an action cop.

And that’s not bad, they’re okay characters. They just haven’t had a lot of chances to show why we should like them other than their most basic task of saving the world, one returning Alcatraz prisoner at a time.

In fact, the more the show has progressed, the more that I’d almost rather see the prison back before the convicts disappeared. The Warden, who can be at times a bit cartoonish, pulls it off in a way that I just want to hear his diabolical master plan. Even E.B. Tiller – who seems to be leading towards a power play – brings an interesting dynamic between the two men. I feel more inclined to watch everything taking place in that particular time because that’s where the mystery starts, and the characters there have a sense of personality and purpose.

All in all, the episode had certain moments, but there wasn’t a wow factor. It was just an average hour of television, another returnee showing up and then dealt with by the end. Hopefully, with three remaining episodes of the season, Alcatraz kicks it into high gear and gives us a grand finale worth talking about and discussing around the local water cooler.

The post Alcatraz Review: Out of the Fire, Into the Frying Pan appeared first on TV Fanatic.

And I’m not sure if viewing “The Ames Brothers” and “Sonny Burnett” back to back made the show that much more enticing, but I enjoyed the episodes far more than some of the previous ones.

Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that there was a genuine understanding and revelation of the returned prisoners motives. The Ames Brothers were simply looking to find the hidden gold they’d been searching for 50 years prior and Sonny Burnett wanted revenge for being betrayed by the girl he thought loved him.

I didn’t even mind that none of the most recent returnees had a purpose that was tied into the larger mythology of getting the keys, although we did learn that the Warden kept the originals close at hand. Yes, we viewers did receive plenty of interesting tidbits in reference to that bigger mystery of Alcatraz, but the particular cases made more sense than simply tossing in a random bad guy and having him do violent things.

Yet both episodes really dove headfirst into the shock factor of violence. From watching Pinky Ames beat a man to bloody death to Sonny Burnet poking his enemy’s eyes out, the cringe factor of these vicious criminals went up. I’m not sure if scenes like that were done for shock and awe effect or if to really establish that the criminals on Alcatraz are as dangerous as described.

“Ames Brothers was the best of the two episodes, sticking simply to the prison and giving the tone a spooky and jumpy feel. It was certainly different from a majority of the other installments, but its style and story direction proved interesting. I even enjoyed that Pinky wasn’t simply the “dumb” muscle for the brothers and actually maintained his own sensibilities, even if he did go on a crazy rampage at the end.

Additionally, the tying in of the past and present made sense in establishing the search for gold, the connection between the three men and the realization that the Warden’s special keys weren’t for the gold. It’s clearly enough of a big secret to persuade Ray Archer to keep quiet, but it’s interesting to see he’s working with his brother, Tommy Madsen.

The plot certainly went a little deeper and it paid off.

As for Sonny Burnett, his case returned to the typical hunting down criminals procedural, but his flashbacks provided for witnessing his visual change into the deranged man he had become. It was a clear transformation based on revenge and a need to survive.

I loved that Emerson Hauser would shout demands like “I want them alive” only to have Diego comment that he’s the only one that kills them. I really do find it hard not to like his character and his dialogue. And did anyone think to take his mention of Hauser not being human to heart? What if he wasn’t human?

What piqued my interest in this particular episode was more so the realization that the Warden and Deputy Warden aren’t necessarily on the same side. These two men might work together, but there is a tension and mistrust from both sides. The Warden’s speech about remembering who runs the “pack” makes for an interesting dynamic between these two men.

In fact, I’ve grown rather fond of the Warden’s somewhat campy sinister bad guy routine. He reminds me a lot of the Penguin from Batman fame and his overly enthusiastic and sinister tones when speaking to anyone give him enough credence to be the bad guy in a way that fits perfectly for the show.

Maybe it’s the glasses, maybe it’s because he’s bald, maybe because he grins like a mad man with a plan, but the Warden knows how to evoke that evil leader attitude. Is it possible he is behind all the returning convicts? Has he returned as well? What secret is so big that he won’t share it with the Deputy Warden?

Yes, I know that the questions continue to pile up, but it felt like both episodes did a good job in providing a solid story while touching on certain bigger aspects of the show. Who knew that some of the prisoners’ blood contained a silver that gave them healing properties? Who knew that Emerson doesn’t have any idea why the Warden was so interested in Tommy Madsen or what the return of the ’63s actually mean? Who knew that Emerson is willing to torture to get what he wants?

I know I’m still having a hard time investing myself in the main characters, although thank goodness Rebecca didn’t get herself caught again, but they aren’t bad characters at all. They just seem stuck in basic outlines rather than slowly developing ones.

When it comes down to it, the big mystery is what draws me back in and thankfully both episodes contained that while giving us solid cases of the week. But can that be enough to keep the show around for the long haul?

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