The A&E drama, which earned record network ratings for its March premiere, will enter production again later this year and likely air its second season in the spring of 2012.

The drama features Laz Alonso and Domenick Lombardozzi as U.S. Marshals that work with former fugitives to form a unique task force that brings down escaped cons. Malcolm Goodwin, Jimmi Simpson and Serinda Swan also star.

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Vega started off as the grieving mother, but we quickly learned that not only did she use her son’s funeral to escape, she’s the one who ordered the hit. That won’t exactly win her mother of the year, but does make her worthy of running a Columbian drug cartel.

Shea waited an awfully long time before he told Charlie and Ray that Vega had his girlfriend Vanessa. He seemed to figure out early on that his contacts weren’t going to be able to help him. If capturing Carmen was his end game, why not enlist Charlie and Ray’s help? 

The death of Carmen’s mole felt a little contrived. It would have had more impact if it was a character we’d already met before this episode. His words to Charlie were disconcerting. “It’s easy to justify Charlie because it happens slow.  Bit by bit.” Could this be foreshadowing for next season?

There wasn’t as much humor or one-liners in this episode as we’ve seen in others, but I loved when they called out The Mayor for dropping the name Jose Rodriguez. “You throw a rock in Queens you’re going to hit a Jose Rodriguez,” Charlie quipped. He wasn’t kidding. I wondered if the 102,093 Jose Rodriguezes that Julianne found in the city was an accurate number? It wouldn’t surprise me a bit.

It was nice to see the cons confiding in one another a little more, even if it was based in fear. I could really feel Erica’s terror over her daughter being in danger and how trapped Lloyd must have felt being caught in the middle. However, my favorite was Julianne. For a character with such perceived weakness, she certainly found her inner strength when it counted.

The end scene with the team bonding over beers was perfect.  Nerves were frayed but this team held it together, though just barely. 

I’ve really enjoyed this season of Breakout Kings. It’s given us well-drawn characters, witty dialogue, and plenty of action. I have my fingers crossed for a season two.

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“There Are Rules” started off with a group of cons who didn’t go over the wall – they went through it. The tractor-trailer that barreled that lent them an escaping hand was messy but effective. 

The driver was shot and killed at the scene and the prison guard they took hostage took two bullets to the head off screen. What struck me about that was that the guard had begged for his life, telling them he had a four-year old waiting for him at home. It didn’t matter.

The next con running into traffic and getting hit by a bus seemed almost tame in comparison.

Charlie was sure willing to play fast and loose with Shea’s life. Did he want to see Shea’s dead body to prove that he was in danger? Shea certainly proved to be a survivor. He may not be the biggest guy, but he makes up for it with sheer tenacity and will.

Meanwhile, the sleeping arrangements were hysterical. Erica complained about her tight underwear as Ray tried to ignore her attempts to get his attention. 

How about Charlie and Lloyd sharing a bed? When Lloyd got his revenge by sleeping “unencumbered,” I laughed out loud at Charlie’s reaction. If I were Charlie I think I’d sleep on the floor, or at least order Lloyd to do so.

With the new Director breathing down Charlie’s neck for results, following the rules quickly turned into do whatever you’ve got to do. For Ray, that translated into shoving a lit lighter up a man’s nose. I’d guess that that clears out the sinuses.

I’m sure the everyone earned a newfound respect for Charlie as they overheard him standing up for his team, even willing to get bounced back down to desk duty. 

Parts of “There Are Rules” were harsh but it drove home the point that anything can happen on this show. It made me wonder when one of our Breakout Kings team might find themselves on the wrong end of the violence.

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Poor Debbie. One minute the woman was planning her wedding and the next some psycho was throwing a bag over her head and dragging her through the woods.

However, I do wish she would have grabbed the knife off of the front seat of the car before she screamed for the park ranger. The guy might have had a chance.

Erica looked truly terrified as Bennett held that huge machete to her throat. He would have slit her from ear to ear if Charlie hadn’t put a bullet in his head.

It took me a little while to figure out what Erica’s flashbacks were about. Now that the men who killed her father were all dead, it looked like her conscience may finally have kicked in. We’ll have to see if that has further consequences for her.

How would Charlie feel if he knew what Julianne and Shea pulled on that attorney? I know he ordered them to get results, but how far did he expect them to go. Shea’s tactics certainly pushed passed the boundaries of the law, but what do you expect when you threaten a convict to get a lead?

Elsewhere, Ray played Sinatra in the car the whole ride up. Totally in his character, making Shea absolutely crazy. Very funny.

I didn’t really care about the return of Gunderson. I didn’t like the character in the pilot and was glad to see him gone. I didn’t doubt that if he had the opportunity to take out Charlie in the woods, he probably would have taken it.

At the end, I was pleased that Charlie came clean about the watch. Lying, as Ray had encouraged, just seemed out of character for Charlie. His admission wasn’t an apology, but for me it was enough.

If Breakout Kings keeps getting better, then I can’t wait to see what the next episode brings.

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“Paid in Full” gave us one of the most chilling escapees since T-Bag.

Virgil Downing was a a man of few words. A very scary man. Like any hitman, he performed his job with cold, steady dedication. But having bad information and then killing the wrong man shook him, if only that it showed a lack of professionalism. 

Everyone who knew about Virgil Downing was most upset not by the amount of people he’d murdered but that he once took a job to kill a dog. In this jaded world of cops and cons, killing the dog was what got their attention.

The episode started off with Shea learning that Ray was no longer a Marshal. I’d say that with Shea’s paranoia, he was the most dangerous con to have that information and he couldn’t let it go. 

He eventually confronted Ray, who had no choice but to come clean but not without immediately going on the defensive. 

The second revelation of the night was when Ray divulged Lloyd’s crime. He sold prescriptions to pay off his gambling debts and an 18 year old girl committed suicide using his pills. Lloyd got 25 years for his crime. 

I was impressed that Lloyd took responsibility for his actions and looked utterly ashamed when it was revealed. For all of Lloyd’s weaknesses and flaws, I considered his admission a moment of substance.

And finally, Charlie told everyone about his congenital heart defect, thus proving that every member needs this team to work.  Everyone here wants a do over, albeit for different reasons. 

A frightening killer, a compelling story, and lots of character background made this one of the best Breakout Kings of the season.

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Andre Brennan inspired a lot of speculation about why he was such a successful ladies man. Was it his looks, his money, his confidence, or as Erica pondered, his physical endowment? The conversation had all three of our cons focusing on their isolation form the opposite sex. 

Shea went so far as to ask Charlie for some alone time with his girlfriend. Charlie was having none of it. Shea was promised time off his sentence and nothing else. But Shea wasn’t taking no for an answer and he got creative. 

When Julianne caught him coming out of the elevator with his fly down, she knew exactly what happened but she kept her mouth shut. Then in a show of new found courage, Julianne confronted Shea. 

Did Ray even realize that Erica was propositioning him? Was he too wrapped up in the chase to even notice or does Erica being a con take her completely off his radar? I just don’t get the appeal there, well except for the fact that she’s been in prison for a long time.

The talk of conjugal visits affected Lloyd as well. He couldn’t seem to put down Kate’s negligee. The sniffing was a bit much though. Later he practically made love to those cigars he was examining. Of course Charlie was quick to slap his hand when he attempted to steal one.

At least Lloyd only tried to steal a cigar. Shea actually stole a diamond. And I thought the elevator stint was reckless. One visit with his girlfriend and suddenly he loses sight of the bigger picture. 

I can’t imagine that foolish act won’t come back to bite him. It’s just a matter of time. Charlie and Ray are not the forgiving types. Will this mean our Breakout Kings will be broken up? I hope not but I suppose anything is possible. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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