The special “two-hour event” this week offers up a three-for-one deal in the first hour with the episode titled “The Ames Bros.” The second hour offers up kidnapper Sonny Burnett and his revenge quest against the woman who done him wrong.
The Ames Bros.
Present: The episode opens with Edward “Pinky” Ames on a tour at the Rock. A storm rages outside, and the ranger says they’ll have to cut the tour short so folks don’t have to spend the night. Pinky walks into his old cell just as the range demonstrates what it would sound like to get tucked in.
Flashback: Pinky is in his cell, and all the call of “rack ’em,” he emerges and marches offscreen with the rest of the inmates. He sits in the cafeteria across from his brother Herman, who’s having a debate with another inmate. Pinky twists the other inmate’s fingers and they get him to leave his spoon.
Herman and Pinky are working with a man named Donovan, who says everything is set for them to make their move during Warden James’s homily on Sunday. We don’t know what “their move” is yet though. Then Archer calls for them to move.
Present: Madsen and Doc are chilling out in the nerve center of their part of the SuperBase. They discuss three of Hauser’s other Alcatraz team members, and then see one head into the main cell block with a machine. Doc leaves, excited that he’ll finally get a chance to see what the guy’s up to.
We switch to the bearded man, who hears a noise and goes to investigate. Then Pinky appears and bashes his head in with bolt cutters. Doc sees the body slide out of view, and then gasps when Pinky comes into view. He whirls around to leave … except Herman’s right behind him. Oh noes!
Madsen gives Doc a call but has to leave a voicemail. Then she looks at the camera and realizes the bearded man has vanished, so she runs out.
Herman shoves Doc up against the wall and demands to know who he is. Doc says he’s an expert on Alcatraz, but he could never figure out how the pair of them planned to escape in 1961. He hasn’t gotten his hands on their map; the problem is however it’s antiquated. Herman doesn’t recognize the word, so at first he gets angry. Then Doc explains, and Pinky throws their map at him. He asks to update it, and Doc soon realizes they weren’t escaping … they were looking for the gold stored under Alcatraz.
Flashback: Warden James and E.B. Tiller walk into the chapel. The reverend praises James’s homilies for their inspirational quality, and Tiller comments the inmates like getting out of their cells for another hour. James asks Pinky, who’s working in the church, if that’s true. Pinky says it isn’t, and also explains how he’s spiritual rather than religious.
James takes his coat off and holds it out to Tiller, but Pinky takes it instead and searches through the pockets. James stops him at first … only to pull out the printed homily. Then he walks away and Pinky fishes free a pair of keys. He walks up to Officer Donovan, his accomplice, and says he needs the bathroom. Donovan takes him to the kitchen, where the officer hands him bars of soap Pinky can use to make new versions of the keys. Pinky goes to work … fast.
Present: Madsen finds the dead man in the main cell block, pulled aside into one of the cells. Hauser walks into the empty upper part of the SuperBase just in time for the power to die. Once power comes back, he notices the suitcase in the main cell block and rewinds the camera footage to where he sees Pinky kill the bearded man. Ah crap.
Herman and Pinky throw Doc into the hole rather than kill him. Besides, Pinky says they might need him later after all.
Flashback: Pinky and Herman work in the kitchen to make new keys from their soap molds. They eventually melt two spoons down over the fire and form the new keys in special heat-resistant molds. Archer calls for a shift change, but Herman tells Pinky he needs more time. So Pinky goes over to the man cutting steak with the band saw, and tells him the pinky finger’s not that bad … and he lost it as an accident. Then he slices the man’s finger off to loud screams. The guards come over and first Pinky explains, then the main guard shoves him aside. Donovan ushers Pinky and Herman out … while behind them Archer notices the piece of spoon Herman filed off the key.
Present: Madsen’s still looking for Doc in the darkened prison. Someone–a ranger–comes up behind him and she knocks him down. She demands to know how he’s there, and he spins a tale about the Ames brothers chasing him while he’s facedown on the floor. Only then does Madsen allow him to turn around … slowly … and he tells her his name is Ranger Donovan. Yup! It’s the guard who was Pinky and Herman’s accomplice!
Donovan offers to call the mainland from the ranger station after Madsen asks where the Ames brothers are headed, but Madsen says he needs to stay with her. Clearly this wasn’t what he wanted to do. And then he says they were headed back toward the lighthouse.
Herman wonders aloud at cutting Donovan out. Pinky of course thinks this is a horrible idea, and is convinced nothing’s been a coincidence what with them being in 2012 and running into Donovan last month on the tour. Herman agrees–it’s greed after all.
Flashback: Herman starts laughing during Warden James’s homily, and when asked he says it’s because he wondered if the Galatians were on Paul’s list like they need to have at the Rock. Donovan pulls Herman to his feet, claiming he’s drunk off some hooch in his cell. Herman says no … it’s wine from God’s own table. Pinky tells him to shut up, but that “backfires”. They’re both escorted out and taken to the Hole by Donovan.
Warden James, Tiller, and Archer walk down to the Hole. Archer went to James, convinced the Ames brothers wanted to get sent to the hole because he found the keys. They arrive at the Hole, and James calls for Ames … but Donovan’s face comes to the door. James calls for a lockdown and releases Donovan, who says they talked about escape before beating him up and throwing him in the Hole. James looks at his keys, and says he thinks he knows where they’re headed.
Present: Doc calls his comic book shop and tells Chet to pull the Alcatraz manuals to see if the doors were retrofitted with releases in case a tourist locked themselves in. Chet at first refuses, commenting on the idiocy of such a thing, so Doc says he’s going to tell Madsen that Chet owns the ‘Twilight’ movies on Blu-Ray if he doesn’t pull the manual.
Madsen is walking down the hall with Donovan ahead of her. She suggests he head to the ranger station and hunker down there, but he says he can handle himself. Besides, she’ll need back-up and it’s not like he arrived at Sally port yesterday. At that, Madsen pulls her gun on him. Yeah … he made a boo-boo there. She orders Donovan to his knees, and then the Ames brothers show up. A firefight ensues, during which Madsen shoots Herman in the neck. Whoops. He dead.
Pinky screams and rushes them with the bolt cutters, but Hauser shows up and opens fire. This forces Pinky and Donovan back. The firefight ends with Pinky and Donovan chasing Madsen and an injured Hauser down to the SuperBase. Pinky declares they’re all going to pay … starting with Doc.
Inside the SuperBase, Madsen at first wants to go get Doc. Hauser however brings up a good point–they could have killed him already but they didn’t. This means there’s a good chance he’s still alive, but if Madsen goes in guns blazing they’ll kill him. So instead they look at video surveillance and figure out it’s the Ames brothers and their guard pal Donovan.
Doc gets out by using the safety-release mechanism at the top of the sliding door. Pinky attacks him right when he slips free of the Hole, but Donovan stops him. They can use Doc as bait, which means they can get behind that big door. Doc tries to lie and say there’s more than a dozen people behind the door. Which is of course not true.
Madsen can’t find anything in the boxes to tell them why the Ames brothers are there. Hauser figures out the Ames brothers are looking for gold, just like when they nearly knocked over the Federal Reserve in Chicago. Then they see Pinky on surveillance, and he says he’s going to kill Doc unless Madsen delivers herself. Madsen goes to leave, and explains her plan of splitting the pair of them to make sure Donovan brings Doc directly to Hauser.
Flashback: Pinky and Herman are in the tunnels under D block. They run up to a door that’s padlocked shut, and realize the keys they have don’t fit in the locks. Warden James, Tiller, and Archer show up, and James congratulates the two inmates.
Pinky demands to know what the keys they copied actually open, since everyone knows he doesn’t let them out of his site. James takes the keys and declares it’s none of their business. After they leave, he offers Archer a commendation. Then Archer heads to Tommy’s bedside and says now he’s in James’s good graces he can find out what they’re doing to his brother.
Present: Madsen finds Donovan holding Doc hostage. She offers them what they want, but then Pinky flips out and attacks her. Madsen runs and Pinky chases her, despite Donovan’s warnings. Donovan meanwhile shoves Doc toward the SuperBase door, and demands it open. Doc doesn’t have a key though, so he looks up at the camera and asks for Hauser to open it.
Hauser kills the lights and the door swings open. Meanwhile, Pinky taunts Madsen from the floor … he says he won’t use his gun. Then she shouts his name from high above, he looks up, and she shoves a massive bench onto his head. Looks like Pinky’s brains are all over the floor. No rubber pants for him, eh?
Doc leads Donovan to door into the dungeon, where the former guard knocks him out cold. Madsen finds Doc lying on the ground and brings him around, while Donovan is down in the tunnels at the door from 50 years ago. Hauser confronts him, and Donovan offers to split the gold 50/50. Before Hauser can stop the guard though, Donovan blows the door open … knocking them both to the ground.
Madsen shows up after Donovan’s already gone through. He’s looking around the room by now, and realizes it’s empty of all the gold that’s supposed to be there. Madsen orders him to drop the gun twice before he complies.
Hauser and Beauregard are in the new Alcatraz with Donovan. Hauser tells a Laotian fable about an eagle flying two men to a moon of gold, and then asks questions about Ray Archer, Tommy Madsen, and whether Warden James was the one willing to kill for the keys.
Flashback: Warden James walks up to the special door and unlocks it. Inside is gold bars lying covered up by a tarp. So the gold really was there. Huh … who’d have thunk?
Sonny Burnett
Present: Hauser walks into Ray Archer’s bar right around closing time. Archer tells the other man he wants Rebecca out, but Hauser shoots back he’s not the one keeping her in the game. The weird part, Hauser realizes, is that Archer’s asking him to pull Rebecca off the task force now … after months of having her on the team. And then it hits him … Archer’s seen Tommy.
Speaking of Tommy, he’s sitting in a chair in Rebecca’s room watching her sleep. Or at least we think he is, because Madsen’s dreaming about him. Then she wakes up, grabs the gun, and points it at an empty chair. Not gonna sleep now, are you?
Two well-dressed men drive down the road after negotiating a deal. Suddenly there’s a man in the road and the driver swerves to avoid him. They get out of the car, and suddenly the stranger appears with a shotgun. The younger man holds up his hands and tells the stranger he can take whatever he wants. So the crook shoots the younger man dead, and tells the older man–Mr. Pierce– that he’ll take him.
Flashback: Sonny Burnett is released from solitary after his 30-day acclimation period. Sonny meets with a guy in the yard, and tells him about a big kidnapping score–$100,000–that will buy him protection for his entire time in the joint.
Present: Madsen and Doc show up at the scene of the crime, and Hauser tells them they found a note about 2088. This marks it as a Sonny Burnett job, which is weird because the perp never killed anyone 50 years ago. The ransoms were paid and the victims went back home safe and sound.
Madsen and Doc visit Mr. Pierce’s wife, Helen, who reveals she was kidnapped as a girl after Madsen mentions a ransom. And then she tells them the name of her kidnapper–Sonny Burnett.
Beauregard is treating Hauser at the new Alcatraz infirmary. He reveals the ’63s that Hauser’s been rounding up are all in absolutely perfect health. Apparently the inmates’ blood contains colloidal silver, which is known to have healing properties. Ernest Cobb’s injury healed in weeks rather than months … and this means a transfusion into Lucy could save her. Except they don’t have her blood type. Dang.
Madsen asks for more info from Helen, but it’s not until Hauser shows up and explains their theory of a copycat that Helen opens up. She tells them about how she helped Sonny kidnap someone back 50 years ago, and then he started talking like they were partners. Madsen presses, and we find out Helen actually lived with Sonny. Hauser kicks Madsen out because otherwise they’ll lose the woman as a source. Whoops! Not good with the socialization eh, Madsen?
Madsen gets a visit from Uncle Ray, and an argument ensues when he sees pictures of Tommy on the table. Madsen realizes he’s seen the other man, and is flabbergasted that Alcatraz turns everyone into liars.
Flashback: Sonny’s cash is completely gone. His protection gent sent someone on the outside to look for the money, and though they found the box there was no money there. So in reply the men stab Sonny right there in the yard. And he starts to bleed out …
Present: Sonny yanks the bag off Pierce’s head and tears the gag off. Pierce immediately offers money to get himself out. And Sonny just laughs. Ummm … creepy much?
Flashback: Sonny comes to in the infirmary under the care of Beauregard. Tiller asks who Helen is, since Sonny mumbled that name. They discuss putting him into solitary for another 30 days before putting him back in general population.
Tiller hates the idea, thinking Sonny will never acclimate to the jail. Warden James, however, is a proponent of natural selection in Alcatraz. He even lectures Tiller on knowing his place before leaving and thus ending the conversation.
Tiller then explains to Sonny there’s only predators and prey inside Alcatraz. Once he recognizes that, it means he can figure out which one he wants to be. Umm, I vote predator! That’s good, right?
Present: Doc plays the call of Sonny talking to Hauser. $100,000 in a hay bag at Berkeley Downs, where Mrs. Campbell was held as a girl … so Madsen, Doc, and Hauser head over there.
Except Sonny goes to Helen’s house and murders the cop guarding her. He comes in and says hello all creepy like … and he tells her that she’ll know what it’s like to have everything taken away from her.
Madsen heads into the stable at the downs to make the drop, where she finds a human ear. Turns out David Pierce is dead. This was never about the money. Which means it’s about the revenge.
Hauser tells Doc and Madsen about what happened at Helen’s house. CSI Nikki tells them Sonny used a power saw to chop Pierce up, and tells Madsen to catch the guy. And then Hauser and Madsen go back to Helen’s house, where they reveal that they knew Sonny kidnapped David. Helen tells them she’s the one who stole Sonny’s money all those years ago.
After they leave, Madsen tells Hauser she knows Archer is being watched. Hauser suggests she wants him to back off, but instead she tells him she wants to be his first call when Tommy shows up.
Doc found Sonny’s muscle car using tire tracks from the scene of the abduction. They head out to catch him, but Sonny’s a step ahead seeing as he’s called for a town car pick up.
Flashback: Sonny is busy bulking up in solitary. He catches a ball thrown wide, and rather than give it back begins to beat the crap out of the guy asking for it. His former protector is slightly miffed to say the least, and tells Sonny he won’t live to see another day when he gets out of the hole.
Present: Madsen goes into the house first after a neighbor confirms where Sonny’s living. She snaps a few photos of the newspaper clippings all over the place, and realizes Sonny found out what flight the daughter is coming in on.
Sonny stands in San Francisco airport with a whiteboard that reads Danielle Campbell. So of course Helen’s daughter goes right over and doesn’t even consider the idea anything’s wrong. Ruh-roh, Raggy. I got a baad feeling.
Sonny’s at a hardware store and asks for plywood cut to a sales associate’s height, a flashlight, and a spade.
Flashback: Tiller brings Sonny a rather good dinner. He’s impressed that Sonny’s changing his life, but not by the fact Sonny stopped short of killing that man he beat down in the yard. Have to be more of a predator then …
Present: Madsen and Doc track the saw to the hardware store, where the sales associate tells them about Sonny’s purchases. They realize he’s planning to bury Danielle in the field where Helen found Sonny’s money. The money it took her 2 weeks to find.
Danielle, meanwhile, hits the roof of the plywood box and screams as loud as she can from underground. Sonny just keeps burying her though. That puts a damper on your day, doesn’t it?
Hauser calls Madsen and tells her there’s a missing town car in a field near Danville. They drive right after Sonny, and Doc comments on the size of the field. Which is why Madsen says Sonny’s going to narrow it down.
Flashback: Sonny re-enters the yard, and immediately jumps on his former protector. He gouges the man’s eyes out while Tiller holds people back. Then Warden James appears and explains
Present: Sonny is stopped by a hail of bullets from the SFPD. Hauser shouts that he needs the prisoner alive, and all that happens to the car is the airbag and tires pop.
They pull Sonny from the car, and there’s a jurisdictional battle for half a second. Before Madsen tells the SFPD there’s a woman buried in the field back there. Sonny says they’ll never find her, but Madsen comments that they found him.
Thankfully they do find Danielle, and the reuniting of mother and daughter is done off to the side. Later, in the car, Madsen tells Doc that Hauser put a tail on Archer. After confirming she’s all right with the idea, Doc says one day they’ll all have to live with whatever they’ve done to get the 63s put away.
Beauregard tells Hauser there’s no colloidal silver in Sonny’s blood. Which of course angers Hauser, because he thought this was a guarantee. Beauregard reminds Hauser not all the prisoners were part of the experiment. And then the doctor’s ordered to walk away. Hauser smash!
The episode closes with Tommy Madsen looking into his granddaughter’s apartment window while she sleeps. Peeping tom much?
Next week: Clarence Montgomery, an innocent man, returns as a killer. This is the episode that got pushed off last week because of the Daytona 500.
If you missed the previous episode be sure to read our ‘Alcatraz: Johnny McKee’ recap.
