TV Series Lounge

In episode 12 of Breakout Kings titled “There are Rules,” we have five fugitives and an annoying new chief director. Plus, we have Lloyd’s jokes which are not funny at all.

TV Fanatic: “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 home invasion was just brutal. I gasped when Chester slammed the resident in the head with a sledge hammer. The poor man suffered for quite some time before he died. There was no purpose to the killing. It was simply savage and showed that these cons were capable of anything.

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. That scene was hot!

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.

Overall, I think this is an episode for Charlie and Shea. Shea worked the hardest on Attica, getting himself in trouble. Charlie defended the team especially Ray against the new chief director, and that was an awesome act for him. Finally, Lloyd’s little act on the interrogation room was cool. Indeed, that was not a transfer form and the fugitive just registered to vote!

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

When Erica was captured by the psycho fugitive, everything went intense. Episode 11 “Off the Beaten Path” gave us a search for a violent schizophrenic bent on raping and killing his latest obsession.

TV Fanatic: 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 poor guy might have had a chance.

Bennett was one of the scariest escapees so far.  Perhaps it’s because he was truly psychotic. Hearing voices, talking to people who weren’t there, then smiling eerily as Debbie sang her children’s song and looking so lost when she didn’t know his name. She was his obsession and she never had a clue.

Erica looked honestly terrified as Bennett held that huge machete to her throat. Bennett 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.

Ray played Sinatra in the car the whole ride up. I so saw that as being his character and could see it 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. Indeed, it was enough.

However, I find this quote from Lloyd true: “Pretty sure I didn’t hear an apology in there.”

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Last night’s Breakout Kings titled “One for the Money” deals with conjugal visits among prisoner. Most of the crew felt the heat and they wanted some private time on this episode. What else happened?

TV Fanatic: 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.

She won’t turn him in but she won’t risk herself either. Turns out after getting booted from the academy, Julianne didn’t leave the house for three years. That is until Ray came along and offered her this job. She won’t risk what she’s gained to cover for 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? Come on! Erica? I’ll take it anytime.

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. What about the info that Lloyd was also arrested in a casino?

What can you say about this episode?

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

What’s at stake? Steak!

This week’s Breakout Kings titled “Steaks” put the team in an extreme danger. Charlie got shot while Lloyd, Shea and Erica fight for a steak dinner.

It’s been five years since Shea’s had a steak dinner.

Suddenly “Steaks” were all this team could think about and Ray made a steak dinner the prize for whoever did the best job on the case.

When Julianne quipped that she should deprive herself of things so she’ll enjoy them more Lloyd reminded her that he was well versed in deprivation. “I got 25 years. It’s not an experiment. It’s my life.”

It’s the little things, the taste of real coffee, the smell of perfume, the view from a window, that Lloyd relished. Like the steak dinner, it’s all a reminder of the freedom they’ve lost.

This week’s escapees were two of my favorites because they epitomized where bad luck and poor judgement could lead. McCann’s parents were killed.

He ended up in foster care and eventually began pulling off home invasions.

Oliver was a dumb kid who stole a car for a joy ride. When somebody died he ended up in prison where he was raped and tortured. A horrible accident, a poor decision, and a cruel turn of fate changed their lives forever.

Yet, every day offers a new road. McCann chose to escape. Oliver chose to kill the guard and the old man.

Lloyd, Shea, and Erica have chosen to work with Ray and Charlie so that they get that cup of real coffee, another month off of their sentence and a chance at that steak dinner. Nonetheless, they’re still cons. Ray and Charlie didn’t trust Shea when he pointed out that the guns were missing but I must say that his self pat down to prove he didn’t take them was hilarious.

I thought Erica ripping up the coupon in front of Lloyd and Shea was almost cruel. I know she won but I felt for the boys. And although I agreed with Ray’s assessment of Erica as the winner, I couldn’t fault Shea for hesitating at the pharmacy. Those fugitives were armed. They’d already killed two people. A steak dinner or a month off of your sentence isn’t very useful if you’re dead.

Dealing with the consequences wasn’t only happening to the cons. Charlie’s heart condition came into play when he all but collapsed during a shootout. It figured that one of the those annoying singing Santa’s would push his heart over the edge.

Charlie could have easily been killed but he continued to put himself in harms way despite his physical limitations. As Ray pointed out, that kind of decision puts his partner at risk too. Unfortunately for Ray, being a con himself, he’s not left with many options.

Favorite lines for this episode:

Lloyd: You’re a vegetarian.
Erica: I’m a vegetarian who likes to win.

**
Ray: They are in the pharmacy. You two cover the back.
Shea: With what? My good looks?

So what can you say on this episode?

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Episode 7 of Breakout Kings titled “Fun with Chemistry” gave us plenty of chemistry issues. Yeah, both the compound elements one and the so-called social chemistry.

As the chemistry between Mars and Starla exploded into a killing spree, the attraction between team members boiled to the surface. Poor Julianne.

I really felt sorry for the girl. She screwed up her courage to kiss Ray and he pushed her away and looked at her like she was crazy. Ouch!

Then when he goes to talk to Julianne about it, Ray says almost nothing. She apologizes. He says “I’m just…” and hugs her when she lets it drop. “I’m just…” what??! Not ready to dive into a new relationship? I don’t feel that way about you? What??!?

I know Ray is a man of few words, but a little communication would help. Give the girl something. He really left Julianne dangling there and she had to feel like a fool.

And Lloyd was right there with her. He thought he had a shot with Julianne, only to realize her true feelings were for Ray. Then he got to witness Ray’s rejection. It took guts to confront Ray, but the bigger surprise was Ray’s reaction. No, not the part where he puts Lloyd against the wall. That’s typical for him. But then he told Lloyd to go and buy her flowers.

Was Ray actually encouraging Lloyd to make a play for Julianne. If Lloyd took his advice I could only imagine Ray would be furious.

Lloyd was getting kicked around on all fronts. First, his disappointment over Julianne and then having Ray let him think he was going to die. Ray did have a plan and Lloyd’s real panic helped sell it, but Ray didn’t seem to care that he scared the hell out of the man. At least if he did care, he certainly did little to communicate it, but that may just be a theme with Ray.

Erica being attracted to Ray was something I didn’t see coming. Not that we’ve gotten to know a lot about her character but I wouldn’t have thought he’d be her type. However, I did love her line when she saw the interaction between Ray and Julianne. I hate being the bridesmaid.

Even Charlie and Shea had their own chemistry. No, not like that! But these two definitely have their own dynamic.

Shea’s authority issues and Charlie’s expectations were highlighted in an argument over shoes. I liked when Shea considered running but remembered his first meeting with Charlie. The punishment would far outweigh the reward but I could understand the urge to run being overwhelming.

This week’s fugitives were an interesting twist on Bonnie and Clyde. The best part being that Starla was the brains and the dominant killer. Although Mars was the one who slit his own mother’s throat. Hard to decide which killer in this duo was more depraved. At least, there’s a twist on the latter part and we are all caught off-guard on it, well Lloyd too.

This episode depicts that when we expect everything to be smooth sailing, differences and intimate desires can come out especially in a team. Lets just wait what will happen on next week’s episode.

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Thanks to the movie Spaceballs as it helped Charlie and company survived that bunker bomb trap!

Episode 6 of Breakout Kings involves a activist and bomberman runner, Christian Beaumont. Guess what? We also met his father Ellis so as to justify the episode title “Like Father, Like Son.” The two solidified the belief that hate is taught. As I watched this father and son team and their crazy friends, all I could think was how miserable it must be to hold that much contempt for most of the human race.

Christian Beaumont was your basic bomb happy, anti-government, racist. Things got really interesting when he left a package on Charlie’s doorstep. Thank goodness his wife wasn’t badly injured.

Still, when Charlie chose to run back to work instead of remaining with Marisol at the hospital it gave me pause. I understood why he did it. Beaumont was still on the loose. His bombs could kill hundreds of people.

On one hand Charlie’s choice was admirable but if I were Marisol I’m not sure how I’d feel. Constantly coming in second to Charlie’s career can’t feel good. At some point Charlie needs to go home and put his wife first before he no longer has one.

Although I didn’t feel like we saw enough of Erica this week I enjoyed what we did get. When Shea quipped, “Oh damn. White girl’s fast.” He wasn’t kidding. She’s not only crazy fast, she throws a mean tackle.

I loved how Erica was tougher than her two male counterparts. It’s also great how they kept throwing in references to her bounty hunter background as she was the one to notice the metal shavings from the handcuffs and the missing hacksaw.

What was Lloyd so afraid of? It sounded like mom had hidden information about his father from him for most of his life and Lloyd’s allowed her to do it. Now that he had the access to the truth, he couldn’t bring himself to talk to the man.

Grown up Dr. Lloyd Lowry suddenly resembled an awkward twelve year old. It seemed Lloyd was adept at psychoanalyzing himself, he just couldn’t change his behavior. So what’s with his father? Does the title “Like Father, Like Son” also apply? What’s his father like? Well, I guess one of the succeeding episodes can touch that aspect.

It was easy to see how hate bred hate as Charlie held the gun to Beaumont’s head. I had no doubt a part of him wanted to pull the trigger but was thankful that his better instincts and Ray’s words talked him down.

When Ray took the cons out for pizza before heading back to prison, it was a nice touch. The members of the team really care now for one another. And they seem like a one big happy family, yikes!

Honestly, I like this episode as it proves that Breakout Kings can hit the mark even without T-Bag (but of course nothing still beats that Bag Man episode). But I don’t want how the bomb chase ends. Maybe they didn’t have enough time? But they could’ve made that Newark bombing scene more thrilling to wrap up the episode.

What do you think?

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Alas, this week’s Breakout Kings titled “Queen of Hearts” features the show’s first female escapee.

So did the group arrested her easily? No, as the said escapee has several penpal lovers whom she utilized to achieve her not-so-perfect plan

The list of prison pen pals that Lila assembled ranged from pathetic to laughable. All of them were willing to look past the fact that she stabbed her husband forty-eight times or were at least able to convince themselves that it was self defense. Never underestimate the power of a gorgeous body and a pretty face.

Apparently it was an episode full of girl power as Erica took on the role of dominatrix in the interrogation room. Having her call the guy out on his pink lace panties was comical but having Julianne tell Erica to keep the boots he licked was priceless.

I enjoyed the main characters on this show more than I did the fugitive of the week and I liked that we delved deeper into their backgrounds. Turns out that Lloyd’s mother was a control freak who did some twisted things to him as a boy yet he still has trouble telling her how angry it’s made him.

Lloyd’s gambling addiction almost got him killed as a poker game left him owing a fellow inmate $800. Erica stealing the watch to help pay his debt wasn’t nearly as surprising as Shea standing up for him in prison. The entire scene left me wondering why Shea’s in prison and how much time he’s done. He’s not a big guy but he had the intimidation thing down cold. Was it all a con or would he have been willing to follow through on his threats?

It was great the way Charlie stood up for Ray but since the FBI agent was such an ass, it probably felt good to push back, literally. I kept wondering if the rest of the team got wind of the agent making cracks about Ray being a thief? They didn’t seem to but it is only a matter of time before they figure it out. That should make things very interesting.

We got to meet Ray’s teenage daughter, Theresa. It looked like the only people pulling for Ray to turn his life around are his daughter and Julianne. The picture his daughter sent of him receiving a medal with the note “Remember” was a touching moment.

On the final scene, I love the fact that the cons now care for each other. By this I think, they can work together more effectively.

Finally, what is evident on this episode is that the show trying to dig deeper into the character’s historical background and of course their family. But still the question remains on Lloyd’s crime on why he was in a maximum security prison before? And his mom appears to be mysterious as well, especially on Lloyd’s words that he is disappointed with his mom’s choice.

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Episode 4 of Breakout Kings titled “Out of the Mouths of Babes” features a pedophile on the run. Oh may I add, he is an innocent pedophile who escaped not to avoid justice but to find one.

Joseph Ramsey was imprisoned for sexually assaulting eight-year old girls. Then, he escaped and the team had a realistically emotional response when it came to catching him. For Lloyd it was about focusing on the clinical, where Charlie chose to focus on the chase. Both courses of action paid off in different ways.

Every week I become more interested in why Lloyd was imprisoned. He’s odd but brilliant and he seems to care about the people around him. What did he do that bought him a 25-year sentence?

Just when it seemed Lloyd’s only interest in the case was analytical, we witnessed his focus shift from the criminal and the crime to the victims. There were more of them than we realized. Joseph Ramsey was innocent. His arrest and conviction was the work of a terrified child pressured into a confession by her distraught mother and her father, who was the actual molester. Add an inadequate social worker and an overzealous prosecutor and Ramsey was an innocent man spending 60 years in prison.

Lloyd gave us an inside view on why a child would accuse the wrong person. His description was as compelling as it was scary because it made perfect sense. Lots of frightened, well-meaning people and one manipulative monster helped put the wrong man behind bars.

Charlie’s fixation on catching their escapee was pragmatic, although a bit disheartening. Ramsey was still a fugitive. Exonerating him wasn’t their job. But Charlie seemed to be choosing the work over the people in all aspects of his life. I loved when Lloyd jumped all over Charlie for telling Erica to bottle up her feelings and do the job. For a woman with anger issues, that was a recipe for disaster.

Then, everyone else on the team recognized the dangerous road Charlie’s marriage was headed down. He and his wife hadn’t had a vacation in years. The job always came first.  His team tried to jokingly tell him to change his ways. Ray went so far as to recommend his own divorce attorney. Charlie was worried about proving he’s worthy of the job; he should have been equally concerned about saving his marriage.

I really hate Charlie when he acted like he is just really concern on catching the criminals. Good thing he redeemed himself in the final scene as they made a pitstop that allowed Erica to see her long-missed daughter. This scene shows us that Charlie has a heart. Without that final scene, I may be permanently pissed off Charlie and will not watch the next installments.

My favorite scene on this episode is when Lloyd was talking to his mom and Ramsey bumped him during the chase, and as the doctor fell down saying to his mom “Ma, I’m down.”

Many people doubt if this series can survive even without T-Bag, because lets admit it, “The Bag Man” is so far the best this season. I think it is too early to answer that question but as for this week’s episode, my answer is in negative. But who knows, things might be better on the succeeding episodes.

What’s your insights?

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.

Theodore Bagwell is really someone who can spice up an episode of any TV series like the episode 3 of The Breakout Kings. The return of T-Bag brought some delight and excitement especially for Prison Break fans. So how did the episode go?

TV Fanatic: “The Bag Man” began with a vicious escape, with T-bag stabbing his transport guard to death with his broken prosthetic arm and never looking back. He left a trail of bodies in his wake as the team thought they were tracking him on his way to Canada. They were wrong.

T-bag’s goal was far more personal. Turns out, two men violated his ill mother  and stole her jewelry. Although such a heinous crime would surely buy them a ticket to Hell one day, T-bag was determined to help them reach their destination a whole lot quicker. He killed them in the bloodiest, most painful ways he could think of, stabbing one with every utensil and instrument he could find before shooting him, and sending the other to be eaten alive by a rock grinder in a quarry.

Somehow, this monster still managed to show us his human side. He had to say goodbye to his mother even though he knew it would buy him a trip back to prison. When he told the unconscious woman “I won’t be seeing you in heaven, but you enjoy it for the both of us,” I almost had empathy for the man. Almost.

With the carnage of the chase came some great scenes with our new team. Erica turned out to be quite an asset, showing off her skills from her skip tracing days with her daddy. We finally witnessed why Charlie picked her to be on his team.

Again, Lloyd was the standout for me. He tried to explain to Shea why T-bag was so dangerous, how the man was capable of meticulously planning and executing  the most heinous crimes with cold precision, but would also kill when sent into a rage, not caring what evidence he left behind. And then there were the times T-bag would let a victim go, as if to prove to himself that he still had a conscience.

Lloyd’s fascination came to a head when he finally got to sit across the table from the psychopath he’d spent so much time analyzing. As T-bag taunted him, Lloyd gave his final analysis: “Some machines just come out of the factory broken.” Even T-bag couldn’t deny the truth when he heard it.

I believe that this episode of Breakout Kings has reached our expectations. I just wish that the original characters can continue or create a momentum from this episode even without T-Bag on the subsequent episode.

So how did this episode fair in your opinion?

You can check Breakout Kings Season 1 Reviews and Spoilers HERE.