The essential episodes of Alcatraz

Watch these 13 in order and you've got Alcatraz — each pick states its reason.

  1. 01

    S01E01 · Pilot · January 16, 2012 · 1h

    Pilot7.6

    Detective Rebecca Madsen and Alcatraz historian Dr. Diego "Doc" Soto team up with a secret agency that is dedicated to finding and catching inmates from the infamous prison who went missing 50 years ago and are reappearing today.

  2. 02

    S01E02 · Top rated · January 16, 2012 · 1h

    Ernest Cobb7.2

    When a sniper begins targeting young victims, Detective Rebecca Madsen, Alcatraz historian Doctor Diego Soto and enigmatic government agent Emerson Hauser must retrace the steps of the past in order to solve this modern day mystery.

  3. 03

    S01E03 · Top rated · January 23, 2012 · 1h

    Kit Nelson7.1

    When child killer Kit Nelson, a terrifying kidnapper who always returns his victims home - after he's killed them - reappears from the past, the team is in a race against time to catch the man before he kills again

  4. 04

    S01E04 · Top rated · January 30, 2012 · 1h

    Cal Sweeney7.1

    When a bank robbing criminal returns from the past and things go wrong in the present, Rebecca has to break him out of the hostage-filled bank before people can find out who he is

  5. 05

    S01E05 · Top rated · February 6, 2012 · 1h

    Guy Hastings7.5

    Guy Hastings, an Alcatraz guard, reappears. Although a good man, Hastings is being asked to do bad things and will come face-to-face with an old acquaintance.

  6. 06

    S01E06 · Top rated · February 13, 2012 · 1h

    Paxton Petty7.5

    When our unlikely trio tracks former inmate Paxton Petty, a sick landmine bomber who has returned only to place bombs throughout populated areas of San Francisco, methods of the past are applied to the present.

  7. 07

    S01E07 · Top rated · February 20, 2012 · 1h

    Johnny McKee7.3

    Madsen and Hauser hunt down Johnny McKee a former Alcatraz inmate and vicious killer with a background in chemistry. It's a race against time before McKee horrifically poisons more innocent victims. Meanwhile, more details emerge about Madsen's grandfather.

  8. 08

    S01E08 · Top rated · March 5, 2012 · 1h

    The Ames Brothers7.4

    Two of Alcatraz's most violent brothers, Herman and Pinky Ames, who were notorious for nearly escaping in 1963, find something mysteriously amiss when they return to Alcatraz in the present day.

  9. 09

    S01E09 · Top rated · March 5, 2012 · 1h

    Sonny Burnett7.6

    Sonny Burnett a man with an incredible dark side who became ultra-violent during his stint at Alcatraz, returns .

  10. 10

    S01E10 · Top rated · March 12, 2012 · 1h

    Clarence Montgomery7.2

    Clarence Montgomery, the only innocent man in Alcatraz, returns to present day, but is now committing crimes. Why?

  11. 11

    S01E11 · Top rated · March 19, 2012 · 1h

    Webb Porter7.5

    Rebecca, Doc, and Hauser set out to capture musically-inclined serial killer Webb Porter, an unknown '63 that returns more violent than ever.

  12. 12

    S01E12 · Top rated · March 26, 2012 · 1h

    Garrett Stillman7.5

    "Doc" and Rebecca close in on a man who may be the key to revealing the secrets behind all the returning criminals. Meanwhile, Hauser makes a discovery beneath the halls of Alcatraz that brings him ever closer to the truth.

  13. 13

    S01E13 · Series finale · March 26, 2012 · 1h

    Tommy Madsen7.4

    Revealing doors are opened and lives hang in the balance as Rebecca will stop at nothing to pursue the man who killed her partner.

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