Breakout Kings is a T.V. series on A&E. The series finale was Monday and even though it's not a book or movie I decided it was too good not to share.
The whole premise of the show is that a special task force of the U.S. Marshals works closely with incarcerated criminals to help catch other criminals that have broken out of jail. Each episode begins with the criminal escaping and progresses from there. Each member of the team has a special skill they contribute that is essential to catching the fugitive.
Charlie Duchamp: Charlie is the U.S. Marshal in charge of the team. Formerly assigned to a desk he is using the team as a chance to prove himself in the field; because he has a heart problem he doesn't want to be stuck at a desk for the rest of his career. He is married and sometimes has a problem balancing family and work life.
Ray Zancanelli: Ray used to be a Marshal but was sent to a halfway house after stealing money from a crime scene in order to buy his daughter a car. Ray did not initially tell the cons that he is not a Marshal. Ray is divorced and doesn't get on well with his ex-wife but loves his daughter. Ray is tough; he doesn't take crap and isn't afraid to throw someone around if it means getting the information he needs.
Julianne Simms: Jules is a quiet but a whiz on the computer. She suffers from multiple psychological disorders such as social anxiety and panic disorder; because of these problems she was expelled from the Academy. Jules and Ray have a special relationship, they go way back and Ray was the one who helped Jules out after she was tossed. Ray especially requested her for the team.
Shea Daniels: Shea is a former gang banger who ran one of the largest "businesses" on the East Coast and at a very young age. He has a working knowledge of the inner world of crime and can use his street connections to help the team. This sometimes conflicts with his former life because if his associates found out that he was helping cops then Shea would be in danger. Shea has a girlfriend named Vanessa.
Erica Reed: Erica was a bounty hunter with her father. She was devoted to him and when he was killed she swore revenge against those that had killed him. She hunted down and killed every one of the men but it could never be proven, so she was sent to jail on weapons charges. Erica is devoted to her little girl; her whole purpose on the team is to be able to see her daughter again. Erica doesn't take crap from anyone but is invaluable in predicting fugitives' movements.
Dr. Lloyd Lowry: Lloyd was a child prodigy, he graduated from school at an early age and is an expert on behavior. He provides a psychological breakdown of not only the fugitives, but everyone else on the team which gets on some nerves. By explaining the minds of the fugitives he can more readily predict the fugitive's next movement. Lloyd has a tendency to say awkward statements and has a less than healthy relationship with his mother.
Fans of Prision Break may enjoy this show. Lloyd is easily my favorite character but this is one of those rare shows where I like all of the characters and the way they work off of each other is golden. It's funny, gripping, realistic, and entertaining. I sincerely hope it is renewed for a second season.
Note: The show was cancelled by A&E after two seasons. Executive producer Nick Santora thanked fans for their support and explained how the show would have ended had it had more time to resolve the story line. So as not to give anything away the link to the story can be found here: http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/05/17/breakout-kings-cancelled/
