| Alcatraz -- Season 1 | ||
| #01 "Pilot" | #08 "The Ames Bros." | |
| #02 "Ernest Cobb" | #09 "Sonny Burnett" | |
| #03 "Kit Nelson" | #10 "Clarence Montgomery" | |
| #04 "Cal Sweeney" | #11 "Webb Porter" | |
| #05 "Guy Hastings" | #12 "Garrett Stillman" | |
| #06 "Paxton Petty" | #13 "Tommy Madsen" | |
| #07 "Johnny McKee" | ||
Samuel Patrick Chu - Chet
Kerry Van Der Griend - Catwalk Guard
Denise Jones - Waitress #4
Jennifer Kitchen - Waitress #1
Swan Michael Kyer - Liam Callahan
Scott McNeil - Store Owner
Chad Riley - Cop
Nicolas van Zill - Orderly
"Kit Nelson" is the third episode of season 1, and overall the third produced hour of Alcatraz. It originally aired on January 23, 2012.
Synopsis[]
1960[]
 Nelson being beaten by fellow inmates. |
At the Alcatraz recreation yard, Kit Nelson is surrounded and confronted by several of the inmates, who drag him down the stairs and beat him mercilessly. While the guards turn to look away, E.B. Tiller watches on, and notes to a fellow guard that Nelson has been beaten by inmates before. Tiller finally orders the guards to rescue Nelson, before he is killed.
 Tommy lectures Nelson on the prisoners hierarchy. |
A beaten Nelson is treated in the hospital ward by Dr. Beauregard, who refuses to treat Nelson to the best of his abilities since he is himself a father of two young children. As Beauregard leaves, Tommy Madsen, hidden behind a curtain next to him, suggests that Nelson should befriend some of the inmates, and goes on to outline the inmates hierarchy, where child killers are at the bottom.
 James orders Nelson to walk to the hospital ward. |
Warden Edwin James visits Nelson with a wheelchair. As they makes their way through prison, James informs Nelson that he will be transferred to solitary confinement until he fully heals. James also informs Nelson that his father, a war hero, has asked to visit. Although Nelson's father is not on the authorized list of visitors, James will allow him. He then helps Nelson out of the chair, and abruptly walks off with it. As Nelson holds on to the wall, he asks how he is supposed to return to the hospital ward. James responds, "Walk."
 Nelson is visited by his father. |
During the visiting hours, Nelson is visited by his clearly disgusted father, who reveals to him that his mother has passed away, and left him a dried chrysanthemum. His father then theorizes on how Nelson's brother, Elliot, really died. While his mother claimed it was scarlet fever, he suspects that during the funeral of Nelson's grandfather, when the two boys were left alone, Nelson killed his brother. Nelson's mother did not want to lose both of her sons, and had Elliot immediately buried. Nelson reiterates it was scarlet fever, but his father does not believe him, and tells him he is relieved that he will die in Alcatraz.
 James interrogates Nelson inside "the Hole." |
After being brought to "the Hole" by Tiller, James enters the dark cell with a lit match and announces that their conversation will last four matches. James admits to being a collector of items, and then reveals the real reason behind their meeting: he intends on providing Nelson's father the truth about Elliot's death, mentioning he has two children himself. After threatening to leave Nelson in the Hole until he confesses, Nelson retells the moment when he strangled his brother in a bomb shelter, and the enjoyment he felt. The chrysanthemum was left on his mother's bed as a consolation item. Despite Nelson's confession, James does not honour their agreement, and seals Nelson inside the Hole, leaving him with the box of matches and advice to "Make 'em last".
2012[]
 Nelson enters the Callahans' house. |
In Walnut Creek, California, Kit Nelson enters a house carrying a bouquet of flowers, and acts as if the house is his. He goes upstairs, where he pull the covers over one boy, and crouches over the other, who is asleep surrounded by comic books. After tenderly touching him, Nelson covers the boy's mouth, holds him down and threatens him, "Scream and I'll kill your brother."
 Doc hears of Dylan Callahan's kidnapping. |
Inside his store, Doc works on a new comic book, which depicts Lucy getting shot in the chest. Listening to his illegal police scanner, Doc hears of a kidnapping of an 11-year-old boy, and that a chrysanthemum was left on his bed. Doc quickly recognizes the ritual, and identifies the kidnapper as Nelson. In the hospital, Hauser and Rebecca watch over a comatose Lucy. Doc soon arrives, and tells them of Nelson's possible reappearance. Nelson committed three similar abductions in the late 1950's, where a boy was kidnapped on a Friday, and his body was returned to his house on a Sunday.
 Doc and Rebecca look over Dylan's bed. |
Looking over the files, Doc and Rebecca learn that both of Nelson's parents are dead, and that Elliot Nelson died at age 11 from scarlet fever. The two arrive at Kathy Callahan's house, who recognizes Nelson's mugshot as a man named Warren, for the local hardware store. The younger brother recalls that "Warren" gave him candy in the past, and confirms his presence in the bedroom the night before. Meanwhile, at the Lafayette Recreation Area, Nelson rents a boat and buys fishing bait.
 Nelson forces Dylan to take part in his game. |
At the hardware store, the manager does not recognize Nelson. He does inform Rebecca and Doc of a recent break-in in which a uniform and children's fishing poles were stolen. He directs them to the nearest fishing area. On the lake, Nelson and Dylan fish. Nelson suddenly orders Dylan to jump into the water. Tearing of Dylan's and his own life jackets, Nelson throws Dylan into the water and jumps in himself. As if taking part in a game, Nelson instructs Dylan to hold his head underwater for as long as he can. After Nelson emerges from the water, he tells Dylan it is his turn.
 Nelson and Dylan watch a 1950's horror monster movie. |
At the Lafayette Recreation Area, Doc and Rebecca discover the empty boat. Doc remembers a report about Nelson, which detailed Nelson playing mini-golf with one of his victims in 1958, only a day before he killed him. Rebecca theorizes that Nelson is possibly giving his victims one last opportunity to do something they enjoy. At a movie theater, Dylan and Nelson watch a 1950's horror monster movie.
 Doc snaps at Hauser over the lifting of the amber alert. |
As Dylan's mother notes that Dylan's hobbies do not include fishing, Doc suddenly exclaims "Cherry pie," and goes to the front of the house, where he sees the police officers leaving the house. Hauser cancelled the amber alert, as he does not want the house to look like a crime scene when Nelson finally returns with Dylan's body. Doc is enraged, and scolds Hauser for him actions, before storming off. Hauser criticizes Doc's approach to the job, but Rebecca defends him. She assures him that she is not taking part in the Alcatraz Task Force in search for her grandfather, but rather because The 63's are evil. She asks Hauser to trust her and Doc.
 Nelson faces off with Rebecca, with Dylan as a hostage. |
At a diner, Doc asks if they serve cherry pie, and if someone has seen Nelson, but he was not seen at this diner. While looking at Nelson's box, Rebecca realizes that Nelson takes his victims to do things that he likes to do, but has no luck reaching Doc's cellphone. Meanwhile, in a different diner, Doc spots Nelson and Dylan. He answers his phone and tips Rebecca off that Nelson is in the diner. Rebecca races to Doc's current location. As Nelson finishes his pie and attempts to leave, Doc tries to stall him. Running out of excuses, Doc follows Nelson and calls him by his name, demanding him to release Dylan, and telling Dylan not to give up. Rebecca arrives, and Nelson draws a gun and points it at Dylan. Rebecca tosses her gun, phone, and car keys away, and under Nelson's orders, handcuffs herself and Doc to a dumpster. As Nelson drives away, Rebecca attempts to shoot the car with a hidden handgun, but fails.
 Doc and Rebecca detect a bomb shelter in a forest. |
Back in Nelson's cell at Alcatraz, Doc discovers a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, which happen to be a more expensive brand than the ones served in prison. Investigating Nelson's fortune, Doc finds back-pay checks from Nelson's account, sent from a closed company that built bomb shelters. Doc locates a bomb shelter in Walnut Creek where a previously demolished house used to stand. Currently, the area is covered with woods. At that same bomb shelter, Nelson and Dylan play a game of checkers. When Dylan makes the wrong move, Nelson loses his temper and tosses the board away. As Nelson reminisces about his interrogation by James, Dylan shatters a lightbulb and escapes from the shelter, into the forest.
 Hauser and Rebecca look over the dead Nelson. |
As a storm grows stronger, Doc and Rebecca find the shelter and hear Dylan's voice. Nelson catches up with Dylan as Rebecca draws her weapon on him. As Nelson attempts to kill Dylan with his bare hands, he is shot in the head by a hidden Hauser.
 Hauser lectures Doc on his role in the Alcatraz Task Force. |
At Alcatraz, Hauser confronts Doc regarding his behaviour earlier in the day. He identifies Doc as a victim of "arrested development," a mental disorder that due to a trauma from the past keeps the person mentally at the same age. He alludes to an event that affected Doc when he was 11, and tells him that Doc's place in the Task Force is due to his expertise, but his 11-year-old self is not needed. As Doc starts to tell Rebecca of his childhood trauma, he pauses. Rebecca does not mind, saying that he has a good origin story.
Doc visits Dylan and delivers him comic book. He reveals to him that he was also abducted as an 11-year-old kid, but he was able to escape. Doc says that the knowledge of being free "sort of gives you a superpower," but unlike superheroes, that power is real. Dylan reassures him he did not give up.
 Hauser pays a visit to Beauregard at the New Alcatraz. |
At the New Alcatraz, Hauser carries a body bag containing Nelson's body, as he is watched by the imprisoned Sylvane and Cobb. He delivers the bag to the morgue, where Beauregard awaits. He also tells him that he may need help with a favour from a friend, to which Beauregard agrees. After Hauser leaves, Beauregard takes a cigarette, and plays a cheerful song on a turntable, celebrating Nelson's death.
People Hauser Shot[]
- Kit Nelson, in the head, killing him
Trivia[]
- The episode was shot before "Ernest Cobb", due to the quick completion of the script. (Diego's Soul Patch)
Production Notes[]
- Parminder Nagra (Lucy Banerjee) appeared without lines.
- Santiago Cabrera (Jimmy Dickens) and Robert Forster (Ray Archer) were not credited and did not appear.
Analysis[]
Recurring themes[]
- Dylan escapes from Nelson's bomb shelter during a storm. The chase ends with Hauser shooting Nelson. (Rain)
- Kit Nelson murdered his brother, who received more attention than him. His mother covered for Nelson, and buried her son. (Family)
- Nelson is visited by his father while at Alcatraz. His father is disgusted by Nelson, and express relief that his son will die in prison. (family)
- Nelson is thrown into "the Hole", where he is interrogated by Edwin James, and is later left there alone. (Solitary)
Cultural references[]
- Them!: Movie watched by Kit Nelson and Dylan in the theater. (Movies and TV)
- The Simpsons: One of Dylan's favourite series according to his mother. (Movies and TV)
- South Park: One of Dylan's favourite series according to his mother. (Movies and TV)
- King of the Hill: One of Dylan's favourite series according to his mother. (Movies and TV)
- Dr. Strangelove: Doc calls Hauser Dr. Strangelove when he lifts the amber alert. (Movies and TV)
- I'm In My Wine: This song by Amos Milburn is played at the end of the episode in New Alcatraz. (Music)
- Lost: Possible references to the numbers:
- Warden Edwin James mentions he has two children. One of them is 8 years old.
- Inside the hole, Edwin says that the conversation will last 4 matches (although he uses a fifth as a bonus).
- The C & C Cement Company's check is worth 148,28 dollars. 1 + 4 + 8 + 2 + 8 = 23
Literary techniques[]
- Flashbacks from 1960 detail key events during Kit Nelson's imprisonment in Alcatraz Prison. (Flashbacks)
People Hauser shot[]
- Kit Nelson in the head