Though it has a Prison Break pedigree, with PB executive producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora as co-creators, Breakout Kings seems a lot lighter in tone, and there's no guy completely covered in a largely unnecessary tattoo. Duchamp (Laz Alonso) and Zancanelli (Domenick Lombardozzi) are law enforcement agents who have assembled a team of some of the toughest criminals they've ever caught to help them hunt convicts who have escaped from jail. The team is: Shea (Malcolm Goodwin), an "entrepreneur" (a.k.a. former gang member); Lloyd (Jimmi Simpson) a behavioral expert; and in the first episode Philly (Nicole Steinwedell), a con artist/beauty queen. Naturally, they call themselves the "Breakout Kings."
Otherwise, there is no show. So there's a distinct lack of suspense.
If it takes a thief to catch a thief, then the criminal ensemble of Breakout Kings is vastly overqualified. US Marshals form a special task force to chase and apprehend high-profile escaped convicts. Quiet, fragile Julianne (Brooke Nevin, The 4400) plays the analyst/coordinator. Fans hoping for a return to gritty con drama may be disappointed that Breakout Kings follows the more lighthearted case-of-the-week formula that most police shows employ. On Breakout Kings, almost the entire cast – cops included – would be antagonists on other TV shows. The character is competent if forgettable. Even forgetting the rather ridiculous idea of cops allowing hardened criminals free reign to chase after their fellow inmates, the show manages to juggle extremely flawed protagonists, who-dun-it mystery and classic chase elements.
Overall the show is very entertaining when it focuses on the chemistry between the cops and cons and leaves out the emotional tension.
The trouble with that expertly-concocted, well-cast drama is that it had a shakier life once its cast actually broke out of prison. With no time bomb ticking or escape plan imminent, "Breakout Kings" looks like it can breakout its own variations on weekly action , for several seasons to come.
