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The Flashbacks Worked
I recently viewed the seven-part series Escape at Dannemora, a Showtime project directed by Ben Stiller and starring Benicio Del Toro as prisoner Richard Matt, Paul Dano as prisoner David Sweat, and Patricia Arquette as prison employee and accomplice Tilly Mitchell. This series for mature audiences tells the story of these two prisoners who escaped during the summer of 2015 from the Clinton County Correctional Facility in Dannemora, near the Canadian border in upstate New York. Overall, I enjoyed the series — though at times, it felt a bit drawn out — but the one aspect that really piqued my interest was the use of the flashbacks in episode six. Initially, I thought the flashbacks were unnecessary because I was anxious to proceed with the main storyline. However, by the next day, and before I watched episode seven, I realized the flashbacks were definitely necessary and definitely served a valuable purpose.
During the first five episodes of this series, we meet the prisoners and the female employee who facilitated their escape. We identify somewhat with Matt and Sweat because they seem hardworking and likeable. Both are housed in an honor unit within the prison, which means they are well behaved, and, as a result, they merit specials privileges within their cells: access to television, music, food, and even art supplies. Matt is a painter, and he is teaching Sweat to become an illustrator. In addition…
