This seven-part series is based on a true story. It’s a wild ride that takes place in the small sleepy town of Dannemora, which is home to the Clinton Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison. in The summer of 2015, a married female employee, Tilly Mitchell, becomes romantically involved with two inmates Richard Matt and David Sweat. She ultimately aids in their escape from the facility.

THE GOOD — The casting was amazing. The actors truly looked like the characters they portrayed. The acting is also amazing. I also enjoyed the way the story was told. We are first introduced to Tilly, who comes across as a very strange bird. She’s not quite the usual suspect, but then again her actions are not all that surprising to some who know her — especially later on in the series when you learn more about her past. I also liked Bonnie Hunt playing the role of New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott and Michael Imperioli in the role of Governor Andrew Cuomo.

THE BAD — All except Sweat and one of the corrections officers, Gene Palmer played by David Morse, most of the main characters are highly unlikeable. There are so many times when Tilly’s actions make you want to slap some sense into her. So does her husband Lyle. In real life, he gave a quote to a reporter saying that “love is blind.” He really did come across as blinded by love, and it was hard to believe that anyone could be that much less than smart. 

THE UGLY — By far, the Matt character was the worst of the bunch. He was lazy. He was mean. He was dangerous. He was manipulative. He was a drunk. The only good thing portrayed about him was that he was an amazing artist. The end of the movie shows photos of some of his art, and it was absolutely amazing. He could have had a much better career as an artist than a criminal, but his character was extremely awful. In one of the final episodes while the inmates are on the run, we spend a lot of time with him. Honestly, it was hard to watch. I was just sick of his character. He made only bad decisions. And when they flash back to his actual crime, you see that he definitely deserved to spend his life in jail. He had zero remorse for what he did. He was a bad character all around and I was ready for him to get off my screen.

OVERALL — Overall, I would recommend this show. The story, the casting, and the acting are all worth a watch. I vaguely remember this story in the news at the time, but enjoyed learning more about it nonetheless.