I honestly didn't have any of the same complaints about Alcatraz. Sam Neil's character is obviously not supposed to be the age of the actor. Maybe something is revealed in a later episode about him. I figure he was 20 at the start of the episode.

Dialog and acting above average for what's been on TV in the past 5 years, IMO. Music fits well and has quite a bit of Lost vibe to it. So does the sound design. Cinematography, direction and sets/location are well done.

The serialized nature would be no more repetitive than that of Person of Interest as an example. The larger story arch ties it all together quite well so far and I'm confident this is going to get even more tangled as the season progresses - more so that Person of Interest (again, just as a point of comparison).

You should give episode 2 and 3 a shot.