‘Escape at Dannemora’ follows Richard Matt and David Sweat, two prison inmates who stage an escape attempt from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. The thriller show presents the dramatized version of the actual 2015 prison break story that rocked the state of New York, highlighting several inside details about what led to the escape attempt and the people involved in the whole ordeal. However, it also paints an interesting picture of the inmates, specifically through the character of Angel Chavez, who rubs Richard Matt the wrong way but grows closer to him as the narrative progresses.
Angel Chavez is a Fictional Prisoner With Severed Ties to Reality
Angel Chavez in ‘Escape at Dannemora’ is a fictional prison inmate crafted by scriptwriters Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin, Dustin LaValley, and Jerry Stahl. The character plays a minor part in proceedings, appearing sparingly throughout the season. However, he serves a useful role by helping the viewers familiarize themselves with the internal politics of the Honor Block section where Richard Matt and David Sweat are housed. As Matt has a close connection with the escort guard Gene Palmer, he often gets to run things inside the facility to a degree, which Angel learns over the course of his stay. During a scene with the Commissary Clerk, Angel witnesses how Matt is unable to get his hands on any shaving gel. Subsequently, he hands over his own to the ringleader, hoping their bond will be stronger.
In reality, the situation inside CCF was not so different than the one presented in the series. Both Richard Matt and David Sweat were alleged to have traded “elaborate” art pieces for favors from Gene Palmer. It possibly helped them gain some footing within the ranks of the prison system despite having no way to capitalize as yet. Later, the chance presented itself when the two inmates got entangled in an alleged sexual relationship with tailor-shop supervisor Joyce Mitchell. Thus, the character of Angel plays a prominent role in shedding light on these internal dynamics as he, too, becomes one of Matt’s lackeys. Despite Matt being somewhat cold to him initially, he realizes that he can use Angel to his benefit, which he does after Sweat is removed from his neighboring cell block.
When the Commissary Clerk moves in next door, Matt is unhappy at being stuck in close quarters with the inmate he refers to as Scary Gary. Therefore, he creates a situation by tasking Angel to set his neighbor’s cell on fire, thereby forcing Sweat to be brought back to the Honor Block top tier. In doing so, ‘Escape at Dannemora’ depicts a version of events that deviates slightly from reality. In the actual story, David Sweat was brought back into the adjacent cell block after Gene Palmer allegedly advocated for his return. It was upon Matt’s request that the tenured prison guard reportedly went through with the task. Therefore, no intervention was needed from another inmate, which only doubles down on Angel’s fictional roots.
Read More: David Sweat: Where is the Convict Now?