Grade: 71%
Las Vegas, 1960. This is the time and
place that CBS’s new drama, VEGAS, is set in. Supposedly based on a true
story, the series follows Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid, The Special
Relationship), a rancher dissatisfied with what progress is doing to his
land and herd, who is tasked by the Mayor (Michael O’Neill, The West
Wing), his old army commanding officer, with stepping up as sheriff of
the rapidly-growing casino city. It’s the formula for an exciting,
historical fiction show that could be quite cool.
Lamb is a familiar character. Much like
the central sheriff in this summer’s Longmire, he is gruff, a bit stuck
in the past, but intelligent and fair. Quaid lends much gravitas to the
show, having such a successful movie career prior to his job. That’s
mainly what sets Lamb apart, since it’s not that fresh a take on the
staple part. The way he looks into the murder, avoids working with men
he doesn’t trust, and keeps a level head when the others scream that the
up-to-no-good bikers did it (they didn’t) is the epitome of the classic
Western hero.
Lamb has a crew to assist him. His
brother, Jack (Jason O’Mara, Terra Nova), doesn’t really have any
personality qualities of note in the “Pilot,” but seems loyal and smart
enough. Ralph’s son, Dixon (Taylor Handley, Hidden Palms), is an idiot
screw up who gets into far too much trouble for his own good. Lamb
doesn’t want to give his son the power of the badge, but it’s a better
option than letting Dixon run the ranch into the ground, allowing Lamb
to keep an eye on him. And apparently, though we don’t see them, Lamb
has enough competent employees to keep his ranch running without much
guidance from him. Which makes one wonder why Lamb needs to spend so
much effort and care on the ranch before he is tapped to become sheriff.
Lamb’s main obstacle in his new career
is Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis, No Ordinary Family), a mobster
recently arrived in Las Vegas, who plans on making a ton of money by
whatever means necessary. Vincent is the stereotypical thug, not opposed
to beating the crap out of people, but ready with a slimy smile to make
a veiled threat or grease a palm. We see in the “Pilot” that Savino can
have compassion as he apologizes to a faithful informant who is
unfairly beaten, but it is probably only demonstrated to serve his own
needs.
Rounding out the cast is A.D.A.
Katherine O’Connell (Carrie-Anne Moss, Chuck). Her boss clashes with
Lamb because he’s the type who would rather take bribes from gangsters
like Savino than put any effort into dispensing actual justice.
O’Connell disagrees, of course, probably without knowing the full extent
of the corruption, though she usually bites her tongue to keep her job.
She has a romantic interest in Lamb, a widower, so it’s pretty clear
what side she will fall on with the inevitable confrontation arises.
The problem with VEGAS is that it brings
together a totally predictable group of characters in a very familiar
situation. What one may forget when star struck by the stellar cast, or
while admiring the terrific sets and costumes, is that there isn’t
anything new or original here; it’s the same old stuff that is on other
shows in a different package. I admit, the presentation is of a higher
quality than in most productions. But that’s just putting a fresh coat
of paint on the same old wagon. The axle is still rusty.
Now, if VEGAS would fully embrace the
history lesson, even with the dramatic license taken by Hollywood, I
could get on board. Even as O’Connell and Lamb sway to the rote dance
steps, or as Savino does exactly what we think he’s going to do, it
would be interesting because there is a complete story to tell over
several years, with growth and twists. It wouldn’t live up to the epics
that HBO and AMC put out, but it would be something pretty novel for
network television.
Unfortunately, from the “Pilot,” at
least, it looks like any greatness will be tampered dull by making Lamb
solve a case of the week. This is a CBS staple, a network built on its
procedural crime dramas. True, VEGAS will be in a league of its own in
that genre, and should be really cool for people who like this type of
series. But for those who don’t want the same story virtually every
week, though, signs are not looking good for the long-term prospects of
the show.
VEGAS premieres September 25th on CBS.
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