TV Review: Vegas 1.02, Money Plays

By Edward Brereton /

There€™s a grim attraction to Vegas in the 1960s; its folk are glitzy and glamorous types during the evening, but gritty and New Yorker-esque gawkers during the day. The contrast between tough-as-nails Sheriff Lamb (Dennis Quaid) and slick businessman Savino (Michael Chiklis) is depicted effectively in the second episode of CBS€™s new period/crime drama. As charming as Quaid is in the lead role, even when he€™s tossing lowlifes through glass windows, Chiklis is the one who continues to stand out as casino boss Vincent Savino. His capitalistic tendencies drive his character forward and his belief that money plays is an important theme introduced in this episode and one that will be ubiquitous throughout the show€™s run, I€™d wager (pun intended€). Vegas does well to combine a tale of two stories this time around; though the Pilot was slightly lacking in execution and understanding of its characters, Money Plays served as an effective follow-up which allows the viewers to invest in the main players. Lamb, his brother and son roll around town trying to solve a murder mystery; they€™re smart folk and we€™re supposed to root for these guys with minor resources compared to the fat cats across the street. For the most part, we do; Quaid is a likable guy as are his family but eventually, a line will have to be drawn. I don€™t buy that they€™re as clean-cut as they€™re being portrayed but let€™s wait and see. Meanwhile, Savino€™s having a bit of a nightmare under the neon signposts of his casino. A former employee is about to reveal all his inner-most secrets to the FBI and whilst trying to orchestrate a clean and simple way to silence this problem, he faces more money woes in the form of his boss€™s daughter Mia (Sarah Jones), who arrives to take over as floor manager. Though her suggestion at having Blackjack dealers hit at 17 will make a short-term profit, Savino€™s been in the game long enough to know he€™ll take a hit eventually and it doesn€™t improve his mood that his leadership is being undermined by this new arrival. There are a lot of social questions raised by Vegas€™s constant barrage of brutality and shady dealings. In a way, it€™s easy for the producers on the show considering they know full well that no one will do the research and most things can be chalked up to the time period. It€™s not so much a problem and I don€™t expect it to be; the show is entertaining for now and the continuous contrast of the rancher vs. the city is proving to be more than effective. In future episodes, I really expect to see more. We know who will win ultimately, as does Lamb. The real test is going to be whether he can get on board with the changing times and ride the neon wave that€™s about to break loose and sweep through everything he holds dear. What did you think of "Money Plays"? Share your thoughts below...