[center] [/center] When Las Vegas first came out I thought it was a show similar to the likes of the never ending Law and Order or CSI series so I never watched it. A few years later I caught a few minutes here and there of passing episodes and discovered it was something quite different. In terms of hour long
"dramas" Las Vegas breaks the mold and actually grounds itself on a large amount of comedy and quirky characters. [center] [/center] Set in a fictional Las Vegas casino named the Montecito, the series follows a group of characters through their daily adventures as casino employees and residents of the "city that never sleeps". The show primarily focuses on the characters Ed Deline (head of Casino operations and surveillance) and Danny McCoy (Ed's right hand man), with a majority of the episodes encompassing some sort of crime within the casino walls. But the series also boasts some outstanding supporting characters and enjoyable side stories. [center] [/center] I won't lie to you, the main reason I started watching this series was because of the four lovely supporting female cast members, but I quickly found the show had much more to offer than striking beauty. In fact Ed Deline, Danny McCoy, and Mike Cannon quickly became my favorite characters because of their wide range of well written storylines and well cast actors. Also what's amazing about the show is the sets are so realistic. I actually thought for a while this show was being shot in a casino in Las Vegas; nope it's all on a lot here in California. [center] [/center] Probably the greatest thing I can say about the series is the stories are enjoyable and quirky and the list of special guest stars and musical acts are not only mind blowing but adds excitement to each new episode because you never know who you will see next! Overall, Las Vegas is a fun and thrilling ride that doesn't take itself too seriously most of the time but also knows when to throw in a little bit of hard drama to make things interesting. Best of all it offers you a Las Vegas experience without the consequences of the real thing. My only complaint about the show is they seemed to have ditched the Elvis song, "A Little Less Conversation" for the theme on the DVD and replaced it. I assume it has something to do with music rights, which is too bad because I think it fits better with the show. [size=3] Favorite Episodes: [/size][center] [/center] [center] Aired 2-2-04 [/center] Jon Lovitz guest stars as Fred, a man down on his luck and contemplating suicide. Danny and Ed rescue him and attempt to help him get back on his feet by giving him a little cash and introducing him to gambling. Things start to back fire on them when Fred hits an enormous winning streak and is on the brink of bankrupting the Casino. [center] [/center] [center] Aired 10-20-03 [/center] With a sexual predator on the loose tensions are high at the Montecito as Delinda is attacked while leaving the Casino. While Danny and Ed try and pinpoint the attackers whereabouts, Mike is tailing a group of three MIT students who have quite an array of sophisticated computer equipment and appear to have something suspicious up there sleeves. [center] [/center] [center] Aired 2-9-04 [/center] The Montecito is the setting for a new Jean-Claude Van Damme picture but when a stunt goes horribly wrong Van Damme ends up dead. Everyone seems to be passing it off as an accident but Danny and Ed feel otherwise. Sam finds herself in a battle of wits against a new rival casino host who is attempting to steal all her clients from her. [center] [/center] [center] Aired 4-19-04 [/center] Nessa falls for a fellow employee known only as "Bob". As she tries to learn more about him she stumbles upon the fact that he doesn't know much about himself either. Suffering from amnesia "Bob" wandered into the Montecito hoping he would remember who he was. Danny hunts for a peeping tom who?s going around the casino harassing customers and Sam enters an eating contest to prove her worth. [center] [/center] [center] Aired 11-3-03 [/center] Ed goes on a supposed trip to Hawaii and leaves Danny in charge, but is the "man who never takes a vacation" really gone or about to put Danny through the ringer? Mike becomes a lucky charm at the tables for a gambler with a lot of bad luck.
July 17, 2007
