Equal parts drama, slapstick comedy, and soap opera, this third season
of Las Vegas is all fun. Welcome to the Montecito, a casino and
hotel that's so desirable that the only thing more attractive than its
clientele is its smoking-hot staff. Each episode contains some kind of
crime--a victim whose kidney was stolen, a woman pretending to be a deceased
man's fiancée, an employee who chops off his own finger and serves
it up in a shrimp cocktail. That kind of thing.
It's up to Ed (James Caan) and his surveillance experts Danny (Josh Duhamel)
and Mike (James Lesure) to make sure everyone plays nice. Also included
in every episode is a bit of Love Boat-style shenanigans. Everyone
has slept with each other but is too cool to admit to the object of their
affection how they really feel. And the season ends with the double cliffhanger
of a wedding and, possibly, a funeral for two of the principal characters.
Caan is a joy to watch as he chews up the scenery. Interviewing a prospective
new employee, he admonishes the recruit to never again refer to him as
"Mr. Ed" if he wants to be seriously considered for the position. In a
sly nod to Caan's work in The Godfather films, Ed also says he has
no idea who Sonny Corleone is.
While Duhamel and Lesure exude charm and charisma, as does Vanessa Marcil
as the Montecito's feisty casino hostess, some of the other actors don't
fare as well. Supermodel Molly Sims, who portrays Ed's daughter Delinda,
is a beauty but her acting is still a little stiff. The same goes for Nikki
Cox, who plays good girl Mary, as well as Cheryl Ladd (who's saddled with
a thankless role as Ed's somewhat annoying wife).
Airing during the 2005-2006 television season, Las Vegas attracted its
share of celebrity guest stars, including Dean Cain, Rachael Leigh Cook,
and a charming Jerry O'Connell, who reprises his Crossing Jordan
character here.
But leave it to Lara Flynn Boyle to add some umph to the show. Her final
episode is one of the series' most unrealistic ever--but also one of the
funniest and most memorable. Let's just say she gives the Wicked Witch
in The Wizard of Oz a run for her money. |
