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Being tough is what Ralph Lamb is all about, that is if you are referencing the Ralph Lamb in the new tv series “Pilot” for Vegas on CBS. Set in Las Vegas in the 1960s the series Vegas centers on Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid), and his dealings with Chicago mobster Vincent Savino (Michael Chiklis), who moved west to set up his own operation. Lamb was a former rancher who served as Sheriff of Clark County from 1961 to 1979. So how does Vegas compare to other shows on television? Is it worth your time?
The “Pilot” of Vegas is, yes.
The question should be though “will the rest of the series of Vegas be worth your time” and if that is the question you would pose, the answer would slowly start to change.
CBS is the king of crime of the week shows and series, which is great, and Vegas doesn’t necessarily feel like a crime of the week show though despite if looking and having the corresponding ideas of one. It feels more akin to the pilot of The Playboy Club, that is until the final moments of “Pilot”, then it thrusts you right into typical CBS crime of the week territory.
And that’s fine, but Vegas feels so much like a better show so when that final moment occurs and it just oozes ‘typical CBS procedural’ my heart sank. Granted, these same thoughts are somewhat felt with Person of Interest which was another CBS show. Granted that show had a few other minor problems with it, but point was: Vegas feels the same, that it could aspire to something great. Something that fits in CBS’s wheelhouse but is fantastic television, much like the often praised The Good Wife.
The plot is pretty basic, a boss come into Vegas to clean up how they do business, and Lamb through a ‘scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’ agreement with the Mayor (Michael O'Neill), he becomes acting Sheriff to solve a murder of a Governor’s daughter. Does it tie into new mob boss Savino who is still a mobster but trying to sincerely class up the joint, behind the death? And did Lamb really agree to it because he just wanted the planes with tourists to stop flying over his ranch?
These questions are simply answered and it is a show full of wonderful acting, again, the Pilot is fantastic, but how it will do beyond episode two is an important question and sadly it isn’t one I can answer just yet as CBS did not include that in their screeners. I can say though, that if the second episode is anything like the pilot, Vegas might be the new must watch series.
Vegas airs on the local CBS affiliate which is WBNS 10 TV and can be found on channel 10 . For HD channel versions, check your local cable or satellite provider for more information.
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