Take Three: Vegas

Vegas: Season 1, Episode 3 “All That Glitters” (B+)

It’s nice to see this show improving steadily and becoming more engaging as it embellishes all of its characters. Vincent in particular reveals a whole lot of depth in this hour, as he proves himself to be more than just a thug, capable of thinking ahead and doing his best to please a man he despises but knows he needs to appease. I was surprised after seeing her name in the credits to recognize Sarah Jones, who first appeared last week, as Vincent’s new right-hand woman and Johnny’s daughter. While I mourn the death of the fantastic “Alcatraz,” Jones was definitely unspectacular and she’s clearly much better suited for this part. I’m also thrilled about the casting of Jonathan Banks, who was terrific on “Breaking Bad” as Mike, as the head honcho who seems to value Vincent more than others, namely Johnny, do. Johnny’s vicious attack on his private dealer was unfortunate, and it led to an interesting scenario in which Vincent argued to keep Ralph alive. He’s definitely going to be a great complicated villain. Ralph, on the other hand, showed his flexibility following the revelation of all the facts in this procedural-like case, not charging the athlete with involuntary manslaughter since it wouldn’t do any good anyway. This personal brand of justice, complete with Jack and Dixon carrying out Ralph’s wishes, make this show intriguing, and, though I hadn’t planned to do so, I think I’ll stick around for the time being and see how this all plays out.