What I’m Watching: Vegas

Vegas: Season 1, Episode 18 “Scoundrels” (C+)

This episode was hardly the strongest the show has offered, with none of its plotlines succeeding terribly well. All of the happenings at the Savoy have become somewhat cartoonish, with this being just the latest comic caper involving Vincent’s henchmen, and Mia and her mother spending some very obviously staged mother-daughter bonding time together. Mia is a competent enough smooth-talker by herself, as evidenced by her generous offer to help Dixon on Jack’s behalf, and her mother doesn’t seem to have any idea of who she really is, which worries me more as an unintentional underestimation of Mia’s character that will lead to future inconsistencies on this show. I was stunned to see Jim O’Heir, who plays Jerry on “Parks and Recreation,” in a bit role as the bank manager, dressed up in costume but without much to do here. Dixon being arrested for hitting Violet was a dragged-out plotline that wasn’t ever going to lead anywhere, and it’s a peculiar way to end their whirlwind romance, especially if the point was merely to indicate that Dixon has suddenly changed his mind and developed feelings for Yvonne – which he had already, if I remember correctly – and now wants to be with her because he feels a connection following his act of loyalty to her in Los Angeles. I suppose it’s only right that this town’s law enforcement officials should only have romances with other law enforcement officials or criminals, since ordinary folk just don’t seem to be interesting enough to merit consideration.