NBC attempts to up ante with The Player, a new action series starring Wesley Snipes and Philip Winchester.
By Matt Fowler
NBC’s The Player (debuting Thursday, September 24th), from Leverage’s John Rogers and The Blacklist’s John Fox, looks to bring back the weekly mini-action film aspect of 80s TV with a fast-moving, wall-to-wall shoot ’em up story about a reformed government assassin becoming the pawn of high stakes one-percenter gambling ring that bets on the outcomes of crimes.
Crimes, it should be said, they’ve predicted will happen based on surveillance technologies and various algorithms. Making The Player the third, and most blatant, offshoot of CBS’ Person of Interest this fall season. Other shows like Minority Report and Blindspot also deal with predicting murders and disasters, but The Player (which counts POI producer Amanda Segel among its ranks) is the one that directly lifts the hard premise of POI – and then creates a wild circus around it.
We want to hear it.
There’s nothing wrong with an outrageous premise if handled correctly. And as much as I, personally, don’t like two-hours premieres, or when new shows hit the air with two episodes in a row, The Player actually suffers from trying to cram way too much into its humble running time. Using POI as an example once again, The Player takes a complex idea that another show has spent seasons cultivating and explains it away in thirty seconds. And then moves on to the next absurdity. There’s barely a moment to breathe in this first episode and that sort of sucks the fun out of it.
Philip Winchester and Wesley Snipes in The Player.
But over-stuffing the pilot isn’t the show’s biggest flaw. I mean, first episodes are usually jam-packed with world building and exposition and such. This one just happens to be really packed because it’s very heightened. No, the worst aspect of this action show is that the action isn’t all that great. Yes, there’s tons of stunt work and gunfire and it rarely lets up, but there’s better action on TV. From shows that don’t claim to a throwback to action movies. In fact, star Philip Winchester’s previous series, Strike Back (which is still airing its final season on Cinemax), is the perfect example of the realization of this concept. As it is, very much, an action movie on TV each week. With some very good action.
Speaking of Winchester, he fits in nicely here. His years on Strike Back serve him well. As Las Vegas security consultant Alex Kane, he provides the right amount of intensity and flippancy that you want from an action hero. And Wesley Snipes seems at home as the mysterious “pit boss” of this giant, global game of human betting (he gets all the gambling puns). Most enjoyable though is Charity Wakefield’s “dealer,” Cassandra, who acts as Kane’s one resource during his trials. Like a lifeline on a game show.
We want to hear it.
Kane, typical to action heroes, comes complete with a “murdered ex” backstory. Though, it’s not given to us in flashback form. Again, this is a stuffed pilot. The first fifteen minutes basically sets Kane up as a cocky security expert and then robs him of his love (Daisy Betts) via home invasion. And then, immediately after he’s arrested as the top suspect for her murder, he’s thrust into this even larger ordeal involving Johnson’s secret billionaire gaming club.
Action shows usually beef up their premiere episodes, providing more action than viewers will get in subsequent installments. They’ve got to hook people, draw then in. Put their best, most-explosive foot forward. So my hope is that The Player, ridiculous premise and all, calms down a bit. Settles into itself a bit more. There’s a difference between going on a roller coaster and going on a scrambler.
We want to hear it.
Given that, the most interesting aspects of The Player’s premiere come at the end, as Alex must decide whether or not to become the official “player” for the organization. A life position that only ends in death, though one that comes with the opportunity to save people. From there, during the final five minutes, you get the good stuff. Some of the larger conspiracy elements of the series. Ones that help Alex make an important decision.
The Player has some good performers and a seemingly unique premise. Though, under inspection, a lot of different action properties were combined to bring this story about. All stitched together for a semi-serialized “case of the week” format that will hopefully be able to breathe easier after this bloated premiere.
The Player premieres Thursday, September 24th at 10/9c on NBC.
