The Player

I had high hopes for The Player and like Philip Winchester in Strike Back. There aren't a lot of action shows any more and this looked like it could be really good.

The premise and implementation, too be honest, are beyond unbelievable. I mean, a good script and acting can make you believe there really are zombies, this just seemed fake.

I will watch a few more episodes, but I can't see this show lasting. To be honest, I am surprised it ever made it on the air. That being said, the action was good and the acting was pretty good. The plot line and writing brought it down.

In reading other reviews, I find it laughable that someone would assert that the theme of the show is confusing. It is not confusing -- Wesley Snipes portrays a very powerful and rich bookie for the wealthiest gamblers throughout the world who enjoy outside-the-box and extremely challenging life-and-death betting. Snipes sets up and manages the bets. He and his female colleague also have the high-tech world plugged into their system, including surveillance cameras and hacked computer systems world-wide. But Wesley and his assistant need a player to insert into the high-risk gambling scenarios that they set up, so that the bettors can bet against the house, meaning against the player being successful in the waging scenario, or they can bet on the player being successful. The scenarios involve pitting the Player against criminals, and sophisticated criminals at that. Back-storied into this not-too-confusing premise for the series is the manipulation, to what extent we do not yet know, of the person set up to be The Player, which included what appeared to involve the murder of his wife, but then doubts arise about that, and precisely what the Manager (Snipes) may or may not have had to do with it, not to mention some as-yet-unknown prior association between Snipe's assistant and a woman who looks like the wife of the man who does in fact becomes Snipe's Player. All of this is centered in Las Vegas, gambling capital of the western world, so it is perfect. The imagination behind the concept, together with terrific actors, and Wesley Snipes here is superbly and impeccably ward robed as straight out of Esquire magazine, added to the large-scale stunts that you usually only see in theatrical movies, makes this a very interesting and enjoyable worth-watching television program.

I watched this last night with the Mrs, she really isn't into hi-tech x-cop tries putting world to right TV shows but this she even said was good, that is a big plus. Let's face it, if you love geeky and plenty of car action then this has it all, plus the graphics are really good, the blond is also worth watching! Reading the reviews as I do, I think you are over watching looking for perfection, the fact the critics gave this a bench mark of 7 is quite high for this type of TV shows. As I say, I'd give this a chance, but then I liked the new Knight Rider and that was axed after first series, yet, series like Law & Order go on for decades. Lets just say, The Player was to me, amusing with a twist.

Only one episode, so not much to go by, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. It was fast paced, up to the point that I still find myself thinking "How is it they work out who's gonna commit a crime?" It does indeed remind of Person of Interest. The Wesley Snipes and the girl character are too comic book like for my taste. I don't like their acting much either, because it's so comic- book like. At some point I almost expected the Joker to turn up. Snipes' hair is ridiculous, I think he should've paid heed when Ace Ventura said "No one messes with the do!" But I suppose they wanted it in style with the over the top comic-book style (that I really truly hate!). So far I like Winchester's acting best, although the American accent is odd. Seriously not sure if Philip Winchester made a wise choice with this, and surely he must have had lots of options after doing an excellent job on a great series like Strike Back.

I'm not keen on the flashing during action scenes. I was afraid of that, having scene it in the trailer. I think it's rather inconsiderate to not think of people with head injuries, epilepsy, whiplash and HSPs (Highly Sensitive Person) that cannot watch such scenes. It's done a lot in movies and series, I suppose it's goes down well with many, but what's the point during an action scene? There is none. Just really annoying and not watchable when you suffer from above mentioned ailments (I got all 4, ain't I a lucky girl!)

There are some interesting things in it though, like what Kane discovers about his deceased wife. I think I'll watch another episode and see how it develops. It could pick up and it could wither before the season's over. As I see it, odds are 50-50.

It's a fun show to watch, like someone said, it doesn't require much concentration. It's glossy, action-packed and entertaining, what I like, an hour of escapism. Of course, some of it is over the top, but that goes for most of the Broadcast network shows because they have ad revenues to build shows around. It's not House of Cards, Orphan Black, or Ray Donovan, but it is a fun show with a different plot twist that I find refreshing! I hope it's not canceled, but I no longer invest in shows lasting after Boss and Magic City were canceled. I will enjoy one season if that's it (really don't watch too much broadcast network programming). The networks should allow a show time to find it's pace, ideal time-slot and reworks, but that's not happening in our microwavable world. This is another reason writers create such awful plots or go over-the-top (i.e., Oil and Blood), they're working against time constraints, the first three episodes better seal the deal! Fingers crossed for a season 2 of The Player!