The Player

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!

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.

After watching the first three episodes of "The Player", I have mixed feelings about this action show that feels like "Person of Interest" meets "Minority Report".

The premise of the show feels a little contrived. The protagonist, Alex Kane (Philip Winchester), is a security expert whose ex-wife, Ginny, is murdered under suspicious circumstances. When offered a job by a shady character named Mr. Johnson (Wesley Snipes) that requires him to illegally take out people who will theoretically commit crimes, he accepts, mostly because he thinks Johnson might lead him to the truth about his ex-wife's demise. Johnson explains that a club of ultra-rich gamblers will bet on the competition between Alex and the bad guys. And they will provide support in the form of a super computer and the resources of Cassandra King (Charity Wakefield).

The show's story lines feel sloppy, with the viewer required to accept a plethora of convenient occurrences. Also, the computer has abilities that can only be described as supernatural.

On the other hand, the action sequences are good, mostly due to great stunt work. I consider this show a guilty pleasure, but it would be better to say that there is room for improvement. Also, Cassandra is an interesting character with much potential. Hopefully, Ms. Wakefield can find a way to make her even more compelling.

Best episode yet! The story and cinematography struck the right notes of creepy and suspenseful, while developing characters we care about. We loved the scenery and special artwork in this episode. Can't wait to see it on-demand and examine the collection of artifacts in detail. The guest actor was perfect! So was his makeup. For cryin' out loud, can we please have a scene where Wesley Snipes takes off his shirt? It's been many years since New Jack City, but he's still got it! Looking forward to next week's episode. We watch in real-time and then watch again on-demand during the week to freeze-frame all the high tech gadgets and enjoy the location shooting. We are loyal fans of the show.

Where I was glad to see Phillip Winchester from Strike Back in a new role, I did not want it to be the same role. Philip Winchester as Alex Kane is very plausible, after all the military's of the world are adopting a Special Operations model. Why him, why doing what he does. In the last few minutes you get a quick wrapper of why he left his old life, and what made him "a better man". Hopefully we will get to see more of his old life surface as the season progresses.

The concept of using big data to predict or identify future crimes has been used in many shows. I did like that they did not make it see the future, only predict the potential outcome. We do that now with Predictive Analytic's and Algorithms, so not to far from truth on this...just they have better data.

The setting in Vegas has a lot of combinations of locations, and can mix and match for a few seasons....example Las Vegas the TV show. So this could stay interesting for a while.

So the potential is there, but the key will be keeping the story line fresh, introducing some actual bad guys that are real, and not having the same outcome every time. What could kill this show is the drama about Jenny, if they spend all the time focusing on vengeance, this this will be a short lived program. We need a hero that we can believe in, one that bleeds, one that can fall down and get up, one that can smile and tell a joke.

Take a play book from Strike Back, mix it up. I look forward to seeing how this show evolves and if the writers can keep us engaged.