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Desperately Trying To Write 500 Words About 'LA To Vegas'

By Emily Cutler | TV | January 19, 2018 |

By Emily Cutler | TV | January 19, 2018 |


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I’m going to let you guys in on a little industry secret: sometimes writing for the internet sucks. Most of the time, it’s a joy to be able to spread your opinion on a particular topic, and have such a platform to voice your concerns. Other times you find yourself scrolling through your Facebook feed thinking, “Carrots? Is carrots a post? Ranking pasta? That a thing?” The point is, when you sit down to devote 90 minutes of your life to watching LA To Vegas so you can write a post on it, goddamnit, you will write a post on it. Even when the entire extent of your review consists of “Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh.”

And to be sure, this show is a hardcore “meh.” It’s not without its charm, it’s just that its charm is sort of tired and played out. The characters are less people than approximations of things that someone thinks a well-developed character might do. Like remember how all of the Bluths did their own terrible Chicken Dance, and it was quirky and funny, but also only worked so well because the characters had been treated like real people albeit terrible ones? Now imagine the Chicken Dance without any of the back story or character treatment. That’s LA to Vegas.

Kim Matula plays flight attendant Ronnie, who I believe is actually the star of the show because she’s the only one who behaves in a way that resembles human behavior. I would say Matula sparkles in this role, but she honestly hasn’t been given enough material to sparkle with. She acquits herself admirably considering. (Note to self: update your epitaph.) Dylan McDermott attempts to play off type by being an attractive, sort of successful pilot who thinks more of himself than is justified instead of an attractive, sort of successful lawyer who thinks more of himself than is justified or an attractive, sort of successful professor who thinks more of himself than is justified. Nathan Lee Graham has the thankless job of playing sassy, gay, black best friend, and no, TV Creators, adding more descriptors to the “best friend” role is not a sign of your diversity. Peter Stormare is there because he’s either on drugs or really wants to convince someone he’s on drugs. He does seem to be having a great time though.

There was one scene at the end of the pilot episode where Dylan McDermott Mulroney does some weird krav maga move on a guy who, for reasons I can’t quite remember right now, was he making a scene on the plane? Anyway, Krav Maga DMM was nearly funny. That’s about the best thing I can say about the show. How many words is that? Four-forty-nine? Crap.

OK. Dermott Mulroney shows up for an episode. It’s wildly predictable. I can’t remember the second episode despite watching it last night. And again, it’s not that I’d go out of my way to avoid this show, it’s not that bad. It’s just that there are better shows out - 500! Thank god.