Television's hottest drama, Las Vegas is back will all 24 episodes of the thrilling Second Season, and the stakes are higher than ever! Rejoin the red-hot surveillance team of the Montecito Resort and Casino as they take on more card-counting crooks, uncover secrets from the past, solve murders and teach topless employees how to move - all while maintaining security 24-7. It's Sin City action like you've never seen before with guest stars Sylvester Stallone, Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, Jon Lovitz and more, plus musical performances by Snoop Dogg, Clint Black, Duran Duran and Black Eyed Peas in Dolby 5.1 Surround.

CRITIQUE

Much like the first season, the second season of Las Vegas is flashy and formulaic. The editing and attractive production design, as well as the hot female cast, creates an atmosphere of mindless fun and simple entertainment. The stories are usually predictable with some good suspense moments thrown into the mix, but overall it’s not the smartest show as plot lines and subplots are repetitive (a new guest requires attention, a scam artist tries to exploit the casino, a mystery heats up when someone goes missing, and it goes on). The guest stars for this season make good appearances that are not simple cameos but characters in the story, such as the return of Alec Baldwin’s nemesis-type character. Also, midway through the season there’s a crossover episode with the characters from Crossing Jordan, with Jill Hennessey and Jerry O’Donnell guest-starring, but this set only features the second part of the storyline so viewers will miss out on the events from the episode that aired as part of Crossing Jordan.

THE VIDEO

Universal Studios Home Video presents Las Vegas in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture quality and colors look very good. Detail and sharpness are satisfactory. There are no major flaws in the presentation.

THE AUDIO

Audio is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround as well as a Dolby 2.0 track. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand, while the music is very nicely reproduced across the front speakers. Optional subtitles include English, Spanish and French.

THE EXTRAS

There are no audio commentaries, featurettes or deleted scenes. Instead all you get is an uncensored gag reel that runs for about five minutes and is slightly amusing.

Also offered is a VIP Access Only featurette with some interviews and blah. Nothing special. Both extras are located on the B side of the third disc.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Las Vegas certainly knows how to grab the viewer’s attention: the attractive production throws in shots of hot women here and there, and tells stories that pass for mindless entertainment, if that’s your favorite type of entertainment. I prefer smart shows with interesting characters, but one could consider Las Vegas a small guilty pleasure.