# The Player (2015)

> A former military operative turned security expert is drawn into a Las Vegas high-stakes game run by wealthy elites, where he must stop their crimes from the inside while seeking revenge for his wife's death.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/56639

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 9
- Episode runtime: 43 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: action, thriller, crime
- Created by: John Rogers, John Fox
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Charity Wakefield, Philip Winchester, Wesley Snipes, Damon Gupton, Daisy Betts, Carlo Rota, Haaz Sleiman, Isiah Adams
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4474310/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: tense, propulsive, gritty, glossy, dark

## What critics say

Audiences found The Player a watchable but mixed action thriller, with its Las Vegas premise and star Philip Winchester's lead performance drawing interest.

## Synopsis

The Player is a one-season American action thriller created by John Rogers and John Fox for NBC, a nine-episode run that was canceled and left its story open. Philip Winchester plays Alex Kane, a former military operative turned security expert who is pulled into a clandestine game where a circle of wealthy individuals wager on his ability to prevent some of the biggest crimes imaginable. Wesley Snipes plays the enigmatic Mr. Johnson, the organization's figure who controls the table, while Charity Wakefield appears as Cassandra King, and Damon Gupton as Cal Brown. The engine of the show is Kane's double life: he must infiltrate the operation from within and stop each scheme before it plays out, all while chasing revenge for the death of his wife. Each episode is built around a new high-stakes wager, a fresh threat, and the tightening pressure of a man who cannot be sure who is watching him. Set in Las Vegas, the series trades in glossy casino glamour masking ruthless power, and its tone is taut, propulsive, and grim, with bursts of violence. Fans of Banshee, Mr. Robot and Taken will find resonance in its lone operative, its criminal intrigue and its vengeance-driven momentum.

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