History Series / ThePlayer

** The CentralTheme is a downright deconstruction of VigilanteMan series like Literature/TheExecutioner or Literature/TheDestroyer; the The Player's backers actually have authority ''over'' the system any other vigilante would see himself as superior to, and Alex would much rather [[LawfulGood work within the system]] as he has [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal experience]] of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what working outside the law will do to his psyche]]. However, his resources are under the control of an AncientConspiracy of [[{{Fiction 500}} absurdly rich]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney sociopaths]] who can't be considered civic-minded by any definition of the term - they're only supporting him to [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing watch him kill people/blow stuff up]] and roughly half the funding comes from fat cats who hope he'll either ''fail'' or '''die.''' Mr. Johnson agrees that it would be much better if [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the technology]] the Player uses to "[[TheyFightCrime fight crime]]" was part of [[CutLexLuthorACheck legitimate law enforcement]], but the Gamblers wouldn't find that to be [[ForTheLulz as much fun]], and they're the PowersThatBe and things would be a lot worse if the Game didn't exist for the Gamblers' amusement. He's able to do so many things because PoliceAreUseless, but only because they're forcibly LockedOutOfTheLoop by the House.

* DoubleEntendre: Mr. Johnson and Agent Nolan's entire [[FoeYay interactions]] in "Downtown Odds" basically consist of these. What is a date by any other name is called an "interrogation."

Not to be confused with [[Series/{{Player}} the Korean drama series]] of (almost) the same name.

* DefiniteArticleTitle

* RealityEnsues: "The Big Blind" subverts the MexicanStandoff, with both men getting shot.

* NotSoDifferent: A bit different in that it is the hero who insists that he is the same as the villain of the week, the only difference being he got lucky and met his wife whereas this guy didn't.

Not to be confused with [[Series/Player the Korean drama series]] of (almost) the same name.

* TheTheTitle

* BoringInvincibleHero: Very much averted. Past Players had a tendency to die within a year of taking the job, with those lasting more than that becoming famous in the Game. Alex himself loses fights and has to double down on his second Game. Even in "The Big Blind," when he has the drop on a fleeing assassin, the quick draw shootout doesn't end with only one guy falling down, but Alex getting shot as well. And in "The Norseman" [[spoiler: it's clear that Alex and his niece would have been killed had not Johnson intervened after the bet deadline had passed]].
** When a list of the top five former Players is revealed, only one had a perfect record, and he was only ranked fifth. Number 4 on the list actually only broke even (84 wins, 85 losses; one imagines the 85th was a terminal loss).

* DrinkOrder: Bourbon seems to be popular among all of the characters.

** The CentralTheme is a downright ''brutal'' deconstruction of VigilanteMan series like Literature/TheExecutioner or Literature/TheDestroyer; the The Player's backers actually have authority ''over'' the system any other vigilante would see himself as superior to, and Alex would much rather [[LawfulGood work within the system]] as he has [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal experience]] of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what working outside the law will do to his psyche]]. However, his resources are under the control of an AncientConspiracy of [[{{Fiction 500}} absurdly rich]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney sociopaths]] who can't be considered civic-minded by any definition of the term - they're only supporting him to [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing watch him kill people/blow stuff up]] and roughly half the funding comes from fat cats who hope he'll either ''fail'' or '''die.''' Mr. Johnson agrees that it would be much better if [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the technology]] the Player uses to "[[TheyFightCrime fight crime]]" was part of [[CutLexLuthorACheck legitimate law enforcement]], but the Gamblers wouldn't find that to be [[ForTheLulz as much fun]], and they're the PowersThatBe and things would be a lot worse if the Game didn't exist for the Gamblers' amusement. He's able to do so many things because PoliceAreUseless, but only because they're forcibly LockedOutOfTheLoop by the House.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: After Alex stops an attempt on his life, Mr. Raqiv is more concerned with the fact that Alex used a ''very'' expensive bottle of wine as a melee weapon and spilled its contents in the process.[[note]]Admittedly, it was a bottle of Musigny Grand Cru 1924; it probably cost around '''''[[ConspicuousConsumption five grand]].''''' Alex basically smashed a sixty-inch flatscreen HDTV over that assassin's head![[/note]]

* {{Badass}}: Aside from Alex and Mr. Johnson, all of the Players. [[AllThereInTheManual The manual]] reveals they've been drawn from mobsters, post-WWII soldiers, Cold War spies, and now, according to the FBI agent investigating the House, former black-ops special forces veterans.

''The Player'' is an action-thriller starring Creator/PhilipWinchester and Wesley Snipes that began airing on Creator/{{NBC}} in 2015. It was created by Creator/JohnRogers (''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', ''Series/{{Leverage}}''). Originally scheduled to air 13 episodes, the order was reduced and production shut down after 9 with the show cancelled after the episodes were aired.

'''''The Player''''' is an action-thriller starring Creator/PhilipWinchester and Wesley Snipes that began airing on Creator/{{NBC}} in 2015. It was created by Creator/JohnRogers (''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', ''Series/{{Leverage}}''). Originally scheduled to air 13 episodes, the order was reduced and production shut down after 9 with the show cancelled after the episodes were aired.

** The CentralTheme is a downright ''brutal'' decontriction of VigilanteMan series like Literature/TheExecutioner or Literature/TheDestroyer; the The Player's backers actually have authority ''over'' the system any other vigilante would see himself as superior to, and Alex would much rather [[LawfulGood work within the system]] as he has [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal experience]] of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what working outside the law will do to his psyche]]. However, his resources are under the control of an AncientConspiracy of [[{{Fiction 500}} absurdly rich]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney sociopaths]] who can't be considered civic-minded by any definition of the term - they're only supporting him to [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing watch him kill people/blow stuff up]] and roughly half the funding comes from fat cats who hope he'll either ''fail'' or '''die.''' Mr. Johnson agrees that it would be much better if [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the technology]] the Player uses to "[[TheyFightCrime fight crime]]" was part of [[CutLexLuthorACheck legitimate law enforcement]], but the Gamblers wouldn't find that to be [[ForTheLulz as much fun]], and they're the PowersThatBe and things would be a lot worse if the Game didn't exist for the Gamblers' amusement. He's able to do so many things because PoliceAreUseless, but only because they're forcibly LockedOutOfTheLoop by the House.

* DeconstructorFleet: ''Every'' element of action television series is put through the grinder.

** Afterwards, the Gamblers established the House to enforce strict rules on the Game, and gave it the authority to prevent such chaos from re-occurring by any and all means necessary. A few years of fair play led to the discovery that the majority of criminals got away with their crimes, which kind of defeated the purpose of betting on them. Thus was selected the first Player; a semi-legitimized vigilante with the skills needed to make the Game interesting again, given access to the House's [[UndisclosedFunds unlimited resources]], [[MagicalDatabase ridiculously-complete records]] and [[BigBrotherIsWatching nigh-omniscient surveillance]], tasked with a one-man war on crime which the Gamblers could bet on - specifically his success, failure, or death.

* {{Deconstruction}}: A downright ''brutal'' one of VigilanteMan series like Literature/TheExecutioner or Literature/TheDestroyer; the The Player's backers actually have authority ''over'' the system any other vigilante would see himself as superior to, and Alex would much rather [[LawfulGood work within the system]] as he has [[DarkAndTroubledPast personal experience]] of [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what working outside the law will do to his psyche]]. However, his resources are under the control of an AncientConspiracy of [[{{Fiction 500}} absurdly rich]] [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney sociopaths]] who can't be considered civic-minded by any definition of the term - they're only supporting him to [[DoNotDoThisCoolThing watch him kill people/blow stuff up]] and roughly half the funding comes from fat cats who hope he'll either ''fail'' or '''die.''' Mr. Johnson agrees that it would be much better if [[ReedRichardsIsUseless the technology]] the Player uses to "[[TheyFightCrime fight crime]]" was part of [[CutLexLuthorACheck legitimate law enforcement]], but the Gamblers wouldn't find that to be [[ForTheLulz as much fun]], and they're the PowersThatBe and things would be a lot worse if the Game didn't exist for the Gamblers' amusement. He's able to do so many things because PoliceAreUseless, but only because they're forcibly LockedOutOfTheLoop by the House.
** It even hits the ''gambling'' themes on top of all this; the odds that Alex will successfully prevent a given crime are judged as absurdly low, but just about every form of institutionalized gambling ultimately has similar odds of failure.
** And the whole idea of a OddlySmallOrganization that pulls a WeHelpTheHelpless routine gets broken down. It's small but effective because it doesn't focus on helping those in need, but only on the crimes that the Pit Boss thinks will amuse the Gamblers. It manages to avoid detection from the authorities not by guile or plot holes, but through blackmail and intimidation. It's well-funded, but also seems to run through personnel rapidly. Alex is only the latest of a long line of quickly dead Players.
** This show likes its deconstructions. It also deconstructs the idea of StuffedInTheFridge as a motivation for action heroes. Ginny dies early in the pilot, sending Alex into becoming TheUnfettered again. Even when he joins the House, he's still running on anger and a self-destructive pattern. When it's revealed that Ginny's ''not'' dead, he gets way more motivated and starts putting his GuileHero nature to work. Much of the drama and story spins out of the fact that Ginny didn't die like Alex thought.
** And then there's the show's deconstruction of the AncientConspiracy. The Game isn't some goal-oriented scheme by visionaries or KnightTemplar, but just something a bunch of bored rich sociopaths do because EvilIsPetty. Rather than being all powerful and foreseeing things, the Gamblers are powerful, but can't control every action. Case in point: Their early Bets spiraled out of control into World War One and necessitating the creation of the House. And since the Gamblers are in multiple generations, different views on the Game exist, even in families (as Zeing and his uncle demonstrate). The Council has control, but still doesn't have unlimited power. Why? Even the Gamblers still have lives outside of the Game; Zeing has his Triad shipping business, Lettis his judicial job. And they can't just go ordering people around outside of their jurisdiction. The entire reason the AncientConspiracy seems to even still exist at this point is because of money, and because the Game is so narrowly focused that it doesn't consume the Gamblers' lives or have a larger goal.

'''''The Player''''' is an action-thriller starring Creator/PhilipWinchester and Creator/WesleySnipes that began airing on Creator/{{NBC}} in 2015. It was created by Creator/JohnRogers (''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', ''Series/{{Leverage}}''). Originally scheduled to air 13 episodes, the order was reduced and production shut down after 9 with the show cancelled after the episodes were aired.

'''''The Player''''' is an action-thriller starring [[Series/StrikeBack Philip Winchester]] and Creator/WesleySnipes that began airing on Creator/{{NBC}} in 2015. It was created by Creator/JohnRogers (''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', ''Series/{{Leverage}}''). Originally scheduled to air 13 episodes, the order was reduced and production shut down after 9 with the show cancelled after the episodes were aired.

** When a list of the top five former Players is revealed, only one had a perfect record, and he was only ranked fifth. Number 4 on the list actually only broke even (84 wins, 85 losses; one imagine the 85th was a terminal loss).

Alex Kane is UsefulNotes/LasVegas's premiere security consultant, but when his wife is killed he finds himself caught up in The Game, a high-stakes gambling ring that bets on the outcome of violent crimes - crimes that its mysterious, powerful, amoral backers can [[PrecrimeArrest predict hours or even days in advance]]. Enticed by Mr. Johnson (The Pit Boss) and Cassandra King (The Dealer)'s offer of getting revenge on his wife's killer, Alex agrees to become "The Player" and "[[TheyFightCrime fight crime]]" for the amusement of the world's rich and powerful.

'''''The Player''''' is an action-thriller starring [[Series/StrikeBack Philip Winchester]] and Creator/WesleySnipes that began airing on Creator/{{NBC}} in 2015. It was created by Creator/JohnRogers (''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'', ''Series/{{Leverage}}''). Originally scheduled to air 13 episodes, the order was reduced and production shut down after 9.

** Alex and Cassandra are both working to find out the truth about what happened to Ginny, but neither trusts the other enough to tell them. [[spoiler: This changes in "Downtown Rules".]]

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Although Alex stops the gang war in "Downtown Rules", the girl from one gang he was trying to protect and help get out of the life is killed and her boyfriend from the other gang who also wanted a better life for himself returns to the fold as a result]].

** In "Downtown Rules", Alex thinks he's lost the bet because two gangs have gone to war, but Johnson reminds him the bet was that Alex would ''stop'' the war, not ''prevent'' it.

** In "Tell" Johnson, Alex, and Cassandra [[spoiler: all are finally on the same page, at least insofar as Ginny's disappearance is concerned, and all realize that someone is playing them against each other, someone more powerful than the Gamblers]].