Dylan McDermott Talks ‘LA to Vegas’ Season Finale and His Move into Comedy

During the recent Contenders panel for the freshman comedy on Fox, actor Dylan McDermott gave fans a preview of what to expect in the season finale. He told Deadline.com that more shenanigans can be expected from his character in the 15th episode, including romance, gambling and, basically, non-stop fun.

The episode synopsis reveals that Captain Dave intends to propose to Patricia, despite the objections of her daughter Nicole. Arten tries to get Colin to stand up for himself against his ex-wife, and Ronnie applies for employment at a different airline, failing to take into account how a schedule change could affect her relationship.

McDermott Confident of Season 2

While “LA to Vegas” hasn’t, as yet, been renewed by Fox, McDermott is confident that the network will pick it up for a second season. He said that negative news typically makes the rounds early on and that they’ve not heard anything along those lines, which is a good sign. He added that it’s the kind of show where there’s no limit to how many stories it can tell, which also bodes well for a possible second season. The Golden Globe winner went on to talk about his move into comedy, telling Deadline that it was the right time, after spending much of his acting career playing darker characters. McDermott had previously told Channel Guide Magazine that “> in New York when he was around 20-years-old before he got all caught up in drama.

SNL and Comedy Friends

The actor, who also made an appearance in the pilot season of “American Horror Story,” said that his comedic shift began when hosting “Saturday Night Live” all the way back in 1999. He became friends with the comedy duo of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell right after his appearance, who, McDermott said, offered encouragement for his desire to move into comedy.

“LA to Vegas” made its debut on Fox on January 2. Based on a team of airline staff traveling from “LA to Vegas” and back again, the show offers no shortage of racy humor. That could go some way to explaining why show bosses decided to choose Sin City for many of the scenes. Through the jokes and other examples of what should stay in Vegas, we get a real sense of who the characters are. The show begins by quickly introducing its characters before placing them in ridiculous situations, such as one having to talk the captain through how to land the plane. While the characters make fun of one another, they also provide emotional support and affection when the chips are down.

The shenanigans, from both the crew and their passengers, often see a number of series regulars bring their skills and luck along to Vegas, ready to have some fun with the games. Peter Stormare, for example, is a character with gambling on his brain to the degree that he seems to find a way to beat the odds in any situation. Gaming opportunities in Las Vegas tend to accommodate both strategy and luck, a combination which allows the show to further reveal who the characters really are. How they apply skills to various table games, how much they’re willing to bet, and how they react to wins and losses can help the audience realise what makes these characters tick.

Steve Levitan, the executive producer on the show, said that it’s important that a show set mainly in a single location, such as a plane, emphasizes character, much like “Taxi” and “Cheers” before it. Series creator Lon Zimmet filled his writing team with people who had first-hand experience with gambling in Vegas to ensure that the characters are placed in situations where their true selves could really come to the fore. Of course, the same could be said of other aspects of Sin City. For example, Nicole (Olivia Machlin) is a stripper at the weekend, but who also uses her people skills to network with fellow passengers. Colin (Ed Meeks) is perhaps the most grounded character, whose weekend visits to Vegas have very little to do with gambling and nightlife, providing some nice balance with the other personalities on board.

Ensemble Cast

The lead troublemaker in the show is Ronnie (Kim Matula), the flight attendant who isn’t particularly good at her job; but, then she isn’t much good at anything, really. She’s joined by egotistical Captain Dave (McDermott), who longs for the good old days, and Bernard (Nathan Lee Graham), a snarkier, but also more efficient attendant than Ronnie. McDermott revels in playing a character who is slightly winsome, and basically obsessed with himself. His obsession with his appearance is portrayed in a harmless enough way that he manages not to come across as smarmy. There’s something quite refreshing about the idea of an ensemble series where the characters aren’t all expected to like one another. A number of the show’s relationships are professional but the others come out of the visibly awkward camaraderie among passengers.

All-in-all, the comedy is a fun, witty half-hour of television that proves that it’s far more fun to sit back and watch people on a plane than be on board one.

“LA to Vegas” airs on Fox on Tuesdays at 9 pm. The season finale airs on May 1.