TV review

MILWAUKEE (U-WIRE) — The title and location of “Push, Nevada” (8 p.m., Thursdays, ABC) is almost too fitting. The show has all the glitz and bright lights of the casinos it features, but for all its high rolling, it merely breaks even.
“Push,” whose executive producers include Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, is unapologetically done in the style of “Twin Peaks.” It abounds with quirky characters and twisted plots, but without any substance or staying power.
The series starts off, oddly enough, with a crook in a bathtub full of ice to deceive heat sensitive cameras, and it continues in a similar fashion.
Of all people to stumble into Push, Nev., Internal Revenue Service agent Jim Prufrock (Derek Cecil) is one of the most unlikely heroes. Prufrock gets tipped off to a discrepancy in the Versailles Casino and his governmental duty leads him to Push, Nev.
Push is an extremely weird town where cars that break down are fixed for free and the hot spot is the slow-dance parlor. That parlor is where Jim runs into Mary (Scarlett Chorvat), a paramour with plenty of mystery for all the town dwellers and visitors.
And from there, Prufrock’s simple tax adjustment investigation turns into a murder, arson and intrigue around the appearance that the whole town seems owned by a mysterious corporation.
All the swirling plot lines make “Push” a quick-paced and exciting show, but the lack of substance takes away from the whole experience. There’s a twist at every corner, but each episode usually ends up going around in a circle with no advancement. Granted, it builds suspense and raises a lot of questions, but “Push” just overkills the surprises, desensitizing the viewer to surprises.
There are some confusing acting choices as well. Cecil plays Prufrock as extremely low-key and sedated through all his encounters. IRS agents are typically around Cecil’s level of energy, but the shows attempt to be quick-moving is dragged down by his lack of energy.
And then there’s Chorvat. Her character only has two kinds of dialogue: breathy Marilyn Monroe come-hither or cliché-filled monologues. In one scene, Chorvat fires off seven cliché’s in two minutes in her attempts to get Jim to leave Nevada.
Unfortunately, the most interesting character on “Push” was killed off on the first show. Silas Bodnick, played by the always slimy, always good Jon Polito, was the corrupt casino owner who ripped off his own casino for profit. Polito brought his usual over-the-top arrogance and conniving attitude, which was a perfect for the show, but met his untimely end at the conclusion of the first episode.
The rest of the cast is a crew of bright characters and a number of mysterious enforcers, including a “Matrix”-esque triad of villains and Armand Assante as a hitman.
A part of “Push” includes a contest where watching for clues can help viewers win $1 million. The clues are awkwardly placed in the show, adding another layer of disappointment.
Still, “Push” has many good qualities. It is shot very well, contains some good dialogue and entertaining moments. But the downfall is that it tries too hard to be different for the sake of being different.
Watching “Push” is extremely reminiscent of David Lynch’s “Twin Peaks,” but where “Peaks” was refreshingly and shockingly different for network television, “Push” just attempts to copy the weirdness of the earlier show, this time with a lame contest and too much smugness.
While “Push” has already outlasted Affleck and Damon’s last ABC collaboration, “The Runner,” it faces the same problem — a show built around an interesting concept without being able to deliver on the hype.