'Lights Out' - 'The Shot': Training day
Lights tries to put off a comeback by mentoring another fighter
Pablo Schreiber on "Lights Out."
A review of tonight's "Lights Out" coming up just as soon as I come up with a song for my ring walk...
"Let someone else take the punches." -Theresa
I've only seen a couple of episodes past this one, so when I say that I'm sure this season is going to climax with a rematch between Lights and Death Row Reynolds, that's just common sense, not a spoiler from advance knowledge. As Warren Leight said, nobody's going to want to watch a show about a boxer who doesn't actually box.
But assuming that's coming, we have many episodes to get there, and in the meantime, Leight and company have to present various plausible alternatives for Lights, who's still (reluctantly) sticking to the promise he made to Theresa five years ago. In the pilot, he gave a shot at being a legbreaker for Brennan, which proved to be far more trouble than it was worth. And here, he tries mentoring Omar, hoping that he can get his fight fix vicariously through "the king of the Caucasus Mountains."
(*) The script also makes the mistake of letting Lights say the sentence, "It's been rocky with the girls." If you are making a movie, TV show or other form of fictional story about a boxer, you never, ever want your main character - or any character - to use the word "rocky" (unless they're actually referring to Stallone), and you certainly don't want to do it in an episode like this one.
And it's around Barry that "The Shot" finds its strongest moments. I'm in the tank for Reg E. Cathey because of "The Wire," but I loved him so much on "The Wire" because he has such a natural yet electric screen presence. Barry's playing games within games within games, and Johnny is sure no match for him. But even though we're on Lights' side - and therefore mostly on Johnny's side - it's hard not to be at least a little bit pleased that Barry so thoroughly owns our hero's brother. (Also, using "Fred Sanford" as a hotel alias? Perfect.)
"The Shot" is definitely marking time for the show in a way, but in giving Lights his first real taste of the ring in a long time, it's also helping pave the road for the comeback we all figure is coming.
What did everybody else think?
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupZach L
January 26, 2011 at 12:32AM EST Reply to CommentSolid episode, enjoyed his training of Omar. And talk about a slap in the face with Death Row buying the boxing gloves for 25 grand. I agree the season ends with the rematch.
Also was it revealed that Lights' wife is British as to finally explain the accent, or is she from Buffalo and just flew to London to meet up with Lights?
Sarinea
January 26, 2011 at 1:00AM EST Reply to CommentCan anyone tell me the name of the song/artist that plays when the fighters are about to enter the ring? I caught the lyrics "in your dreams... when the night calls" but found nothing from a Google search. Thanks in advance!
Angela Finally a question I can answer! I loved this song the first time I heard it, when played on Parenthood, if I remember correctly.
January 26, 2011 at 1:28AM ESTLet me check my iTunes songs that I purchased. :) Yup, here it is, "When the Night Comes" by Dan Auerbach.
Angela PS: It's from the album "Keep it Hid". You reminded me that I need to find out if Dan Auerbach is the original artist and if so see what else he has out that I might like.
January 26, 2011 at 1:33AM ESTYou have good taste. ;)
jeff I love the Black Keys and Dan Auerbach, but they're not exactly shy about letting their songs be in commercials, TV shows or movies..
January 26, 2011 at 2:17AM ESTDougMac
January 26, 2011 at 1:48AM EST Reply to CommentI liked the episode a lot, as I liked the first 2, but the preview for next week makes me a little leery (no pun intended) about where it is going
medrawt
January 26, 2011 at 1:52AM EST Reply to CommentI'm like 90% sure that the actors throughout were saying "The Caucus" mountains instead of "Caucasus." I wasn't sure if it was actorly mumbling or intentional malapropism, but I went with the latter. If the show comes up with one hilarious/pointed digression like Johnny's little explication of the racial politics of Armenian Americans in each episode, this show goes from A- to A+ for me.
TREX Wow, the show is an A- already for you? With the possibility of an A+??? I don't think it's THAT good. It's definitely not 1 of the best tv shows I've ever seen (which is what A+ would be reserved for).
January 26, 2011 at 12:01PM ESTMedrawt ... Sigh. I was referring to pure enjoyment; I had to stop the DVR because I burst out laughing and missed the next few lines. Not everything needs to be Deadwood. That said, I *do* think the show is going somewhere very strong, and if I compare it to other dramas that (1) are actually airing RIGHT NOW (as opposed to, "aired last year, or will return later this year"), and (2) I watch, it's probably the best, at least until Justified returns. (No Breaking Bad this year at all? And maybe no Mad Men? ugh.) Anyway, I demand the right to hand out my A+es on an ad hoc and inconsistent basis. Was Season 3 of Battlestar the best season? No. Was it the season that gave me the single greatest nerd-joy moment of my teleivion-watching life (the Galactica jumping into the New Caprica atmosphere)? YES. A+. Anyway, I'd like the show to continue offering up little verbal flourishes like that.
January 26, 2011 at 1:19PM ESTSarinea
January 26, 2011 at 2:00AM EST Reply to CommentThank you, Angela! I just bought it!
Angela :-)
January 26, 2011 at 2:14AM ESTAngela
January 26, 2011 at 2:05AM EST Reply to CommentWell at least I'm still watching, even though I've never ever wanted to know anything about boxing, though I did love the movie Rocky back in 1988.
I thought the first episode of Lights Out was well done. Top quality acting by Lights, his brother and his Dad especially, plus excellent writing and photography. The whole hour rang true for me. Not like so many other shows on today.
The second episode was a let down for me, perhaps because I wasn't sure about everything going down. But this episode did keep my attention so I'm hoping I'll stick with it.
I also had around zero interest in boxing until I read the interview Alan had with the Warren Leight. I realized there's so much more to it than I'd ever imagined. It's not the boxing part that interests me, but the people involved and how they interacted with each other in that world, and how it effected their lives.
ZDT This is in reply to your comment above about Dan Auerbach, he's actually the singer guitarist for The Black Keys, so if you liked that song I'd suggest checking out their latest album "Brothers" which is probably their most accessible album.
January 31, 2011 at 5:03PM ESTfbihop
January 26, 2011 at 3:06AM EST Reply to CommentIs he a meth head? I was under the impression that he was just doing meth as a way to lose weight for the fight.
And losing 8 pounds in two weeks is nothing. Ask anyone who wrestled in high school about losing eight pounds and they will laugh at you.
Even though it seems like I'm being nitpicking, I really like this show. But every time I watch I can't help but think about Terriers...
LightsOutFan @FB..When are you people going to understand?Lights Out was in the works BEFORE TERRIERS CAME ALONG!!Stop trashing the show it has nothing to do with whether TERRIERS lived or died!! GROW UP!!
January 26, 2011 at 7:13AM ESThipo @LIGHTSOUTFAN, no need to be defensive. I didn't take FBIHOP's comment to mean that he blames Lights Out for Terriers demise. I like Lights Out a lot, but also feel a little sad when I watch because I know that this is the same channel that brought me Terriers, and I miss it. There is room in my heart for both shows. Cut us mourners a little slack.
January 26, 2011 at 10:31AM ESTpacino
January 26, 2011 at 4:21AM EST Reply to Commentas much as i love norman wilson aka reg e cathy i cant get over the fact that his name is barry word. as in the backup for the nigerian nightmare christian okoyoe in tecmo super bowl.
please tell me im not the only one with this issue.
Dan I'm with you Pacino. Barry Word will always be the guy who gave Okoyoe a break in Tecmo Super Bowl...possibly the greatest video game ever.
January 26, 2011 at 11:02AM ESTAce You're not alone. I thought that same thing. But Barry Word was an actual real human being who played in the NFL, not just a backup avatar in Super Tecmo Bowl. Also kind of a funny connection vis a vis nicknames: Nigerian Nightmare, Armenian Avenger.
January 26, 2011 at 12:23PM ESTOlo Brown Barry Word DID play in the NFL. He usually started games for the Chiefs, playing in the first half, and then they would give the ball to Nigerian Nightmare Christian Okoye to really pound them late.
February 3, 2011 at 11:31PM ESTMikeNovember
January 26, 2011 at 10:37AM EST Reply to CommentWhat are your takes on the quality of the boxing scenes? They felt a little unusually artificial to me (not the training sequences, which were fine, but the title shot at the end)
hnic1971
January 26, 2011 at 12:05PM EST Reply to CommentWrite a comment...
hnic1971
January 26, 2011 at 12:18PM EST Reply to CommentI loved the shot of Reg E. Cathey as Barry playing the barit-Baritone Sax. Nice little shot that shows the old school nature of boxing promoter/street hustler. It adds to the amount of "game" he has. Plus, I think there should be a "Wire" Band. Lance Reddick put out a CD, Snoop Pearson raps, Method Man of course, Wendell Pierce and the DJ Idris Elba.
Timm S
January 26, 2011 at 12:44PM EST Reply to CommentThis is a good, solid hour of television. Not great, not transcendent, but really good and engaging. There's a soulfulness to Lights which makes you really pull for him, and you identify with the pull he feels toward the forbidden, and the sting of the loss when he can't be what he is according to his wiring. I think any man around his age can identify with that feeling.
It's hard to watch Nicky Sabotka move so quickly down the path he's chosen, knowing the game he's playing only ends in pain for most everybody affected by it. Really well done, and very well acted, but still you want to grab him and yell, "STOP!" to get him to stop. Still, I think that's the place where the show jumps from watchable to potentially great.
I agree with a couple of other comments that the only time the show loses me is when it actually shows the fights. Something about the way they're blocked/choreographed makes those scenes the weakest and ring the most false of anything else they show. Still, that's a problem with most of the portrayals of sports on television/movies, and is the main reason I could never really connect with "Friday Night Lights". I know, I know, the actual sport is only the context in which the drama is set, but it still is distracting from what would otherwise be a truly great show. For me, at least.
Matt
January 26, 2011 at 3:25PM EST Reply to CommentPerhaps I'm just being overly sensitive, but I don't see why it's necessary to have lights wearing what could be seen as a vaguely militant Irish republican t-shirt
Elevation
January 26, 2011 at 4:43PM EST Reply to CommentI had a hard time believing that a Omar's title shot was really all that important for the gym's future. There are like 75 different boxing titles. Is one random champion really going to make all that much of a difference to the gym's fortunes?
The fight wasn't even at a major venue. It looked like they were fighting some Friday Night Fight on ESPN2.
chuchundra Eh, the show doesn't make sense on a lot of levels. I mean, who was the last American-born, white, heavyweight that anyone really cared about?
January 27, 2011 at 5:00PM ESTThe show would make a lot more sense and would be more interesting if the main character was black.
kabak being able to tell customers that they are a home of champions is def important in selling the gym
January 31, 2011 at 11:47AM ESTSo Cal
January 26, 2011 at 9:21PM EST Reply to CommentAlan-
Did you watch "Oz" at all? Cathey was awesome as the warden after Ernie Hudson exited.
That is still one of my top 3 shows ever.
George
January 27, 2011 at 12:49AM EST Reply to CommentWith this episode, the series has found its legs. I thought that it was the best episode yet. Every aspect resoundingly resonated with me.
JanieJones
January 27, 2011 at 10:33AM EST Reply to CommentI was definitely engaged in this episode. The acting, all around, was well done. As a poster stated above, there is vulnerability to Lights that makes me empathize with his life and current situation.
I've never been remotely interested in boxing but it's the characters and their motives and actions that keep me engaged.
*It was great to see Cathey. He always brings the charisma alive in his character.
Susan
January 27, 2011 at 2:06PM EST Reply to CommentAs to the "prize" Barry got from Johnny, I thought "there's only one thing I want" was a clear reference to the rematch between Lights and Death Row Reynolds. Did no one else make the same assumption? In the next scene, when Lights was sitting on the steps outside his house, I was wondering if he knew what Johnny had just promised. Same for the ensuing conversation with Theresa. And then we jumped into training and it never came up.
So does anyone think there's anything else Barry would want? Am I the only one who thinks Johnny has committed Lights to the fight already?
Sully That was my assumption, I thought it was obvious.
January 27, 2011 at 3:35PM ESTAp Oz
January 27, 2011 at 2:33PM EST Reply to Comment"so when I say that I'm sure this season is going to climax with a rematch between Lights and Death Row Reynolds, that's just common sense"
Actually I'm not so sure it will-- I think the climax might simply be Lights AGREEING to the fight, probably over his wife's objections after she learns of his medical condition. Then, next season could start 12 months later with the fight, but instead of showing it all at once, they could show 1 Round per episode, and then flashback to what happened during each month of training (including perhaps trying to win his wife back is she leaves).
Because otherwise you have to show all that training in 3 or 4 episodes this season, and I'm not really sure there would be that much drama there.
AP Oz
Elevation People would get tired after awhile if the fight was stretched out over 13 weeks. It isn't a daily soap opera.
January 27, 2011 at 4:40PM ESTJ17
January 28, 2011 at 7:34PM EST Reply to CommentI'd recommend the AV Club review for this episode (http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-shot,50477/) if you really like the show. Not trying to spam, but I just don't think this write-up did the episode justice.
shallots
January 29, 2011 at 10:16PM EST Reply to CommentI'm hanging on by a thread. I'm not sure why there is enthusiasm for this show. There were a lot of cliches in this episode and it was easy to see what was going to happen. I hate when I can see writers moving the plot along. But "Portlandia" is not reviewed by Alan? Come on! "Portlandia" looks like the most interesting comedy of the spring! There is certainly an interesting cultural and social discourse happening there. Not much here in this show!
Ben Kabak portlandia is a bore fest
January 31, 2011 at 11:49AM EST