“Remember this, everything, even the scariest thing on Earth has got a weakness. The more you study your enemy, the less scary he is.” -Ed Romeo
The second half of Lights Out has been dramatically been the first half and it’s due to one factor: focus. At first, Lights Out didn’t know what story to tell. Was it Patrick and Theresa’s marital struggles? Was it Lights trying to get his family out of debt? Was it training a new superstar in Omar? No. It was always about Patrick fighting for the championship. Along the way there is sure to be some things that make us stop and examine other angles. Ava’s coming of age and going to prom was a nice departure from Lights’ training and made us realize just what Patrick is fighting for. Tonight’s episode really drove home the focus. We got a deep look at Ed Romeo and Patrick trying to make Lights into champion. The problem for Patrick is that he can’t just be a fighter any more. He’s fighting against Reynolds, but fighting for his family.
From the opening opening scene I felt uneasy about Ed Romeo. There’s something else working behind his eyes. There’s an obsession, a need. That need is for boxing. For training. Romeo would have been the perfect trainer for a fighter like Omar. Someone he could really get inside their head and mold them into a super fighter fueled by that same obsession and drive he has. With Lights, it’s not that simple. He has other needs and wants. We know how serious Romeo is about his craft. He slit his wrists after Death Row Reynolds fired him as trainer, so when I started to sense the disconnect between Patrick and Ed I was always tense when he had those quiet moments with the Leary girls. Not that I thought Ed was some sort of adulterer or pervert, but that there was a sense that he could make things get very uncomfortable very quick. Ed’s obsession turned out to be too much for Patrick. He needs his family there. He’s never fought without their support and he doesn’t intend to start now. In Greek tragedy, all the heroes have a tragic flaw that prevent them from immortalizing themselves. Patrick has one that lives and breathes, his brother.
Johnny is an extremely pivotal character. For some reason or another Lights continues to always go back to his brother when it’s clear they live in two close but very different worlds. I understand Patrick’s desire to please his father. He was his trainer, the man who raised him. But Johnny I don’t get. I applauded when Patrick fired Johnny and was curious how Johnny was going to win him back. To me, Johnny’s ban didn’t last long enough. I don’t think he redeemed himself enough to be brought back in the circle of trust so soon. I don’t think he’s constantly devising plans and ways to screw Patrick out his money, I just think by nature he’s a sycophant who’s not very good at his job. There’s a clear difference when Patrick is talking to his brother and when he’s talking to his manager. Johnny is a great brother. One that empathizes with his family situation and knows where Patrick comes from, but as a manager he’s a panderer who can’t ever get the upper hand. So it should come as no shock that Johnny is responsible for yet another major setback in Lights’ training. In fighting Ed Romeo, Johnny accidentally stabs Lights in the side. The final scene shows Ed Romeo holding on to Lights telling him it will be ok. I wonder if this means we’ll get more of Ed? Perhaps this brings Patrick’s father back. Either way, I’m very happy with the direction of the show right now and think it will only get better as the season goes on.
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