“It’s my belt. No one’s going to stop me from getting it back.” -Patrick
With now only one episode left in the entire series of Lights Out, it’s hard to judge the episodes as ones that are leading to a season or series finale. If this season was meant to be a 13 episode arc that was going to have complete closure, I’d say it’s a bit uneven and isn’t really hitting on all cylinders as it approaches its finale. But that’s unfair to the show. Lights Out was meant to be more than just one season, so it makes sense that everything isn’t being fully expounded on. This is not to say this episode would have been a great penultimate episode if I knew there’d be a season two. Far from it. But it is difficult to truly asses the effect of the episode on me. When it comes to Lights Out, what do we actually find compelling about this show? The boxing drama is the keystone of the series and sometimes I feel it loses sight of that. That’s why the Ed Romeo episodes and the Morales fight were some of the best. It was able to combine the other elements of Patrick’s life while building toward a fight. This may also be why the Brennan and Word stories are so strong as well. It revolves around the boxing world.
So based upon what I feel is the strong point of the show, you can see where I didn’t really enjoy this past episode where we finally get to meet Patrick’s mother. We’ve been needing that story line all along. However I feel it may be too little too late. Just what can we get from this relationship at this point? The mother arriving is most effecting papa lights. Robert has been such a strong individual throughout the series, that it’s a little heartbreaking seeing him sacrifice his fortitude to bend to the whims of the capricious sycophant. The mother seems forced. It’s just another obstacle that delays the fight between Lights and Death Row. She’s detestable, but not because of what she’s doing, but because of just how out of place she is. This story line in particular is one I feel like could have had more of an impact if there was more time for the series to develop. But given the brevity of the series, anything short of the boxing world and its politics, seems out of place.
Barry K Word is still the most compelling part of the show. He has an electricity on screen that is unmatched by anyone on the series. The politics of the boxing world is what I like. I would have very much enjoyed learning more about the gambling side of the sport and the danger of fixing a fight. The drive by on Margaret raised the stakes for a second, but it will be swept under the rug on the finale because we need to focus on the fight. I know by just focusing on the boxing element makes Lights Out a typical boxing drama, but maybe not. FX has made it clear they didn’t want to do just another Rocky knock off. They needed something else to separate it. I think the Barry K Word/Hal Brennan angle was enough. Throw in just enough family to show how they’re broke and here we have the show. But now it just seems like the show is cycling in one guest star after another. There’s just a lack of cohesion. It’s still high quality drama, but it just needed time to figure itself out. The stakes never really felt high enough. I don’t see the need for Patrick to win. He was originally in the fight for the money, but now money doesn’t seem to be the issue so his drive and desire to win needs to be the overwhelming force in the show, and it just isn’t quite there. Lights Out is a good show, not a great show. I’m sad it doesn’t get a second season because I feel like it could really find itself. But alas, we have but one more episode and hopefully the finale really delivers some closure.
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