Lights Out on the ropes

Watching the new FX series Lights Out about a retired boxer coming back to the sport after five years because he is broke is… well… like taking repetitive blows to the head in the boxing ring. Through the opening episode, there is very little that does not follow the stereotyping and overdone storylines of all the other boxing related enterprises of the past.

The casting is decent enough as Holt McCallany (Fight Club, Three Kings, Men of Honor) portrays a boxer with pugilistic dementia, but has what he sees as bigger issues with the IRS coming after he and his brother/manager while he is trying to maintain the costly lifestyle for his family: a medical resident wife who forced his retirement and three daughters (approximately age 9-16) who are in private school.

The lead character Patrick Leary, known as Lights, at the close of the episode is signed on to face the man he lost the title fight to via a controversial split decision in his last bout without his approval by his brother, who sees it as the absolute last resort to save them all financially.

Obviously, the entirety of the episode was devoted to setting up the situation and some of the characters for the series, but it would have been nice to see something that deviated from the usual boxing storylines that have been told again and again. Apparently some of the critics are giving the show favorable reviews based on its gritty realism, which is fine and all. One thing FX series do well is create a true presentation within the worlds of their shows, but the only people who will enjoy the show based on the pilot will be those who have not seen many boxing movies or those obsessed with the sport.

The preview trailer for the rest of the series at the pilot’s conclusion sets the table that the path back to the ring will be difficult and intriguing to the viewer so I may give it a few more episodes, but it is gonna have find an interesting hook that makes it unique from all that I have seen before.