toxsimian
Lights Out a fine portrait of the working class American male. The lead actor is well cast, reprising his role from Fight Club and others. We come to sympathize with Lights because he is fair, means well and is generous with his family. He is doomed, however, by his greed and stupidity. In the end he is a doberman who fights for food, and will always be played by the manipulators who use him until they throw away and replace him. Lights is aware of this, but he doesn't mind and soldiers on because his goal is to elevate his family into the intellectual elite, so that they can become manipulators themselves. The family situation is fully explored, and it is made clear that Lights is the leader, financially and morally, of a misfit crew that would be completely lost without him, save for his brilliant daughter. This is the story of evolution, in the context of pure Americana, as Joe Palooka takes the punches to deliver his possibly-unworthy and definitely-ungrateful family to the promised land.
flickhound12
I was told about this show by my cousin. It sounded good but my oh my I didn't expect it to be this good. You most likely already know the premise of the show so I won't spend time on that for now. But the writing is superb. Holt McCallany as the main character Patrick "Lights" Leary is a fine performance.The beauty of this show is that it doesn't just focus on the boxing but on the boxer's personal life and the ins and outs of the murky world of professional boxing.The makers of this show must have researched well since it feels like the real deal.The scripting is excellent and unpredictable yet always believable.My only one gripe with the show is that the boxers don't really look big enough to be heavyweights, they look more like middleweights.I only sat down to watch one or two episodes but finished the entire season off in two nights after work, compelling stuff.Looking forward to season two.
Danny Blankenship
I have to say that of late of all the new TV series to come along this one just out on FX titled "Lights Out" is a clear winner and knockout! It's a tense and compelling drama that shows life is tough and dirty and that sometimes just to get by you have to break the rules. And the series has plenty of realism as it stays true to form to the boxing life of shady promoters, political payoffs and cranial damage and the most rewarding a journey towards a comeback. The stories and acting is top notch for a cable series.Set in the Garden state of New Jersey it follows the tale of an ex heavyweight champion named Patrick "Lights" Leary(Holt McCallany I remember him from 1987's "Creepshow 2") and after his boxing life is now over Lights tries to stay afloat and travel thru life as if he were in the boxing ring. It's tough in the suburbs living like a middle class guy, yet he has the support of his tough and caring loving wife(played just fine by Catherine McCormack)and his three daughters are the love of his life too.On the downside his now primary source of income is his personal appearances based on his former fame plus Lights runs a training gym for up and coming boxers and he co owns this with his arrogant and shady brother(Pablo Schreiber)still Lights is a beast and his mind keeps pulling him back into the fighting ring.As you watch each episode you see that Lights is a good family man, yet to get by just like many in today's pressure economy and work life this man succumbs to temptation. It doesn't matter if it's taking political bribes or doing dirty work involving promoters and agents Lights and his brother will do it to survive. As his ultimate goal is a rematch with the fighter who beat him. A good supporting and wild card role is when you see Light's father and gym trainer(played by the wonderful Stacy Keach)as dad is tough and by the book as he tries to keep both of his sons on the straight and narrow road even though he most of the time fails with that it's still compelling to watch.Really this series has it all especially the realism of boxing such as challenges, comebacks, brain damage, crooked politicians and greedy promoters all tied into organized crime. Those themes tie in well with the life and family drama for a show of slow boiling tension. I think "Lights Out" is one of the best new series around the drama and tension mixed with life and bending the rules to get by is compelling and uplifting. Plus it's nice to see someone like Holt McCallany get a break and have a fighting chance at acting stardom. "Lights Out" will knock you out both inside and outside of the ring!
marilynjdoyle
I love this new show and I love Holt McCallany as an actor. He should have been cast in a lead way before this. I hope FX does not cancel this show. I will be watching this show every week. I can't wait to see more episodes. I like his wife Theresa too. I don't understand why major TV channels don't pick this show up. This is one of the best new shows on TV. I can't wait to see some fight scenes. This show is great. It's about time TV gets some exciting TV shows. I remember seeing Holt McCallany in a couple of Law and Order episodes and I thought he was a great actor then. I really hope FX renews this show next year because it stands out over the other new TV shows this year. I hope voting for it on this website helps keep it on TV. I am going to email FX too and tell them I really like this show.