“Guys like you always have a target on their back.” – Pops
In “Cakewalk,” the folks behind Lights Out had the opportunity to establish, within the world of the show, that there are consequences to Patrick’s actions. In the pilot episode, Lights breaks the arm of a deadbeat dentist in front of a handful of witnesses. Early on in “Cakewalk,” a pair of police officers show up at the Leary family diner asking questions about the incident. By the end of the episode, via machinations that take place largely off-screen, the threat of the police is neutralized, as is the concept of consequences. It’s only been two episodes, but I think it’s safe to say that in the world of Lights Out, Lights is above the law.
There is a scene in “Cakewalk” in which Brennan, the underworld figure that Lights was working for when he barged into the dentist’s brunch, tells Patrick, “Sometimes direct is good, sometimes it shows desperation.” Lights Out would be well served to heed this advice a little bit. Everything is a bit too obvious, a bit too cut-and-dried. The show would benefit from a little subtlety. For example: Lights is desperate, the cops are onto him, the IRS is garnishing his endorsement checks, Brennan hasn’t paid him for his dirty work. He smashes the model of his real estate venture, “The Landing,” out of anger and frustration. Seconds later, in the very next scene, we see Lights frantically scraping at the surface of a pile of Scratch-Off lotto games, losing, then buying more. It’s like the writers got together and thought, “What is the most on-the-nose way of showing that Lights is at the end of his rope financially? Oh yeah! Let’s have him go on a Scatch-Off binge!”
I have been pretty tough on this show, mainly because I was expecting it to be “great” and so far it has only been “half-way decent.” However, there are some very good scenes in “Cakewalk” and I would be remiss if I neglected to mention them. Pops has been asking for Lights’ help in training an up-and-coming fighter named Omar but Lights has always blown him off, saying he doesn’t have time at the moment. Finally, Lights gives in and gets in the ring with the young punk and shows him that he isn’t just a washed up old man. He punishes Omar and in the process reminds himself what he misses about boxing. The rematch with Reynolds seems inevitable now that he’s got the itch to fight again. But the great thing about this scene is Johnny’s unbridled joy at watching his brother pound someone in the ring. I criticized Pablo Schrieber in the pilot, but he is much improved in “Cakewalk.” Holt McCalleny, on the other hand, is still struggling.
This review originally appeared on TV Geek Army.