Lights Out - "Pilot"

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     Looking at all of the great reviews out there, I know I am going to get some flak for saying this - FX's Lights Outs pilot was boring. It really was. It wasn't the acting, which was fine. It wasn't even the boxing; despite my distaste for the sport, I enjoyed Rocky. I don't think I have any problem with slow pacing, though my negative opinion of Rubicon might make it look otherwise. The story was sweet enough, I guess. I love the network's other shows like Damages and Justified, so it's not the FX tone that bothers me. I was just bored with it.

     The story was about Patrick 'Lights' Leary (Holt McCallany), who gave up boxing five years ago at the insistence of his wife, Theresa (Catherine McCormack). Now, the money is dwindling, and he must consider some tough choices to support his family. His brother, Johnny (Pablo Schreiber), who manages his finances, has Patrick call BINGO numbers and play a heavy to bring in a little cash flow, but it's not enough. Apparently, the gym they own is a sinkhole, but they can't give it up because it would break their father's (Stacy Keach) heart. So Johnny tries to force Patrick back in the ring by letting a past opponent announce a fight on TV without Patrick's knowledge, angering both Patrick and Theresa. But is Patrick really that angry?

     I get the character of Patrick. I understand his frustration, his nostalgia over the days when he did something he loved, his deep adoration for his family, and need to be a provider. He's a fine character, and Holt can make Patrick wither a daughter's boyfriend, not to mention larger game, with a simple stare. As a character, I like Patrick a lot. But it wasn't enough to draw me in, and none of the other characters were painted quite as beautifully as Patrick was, at least not in the pilot.

     I guess that's why I found the first episode boring. With only Patrick interesting me all that much, the show dragged anytime he wasn't the focus of the scene. Yes, Patrick was constantly on screen, but he wasn't always the most animated person in each scene. Others just couldn't hold my attention. Plus, I feel like I've seen a Patrick before. In this day and age, the novelty of a tough guy also being a caring family man is gone. It's been done before. So I don't see anything to get super excited about. Yet.

     I really don't get the urgency of the money. Surely Patrick understood that when he quit fighting, resources would be limited. He had to have known roughly how long the nest egg would last, figuring in the cost of living. And if he didn't, Johnny would have. Sure, the gym may be slightly unpredictable, but Johnny should have made some kind of move earlier to salvage things. Johnny doesn't seem the type that would let such a thing go until it's too late, but that's exactly what has happened here. I don't like it. It seems contrived, a necessary element to propel the story forward, but not one that holds up if examined too closely.

     And I feel like certain things will be predictable. Patrick got in a fight with a guy outside the bar. Previews for the rest of the season showed him being arrested. Who wants to bet that the guy he beat up is pressing legal charges, even though he willingly accepted the fight? I could be wrong, but if I'm not, it's lazy writing.

     Which doesn't mean I won't watch at least one more episode. FX has a solid enough track record that I will give it a little more time. Plus, the critics who were raving about the series may have seen more episodes. That's my best explanation for their praise, as I didn't see a worthy subject in the pilot. I guess I just don't want to miss out on another success like Sons on Anarchy, which I sadly didn't watch simply because I wasn't interested in biker gangs. I regret that decision now, and hope to eventually get to the DVDs.

     As a Keach fan from his days on Prison Break, I am looking forward to seeing Pops figure more into the story. Surely, he has opinions of the mess his boys have gotten themselves, and likely him, into. The few moments of him we got, I can't believe he'd passively sit by and just watch things happen without wanting to do, or make someone do, something about it.

     Whatever my opinions, I am sure there are plenty of people who enjoyed the show. I'll watch next week's before I do anything drastic, like give up on it. Lights Out airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.

Article first published as TV Review: Lights Out - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.

Glee - "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"

     If you're like me, you love FOX's Glee, adore the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and were frequently uncomfortable when the two combined.  My first thought on hearing that Glee was staging such a production was, "You can't do that with high school kids!" This controversy was acknowledged repeatedly by characters, but still Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) pushed on with his plans to bring the risque, campy pop culture icon onto a drama stage.

     The people trying to stop him did not go far enough. Principal Figgins (Iqbal Theba) was worse than incompetent, telling Will he could go through with his plans, but any responsibility that came of it would fall on Will and his club. That isn't the slightest bit realistic. Sure, a teacher who went through with it would be fired, at the very least. But the principal would take a lot of the blame as well.  You can't stage a musical at a high school without the office's approval.

     Only Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) saw what was really going on, and she still enabled it. Sure, she actually debated logically, and created a very sane, reasonable news piece against it. But while wanting it to forward for her own personal gains (so she could win the local Emmy for her news bit), she participated in the show.  What she told Will about getting involved in the show for personal reasons, not to benefit the kids, applies to her as well.

     Body issues are a big worry on many high schoolers' minds. Usually this is thought of as a female problem, but Glee went in the other direction.  Finn (Cory Monteith), a popular football player, was extremely self-conscious about parading around in his underwear. Though, I admit, he made a wonderful Brad. New guy Sam (Chord Overstreet) was even more toned than Finn, with finely developed abs, but he worried about a bit of flab spilling over his Creature costume (if you can call a small piece of gold fabric a costume), and later commented that a slightly pinch of skin was due to eating Doritos.  This is a serious issue, as many teenagers have easting disorders.  I'd like to see Glee pursue this plot with Sam, instead of dismissing it so trivially.

     I was uncomfortable with many of the performances and costumes, because although Glee does address sexuality, it should be done sparingly in a school setting. A teacher by profession, that may lend to my prudeness on the subject. I was, though, disappointed at how several of the songs were cut short, as I do love the music from Rocky Horror.

     My complaints aside, there was a lot to compliment as well. I wasn't overly impressed with the soundtrack I bought last week. However, when staged, Glee really rocked the songs it chose, and it chose the best songs from the show. In particular, I was very impressed with Mercedes (Amber Riley) belting out "Sweet Transvestite", though she changed "transexual" to "sensational", which was kind of an obvious tone-down ploy. The show left many potentially offense parts intact, but changed a word in a signature song? Still, kudos to her.

     A close second favorite was "Touch A Touch A Touch A Touch Me", done by Will and Emma Pillsbury (Jayma Mays). I have been thinking that she better fits with Carl (John Stamos, who rocked "Whatever Happened to Saturday Night?" in his own right). Her scandalous song and dance with Will was hot, and opened the door for the Glee Club Director and her again. It was definitely taken to another level by the voyeuristic exploits of Santana (Naya Rivera) and Brittany (Heather Morris), mirroring the spying antics of Columbia and Magenta in the movie.

     Santana also did a fair job on "Science Fiction Double Feauture", though I miss the less polished voice from the movie. I'm not sure it should have sounded so good. Although barely featured in any songs, I also have to mention that Kurt (Chris Colfer) made a divine Riff Raff. He had the motions and facial expressions down perfectly, and looked the part.

     Lastly, it was a thrill to see two of the original Rocky Horror movie cast members do a scene. Barry Bostwick (Spin City), who played Brad, and Meat Loaf, who was Eddie, were two cable news executives who asked Sue to do her expose. It was a nice little homage to the movie this episode was based on, and always a pleasure to see those two again. I just wish there had been more Rocky actors involved.

     Even though Glee took last week off, this was just a special Halloween episode, and the show will also take a break next week.  Then I assume it will be back all through November sweeps; a Christmas episode is also in the works.  Glee airs on FOX Tuesdays at 8pm.

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Article first published as TV Review: Glee "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" on Blogcritics.