FX boxing drama hits hard with in-depth character plot
Throughout the years, television has maintained a productive relationship with the sport of boxing,
from HBO documentaries to pay-per-view events. The big screen has also taken its share of jabs at the genre with films like “Raging Bull” (1980), “Rocky” (1976) and, currently, “The Fighter” (2010).
FX’s new boxing drama, “Lights Out,” takes its own approach to the genre as it focuses less on the sport and more on the life of the man who steps in the ring. “Lights Out” categorizes itself along the lines of a family drama about a boxer who is forced into retirement and is dealing with problems within his family.
Holt McCallany (“Men of Honor,” “Three Kings”) stars as Patrick “Lights” Leary, a heavyweight champion who has been retired for five years. His final fight ended with a knockout by Richard “Death Row” Reynolds (Billy Brown) after Leary failed to finish off his badly hurt opponent. Leary also shows symptoms of pugilistic dementia, also known as “boxer’s dementia,” which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Now, he is facing money problems, including his daughters’ private school tuitions, poor investment choices and the costs of running a boxing gym owned by his father (Stacey Keach). It leads Leary to work as a hired muscle for the shady businessman Hal Brennan (Bill Irwin). More complications arise within the family when Leary’s comeback fight with Reynolds is announced.
“Lights Out” does little to glorify the sport of boxing. It focuses mainly on Leary’s midlife crisis and the hardships that force him to become involved in unlawful activities. Upcoming episodes of the drama will deal with the family’s life struggles, including the possibility of losing their house due to unpaid mortgages. Overall, those who tune into the show expecting to see a series of boxing matches may end up disappointed.
“Lights Out” demonstrates a strong sense of development as the story slowly approaches the comeback point for Leary. Audiences see Leary slowly begin to make the wrong decisions in order to provide for his family. The story unfolds when his comeback match is announced, despite promising his family he would never fight again.
It really helps the show that Holt McCallany is cast as “Lights” Leary. Not only does he have the obvious physique of a washed out ex-champ, he also successfully manages to stay compelling during every minute of the pilot episode. At the same time, the audience sees a man torn between the responsibilities in the family and his hurt pride as a result of the last fight of his career. Leary proves himself to be a caring man, yet he shows grim satisfaction in breaking the arm of a dentist to collect a debt.
Another strong aspect of “Lights Out” comes from the universally outstanding performances from supporting cast members, despite their characters making the boxing-drama clichés within the story known. Catherine McCormack plays Leary’s wife, Theresa, who gives him an ultimatum: Either he quits fighting or he loses his family. She becomes frustrated with Leary when she learns he is scheduled for a comeback match. Pablo Schreiber stars as Leary’s brother, Johnny, who constantly mismanages his own money and finds small jobs for Leary.
“Lights Out” probably won’t satisfy viewers’ expectations, and it fails to be convincing at times. But it provides plenty of gripping, gritty drama that will keep viewers interested up to the final round. The series airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX.