Lights Out: Cut Men
Finally, Lights and Reynolds fight! Too bad it didn’t happen in the ring, as Lights Out has been promising all along. To be honest, I’m not sure I care. Even though this episode cranked up the energy for the Lights/Reynolds rematch, it also reinforced the modern family drama aspect as the show’s real strength.
It turns out Reynolds isn’t that different from Patrick. In fact, he’s Patrick Leary five years before the show starts, willing to sacrifice everything for his wife and child. Earlier in the season, I wrote that I hoped Lights Out discussed the racial issues brought up by Reynolds always playing the “black hat” in the fight narratives, but it’s almost a non-factor for him. The fight’s audience is the only party served by the racial tension. Regardless of race, all the fighters are being used by the same machine until they’re no longer profitable. (Barry K. Word has made money off Lights, Morales, Reynolds, and Omar Assarian, all casting them as stereotypes of their ethnicities, and now he’s doing the same with the mention of the Ukrainian Mustafa.) Personally, I think the show could take a very interesting turn if Patrick and Reynolds never got their rematch and forced them both to deal with their lives outside of the ring. Just when Reynolds starts to think the same thing, Patrick makes a deal with Brennan and gets all loud and punchy with Reynolds, keeping them both trapped in the Barry K. Word money machine.
How delightfully evil is Hal Brennan? Look at his grin. His business gets shadier, too. Earlier, it seemed he was in business with Barry K. Word (whose full name is really fun to say, type, and read), but now it seems he’s just making his own shady deals with other shady people.
Theresa is not shady. Maybe for the first time, Lights Out lets her carry a scene without any other established characters, and she comes out a winner because we actually see her making the decision to give up on her dream in order to support her husband. Obviously, that doesn’t stop Patrick from doing his own thing. This will likely lead to his own Johnny moment, where he effs things up by trying to do the right thing. The lies are also piling on for Patrick. He tells Theresa the money from the Morales fight went to the IRS when we know it all went to Brennan.
As usual, the sum of each episode is more problems for Patrick. He’s gotta fight Reynolds now, but what is it worth? How much of his purse goes to Brennan? How is he supposed to train with that wound in his side? (Also, how did he not die when Reynolds punched him in his wound?) On the plus side, I like seeing the fightin’ spirit coming out in Lights. Sometimes he’s too passive, willing to be reactive instead of proactive. Showing up at the restaurant to pick a fight with Reynolds is a nice way for Lights to make things happen.
Sidenote: Regarding the family drama, how about the tension when Johnny withholds information from Theresa by saying “It’s a family thing,” revealing how he sees Patrick’s other family?
Other sidenote: Seeing Patrick walk around Theresa’s graduation with his sunglasses on indoors was hilarious. That’s what happens when you pick fights with people, Lights: the next day, you end up being “that guy.” Everyone knows “that guy.” “That guy” sucks.
Shakespearean sidenote: Johnny’s just going to keep making Shakespearean references, isn’t he? This time it was The Merchant of Venice: “You got stabbed. He wants his pound of flesh.”
Final sidenote: Barry K. Word rules. Hearing him say “I never play” is simply chilling. Also, he looks superfly in a purple bow tie.
