What I’m Watching: Lights Out

Lights Out: Season 1, Episode 9 “Infight” (B+)

This show just feels different with Ed around, as if it too has been influenced by his presence and insistence on hard work, making all of its scenes feel considerably more intense and meaningful. It’s easy to see just how much Ed’s desire to have Lights cut himself off from the rest of the world to train becomes problematic, and that happens long before Ed nearly jokes Johnny out at the very end of the episode. Ed’s reaction to Lights not showing up for his contracted access special – take the money out of his cut – demonstrates his disregard for anything other than Lights getting his head back in the game. His immense dislike for Johnny does of course become problematic, and seeing him leave the Leary household was tough. Ed coming to blows with Johnny is hardly a surprise, but Johnny should know that it’s never a good idea to fight a boxer or his trainer. Lights getting stabbed is definitely going to pose a problem for his impending fight, and it was very powerful to see Ed calm down immediately and rush to Lights’ defense as Johnny went into shock and froze. Among the episode’s best moments were Lights’ conversation with the priest and Ed encouraging Katherine to put her hand on the glass when the shark swam by. On a lighter note, Reynolds deciding to skip out on one of the TV sessions because Lights had missed the previous one was rather entertaining, and it was fun to see Reiko Aylesworth from “24” as his wife.