39/49
Here’s my problem
Plot
A series adaptation of James Patterson’s novels about the complicated and brilliant detective Alex Cross. Hodge is the third actor to play Cross, following in the footsteps of Morgan Freeman, who first played him on screen in 1997’s Kiss the Girls and again in the 2001 film sequel Along Came a Spider; and Tyler Perry as the titular character in 2012’s Alex Cross, which bombed at the box office and prompted Lionsgate to scrap the pre-planned sequel Double Cross. I first started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. His performance as “hacker” Hardison was excellent, and I’m totally buying his performance as Alex Cross as well. The script is strong, the performances are excellent across the board, and the direction and editing are top notch.
The lighting stinks
I don’t know anyone who lives every moment of their inner life in such darkness. I’m only 40 minutes into the first episode, and I already have trouble making out the details of many scenes. Three scenes in particular stand out. The first was the cocktail bar. I don’t go to bars or cocktail lounges, but even the darkest restaurant I’ve ever been to had enough light for me to see the faces of the other people at the table.
The second was the bandit’s lair
Would someone working on detailed plans and designs really do that in such dim lighting? Surely a perfectionist would want to be able to see everything he or she is doing clearly. The third is the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This is not a romantic dinner for two. This is a gathering of family and friends.
Why is it so dark?
The entire house is dark—the foyer, the living room, and the dining room. Plus, every room in the police building is dark. Wouldn’t a forensic scientist have a very well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to create a mood, I’m more focused on the struggle to see than on the plot and dialogue. This is a choice that many shows have made in recent years.
My dad certainly wouldn’t be able to
You know, anyone with vision problems simply wouldn’t be able to watch this. That said, I could be wrong about the reason for the darkness. I stopped watching “How I Met Your Father” on a different streaming service because it was also so dark that it wasn’t enjoyable. A little internet research revealed that the problem was with the service, not the show. When the show aired on the network, the lighting was fine.
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