12/33

Here’s my problem

Scenario

Series adaptation of James Patterson’s novels about the complicated and brilliant detective Alex Cross. Hodge is the third actor to play Cross, following Morgan Freeman, who first played him on screen in 1997’s Kiss the Girls and again in the 2001 sequel Along Came a Spider; and Tyler Perry as the title character in 2012’s Alex Cross, which was a box office bomb and led Lionsgate to cancel the planned sequel Double Cross. I started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. His performance as “hacker” Hardison was superb, and I’m totally sold on his portrayal of Alex Cross as well. The writing is strong, the performances are excellent overall, and the direction and editing are top-notch.

The lighting sucks

I don’t know anyone who lives every waking moment of their life at home in that darkness. I’m only 40 minutes into the first episode, but I’m already having trouble seeing the details in many of the scenes. Three scenes in particular stand out. The first was the cocktail lounge. I don’t frequent cocktail lounges and bars myself, 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 villain’s lair

Would someone who works on detailed plans and designs really do it in such dim lighting? Surely a perfectionist would want to see everything they’re doing clearly. The third is the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This isn’t a romantic dinner for two. This is a family and friends gathering.

Why so dark?

The entire house is dark: the entryway, the living room, and the dining room. Also, every room in the police station is dark. Wouldn’t a forensic expert have a very well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to create atmosphere, I’m more focused on having trouble seeing than on the plot and dialogue. This is a choice many shows have made in recent years.

My dad certainly couldn’t

You know, anyone with poor eyesight would not 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 another streaming service because it was so dark it was uncomfortable. A little research online revealed that the problem was with the service, not the show. When the show aired on the network, the lighting was perfect.