25/29
Here’s my problem
The series is an adaptation of James Patterson’s novels about the complex 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 sequel Along Came a Spider; and Tyler Perry as the title character in 2012’s Alex Cross, which bombed at the box office and prompted Lionsgate to scrap its planned sequel, Double Cross. I started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. Hardison as the “hacker” was brilliant, and I totally buy into the role of Alex Cross. The writing is strong, the performances are excellent throughout, and the directing and editing are top-notch.
The lighting stinks
I don’t know anyone who lives every moment of their indoor life in such darkness. I’m only 40 minutes into the first episode, but I’m already struggling to see the details of the scene. Three scenes in particular stand out. First, there was the cocktail bar. I don’t go to cocktail bars or bars myself, but even in the darkest restaurant I’ve ever been to, there was enough light to see the faces of the other people sitting at the table.
The second was the bad guy’s den
Would anyone working on detailed plans and projects really do it in such dim lighting? A perfectionist certainly wants to see everything he does clearly. Third, the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This isn’t a romantic dinner for two. This is a gathering of family and friends.
Why is it so dark?
The entire house is dark—the hallway, the living room, and the dining room. Plus, every room in the police building is dark. Wouldn’t a forensic pathologist have a very well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to create a mood, I’d focus on the visual difficulties rather than the plot and dialogue. A lot of shows have chosen to do that in recent years.
My father certainly couldn’t
You know, anyone with poor vision would simply not be able to watch this. Still, 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 that it wasn’t enjoyable. A little searching online revealed that the problem was with the service, not the show. When the show aired on the network, the lighting was fine.