41/40

Here’s my problem

Chronology

A series of adaptations of James Patterson’s novels about the complex and brilliant detective Alex Cross. Hodge is the third actor to portray Cross. He follows in the footsteps of Morgan Freeman, who first portrayed him 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 led Lionsgate to scrap a previously planned sequel, Double Cross. I started following Aldis Hodge’s career when I fell in love with his character in Leverage. His portrayal of the "hacker" Hardison was excellent, and I completely embrace his portrayal of Alex Cross. The writing is strong, the performances are excellent in every way, 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, 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 personally don’t go to cocktail lounges or bars, but even the darkest restaurant I’ve been to had enough light to see the faces of the other people at the table. The second was the villain’s lair.

This isn’t a romantic dinner for two

Would someone who works on detailed plans and projects really do that in such low light? A perfectionist would definitely want to be able to see everything they’re doing clearly. The third is the house where Alex shows up for dinner. This is a family and friends gathering. The entire house is dark – the hallway, the living room, and the dining room. Also, every room in the police building is dark.

Why so dark?

Wouldn’t a forensics officer have a well-lit operating room? If they’re trying to create atmosphere, I’m more focused on the visuals than the plot and dialogue. This is a choice of many shows in recent years. You know, anyone with poor eyesight simply wouldn’t be able to watch this. Of course my father couldn’t. That said, I could be wrong about the cause of the darkness.

When the program was streamed online, the lighting was just fine

I stopped watching How I Met Your Father on another streaming service because it was also too dark to be enjoyable. A little digging online revealed that the problem was with the service, not the program.