Black Lightning continues to suffer by not having a true villain, but it may use the existence of new, or newly revealed, and old metahumans to compensate.
Network | ||
CW | ||
Director(s) | Michael Schultz | |
Writer(s) | Lamont Magee | |
Air Date | 11/13/2018 | |
Introduced This Episode | ||
Deacon | Rob Morean | |
Anaya | Birgundi Baker | |
Councilman Kwame | Eric C. Lynch |
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Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- Grace opens up to Anissa about her past which includes having an unreliable However, she doesn’t reveal she is some kind of metahuman. One which doesn’t have control on the appearance of her skin when she is feeling emotional. Something Grace takes pills for.
- Anissa might have accidentally discovered, somewhere in S. Freeland, a place where a lot of metahumans, if not Green Light kids, have made a home.
- Tobias is back to his old ways by using Councilman Kwame to do his bidding.
- He does this using the information Martin Proctor had in his briefcase. Which seemingly holds more than enough information for Tobias to rule Freeland by blackmail.
- Thanks to Dr. Jace, half of the pod kids die using a serum Lynn came up with.
- It appears Gambi might be dead.
- Though it isn’t clear what month or day the show is on, Tobias notes it had been 20 years since he met and unofficially adopted Syonide.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Where is Jennifer getting her weed from?
- Was it the Russians who put a hit on Gambi?
- How big is Freeland exactly?
- What in the hell was coming out of Deacon’s face? Also, what may have happened to Anaya? Were they possibly being hunted, hence him being “overprotective” and paranoid?
Highlights
Expanding Known Metahumans & Making Them Seem Important
Despite Issa seemingly like he could become Jennifer’s boyfriend, and Perenna maybe Jennifer’s therapist, largely, most of the metahumans we’ve met don’t get much development. At least if they aren’t Jefferson’s daughters or an associate of Tobias. So with Grace being revealed to be a metahuman, us meeting Deacon and Anaya, and them maybe being part of, or hunted, by other metahumans, it seems the show is finally taking advantage of the interest they can bring to the show. Add on, because of Dr. Jace, the pods kids have been awakened – FINALLY – there is digging into their lives and rehabilitating them. Heck, seeing what the ASA may do with them since their family and friends are now older, possibly moved away, or dead.
Jefferson Letting Anissa See Him Cry
Though Tobias has a low-key emotional moment as he eats the food that was made to commemorate Syonide being 20 years by his side, Jefferson steals his thunder (no pun intended). For with him mourning Gambi, who he refuses to believe is dead, he is a hot mess. I’m talking fighting in Two-Bit’s bar, and not even as Black Lightning but himself. So him allowing himself to cry in front of Anissa, be vulnerable, that was something. Not just because it was Anissa, but because you don’t see a lot of Black fathers, especially who are close and have rather healthy relationships with their children cry like that. Usually, when the dad is respectable, he is the kids’ rock, the goofy funny one, and his emotions are rather suppressed – at least the ones which deal with vulnerability. So for him to cry like that was something quite noteworthy.
Low Point
This Show Badly Needs A Villain
While I like Tobias, he has not been crafted in such a way to be the show’s top line villain. If anything, he feels like a placeholder at this point. Someone to act as a segue until a true threat to Jefferson and Freeland is presented. Which has become such a problem that I felt the need to make a new template for otherwise, I’d have to drop the show. For this show, as likable as it is, it has long lived off Jefferson’s relationship with his family more than making his life as a superhero interesting. Problem is, as much as he butts heads with his daughters, and is working on healing his relationship, that part of the show isn’t strong, or interesting enough, to maintain fan loyalty. It’s something for Black media websites and critics to hail and praise but that’s it.
Was Gambi’s Death Supposed To Mean More?
Even without checking if the actor who plays Gambi is signed up for more episodes, it is hard to believe this show killed him off. Making his death perhaps being meant to put fans on notice not seem real enough to think its true. Especially since no name thugs “killed” him. Rather than Tobias, a possible new villain, or maybe someone from the ASA we were formally introduced to.
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Season/ Episode | Synopsis | Episode Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Season 2/ Episode 6 “The Book of Blood: Chapter Two: The Perdi” | Black Lightning finally brings on a new villain, a faction war, and loads of action. Thus reminding you this isn’t strictly some metahuman family show. |
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Season 2/ Episode 5 “The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem” | Black Lightning continues to suffer by not having a true villain, but it may use the existence of new, or newly revealed, and old metahumans to compensate. |
Featuring: Deacon, Anaya, Councilman Kwame, Grace, Anissa, Tobias, Dr. Jace, Lynn, Jennifer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2/ Episode 4 “The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four – Translucent Freak” | As we learn whether Tobias will be charged or not, Jefferson has the kind of conversations with his kids which will alter their relationship. |
Featuring: Jefferson, Anissa, Gambi, Lynn, Mr. Lowry, Jennifer, Khalil, Tobias, Henderson, Ms. Montez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2/ Episode 3 “The Book of Consequences – Chapter Three ‘Master Lowry'” | The Book of Consequences arc continues to be about building up to something bigger than starting things off with a bang. |
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It seems like DC and the Akils are looking to steal some of Black Panther’s thunder (I couldn’t help myself) with the premiere of Black Lighting. |
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Black Lightning pushes what you expect from network TV, hell the CW, as it throws us some unexpected deaths to push Jefferson to accept fate. |
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As Black Lightning makes his presence known to even Tobias’ boss, Lady Eve, so comes the question of whether his presence helps as much as Gambi thinks it does. |
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Lady Eve makes it clear Black Lightning has to be eliminated, for real this time. However, how can you take down a superhero beloved by the people? Well, turn the people against him. |
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Season 1/ Episode 5 “And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light” | For those wondering about the origins of Tobias, as well as his beef with Jefferson, Anissa begins that journey this episode. |
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As Gambi’s secrets slowly are revealed to us, Jefferson comes to a crossroad of whether or not he’ll officially become a murderer. |
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With Lady Eve and Gambi trying to maintain this balance of power they created, people die and one, strangely, comes alive. |
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Gambi’s struggles to keep his past in the shadows as the reckoning comes with Lady Eve’s murder. |
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Thunder & Black Lightning have their first official outing together as Jennifer deals with the family secret. |
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Season 1/ Episode 10 "SINS OF THE FATHER: THE BOOK OF REDEMPTION" | As Tobias remains in hiding, Lala continues to reestablish himself as a villain, but not one that will stand in Black Lightning’s way yet. He instead is dealing with his second betrayal in months. |
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Gambi may have found a way to not only buy Jefferson some time off the ASA’s radar but also reconcile with him. |
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Season 1/ Episode 12 “The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain” | The battle for Freeland has intensified as new defenses against Black Lightning have been made and it seems he is becoming heavily outnumbered. |
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In the season finale of Black Lightning, the fate of the encased metahumans gets decided and some characters present their final goodbye. |
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What Black Panther did with empowering the undeserved on the big screen, while appealing to the masses, Black Lightning does on television episode to episode. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season 2/ Episode 1 “The Book of Consequences: Chapter 1 ‘Rise of the Green Light Babies’” | Black Lightning is back and to move the story forward, his identity comes out to a few people. Also, there is a need to address the kids in pods. |
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Season 2/ Episode 2 "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Two 'Black Jesus Blues'" | As someone in the pods breaks out, and Tobias begins making moves, Jefferson is forced to face the music at Garfield High School. |
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