Thursday, October 25, 2018

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 3 - The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

Anissa's efforts at playing Robin Hood send her after another criminal enterprise, with Gambi in tow. Meanwhile, Jennifer continues to struggle with her energy powers and begins seeing a most unusual therapist as Jefferson watches the new principal of Garfield High institute sweeping changes that threaten to undo everything Jefferson ever accomplished. Lynn must deal with a difficult colleague in her efforts to study The Green Light Babies as Tobias puts Painkiller to work, replacing Syonide as his right-hand.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella. The Batman and the Outsiders comics of Mike Barr.


Performances

Cress Williams does some fantastic non-verbal acting as Jefferson cleans out his office.


Artistry

The opening sequence in which Black Lightning steps in to deal with a young woman who is high on Green Light is a perfect balance of acting, cinematography, sound editing, music use and direction. If you want to show someone what Black Lightning is like, show them this scene.


Trivia

The free clinic run by the  is named in honor of Rebecca Lee Crumpler - the first African American woman to become a medical doctor in the United States in 1864.

Dr. Helga Jace is based on a character from Batman and The Outsiders. She was the royal scientist of the Markovian royal family and conducted the experiments that transformed Brion Markov into the geokinetic superhero Geo-Force by awakening his metagene. She was an ally of The Outsiders until being exposed as an agent of The Manhunters during the Millennium storyline.

The Arrowverse version of Dr. Jace is a convicted killer whose experiments lead to the deaths of one subject and the crippling of ten people.


Technobabble

Gambi has been trying to develop an antidote based on Painkiller's toxin. He asks Jefferson to see about getting a hold of one of his darts, as the sample of the toxin he took from Jefferson's blood isn't pure after interacting with Jefferson's wonky body chemistry.

Dr. Helga Jace is the leading computational chemist in the USA and no one has her experience in protein synthesis simulations.

Dr. Jace had a theory on infrared spectroscopy and its use in the treatment of neuropathy.

The same anesthesia is used on all the Green Light Babies.

Dr. Jace has an implant that disables her if she attempts to leave certain areas of the Green Light Babies facility.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Jefferson and Gambi are discussing how they have nothing to get the cops involved in searching for Tobias.)
Jefferson: So it's still all on us?  Nothing's changed.
Gambi: Well, not nothing. Tobias has got Painkiller. And he's got that ASA briefcase of Proctor's which, according to your Ms. Fowdy, contains hell.
Jefferson: You know, your pep talks need work.

(Jennifer sees a picture of Anissa and Zoe B on Instagram.)
Anissa: I can't believe you're following my dating life on social media.
Jennifer: Okay, first of all, ain't nobody following your dating life. Okay? It just popped up. And second, what else do you expect me to do when the only freedom I have is to walk around the block for exercise?

(Agent Odell refuses to put pressure on the doctors Lynn wants to recruit but suggests recruiting a convicted killer to work for her instead)
Lynn: It's hard not to see this as you trying to sabotage my efforts.
Agent Odell: If I was trying to do that, you'd have failed by now.

Jefferson: The metal detectors - is that really necessary?
Lowry: Obviously. Or you'd still have this job.

(Henderson tells Jefferson about his problems with going after a man he thinks is involved in cleaning up a cop killing.)
Jefferson: So, in my ah - role as former principal of Garfield, you want me to convince him to come clean?
Henderson: I think Black Lightning might be more persuasive. I've texted you his info and mug shot.
Jefferson: Wait... so... you're cool with the whole vigilante thing?
(There is a long pause as Henderson walks around the porch a bit before facing Jefferson again.)
Henderson: Former principal?
Jefferson: I lost my job. Black Lightning saved the school. Jefferson Pierce abandoned the school and the students, so...
(Henderson nods. There is another long pause.)
Henderson: Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Good night.
(Henderson starts to walk off. He stops as Jefferson speaks but does not turn around.)
Jefferson: Bill... at some point we need to talk this out, man.
Henderson; Yep. At some point.
(Henderson keeps walking.)


Continuity

A Green Light Baby with super-strength.

Gambi determines that all the security camera footage from Garfield High showing Tobias Whale has been destroyed.

Tobias puts Painkiller to work collecting protection money.

Rev. Holt's church runs the Rebecca Lee Crumpler Free Clinic

Vladislav Zlovac is a land developer who is trying to buy the free clinic, having bought all the land around it.

Anissa is still seeing singer Zoe B.  Jennifer thinks she's all wrong for her sister.

Jennifer says that while she did tell Anissa to get back out on the dating market in 202, she meant she should find a real partner instead of just having sex.

Lynn is having trouble finding doctors to work with her on the Green Light Babies project.

Agent Odell suggests Dr. Helga Jace - a doctor who is serving time for manslaughter - as a recruit for Lynn's work on the Green Light Baby project

The new principal of Garfield High is an officious man named Lowry who insists as being addressed as Principal Lowry and refuses Jefferson's invitation to tour the school.

Principal Lowry installs metal detectors in Garfield High.

Perenna is a psychic counselor, whom Gambi knew of. Lynn and Jefferson hire her to help console Jennifer.

Deputy Chief Henderson discovers Officer Summers from 202. Tobias apparently arranged to have his car torched after shooting him.

Dr. Jace's experiments caused ten patients to lose their feet and one patient lost their life. Despite this, Lynn is authorized to offer her a chance at seeing her son again in exchange for her help on the Green Light Baby project.

Reverend Holt needs over $300,000 to save the free clinic.

Painkller tells Tobias about a man named Rion who he had to track down to get him to pay his protection. Tobias tells Painkiller to make an example of him.

Anissa goes to Grace's bar and asks her out after apologizing for not calling her for a while.

There are three people in Freeland capable of doing a torch job according to Henderson. Two of them are in jail and the third won't talk to the cops.

Deputy Chief Henderson asks Jefferson to go after the man who he thinks torched the car as Black Lightning.

Painkiller kills Rion by accident after Rion falls over a rail and cracks his skull after taking one of Painkiller's darts.

Perenna creates a psychic safe space for Jennifer to work through her powers. It looks like a beauty salon. She also helps Jennifer make a box of gold to hide her feelings in.

Gambi figures that Zlovac's real-estate deal is probably a money laundering scam.

Black Lightning discovers that Painkiller hired the man who fire-bombed Detective Summers car.

Black Lightning goes to Ms. Payne and tells her to call him and ask her son to meet with Black Lightning.

Black Lightning is able to catch one of Painkiller's darts.

Tobias Whale is arrested for the murder of Alvin Pierce at his family's mausoleum.

Gambi helps Anissa with the robbery to get the money to save the Free Clinic.

Gambi finds Kara Fowdy's body outside his apartment

Henderson tells Jefferson that Tobias Whale has been captured..


The Bottom Line

A solid episode and easily the high point of the season to date, with a number of surprises and mysteries pushing the plot forward. Strangely enough the title has almost nothing to do with the meat of the episode, with Jefferson's issues with the man who took his job being perhaps the smallest subplot of the whole episode.

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