Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 10 - The Book of Reunification: Chapter One: Revelations

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

Plot

Lynn finds herself in serious legal trouble, as the rest of Freeland's heroes find themselves suddenly powerless. As Gambi struggles to figure out what is going on, Jennifer takes drastic action to kickstart her powers and a new barrier threatens Lynn and Jefferson's marriage.

Influences

Daredevil: Born Again (a crime boss villain tries to destroy the reputation of a superhero) and Predator (Jefferson's fight with Ishmael using his suit's stealth mode).


Performances

Cress Williams does a great job of conveying Jefferson's annoyance with every little thing in this episode without descending into outright anger, indicating how well he is maintaining his calm even as it is suggested he is on the edge of losing his cool.


Artistry

The fight between Black Lightning and Ishmael is one of the show's best, even ignoring the use of special effects to let Jefferson "stealth."


Trivia

Tobias quotes Francis Bacon - “If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.”


Technobabble

Jefferson's costume has a stealth mode which he triggers using his powers. Gambi also has the ability to activate the stealth mode remotely.

Jefferson and Jennifer activate their powers to materialize and dematerialize their suits. Gambi has a prototype of the module that allows them to do this, which allows him to trigger the effect remotely. This gets Jennifer and Jefferson out of their costumes now that they are powerless.

Gambi installed the forcefield which saved Jennifer from falling to death after Jefferson nearly died entering the ionosphere in 405. Presumably Jefferson's costume has the same failsafe.

Tobias' followers have bracelets that render them immune to the effects of the energy emitter.

According to the data Dr. Darius Morgan recovered, none of the women Monovista was treating for cystic fibrosis actually had the condition. All of them did have the metagene and that this was harvesting them for some other purpose.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jennifer: We need to get our powers back. They were the only real tie I had left to my identity. If I can't be Lightning anymore, who am I?
Anissa: Look, whether you have your powers, or you look different or not, you are my sister. And that, I know in my soul. So just hold on to that, okay? Until Gambi can... figure out a way for this all to go back to normal.
Jennifer: You know damn well this family doesn't do "normal."
(Anissa laughs at that.)
Grace: She's not wrong about that.

Tobias: "If a man shall begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts. But if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties." I wanna see this thing in action. 
(Tobias draws a gun and fires at Red, who grins as he stops the bullet with his magnetic powers.)
Tobias: (chuckling) Cool. Now remove the bracelet. 
(Red does so but looks a bit nervous as Tobias aims at him and fires, breaking a vase just behind him.)

Tobias: (chuckling) I wasn't gonna actually shoot you, Red. Now that we have assurances that the emitter is working, time to initiate phase two of the plan. 

(Red still looks nervous as he wordlessly puts the bracelet back on as Tobias walks past him. Tobias is still laughing to himself. He then stops and turns his head back toward Red.)

Tobias: Oh, and... you owe me a vase. That was Lalique.

(Jennifer has just recovered from electrocuting herself to reactivate her powers.)
Anissa: Oh, my God. If you would have died, I would have killed you!
Jennifer: Classic Anissa logic.

Lynn: Can we talk about what's bothering you? Is it Keith? Um, I know this must be uncomfortable for you.
Jefferson: No. It's not.
Lynn: Then why are you acting like this?
Jefferson: Like what?
Lynn: Ungrateful.
Jefferson: (standoffish) What do I have to be grateful for, Lynn? That, uh... you have no faith in me? You didn't think I could fix this? That right now, I don't have the power to protect you?

Continuity

Lightning survives the fall when her powers fail thanks to a forcefield which stops her just before she hits the ground.

TC has to make contact with Lightning using one of Gambi's ear-pieces instead of his powers, like he usually does.

Jefferson gets Gambi to activate the stealth mode in his suit. This allows him to get the jump on Ishmael, but he still struggles to hold him down.

Detective Hassan Shakur arrives with a small team of police officers, but Jefferson tells them to run for it.

Jefferson ultimately flees the fight with Ishmael.

Anissa is saved from the car by Grace knocking her out of the car's path.

Anissa finds the flash drive Dr. Darius Morgan hid the stolen data on Monovista's cystic fibrosis cure in a hidden compartment underneath the stuffed and mounted body of his dog, Rusty, whom he mentioned in 402.

TC isn't a good enough hacker without his powers to decrypt the flash-drive Anissa found, but he says he knows someone who can help. This turns out to be Painkiller's ally Philky.

Detective Shakur calls Jefferson and informs him of Lynn's arrest.

Because of Jefferson's friendship with Bill Henderson, Detective Shakur is able to get him five minutes to talk to Lynn privately.

Lynn is being held on 14 charges of violation of civil rights and accusations that she experimented on children in a government black site. This could be a reference to her work with the Green Light babies held by the ASA in earlier seasons, which Tobias would be privy to.

Jefferson tells Lynn about how all the mtahumans in Freeland seem to have lost their powers

Tobias put out an official statement distancing himself from Lynn and her clinic.

Keith Michaels, an old college friend of Lynn's who became a lawyer, has agreed to represent her.

This is the first time Jefferson met Keith Michaels, though he knows of him.

When Jefferson asks about paying Keith, Lynn says it's already been take care of. This implies that Keith is a rather famous lawyer and very expensive.

Jennifer stays the night with Grace and Anissa. 

Jennifer is worried that she isn't really her anymore without her powers.

Tobias and Red test a bracelet that renders Red immune to the effects of the energy emitter.

Lynn's bail is posted at $3 million.

Jefferson discovers that Lynn used her one phone call to call Anissa and told her to contact Keith Michaels. 

Jefferson discovers that Anissa is Keith Michael's fees using the drug money she stole from the 100 as Blackbird.

Philky tells TC he has a real gift for hacking and coding even without his powers.

Khalil has claustrophobia and starts to hyperventilate crawling through ducts.

Khalil is able to recover a digital ledger belonging to Tobias.

Keith Michaels is able to get Lynn released without bail. It turns out the judge on her case was trying to get a kid into the same college Keith and Lynn went to and Keith was able to work a deal.

It is revealed that Keith Michaels was more than a friend - he is Lynn's old boyfriend.

Keith Michaels still seems to have feelings for Lynn and seems about to say something before Jefferson shows up.

Jefferson is curt but polite to Keith, who goes a little overboard in offering to do anything he can to help Lynn.

TC delivers Philky's findings to Anissa on the cystic fibrosis data.

Philky taught TC how to attach a tracer to an IP address.

TC tracks the files to The Center for Gene Therapy and Genetic Research. This implies that someone on the clinic, working for Tobias, was covering their tracks.

Tobias has a meeting with Destiny, where he threatens to turn her in to Chief Lopez if he isn't put in charge of the Kobra Cartel. He allows her to keep a 10% managers fee of her current earnings.

The Kobra Cartel is involved in money drops, illegal gambling and human trafficking.

Destiny tries to shoot Tobias, but Red stops the bullets.

Tobias reveals that he's also made Ishmael a better offer and brought him into his direct employ.

Lauren angrily returns the Go board that Gambi gave her in 406.

Lauren reveals that she knows Gambi stole Promethium from her lab and blames him for the energy emitter being stolen as well.

Gambi swears he is innocent of that theft and can explain why he had to steal Promethium.

The ledger Khalil stole contains payroll information of various people Tobias pays thousands of dollars to every month. He decides to investigate one particular woman, who gets $20,000 a month.

Jennifer tries to kickstart her powers by electrocuting herself. She knocks out the power in Anissa's apartment in the process, but it works.

With a spark of her power back, Jennifer decided to reenter the ionosphere to fully recharge.

Jefferson point-blank tells Lynn that she doesn't trust him to help her.

Gambi brings Jefferson and Lynn dinner and talks to them about how Tobias must be using Lynn's clinic to take away everyone's powers somehow.

Lynn realizes Tobias used her - that she wasn't testing Val to find a cure for ALS, but to find a way for Tobias to harness her nullifying powers.

Gambi realizes Tobias must have found a way to partner Lynn's research with the energy emitter he was working on to create a forcefield that could nullify superpowers. 

Tobias meets, through a hologramatic interface, with a group referred to only as The Board.  This seems to be The Shadow Board, whom Lady Eve answered to.

Tobias shows the Board video of him testing the emitter with Red, proving that only his chosen few metahumans have power in Freeland.

The Shadow Board promise Tobias a place among them once he becomes Mayor of Freeland.

Grace likes the idea of not having powers and not being a superhero anymore.  Anissa says she can't give it up and doesn't want to live a regular life.

Jennifer flies into the ionosphere and starts drawing in power.

TC stops her after she gains more than enough.

Jennifer starts to disintegrate again but recovers. The energy she left behind, however, remains in the ionosphere. 


The Winick Factor

Honestly, the "do we want to be superheroes or not?" conversation seems to be the sort of conversation Anissa and Grace should have had before getting married. Then again, the show has established that Anissa is sort of impulsive.


The Bottom Line

An oddly empty episode which doesn't accomplish much beyond giving Jefferson one more thing to angst over and one more reason to be annoyed with Lynn. It's also a little late to be giving Tobias a few more hats to wear in his efforts to take over Freeland at every level, but it's worth it to see more of Tobias being smarter than everyone else in the room.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 10 - The Book of Markovia: Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Reborn

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




Plot

With the Crisis averted, Jefferson returns home to Freeland to find nobody but Jennifer remembers the anti-matter storms that destroyed their world. They both have bigger concerns, however, as Anissa runs afoul of an ASA ambush as Blackbird, Brandon's earth-bending powers trigger an earthquake and the depths of Lynn's drug use finally become apparent. Throw in a desperate Agent Odell readying to weaponize all of the captive Green Light Babies and Pod Kids and Freeland needs its heroes more than ever.


Performances

The scene in which Jefferson confronts Lynn and discovers her drug use is a career high for both Cress Williams and Christine Adams. The former perfectly captures Jefferson's anguish as he's torn between his responsiblity to the community and his pain over the woman he loves destroying herself and Adams plays a credible addict.


Artistry

The episodes use of music to establish mood is fantastic.


Technobabble

Gambi says that both Jennifer and Jefferson have anti-matter particles on them, which should be impossible according to everything he knows about science. He suggests that the nature of their powers and how they react to energy are what allowed them to experience whatever they experienced during the Crisis. This is probably why Jennifer remembers the old reality, despite not having her memories restored by Martian Manhunter, like her father did.

The side-effects of Green Light addiction include hallucinations, agitation, sweats and dry mouth.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jefferson: (into his comms) Gambi? Gambi, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, you're not gonna believe what happened. I traveled to an alternate dimension. I met other metahumans... a kid named Flash. Gambi, Superman is real! We saved humanity. Multiple humanities, actually. (sighs) A lot happened. But I just kept thinking about you and Lynn and the girls and... and Freeland.

Jefferson:  Don't you think it would be better to help the Resistance as Thunder?
Anissa: No, I don't.
Jefferson: Thunder is a clear symbol of justice. She's selfless, saves people. Blackbird steals money from drug dealers and does other questionable things.
Anissa: Oh, come on, Dad, stop. I need to lead this. Black Lightning is not the face of this Resistance.
Jefferson: Whoever said he was?
Anissa: You did. The moment you came in and just took over. Now, I know you have done this a million times, but I'm running this.
Jefferson: Anissa, I didn't take over. Henderson asked for my advice. And I gave it.
Anissa: No, I had everything under control until you came in with your male privilege, and you just pushed me aside.
Jefferson: Male privilege? What are you talking about? I'm your father. And this isn't about you.
Anissa: Yes, this is about me.
Jefferson: No. If we get this wrong, people die.
Anissa: Yes, Dad, I know that. And I also know that this is hard for you. But I'm so much more than just your daughter and Thunder, and you need to see that. I am a leader, and I can handle myself.
Jefferson: I know you can handle yourself, I know that. But you haven't always made the best choices, and I haven't said a lot about it, but you have done some very questionable things.
Anissa: Okay, okay, I've made some mistakes, and so have you. But so what?
Jefferson: Mistakes? You use money you stole from drug dealers for yourself. That is not a mistake, that's just wrong.
Anissa: Now is not the time for us to focus on that. We have a mission to take care of, and what I need from you is support. I need you to trust that I'm gonna make better decisions after the bad ones that I made. That's what I need from you, Dad. Can you do that?
Anissa: A lot of people are counting on you.
Jefferson: Yeah, I know that. And I need you to be one of those people

(Brandon and Jennifer are hiding behind some crates by the docks.  A black SUV moves past them.)
Brandon: Hey, can we go now?
Jennifer: Almost. I'm about to end this, once and for all.
(The SUV stops and Jennifer approaches it. The window in the back passenger side of the vehicle rolls down. Agent Odell is seated inside.)
Agent Odell: Happy you finally called, Ms. Pierce.
Jennifer: I'm not working with you anymore. And I'm not your weapon.
Agent Odell: You don't have a choice.
Jennifer: Wrong answer.
(Jennifer's eyes flash orange and she lifts her hand, sending a bolt of lighting into the car. The energy passes through Odell, who regards her unblinking as his image begins to blink like an unstable television signal.)
Brandon: Whoa. That's a hologram!
Agent Odell: (mock cheerful) This isn't over, young lady.
(The window rolls up as we see the SUV doesn't have a driver. It moves off on its own. Jennifer is too stunned to do anything to try and stop it.)
Brandon: Who's that?
Jennifer: The devil.


Continuity

Jefferson flies back to Freeland under his own power, using his abilities to create an opening through the forcefield into Freeland.

Jennifer falls through an unidentified void she thinks is the safe-space inside her head she was trained to go when she was mastering her powers.

Jennifer has had a revelation, after her visions of the other Earths, that Agent Odell was using her and he has to be stopped.

Jennifer materializes on the patio at Anissa's apartment, just as Jefferson arrives there.

Jefferson persuades Jennifer to come with him to Gambi's first before going after Agent Odell, pointing out that the suit he made her probably has safeguards that can be turned against her.

Gambi has no memory of the Crisis or Jefferson or Jennifer disappearing. He also claims to have never seen the ASA-made costume that Jennifer is wearing before. This confirms that the events of 309 didn't take place from his perspective.

The ASA have begun searching the tunnels Blackbird had been using to get around Freeland undetected. Jefferson goes to save her from an ambush while Jennifer goes to check on Lynn.

Gambi suggests that until they have a chance to deal with current events, Jefferson and Jennifer shouldn't say anything about reality being rewritten since they have no way of knowing how the universe might have changed from what they know.

Lynn is at a chemistry lab at Bowman College, trying to make more Green Light.

The Freeland Resistance in the new reality seem to be better organized than they were Pre-Crisis, with more ordinary citizens being part of the movement rather than it being made up of cops, criminals and a few of Reverend Holt's followers.

The Freeland Resistance is said to be occupying several blocks of the city, including the area around Garfield High School.

Agent Odell is back in active command of the ASA forces in Freeland.

The ASA scientists have proven unable to stabilize the metahumans in their custody without Lynn's supervision. At the best guess of the scientist running things at present, no more than 60% of the metahumans would survive the conversion process into soldiers.  Major Grey tells him to start converting them once they get the process to 80% stability.

According to Major Grey, the Freeland Resistance has managed to disable 15% of their vehicles and 25% of their soldiers.

Commander Williams, whom Jefferson defeated in 308, is said to still be recovering.

The Resistance has successfully prevented the materials needed to turn the detained metahumans into super-soldiers under the ASA's control from being delivered from The Pit. This makes Odell give the order for the Pod Kids and Green Light Babies to be transported to The Pit.

Jefferson saves Anissa from the ambush.

Jennifer startles Lynn as she's mixing her Green Light, making her drop the flask. Lynn loses control and shouts at Jennifer.

TC is able to use his powers to locate Gambi and talk his way into his secret room behind his tailor shop.

An earthquake shakes Freeland, which Jennifer realizes is the result of Brandon losing control of his powers.

Lynn give Jennifer some drugs that can stabilize Brendan, refusing to come with her to administer them herself and all but pushing Jennifer out the door so she can return to making more Green Light.

Jennifer calls Jefferson and tells him he should check on Lynn because something is wrong, but she's got to stop the earthquake.

Jefferson agrees to catch up with Anissa later as he checks on Lynn, as she just got work from the Resistance that the ASA is about to try moving the captive metahumans.

Gambi agrees to take TC in and offers him a place to stay, as his usual hiding place was being searched by the ASA.

Jefferson finds Lynn at their home, tearing everything apart trying to find more of the Green Light drug she might have left behind.

Henderson calls Jefferson as he's in the middle of trying to reason with Lynn. She escapes into the night as Jefferson is trying to balance both discussions.

One of the ASA soldiers, Travis, is fitted with the same chips used to control Painkiller. This make him "fighting fit" despite his doctors not being sure he's mentally fit to return to duty. Travis is assigned to be second in command on a mission to capture Jennifer Pierce.

Jefferson and Anissa have a talk about him stepping on her toes and leading the Resisance movement she built. Jefferson says he can't help people looking to Black Lightning for leadership, but agrees to scale back and follow Anissa's lead and lack Blackbird call the shots openly.

TC discovers the secret room holding all of Black Lighting and thunders' gear in Gambi's backroom.  He says that Gambi's computer wanted to show it to him.  He promises to keep the secret.

Gamti says that he might make TC a costume one day.

TC offers to help Gambi track down whoever put the hit out on him, using his power to talk to machines to work through the BitCoin protections

Jennifer and Brandon are tranquilized by a sniper rile while hiding in Brandon's apartment.

The Resistance rescues all of the Pod Kids and Green Light Babies that were being transported.

Jennifer is able to short-circuit the power-repression collars she and Brandon are wearing. They make their escape from the ASA transport, but Jennifer seems to kill Travis, due to her powers interacting badly with the chip controlling his mind.

TC passes out while hacking the last round of encryption. As he goes under, he pulls up a picture of the person who paid for the hit on Gambi - it is Lady Eve, who was originally killed off in the pre-Crisis timeline in 107.

Jennifer calls Agent Odell in a bid to get him where she can kill him. Instead, she attacks a robot car with a hologram of Odell inside it.


The Bottom Line

A solid episode which neatly establishes the new status quo in Freeland. Not much has changed, apart from the Resistance seeming more together, but the idea that Lady Eve is back (or at least someone is manipulating her organization) suggests things are about to get interesting in Freland's underworld very shortly. If this means we get more of Tobias Whale and finally get back to whatever Lala started doing at the start of the season, I'm all for it. As it is, this is a good start and a solid jumping on point for new viewers.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 9 - The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis

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



Plot

As strange energy storms turn the skies red, Jennifer finds herself losing control of her powers and winding up somewhere else. As she sees two different versions of herself in two drastically different worlds, her family struggles to save her ever-phasing body, as the ASA move to destroy Freeland's Resistance once and for all.



Influences

Crisis on Infinite Earths


Goofs

The alternate Earths shown in this episode are labeled as Earth-1 or Earth-2, but they are not the Earth-1 or Earth-2 of the Arrowverse. While this is not a goof as such, it is a confusing point for those regular Arrowverse viewers who tuned into this episode thinking it was a direct tie-in to Crisis on Infinite Earths.


Performances

China Anne McClain owns this episode, from her wonderful performance with the opening monologue to all the scenes of her playing three different versions of Jennifer Pierce.


Artistry

The subtle light washes used to denote Earth-1 and Earth-2 are nicely executed.


Trivia

The number 333 is a reference to balance between mind, body and spirit.

A news report from Galaxy Broadcasting System is shown at one point. In the DC Comics Universe, Galaxy Broadcasting System was a major television news station based out of Metropolis. Owned by Morgan Edge, it was part of his Galaxy Communications empire.


Technobabble

Gambi detects massive amounts of anti-matter in the skies over Freeland, because of the strange storms. Since Jennifer's powers convert her cells into pure energy, she's been effected by the strange energy fluctuations. This has somehow allowed her to be in two places at once, letting her see the events in alternate realities.

Gambi determines that the surges in anti-matter correspond to Jennifer phasing away to another universe.

Gambi says the ASA lacks the ability to generate anti-matter, much less fill the sky with it.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jennifer: When both sides are right, and both sides are wrong, what do I do? Like... who do I follow?

Earth-1 Lynn: He always talked about how proud he was of you. About how many lives you'd saved.
Good Jennifer: Except his.
Earth-1 Lynn: No, Jennifer, he was proud because you did something he couldn't. You brought peace to Freeland.
Good Jennifer: Yeah, but, but what kind of peace is it, when Odell can just walk into our house and kill Dad like that? What kind of peace is it?

Earth-2 Jefferson: Jen, how do I get you to see that your powers are a drug? And you are addicted. The more you use them, the more I lose you. The more you lose yourself.
Bad Jennifer: The people of Freeland need me. And you could have stopped this years ago, but your philosophy and your code? It stopped you and now look where we are. So I tell you what, I'm gonna clean up this mess you made, so that I can finally lead a normal life. Something that you could never provide for me or anyone else, for that matter. A life of peace.

Jennifer: You know, I used to wish that my powers would just go away. 'Cause I thought everything would do back to normal if I didn't have 'em, if nobody had 'em. But then I realized, there is no such thing as normal.


Continuity

For three nights in a row, Jennifer has woken up at 3:33 am.

Jennifer is feeling conflicted about working with Odell, while knowing most of her family is with the Freeland Resistance. She decides to tell Anissa about this in person, rather than venting her feelings in a video message she doesn't plan to send.

Rebecca Larsen is a conservative news pundit with a show called The Larsen Line on a news network called GBS (Global Broadcasting System). She reports that the government is lying about a SARS outbreak in Freeland but says the Resistance fighting against them is made up of liberal anti-vaxxers.

It is revealed that the ASA somehow intercepted the broadcast Gambi sent out in 308, with only part of the message regarding what was really going on in Freeland making it to the major news networks.

Agent Odell contacts Jennifer through her TV at the Pierce home and asks her to patrol the perimeter around Freeland and pick off any Markovian soldiers she sees.

Anissa tells Jefferson that she was attacked by Painkiller in 305 and that he's somehow still alive.

The skies turn red as Jennifer is waiting for Anissa at her apartment.

Jennifer passes out as the odd lightning storms start after the skies turn red, as the energy around her goes crazy.

Jennifer winds up in a mindscape with two other Jennifer Pierces. One of them, identified in the closed captioning as Good Jennifer, wears a white uniform and a power control collar identical to the ones worn by the prisoners in The Pit.  The other one, identified as Bad Jennifer, wears a black costume.

Good Jennifer goes by the nickname Gen and her world is labeled as Earth-1.

Bad Jennifer goes by the nickname Jinn and her world is labeled as Earth-2.

Good Jennifer somehow used her powers to alter the water in Freeland so that anyone who had the metagene who drank it would lose their powers. This angered Agent Odell, who had her arrested, collared and locked in The Pit.

Bad Jennifer is loyal to the ASA and Agent Odell.

The Earth-1 versions of Jefferson and Anissa are now regular humans.

The Earth-1 version of Jefferson Pierce is the Secretary of Education. He apparently took the job to distance himself from his "terrorist" daughter, even though he knew what Jennifer was planning to do and supported her actions privately.

The Earth-1 version of Anissa Pierce is still in the closet regarding her sexuality and hasn't come out to anyone but Jennifer yet.

The Earth-1 version of Anissa Pierce is planning to tell her parents that she's a lesbian, as she must met a woman - another medical student named Shaquandalyn and things are getting serious.

The Earth-1 version of Khalil Payne is still alive and never became Painkiller. He just earned a full athletic scholarship to UCLA and is still waiting for Jennifer, despite her being largely locked up in The Pit. Jennifer expects they'll finally break-up when he has to leave for California next August.

Jennifer has been released from The Pit for the holidays, but still has several years left on her sentence.

The government of the USA on Earth-1 is apparently run by some kind of High Council. They required that Jefferson ensure that only the ASA approved version of history was taught in the schools and that all suspected metahumans in the schools were turned over to the ASA.

Earth-1 Jefferson is executed by Agent Odell, after it is revealed that he and Reverend Holt were running an underground railroad for metahuman kids.

Good Jennifer is taken back into custody, as Anissa is left to cry over Jefferson's body.

Earth-1's version of Lynn Stewart never visits Jennifer in The Pit and is usually busy with work. This drove a wedge between her and Jefferson, making their romance even more of an on-again/off-again affair than in the main universe.

Anissa finds Jennifer passed out in her apartment and calls Gambi.

Gambi learns about the new costume the ASA made for Jennifer.

Jennifer is fading in and out of existence, as she sees the events in Good Jennifer and Bad Jennifer's worlds occur.

Gambi tells Anissa about how he broke Lynn out of The Pit and how they tried to lock her in it during the events of 308. 

Lynn is in a make-shift lab, attempting to make more Green Light for herself.

Earth-1 Lynn visits Jennifer in The Pit and tries to comfort her by telling her Jefferson was proud of her and how she did what he couldn't; bring peace to Freeland. Jennifer notes bitterly that it wasn't much of a peace if Jefferson could still be gunned down and she really wondered if it was worth it, even if her actions did stop Freeland from being turned into a breeding ground for super-soldiers.

Chief Henderson calls Blackbird's phone and tells her that the Resistance is going to need her or Black Lightning if they are going to survive the night.

Jefferson agrees to back-up the resistance.

Earth-2 Jefferson Pierce is still teaching classes at Garfield High.

Earth-2 Jefferson Piece tries to tell Jennifer that her powers are a drug and she's become addicted and Odell is exploiting her. Jennifer responds that she and the ASA have done what he never could with his morality and code; bring peace to Freeland.

Black Lightning destroys the ASA HQ in Freeland, leaving The Pit as the only operational base they have. The perimeter is still intact, but this action causes Agent Odell to order that every detainee in the meta camp be given a brain control implant and be put into the field.

Bad Jennifer destroys the metahuman refugee camp in Freeland and kills all the metahumans, saying there's no need for them anymore now that the war with Markovia is over.

Anissa tells Gambi and Lynn that Painkiller is alive.

Lynn admits that she already knew Painkiller was alive and in the employ of the ASA.

Anissa wants to put Painkiller down but Lynn wants to try and save him.

Gambi intercepts an ASA message outlining Agent Odell's plan to weaponize the Green Light Babies. Anissa says she has a plan to stop them.

Bad Jennifer kills Earth-2 Jefferson, Lynn and Anissa after they try to convince her to turn herself in for murdering all the innocent people in the metahuman camp.

Jennifer dissipates into a cloud of particles.

Jefferson vanishes just before the anti-matter wave destroys Freeland.

Gambi, Anissa and Lynn are erased by the wave.


Untelevised Adventures

Black Lightning destroys the ASA HQ in Freeland off-camera.

It is unclear if Anissa did anything to stop the Green Light and mind-control modules from getting to the ASA camp.


The Bottom Line

A bit all over the place. The story on Earth-1 is interesting and far more developed than the Earth-2 subplot. Jennifer's conflict is well-handled, but everything involving the Freeland Resistance is almost an after-thought compared to a forced tie-in to Crisis on Infinite Earths that really has nothing to do with the event.  Hopefully we'll get to see the actual battle between Black Lightning and Thunder and the ASA next time, because it's really anti-climactic to have Jefferson destroy the ASA HQ off-camera and for nothing to come of last week's big cliffhanger, with the truth about Freeland being broadcast to the outside world.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 7 - The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two: Henderson's Opus

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




Plot

Still recovering from Painkiller's poison, Anissa asks Jefferson for help sneaking a group of metahumans (including her girlfriend, Grace) out of Freeland. But will the Resistance accept Black Lightning's help after he inadvertently stopped one of their earlier escape attempts?  Meanwhile, Jennifer tries to get to know Brandon better, as Gambi asks Lynn for access to ASA mainframe in The Pit.


Goofs

Major Grey is cartoonishly evil and stupid.

The "fake-out" scene with the ASA storming the church as Reverend Hold readies a pistol was cheap drama and unworthy of this show.

Brandon's sudden hatred of Jennifer comes out of left-field.


Performances

Cress Williams and Damon Gupton sell the scene where Jefferson and Henderson vent their spleens over every single point of contention between them.


Technobabble

Lynn and Gambi determine that the ASA like completely wiped Khalil's limbic system in upgrading him into the new Painkiller. He has an advanced chip in his brain, similar to the digital prosthetic chips used to help blind people regain their sight.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jefferson: What's up, man? What's wrong with you?
Henderson: Black Lightning is what's wrong with me. And yesterday, he defused a bomb and screwed up a diversion we have for our underground railroad.
Jefferson: What? Wait. Our underground railroad? Plan? So you're involved with planting that bomb?
Henderson: I'm more than involved, Jeff, and I want to bring you in to the fold but I don't know exactly where you stand. Now, one minute, Black Lightning is roughing up the ASA over some damn graffiti, and the next minute, he's saving the ASA from a bomb. Whose side are you on, man?
Jefferson: Wait, you planted a bomb, man, you could've hurt innocent people.
Henderson: I controlled the detonator and made sure no one was in the vicinity.
Jefferson: No, no, you know bombs misfire all the time. The shrapnel could've hit the guard or you. Or one of the children!
Henderson: It was a calculated risk, Jeff, what am I supposed to do. Let the ASA capture more metas?
Jefferson: No, of course not, I'm talking innocent people, you're talking a calculated risk? Are you hearing yourself right now? Hate begets hate, violence begets violence-
Henderson: And toughness begets a greater toughness, yeah, man, I know, you ain't the only one who can quote Dr. King from memory. Now, look, the ASA, ever since they came to Freeland, they have forced me to push their agenda through press conferences, they have taken over my police station. They got one of my officers killed.
Jefferson: Yeah, the ASA locked me up. Poked me like a lab rat, took me away from my family. Beat me down in the street. So I understand you frustrated, you're pissed off. So am I. But I cannot get down with your methods, man.
Henderson: Duly noted for the record. I'm only trying to do what I can to protect this city. Yeah.
Jefferson:  By living a double life. Chief of Police. Member of the resistance. Now you remember how pissed off you were when I didn't tell you I was Black Lightning. Who got the secret now?
Henderson: Are you seriously trying to compare me keeping a secret for 30 days to you keeping a secret for 30 years?
Jefferson: No, look, the point is, we gotta get on the same page.
Henderson: And by same page, you mean doing things the way you would do them. Now, look, this "my way or the highway" mess you run on your daughters, you can't run on me, I know what I'm doing.
Jefferson: All I'm saying is that we gotta communicate our plans with each other.
Henderson: Oh, okay, great, so then next time, Black Lightning goes out on the street, he'll give me a call, right? Huh?
(Jefferson falls silent.)
Henderson: Didn't think so. Since we can't get on the same page, how about you handle the ASA your way, I'll handle it my way


Continuity

Grace's medication is no longer helping her maintain control of her shape-shifting.

Anissa has a relaxation program installed in her smart home to help Grace regain control of herself.

Grace makes reference to Agent Odell visiting Anissa's apartment in 305.

Anissa's powers still have not returned.

Gambi analyzes the footage he captured of Anissa fighting Painkiller and confirms that it is Khalil, somehow back from the dead.

Gambi asks Lynn for help in hacking the ASA mainframe, saying he needs the information to help protect Anissa and Jefferson.

Major Grey contacts Jennifer using Agent Odell's cell phone.

Major Grey says that Agent Odell is expected to make a full recovery, but she is Acting Director of the ASA operations in Freeland until then.

Jennifer asks Major Grey for all the ASA information on Dr. Jace, lying and saying that she and Agent Odell were working on a project that Major Grey clearly wasn't privy to.

The Resistance attempt to sneak a group of meta kids out through an ASA check-point. Their plan is to lure the guards away by having Two-Bits give them sports drinks laced with a diuretic. Henderson will then set off a bomb to act as a distraction while Reverend Holt drives a hummer with the kids out of town. Unfortunately, this plan falls apart when Black Lightning happens to show up and shorts out the bomb.

Henderson and Jefferson have an explosive meeting. Henderson accuses Jefferson of selling out to the ASA to save himself and his family. Jefferson accuses Henderson of becoming a hypocrite for using bombs that could hurt innocent people.

Reverend Holt believes that Black Lightning is working for the ASA now.

Lynn has a new assistant, Dr. Blair, who kisses up to her furiously on his first day at work.

Lynn had writings published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Erica Moran's power is revealed to be that she can convert the kinetic energy she absorbs into super-strength. She can now hold this energy at 100% capacity and be stable. However, any attempt to use the strength immediately saps her energy reserves. Lynn believes she will be able to expend less energy as she increases her stamina, but Major Grey insists that only 100% output will suffice.

Major Grey agrees to give Lynn access to all the Green Light kids data, but nothing more.

Jennifer goes to Brandon and offers him help finding information on Dr. Jace.

The ASA storm Reverend Holt's church. Thankfully, it is revealed that he and the meta-kids are now taking refuge in the back room of Two-Bits bar.

Anissa asks Jefferson to take her place escorting the next group of metas out of Freeland because she still hasn't recovered her powers. Despite having issues with the Resistances apparent violent tactics, Jefferson agrees.

Black Lightning steps in and stops a group of Resistance fighters from shooting ASA commandos. Unfortunately, Major Grey's response is to ignore it when two of her commandos shoot the disarmed and helpless insurgents. She further threatens to call in an air-strike and destroy Freeland if Black Lightning does not let her and her men go.

Painkiller is kept in a stasis state when not active. There is a chip in his brain controlling his functions, but Khalil Payne's memories are still intact.

Lynn and Gambi discover that Painkiller has been sent on four missions so far; kill Nichelle Payne (302), blow up a Markovian safehouse (303), eliminate the drug-lord Sinzell (304) and kill Blackbird (305)

Painkiller is unable to access Khalil Payne's memories. He does recognize Lynn, but only because the names of all ASA personnel were programmed into his memory.

Lynn insists that she can save Khalil. Gambi thinks it would be far kinder to kill him.

Gambi gives Lynn full administrator access to the ASA computers.

Lynn tells Gambi not to tell Jennifer about Khalil.

Jennifer annoys Brandon with her promises to give him Dr. Jace information if she'll let her keep testing her power against his.

Anissa gives Grace her necklace as a remembrance. The necklace also has a tracking device in it.

Black Lightning agrees to escort Grace personally to safety.

The ASA ambush Black Lightning and the metakids. In the confusion, Grace runs off in a panic, eventually changing into a leopard and killing one of the commandos.

Grace figures out that Black Lightning is Jefferson Pierce based on his scent. She can still smell like a leopard as a human and their smells matched.

Grace and the meta kids escape to South Freeland.

Jennifer gets the Dr. Jace files from Major Grey.

Painkiller is seen sparring with Vernon - a metahuman with the strength of five average men. He is able to defeat him easily.

Painkiller is assigned to kill Black Lightning.


The Bottom Line

Another filler episode that drags out all the storylines with forced drama that doesn't work. It feels like the show is just treading water until the Crisis tie-in we know is coming and it's a little hard to care when our main character isn't involved in 80% of the action and it looks like this Earth is just going to be erased, according to the ads for Crisis.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 14 - The Book of Secrets: Chapter Four: Original Sin

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



Plot

As Anissa continues the search for Grace and Gambi works with Jennifer to make her a super-suit, Lynn runs into another roadblock when it comes to treating the Green Light Babies. Meanwhile, Jefferson is confronted by a resurrected Lala and a mysterious death from their past.


Influences

Black Lightning #1 (character of Earl is taken from this story)


Performances

William Catlett and Cress Williams have great chemistry together in their scenes as Lala and Jefferson.


Artistry

The scenes where Lala sees the ghosts of the people haunting him are well-edited and intercut with the scenes where he's shouting at nobody, from Jefferson's perspective. The effect is dizzying and disorienting, which adds to the power of these moments and helps to subtlely convey Lala's mental state.


Trivia

In the first Black Lightning comic, Earl Clifford was a star athlete at Garfield High, who helped Jefferson Pierce with running a group of drug dealers off the campus. He was later killed and hung through the basketball hoop in the school gym by The 100 as an example. Earl's murder inspired Jefferson to create his Black Lightning persona to fight crime.

In this episode, Earl Clifford was Lala's best friend growing up, but he was trying to go straight and get out of the drug-trade a lot of the poor kids were forced into by The 100. He was persuaded to go to the police by Jefferson Pierce and killed by Lala, who decided to take care of it so he could make sure his friend didn't suffer. He also stuffed Earl's body through a basketball hoop to send a message to the public.


Technobabble

Gambi says he may be able to identify what was stolen from the secret room in the free clinic by isolating the radioactive residue and then track it.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jefferson: Why are you here?
Lala: That's a good question. I came to see you. "Those who can't remember their past are condemned to repeat it. "
Jefferson: You know, most people think that's Winston Churchill. It's George Santayana. "What's past is prologue..."
Lala: Shakespeare! A tribute to Shakespeare. I ain't forgot what you taught me, Mr. Pierce. It's just the streets taught me, too.
(Lala shoots Jefferson in the shoulder, sending him falling to the floor.  Lala moves forward as Jefferson kneels on the ground in shock.)
Lala: I'm having a hard time reconciling my past. When I die, I come back, and what I've done comes back on me! And this time I heard a voice that said... I have unfinished business. Which brought you to me.
Jefferson: You gonna kill me?
Lala: I need answers. I need answers to my past. Why am I here? And that voice... that voice said it's about you and Earl.
(Cut to: an image of the past - a young man shoved through a basketball hoop in the Garfield High gym.)
Lala: Earl was like a brother to me. And that voice sent me to you. So you must've killed him. And you're gonna tell me why.

Agent Odell: She's not your kid. She doesn't need to be coddled.
Lynn: I'm not coddling her. I'm treating her like a human being, which is something you've clearly forgotten how to do.
Agent Odell: See, some people have dogs that they treat like members of their family. They dress them up in silly costumes and insist that the rest of us treat them like relevant members ofsociety. But they're not. They can, however, be useful tools. Dogs can sniff out drugs and landmines, but their relevance is solely dependent on their ability to be of service.
Lynn: Why are you telling me this?
Agent Odell: Because I'm not here to waste my sentiments on Wendy.
Lynn: (aghast) Waste?!
Agent Odell: She can't sniff out landmines, but she can do other things... for her government and her country, to keep its citizens safe. That's why she's here.
Lynn: (intensely) She's here to get stronger, healthier.
Agent Odell: She's here to realize her full potential for the benefit of all of us. Wendy could prove to be more revolutionary than the tank or the machine gun. But we absolutely have no time to waste. Do you understand what I am saying?
Lynn: That you don't like dogs?

Lala: I mean, looking to move up, make more money. He was supposed to be helping me out.
Jefferson: And?
Lala: He wasn't with it. So I looked out for him, got him a free pass.
Jefferson: Wait. If Earl had a free pass, then why'd they go after him?
Lala: You know why.
Jefferson: (sighs) I told Earl to tell the police about the One Hundred's business.
Lala:  And Tobias had some guys on the force. And when he found out about it, he put a hit out on Earl.
Jefferson: Did you warn him?
Lala: Nah, it was a wrap. Wasn't no stopping it. If Tobias want you got, it was a done deal. And I wasn't gonna let anyone kill Earl.
Jefferson: Then what happened?
Lala: (breathing heavily) I killed him myself. He was caught up. I mean, he was gonna get got.
Jefferson: Why'd you hang him in the hoop?
Lala: Because I ain't wanna be poor no more. I had to show Tobias that I was serious, and that I could send a message.
Jefferson: You need to turn yourself in.
Lala: There you go. No. I'm gonna make Tobias pay. And after that, it don't matter. "The past is always tense, but the future perfect."
Jefferson: Who said that?
Lala: Zadie Smith. She also said, "Every moment happens twice: inside and out, and there's two different histories." I'm sorry, Mr. Pierce. Thank you for everything.


Continuity

Lala returns, having been resurrected again after his apparent death in 113. He claims that this time when he came back he heard a voice that told him to find out what happened to Earl.

Gambi is making Jennifer a supersuit. Lynn is worried about the whole process, particularly since Jennifer wants to sacrifice protection for style. Gambi is trying to achieve both.

Lala is still being haunted by the ghosts of his cousin Will and Lawanda White, who argue with each other. Nobody else can see the ghosts but Lala.

Agent Odell tells Lynn to stop coddling Wendy Hernandez and start pushing her to develop her powers. Lynn refuses. Later, when Lynn returns to her lab, she's been locked out and Agent Odell is pushing Wendy to create more and more intense wind, though she's clearly in pain.

Gambi is able to identify Todd Green from a partial image from the security footage at the free clinic. Unfortunately, his dead body is found just as Henderson is about to go pick him up.

Jefferson is able to use his powers to magnetically remove a bullet from his body and cauterize his own bullet wound.

Gambi says he may be able to identify what was stolen from the secret room in the free clinic by isolating the radioactive residue and then track it.

Jefferson shows Lala a picture of Earl from an old yearbook. This restores Lala's memory and causes him to realize he was the one who killed Earl in a bid to make sure he died painlessly.

Gambi finds an address for a foster brother of Grace Choi's. Anissa goes there and meets an older Asian man, who tells her to leave before bad things happen.

Grace Choi is revealed to be the older man and to have shape-shifting powers.

Lala remembers that he was the one who killed Earl after he went to the police. As he leaves Garfield High, he develops a new tattoo of Earl.

Jennifer is satisfied with the first rough design of her costume.

Jennifer tries on the costume in the protective sphere in Gambi's basement. It fails to work properly and soon starts smoking.

Anissa returns to the apartment in her Thunder costume. She finds several dead, rotten bodies (including what appears to be a horse) and fights Grace in her form as the older man.

Lala is revealed to have come back from the dead two months earlier.

Lala is told that in order to stop being reborn, he must untie the knot of his pain and find redemption. Only then will he know peace. He takes this to mean that he must kill Tobias Whale, to make up for all the bad things he did in the service of The 100.

Lala was a straight-A student before he joined The 100.

Agent Odell is revealed to have been spying on The Pierces with a special satellite. He kills all the ASA technicians who know about the spying besides himself.


The Bottom Line

An amazing episode, despite most of the subplots going nowhere and Lala's return coming out of left field. Still, it's a welcome surprise and his scenes are the strongest in the episode. It will be interesting to see how Lala's return changes the story of the rest of the season, though it's still unclear what to make of Grace and Agent Odell.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 7 - The Book Of Blood: Chapter 3 - The Sange

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





Plot

As Anissa and Jefferson continue their battle against Looker and work to rescue Amaya's second baby, Khalil and Jennifer begin to rekindle their relationship and Jennifer reveals her powers to him.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella.


Performances

China Anne McClain does a fantastic job in this episode, showing Jennifer Pierce to be a young lady of great strength and compassion while simultaneously acting very much like a typical teenager in regards to thinking she can't trust her parents.


Technobabble

Jefferson's suit has a camouflage mode that allows him to blend in with his surroundings.

Looker was controlling The Sange with theta waves.

The neocortex is the part of the brain involved in sensory perception, motor skills and language.

There are theories about how theta waves help animals navigate in the wild and effect behavior when people are asleep.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Jefferson discovers several of the Perdi strung up, upside down, along the forest path he was following.)
Jefferson: Damn.
Anissa: What?
Jefferson: Let's just say... someone clearly drew a line in the sand.

Jennifer: I miss the way things used to be when I felt like me. And my family. I miss the way we used to be. And I know that... things are never going to be the same again. And there's nothing I can do about it and I hate that.

Looker: I've tried to model myself after you. I always felt like you and I had a lot in common.
Black Lightning: Yeah, I doubt that.
Looker:  No, really. We both want the drugs and crime off the street. We both make sacrifices for people that we don't even know. And the thing that I like about you the most is that you fight for your people. I fight for mine. You are a proud African American. I am a proud White American.
Black Lightning: (deadpan) You're a racist.
(There is a pregnant pause.)
Looker: Now how did you jump to racist so quick?
(Black Lightning gives her a look as if to say "You can't possibly think I'm that stupid.")
Black Lightning: (looking to his left) Nice flag.
(POV shot revealing a Confederate flag is hung on the wall.)

(Jefferson is tied up on an improvised electric rack. Looker's henchmen, thinking he is dead, cut the power and start to leave the room. A baby's cry is heard nearby. Suddenly, Jefferson laughs. The two henchmen spin around stunned.)
Black Lightning: (eyes still closed) There she is.
(Jefferson opens his eyes which glow blue.)
Black Lightning: My power doesn't come from the suit. Thanks for the charge, though.
(Jefferson breaks the ropes binding his wrists and starts fighting the henchmen.)

Khalil: Jen? I can't... I can't see nothing.
(An orange light flares up as Jennifer makes an orange ball of lightning in her hand. Khalil spins around and sees her, stunned. )
Jennifer: Can you see now?

(Anissa is trying to explain how she thinks Looker's powers work.)
Jefferson: Please stop.
Anissa: Dad, this is really... Listen, you gotta listen to me.
Jefferson: No. No. I will pay you to stop.

Gambi: Someone tried to assassinate me. I still don't know who. It's better that they still think that I'm dead. It's safer for your family that I stay dead.
Jefferson: You gotta know by now... you ARE my family.
(Jefferson hugs Gambi forcefully.)


Continuity

It is revealed that Looker's control over The Sange is not telepathic and she still needs to speak to her followers to make her intentions known. She can, however, sense the presence of her "element" and is able to track Amaya's babies through it.

Jennifer tells Perenna that she has been seeing Khalil. She also says she feels trapped by her parents' efforts to keep her safe.

Gambi is revealed to be monitoring local phone calls for any mention of the name Pierce.

Gambi is a decent artist and is seen sketching a motorcycle.

Khalil and Jennifer meet at the Garfield High Stadium.

Jennifer refuses to abandon Khalil and advises him to try and scare Reverend Holt away again to buy time with Tobias as they figure out what to do next.

Reverend Holt says he isn't scared of Tobias.

Tobias intercepts Khalil leaving the church. Khalil runs.

Jefferson leaves the baby he rescued with Inspector Henderson.

Jennifer saves Khalil from a mob of Tobias' men, using her powers to create a blackout and short out the tracker they are using to find him.

Jennifer reveals her powers to Khalil.

Looker can elongate her nails, turning them into claws.

Looker loses control of her followers after being impaled on a clothes rack in the abandoned mall.

Jefferson decides to hand Looker over to the ASA, despite them experimenting on metahumans.

Anaya's father is revealed to be alive. Her mother died in the battle with The Sange.

Anaya's father takes her and her babies back into the fold.

Grace is continuing to have the weird issues with her skin she had in 205. She once again calms it with her medication.

Jefferson tracks Gambi to his hotel room.

Jefferson shows Gambi the transmitter he found in the South Freeland woods that tipped him off that he was alive.

Gambi says someone tried to assassinate him but he still doesn't know who.

Lynn returns home to find Jennifer missing.

Perenna tells Jefferson and Lynn she doesn't know where Jennifer is and can't tell them without violating the rules of her profession. She does tell them that she's with a boy and that she has never worked with a metahuman as powerful as Jennifer before. She cautions them that causing her to push away from them now could have dire consequences for everyone.

The episode ends with Khalil and Jennifer driving off together, leaving Freeland.


Location

South Freeland.


The Winick Factor

The revamp of Looker from the comics is just strange. It's like the show was afraid to introduce vampires into the mythology of the show, so they create a metahuman that is essential a vampire but they give her some weird metal thing instead of blood for some reason. It's all strange and confusing and barely touched upon in the episode.


The Bottom Line

Not a bad episode and not as strange as last week but it's hard to say if this one evens out to "good." The Looker storyline ends with a whimper and little explanation for the weirdness from last week. Thankfully, it's the smallest part of the episode and the largest part - Jennifer and Khalil - is more than wonderful enough to make up for the rest. It's still unclear what's going on with Grace and everything involving John and Lynn's work lives seems to have vanished completely. But the trailer promises more Jennifer and Khalil next week, so that's something.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 6 - The Book Of Blood: Chapter 2 - The Perdi

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




Plot

As Jefferson and Anissa confront the strangeness in South Freeland, Tobias orders Painkiller to take out Reverend Holt. Meanwhile, Lynn must deal with the aftermath of the deaths of half the children in her care and Freeland's response to the news.



Influences

Romeo and Juliet (the conflict between two houses and the forbidden romance between children of both houses), the Black Lighting comics of Tony Isabella and the series Batman and the Outsiders (character of Looker).


Artistry

The fight between Tobias and Painkiller may be the best in the show's history in terms of cinematography and sheer brutality.


Trivia

Emily Briggs aka Looker first appeared in Batman and the Outsiders #25 in September 1985. A mousy, quiet bank-teller who lived an ordinary life with her husband, Emily was abducted by the people of an underground civilization known as Abyssia. It was revealed that Emily was the last of their royal line and that she was destined to undergo a transformation that would coincide with the passing of Haley's Comet. For some reason, this triggered Emily's metagene, causing her to develop immense psychic powers, peak physical prowess and stunning good looks. She would later be attacked by vampires and turned into one, though her powers protected her from the worst of the traditional vampire weaknesses. She could be exposed to sunlight and holy objects have no effect on her, but she still must ingest blood to survive and no other form of sustenance can sustain her.

The Arrowverse version of Looker seems to be a metahuman, whose powers are similar to vampirism in that she can infect other people with an element that makes them super strong and super fast. She is a racist who took over South Freeland, creating her own race of Sange with superpowers who took over the city and forced the black residents into the woods.

Mention is made of the nation of Markovia in a radio report Gambi hears while he is shaving. In the comics, Markovia is a fictional nation in the DC Universe and home to the hero Geo-Force, who was part of the Outsiders along with Black Lightning.

The names of the two groups in South Freeland- The Sange and The Perdi - seemed to be based on the French words for :"The Blood" and "The Lost".


Technobabble

South Freeland is made up of two groups - The Perdi and The Sange. The Sange are white folks with powers who terrorize South Freeland and call the other folks, mostly black folks, The Perdi.  The Sange live in South Freeland proper. The Perdi live out in the woods. The Sange are also gun-runners and have been doing so for 30 years, shortly after a woman called Looker came to South Freeland.

Looker controls something she calls The Element - the silver substance that came out of Deacon when he died. It is this Element that turns ordinary people into Sange.

The Element can be transmitted to children at conception. This is why Looker senses that The Element wound up in Anaya's babies after Deacon impregnated her.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Gambi questions the thug who was hired to kill him.)
Thug: I don't know who hired me! I got paid! I did the job.
Gambi: Obviously you didn't do the job. Or you wouldn't be sitting there.

Rev. Holt: If I'm wrong, you can take that money and buy your own clinic. Name it after your momma, for all I care. But you're not getting mine. Understand? Now, if I'm right - and I know I am - you can tell Tobias I said he can keep his money... and he can kiss my holy ass. You understand?

Tobias: (To Painkiller) Stop thinking. You're not very good at it. Just do what I tell you.

Painkiller: Yo, why are you even giving me the time of day?
Jennifer: This whole Painkiller thing is not you. We've all been through a lot. Plus, I don't want you to make any more mistakes. 'Cause you've made some bad decisions this year. Like, really bad.
Painkiller: I also made some good ones too.
Jennifer: Oh yeah? Like what?
(Painkiller takes her hand and kisses it.)


Continuity

Looker is revealed to be a woman of power in South Freeland, who has built up a network of people who are "part of her." out of former drug addicts and local officials. One of them, Jake, refuses to do her bidding, saying that she is worse than The Drugs And The Perdi and has the "worms" crawling under his skin pulled out. This kills him instantly, leaving a dried out husk behind. The worms come out as a silvery liquid, like what came out of Deacon when he died in 205.

Looker asks her followers to "follow The Element."

Gambi is revealed to be alive. We see him torturing one of the men hired to kill him, before shooting him after figuring out he doesn't know anything.

Dr. Jace's actions in 205 resulted in the deaths of 14 Green Light Babies.

Reverend Holt is the pastor of the Freeland United Methodist Church.

Rev. Holt refuses to take Tobias' money, recognizing Councilman Parker as his stooge.

Tobias orders Painkiller to kill Reverend Holt.

Painkiller discovers that Tobias was behind the attack that saw him paralyzed in 103.

Lynn only has 18 patients left - 14 children injected with the original vaccine and 4 users of Green Light. A near-riot breaks out at the press conference where she announces this and tells a grieving father they can't announce which children are still alive yet.

A radio report mentions a war in Markovia following the mysterious death of King Victor and the battle not going well for the Royalists.

Gambi is revealed to have survived the assassination attempt on him by the use of a trap door in his van.

Anissa finds Anaya and informs her that Deacon is dead. Her father has no idea who Deacon is.

Lynn is ambushed by the grieving father from the press conference, rear-ended in her car as he runs out and starts pounding on the class while trying to show her a picture of his daughter.

Painkiller tells Jennifer that Tobias is why he was paralyzed and that Tobias asked him to kill Reverend Holt.

Jennifer says she will help Painkiller to figure things out after he says he's only staying with Tobias because he has nowhere else to go.

Anissa delivers Anaya's baby only to discover that she's having twins. She winds up having one light-skinned baby and one dark-skinned baby.

Jefferson discovers that Anissa went to South Freeland as he visit Gambi's shop and sees her tracker lighting up on the computer.

A man named Joshua is revealed to be Deacon's killer. He was jealous that Anaya chose Deacon over him, as they both apparently impregnated her at the same time.

Anaya's mother tells Joshua that by killing Deacon, he has started a war.

Painkiller tries to scare Reverend Holt into leaving Freeland. When that doesn't work, he shoves him down and leaves, after Reverend Holt isn't scared even after being half-strangled to death.

South Freeland is run by two factions - the super-powered Sange gun-runners and the Perdi farmers. A woman called Looker controls The Sange.

Anaya says most of The Sange don't want to be Sange and had it forced upon them by Looker.

Anaya says Looker hates the Perdi and will stop at nothing to get her babies.

Tobias beats up Painkiller and threatens to kill him unless he kills Rev. Holt and his own mother.

The Sange are revealed to have super speed and super strength and Looker seems to control them as if through a hive-mind.

Gambi assists in the fight with The Sange remotely using an armed drone.

Jefferson speculates that Looker is a metahuman and one of the original kids who got the Green Light vaccine like him.

Anaya gets away with to Freeland with the white baby.

Anaya's parents and the other baby disappear.

Painkiller visits Jennifer and tells her he is going to go away.

Anaya's black baby is given to Looker, who becomes determined to get the white baby as well.


Location

South Freeland.


The Winick Factor

The apartheid metaphor for The Sange and The Perdi is really clumsy and heavily forced.


The Bottom Line

Jefferson says it best. "This is some weird stuff." While it's easy to see how the show runners might want to avoid the standard vampire tropes in regard to introducing Looker, the silver liquid element is as weird as the fact that South Freeland is ruled by a metahuman gang and nobody knows it or had done anything about it despite the government being shown to he heavily invested in controlling metahumans. Hopefully this will get explained in more detail next week. As is, the best parts of this episode involve Jennifer and Painkiller and not the actually superhero stuff.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 5 - The Book Of Blood: Chapter 1 - Requiem

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



Plot

Jennifer agrees to meet with Khalil, who is feeling the pressure to take up more and more responsibilities in Tobias' organization. Meanwhile, the tension continues to build between Lynn and Dr. Jace as Anissa takes on a job at the free clinic and Jefferson investigates Gambi's apparent death, while still refusing to believe that his foster father is truly dead.



Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Gambi's van is similar to Nick Fury's)


Performances

It's all too rare for an actor to underplay a scene where they are mean to be drunk, but Cress Williams does a fantastic job playing Jefferson as a realistic, quiet drunk.


Artistry

The opening sequence of Gambi fighting Tobias' men set to Dean Martin's Ain't That A Kick In The Head is well-blocked and well-shot.

Showing the flashback sequences to Khalil and Jennifer's talk at the end of the last episode in black and white is a nice touch.


Technobabble

Gambi's delivery van is modified with bullet-proof windows and an AI that advises him as to the damage of his van.

Dr. Jace finds a way to save all of the Green Light Babies using Lynn's serum. The problem, she says, is that they looked at each pod as an individual organism. By treating them as a collective unit, and increasing the serum dosage 28-fold to account for the number of vaccinated kids and spinning the cells, it will stave off the cellular deterioration and reach a gestalt with overall stability in the entire collective. This is later revealed to be a lie, however, as Dr. Jace faked the simulation and killed most of the Green Light Babies in the process.


Dialogue Triumphs

Jennifer: I just miss this place. I miss the teachers. I miss my friends. I miss... I miss being called the Queen of Garfield.
Khalil: (snorts) You hate that name.
Jennifer: Yes, I really do. But I would kill for it right now. Because it would mean that I'm actually in school and not locked in the Pierce Penitentiary because my parents think the world is too dangerous for me to live in.

Councilman Kwame Parker: Is this what your version of a law-abiding citizen looks like?
Tobias: Depends on what law you're referring to. I adhere to the law of the jungle. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Either you're dining or you're dinner.

Jefferson: (To Henderson) You have no idea what my life is like. The sacrifices I've made. This city.. I've given everything for this city, man. My blood, my sweat, my tears...and it just takes. It just takes. And takes. And takes... takes....

Tobias: Like it or not, every successful person remembers two things in life - the first time they tried caviar and the first time they could enjoy it without worrying what it cost.

Two-Bits: (To Black Lighting) You just can't be sneaking up on people like that! Man, I could have shot you! (quieter) If I had a gun. Which I don't. Because I'm on probation.


Continuity

Gambi can speak Japanese.

Six staff members at the free clinic resigned after the bomb scare in 204.

Anissa takes a volunteer job at the free clinic.

Jennifer ignores another text from Khalil.

Tobias blackmails a councilman named Kwame Parker over the fact that he took money from Martin Proctor.

Anissa helps a pregnant woman named Anaya. The father of her baby is an overprotective man named Deacon.

Anissa finds out Henderson knows about her secret life as Thunder.

Henderson tells Jefferson and Anissa about Gambi's apparent death. He says nobody saw him get out of his van before it exploded.

Jefferson doesn't tell Henderson about Gambi's secret life.

Lynn gets her formula for a cure for the Green Light Babies finished. Despite this, the prognosis is 50/50 as to whether it can save their lives given how far gone most of them are.

There are 28 Green Light Babies who are fading.

Lynn refuses to start human trials until there's a chance they can save all the Green Light Babies.

Anissa goes to Grace's apartment and tells her that she would want to spend a day with her if she only had one day left to live.

Anissa and Grace spend the night together, but the next day Grace says it was a mistake.

Grace says her family was not always present and it made her independent.

Grace says Anissa was the first person who could get behind her barriers.

Grace is shown to have something strange happening to her skin that generates an audible clicking noise. She is taking some kind of medication that stops it.

Jennifer refers to the fight with the ASA agents in 113.

Lynn goes to Gambi's apartment to find an gold pocket watch that has a picture of Jefferson with Gambi. It is revealed to have the inscription "Gambi, Thank you for always being there, Jefferson."

Councilman Parker holds a press conference announcing that an anonymous donor is paying to move the free clinic to a safer neighborhood and will be hiring new staff for it and buying new equipment. He says the donor is a man who has just reentered the community and wants to help but refuses to answer if it is Tobias Whale or not.

Jefferson gets drunk at Two-Bits' bar and beats up a man who gets handsy with a waitress.

Tobias paid off the reporter who asked if he was the anonymous donor.

It has been 20 years since Tobias adopted Synoide.

Tobias says that Khalil is the only family he has left and threatens to kill him if he fails him again.

Two Bits tells Black Lightning that the word on the street is that people think the government killed Gambi but that nobody saw him get out of his van before it blew up.

Deacon dies in the free clinic, after running in bleeding. He asks Anissa to find Anaya and save his baby. After he is dead, some strange kind of clear viscous substances pours out of the wounds in his head.

Anissa is able to track Deacon to South Freeland using Gambi's CCTV scanner.

Khalil stops by Jennifer's window to check on her and see how she's doing after Gambi's death.

Dr. Jace faked her simulation and the resulting experiment results in all but 14 of the Green Light Babies dying.

On the way to South Freeland, Anissa is pulled over by a Sheriff Clark, who seems to have worms crawling under his skin. We hear some of the same noises we heard early when Grace was alone. Anissa drives off, with the Sheriff apparently content that she's been scared out of South Freeland.


Location

South Freeland.


The Bottom Line

An interesting episode if only for all the questions it raises and how little idea we have about the answers. Is Gambi really dead? What's the deal with Grace? What is Tobias' plan for the land where the free clinic is? What's going on in South Freeland? What will the aftermath of most of the Green Light Babies dying be?  Throw in some great character development across the board and this season is starting to pick up.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 13 - Shadow of Death: The Book Of War

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



Plot

In the wake of the battle at Garfield High, Jefferson Pierce is barely clinging to life as Tobias Whale marshals his forces to move against Martin Proctor and The ASA.


Influences

The Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella, the Green Lantern comics of Geoff Johns (the new Tattoo Man) and The Manchurian Candidate (Whale's control of Lala through a trigger phrase.)


Goofs

So the ASA has special weapons to take down both Black Lightning and Thunder, but they don't bother taking any of the Black Lighting weapons to storm Gambi's cabin just in case it turns out he isn't dead?


Performances

Again, it has to be stated what a delight that Marvin "Krondon" Jones is in the role of Tobias Whale. Krondon has made Whale into one of those rare villains you find yourself rooting for just because he's so amusing even as he's being a total bastard.


Artistry

The opening sequence in which we see Jefferson use his powers for the first time as a child and how Gambi saved him is perfect. The black and white filming, heavy rain and music give the whole thing a Film Noir feel that's very gripping. It also makes it stand out all the stronger when the blue lightning effects kick in. The same is true of the later flashback scenes and the moment in the afterlife where Jefferson seems to talk to his father.


Trivia

The DCTVU version of Tobias Whale is said to take a special serum which has given him the strength of three men. In the classic Black Lighting comics, Whale was a large man weight close to 400 pounds and while he was described as being incredibly strong, his strength was within standard human limits.

The DCTVU version of Tobias Whale is also said to take a serum that slows his aging. This appears to be based on The 100 in the classic Superman and Black Lighting comics - a cabal of mystics who were able to gain immortality by feeding on the suffering of others. The same name was used by a gang in Metroplis' Suicide Slum district, which was overseen by Tobias Whale, who was ignorant of the power wielded by his bosses.

The DCTVU version of Syonide is said to have been found in a dumpster when she was an infant, with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She was adopted by Tobias Whale at the age of eight and trained as his personal assassin. He later had carbon-fiber body armor implanted under her skin - a painful process Gambi says stripped away what little sanity she had left.

This background most closely resembles that of the second Syonide - an unnamed female assassin who was an enemy of Black Lightning and The Outsiders. Though she was not raised by Tobias Whale, she did work for him almost exclusively and took up the weapons and name of the first Syonide after the original died while working for Whale. She did not, it should be noted, have any metahuman powers or physical enhancements.

Tobias gives Khalil the codename Painkiller. This is also the name of a super-villain from the 1995 Black Lightning series, who first appeared in Black Lightning (Vol. 2) #2. In addition to having his spine healed, Painkiller has the ability to secret a neurotoxin and fire darts that paralyze a target. (Strangely enough, this is similar to the methodology of the original Syonide from the first Black Lightning comics.)

The original Painkiller was a metahuman who had the power to temporarily anesthetize any part of the human body. He could use this power to shut down his target's ability to use any of their five senses or cause a person to become unable to run as they lost all feeling in their legs. This effect was temporary, however, and did not last long. Neither did Painkiller, who was killed in Black Lightning (Vol. 2) #4.

Tobias refers to Lala as "Tattoo Man". This would seem to be the DCTVU version of the classic Green Lantern villain The Tattooed Man.

Lala most closely resembles the third version of The Tattooed Man, Mark Walters, who first appeared in Green Lantern (Vol. 4) #9 (April 2006). A former Marine who was presumed dead after his helicopter exploded, Walters emerged years later in Gotham City working as a hit man who attacked people with a series of seemingly animated tattoos. Walters claimed that his tattoos were formed from the sins of the people he had killed and that he took them upon himself through a process called sin-grafting, bringing their souls peace.

Rather than having the ability to bring his tattoos to life, Lala's tattoos of the people he killed are said to be a side effect of the reanimation process Tobias used to bring him back to life. Tobias claims that every person Lala ever killed will come back to haunt him, tattooing themselves onto his body until there's no skin left.


Technobabble

Metahumans are people whose superpowers come from within.

Tobias Whale and his team all gained their powers through artificial means.

Tobias Whale takes a super steroid serum that slows his aging and makes him stronger over time. He currently has the strength of three men.

Gambi guesses that Khalil was given a spinal implant with a synthetic liquid metal. It braces his spine but also causes his body to produce a neurotoxin that causes instant paralysis like a snake's venom.

Thanks to a brown out, all the Stage-One subjects from The ASA's experiment are ten hours away from death without a stable DNA profile to overwrite the bad DNA. This would leave them with four Stage-Two subjects.

The ASA is able to track Jefferson by searching power company records for electrical surges following Tobias Whale's attack on Garfield High.

The ASA agents sent to Gambi's cabin are armed with guns that generate a force-field that neutralize Thunder's ability to generate sonic attacks.


Dialogue Triumphs

Gambi: Take my advice and leave this alone. Think about your son!
Alvin Pierce: I am thinking about my son. I had Jefferson take that damn vaccine and it was tainted. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?!
Gambi: There's no reason to get yourself killed over it.
Alvin Pierce: No. There's no reason for YOU to get yourself killed! All the reason I need in the world is sitting in that car over there.

Tobias Whale: "I am unlike other men. The laws of conventional morality do not apply to me." That's Napoleon. And he was a weak ass Frenchman. You're Painkiller. Never apologize. So you killed Black Lightning when Proctor wanted him alive? I'm not mad. Martin Proctor was down with Lady Eve. I always knew sooner or later he had to go. Just gonna have to be sooner, that's all. Real soon.

Jefferson: I always wanted to tell you... I'm so sorry.
Alvin Pierce: There's nothing to be sorry for, son.
Jefferson: Black Lightning. All the violence...
Alvin Pierce: Peace ain't always peaceful, son. All the blood, broken bones, pain you suffered...? Only you'll ever know if it was all worth it.
Jefferson: Was it worth it for you? Your death?
Alvin Pierce: I don't know. What i do know is that I'm proud of you, son.

(Jefferson announces his intention to draw the fire of Proctor's men while everyone else escapes.)
Gambi: This is suicide, Jeff.
Jefferson: Light me up, old man.
(Reluctantly, Gambi slides the programming module into Jefferson's suit, powering it up.)

Jefferson: Now, you are making it a habit of saving my life, young lady.
Jennifer: (smiling weakly) Well, this is... this is what we do.

Anissa: They call us heroes, but the real heroes are you - the people, who despite their everyday struggles with life, continue to find hope - maybe even purpose - in what can be a challenging world. We've been given a gift. A blessing from God. And we intend to use it to protect this city and its people.


Dialogue Disasters

90% of Martin Proctor's dialogue. At least. The worst line of the episode? "You want to save Freeland? I want to make America great again!"


Continuity

Peter Gambi approached Alvin Pierce with the expectation of him exposing The ASA's experimentation. He did not expect him to expose the corruption of Tobias Whale that helped enable it.

The only lead the ASA has on Tobias Whale's location is Lala.

Thanks to a brown out, all the Stage-One subjects from The ASA's experiment are ten hours away from death without a stable DNA profile to overwrite the bad DNA. This would leave them with four Stage-Two subjects.

Jefferson Pierce first manifested his powers shocking two riot cops who were attempting to beat him. Later, they manifested again, after he grabbed an electrical fence which should have killed him. Instead, he reflexively absorbed the shock.

Jefferson Pierce didn't fully manifest his powers until 2003.

Lynn says that she had a cold feeling in her stomach at the same time Jefferson flat-lined.

Tobias Whale can control Lala by saying the phrase "The Devil deals the cards." He claims to have spent a million dollars on the process that brought Lala back to life.

Jefferson Pierce was once suspended for breaking the nose of a boy who was picking on him.

It is revealed that the mantra that Jefferson Pierce teaches to his students was first taught to him by his father.

Lala is used as a suicide bomber to take out Proctor, force-fed det-cord.

When Jefferson awakes from his weakened state, he says he can't feel his powers working anymore. Lynn says his vital signs are normal, but Jefferson compares himself to a battery that can no longer hold a charge.

Jennifer has a flare up of her powers as Jefferson gets ready to leave to face the ASA troops. She latches onto Jefferson until the flare-up ends. A few seconds later, Jefferson finds that his powers have been restored.

Lynn knows how to use a rifle after hunting with her father.

Jennifer is able to shoot a focused lighting blast to save Lynn from one of the ASA troops. Her lighting is yellow, in contrast to the white/blue lighting Jefferson seems to redirect. She's eventually able to make an electro-magnetic lasso and throw people around, just like her father.

It is revealed that Martin Proctor was a rogue operative working outside the purview of The ASA.

Gambi kills Martin Proctor.

The ASA's previous operation and Martin Proctor's current group are exposed to the public.

Tobias Whale is revealed to have Martin Proctor's briefcase and - thanks to his agent in the Freeland Corner's Office - the thumbs needed to open it. He says that what is inside will make him the King of Freeland.


Location

Gambi's cabin in the woods north of Freeland.


The Winnick Factor

Martin Proctor is a classic Winickian mustache-twirling villain, unable to speak without uttering a racial slur and about as subtle as the villain in a DARE anti-drug comic.


The Bottom Line

A solid episode that sets the stage for Season Two. The most annoying elements of the series have been cut loose, with the sides set for the on-going battle between Jefferson Piece and Tobias Whale. The villains have been given some much-needed definition, with Synoide starting to show signs of characterization beyond being a silent badass and Khalil reworked into a much more interesting version of Painkiller. It remains to be seen if Lala survived being turned into a suicide bomb but it would be interesting to see this new version of The Tattoo Man played out a bit longer. All in all, it's going to be a long wait for more of this series but I suspect it will be well worth it.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 12 - The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain

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




Plot

Tobias Whale returns to Freeland, under orders to capture Black Lightning alive, with the help of an unexpected ally. Thankfully, Jefferson will not be alone when he confronts his father's killer, as both his daughters provide some unexpected help when Garfield High is placed under siege.


Technobabble

Green Light gives ordinary people super-strength, a high pain tolerance and no flight instinct. It also awakens super-powers in potential metahumans, but their survival rate is no better than under the original ASA vaccine.

Gambi says that there are implants that can heal severed spines in lab mice but he thought that technology wasn't ready for humans yet. He says that it must be a billion-dollar technology, at least.

Gambi says that the development of high-output mobile solar power coincided with the sudden end of random power fluctuations on the Freeland power grid. He susepcts The ASA did this to get off the grid so they would be harder to trace.

Tobias Whale has some kind of under-armor that protects him from electrocution.



Dialogue Triumphs

Proctor: How much do you know about (Lady Eve's) operations?
Tobias: Well, let's just say she helped the citizens of Freeland find happiness by muting the pain of their deprivation.
Proctor: Is that what drug dealers tell themselves?
Tobias: You and I have never worked together directly, so... being cautious with my words seemed wise.

(Proctor describes how the ASA project to make the people of Freeland more docile created metahumans instead.)
Proctor: A side effect with strategic implications.
Tobias: Yeah. Meaning in a dangerous situation, a few local folks fight and die, saving the lives of some fancy white boys.

Khalil: Stop with that surrogate daddy act. You don't care about me. I was just another poor, little kid from Freeland for you to parade around to make you and Garfield look good.
Jefferson: That is so not true.
Khalil: Yes it is! As soon as my black ass couldn't run no more... where were you? You wouldn't even let your daughter near me. (turns around and starts to walk away, but spins around) Where's the future, Mr. P? (points to himself) It's right here!

(Gambi goes off to meet a contact, warning Jefferson and Anissa that Proctor will be looking for them.)
Jefferson: Gambi? Proctor will be looking for you too.
Gambi: Yeah. But this old man's not going to save the world. So if he catches me? It's not as big a deal.


Dialogue Disasters

Proctor: Alive, Mister Whale! I need Black Lightning alive!

Proctor: This experiment! Can not! Fail!


Continuity

Tobias Whale is revealed to have been in the care of the ASA since he was shot in 107.

Tobias knows of Martin Proctor, though they have never worked together directly.

Green Light is revealed to be the result of the ASA efforts to stabilize the vaccine formula that was creating metahumans. While it would create more useful soldiers, their bodies still burned out as quickly as the first generation of metahuman test subjects.

Proctor asks Tobias to capture Black Lightning alive, as they think he is a product of their vaccine and the only one to have survived to adulthood that they know of.

Martin Proctor is revealed to finished work on Tobias' project to heal Jennifer's ex-boyfriend Khalil Payne.

Jefferson and Lynn reconcile but decide to keep that a secret from their daughters until they are sure they are ready to get back together.

Tobias has Dwayne - the man who pulled him to safety but left Tori to die - shot by Syonide.

Anissa figures out that 42 kids from the 1980s went missing. Neema makes 43.

Anissa only counted three dozen pods when she discovered the ASA warehouse in 110. Jefferson guesses this means 7 kids died in ASA experiments.

Lynn tells Jennifer that she's going to try and isolate the metagene and find a way to negate it. Jefferson is upset when he learns this.

Khalil's mother says that she was told that Khalil was sent to California as part of some experimental procedure and that she hasn't heard from him since. The contact who set everything up was named Mr. Martin.

Gambi goes after Tommy Hildago - the weapons maker from 109. He gives him 48 hours to give him Proctor.

Khalil tries to reconcile with Jennifer, but he changes his mind after she questions where he got his spinal implant from.

Anissa made use of a man named Marcus Roberts, who graduated a year ahead of her, who now works for FGE. He tracked several power fluctuations for Anissa, finding a likely location for The ASA hideout until about three years earlier.

Khalil attacks Garfield High, throwing darts filled with some kind of neurotixin at the students.

Thunder is able to win a one-on-one fight with Syonide.

The toxic darts seem to stop Jefferson's heart. He is revived by Jennifer using her powers like a defibrillator.

Lala kills Thomas Hildalgo.

Tobias Whale was responsible for Lala's resurrection.

Whale plans to take out Proctor in order to take over the whole operation.


Location

A cabin Gambi keeps in a forest outside Freeland.


The Bottom Line

A surprisingly weak episode by the standards of this series to date. Not bad exactly, but mostly concerned with reviving several long-dead subplots in anticipation of the finale. Not a lot of great dialogue, but the actors sell every line well enough, though the actor playing Proctor apparently decided to attempt the world's worst William Shatner impression with his enunciation this week. Still, the action sequences are thrilling and next week promises to be interesting.