Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 16 - The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation

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


Plot

The final battle for Freeland begins, but the ASA is cutting and running, covering their tracks as they flee the city and prepare to drop a nuclear bomb as the Markovians and Gravedigger invade. The city's only hope lies in the unlikely alliance of its superheroes, its criminals and the Freeland Resistance. A new day may dawn for Freeland's metahumans, but not everyone will survive the war.


Influences

Various Outsiders and X-Men comics.


Goofs

It is said that the commission investigating Freeland was created by the US Congress, yet the people overseeing the commission are all judges. This would imply a judicial proceeding rather than a legislative one. (It is possible that judges were brought in to access the legality of the situation, much in the same way that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is brought in to supervise Impeachment proceedings.)

As awesome as the final shot of the episode is, one would think the Pierce Family would be more paranoid than to have Lynn walk away from the hearing with Lightning, Thunder and Black Lightning lest someone put 2 and 2 together.


Performances

There's some good moments all around, but the best is the scene between Wayne Brady and China Anne McClain where Jennifer manages to reveal the flaws of Gravedigger's philosophy and the lie behind it with one simple observation and her own sheer stubbornness.


Artistry

The effects work for the various powers is top-notch, with different takes on Arrowverse standards like sonic screams and heat-vision.


Trivia

Tony Isabella, the creator of Black Lightning, has a cameo as Judge Isabella; one of the officials overseeing the Congressional investigation into Freeland.


Technobabble

The Markovian invasion strategy is built around a shock-and-awe strike to disrupt the city and secure an exit route, while the elite Markovian Rangers scout the city to locate the metahumans.

Gambi locates Jennifer after she's abducted by searching for her unique energy signature.


Dialogue Triumphs

Gravedigger: (as he's cooking Black Lightning alive with his microwave powers) Nothing to be ashamed of. You fought well.

(Lightning has just woken up in a cell in the Markovian camp.)
Gravedigger: My name is Tyson Sykes. I'm in command here. And the first thing you need to understand is I'm not your enemy.
Lightning: You could've fooled me with the whole kidnapping and invasion thing.
Gravedigger: (laughs, taking on a light, friendly tone) Actions made necessary by the continuing treachery of the US Government. I have been empowered by the nation of Markovia to eastablish an independent metahuman state inside their borders, where metahumans can be free. Live normal lives.
Lightning:  Mmm-hmm. You need to sell that trash somewhere else.
Gravedigger: (still in the light tone) Trash? Little girl... you don't know a damn thing about this country. This country was built by and for rich white men. That's never gonna change.
Lightning: There's been plenty of change. Not enough, sure, but it's disrespectful to the sacrifices of our ancestors to say there's been none.
Gravedigger: Change? (sarcastic, growing harsher as he speaks) Oh, you mean Obama? And Martin Luther King? Well, it seems to me, that Obama was bought and paid for by rich liberals and multinational corporations. And Martin Luther King? Well, he was a coward who lacked the courage to fight for his own freedom!
Lightning: Are you insane? MLK was one of the most courageous people to walk the face of this Earth. Not by fighting, but by purposely putting himself in harm's way. The moral authority of his cause could not be debated.
Gravedigger: (growling) Yeah, they debated that plenty.
Lightning: But he was on the right side of history. "Metas are with you or else?" That's not independence or peace.
Gravedigger: (suddenly angry) Who are you to judge me, huh?! You have been on this planet for the blink of an eye! I am 100 years old!
Lightning: Maybe that's why you're so negative and grouchy.
Gravedigger: I ought to kill you where you stand.
Lightning: So why don't you let me out of here? Try it.
Gravedigger: (scoffs) Maybe later.
Lightning: (sarcastic) Is this moment in Black History over?

(Tobias sits in a chair wearing a Russian-style fur hat, watching Nurse Allen sleep. Nurse Allen wakes up and sees Tobias.)
Tobias: Good morning, Nurse Judas.
(Nurse Allen goes for the drawer in his bed-side table and grabs at a pistol. He starts shooting at Tobias but the chamber is empty. Tobias chuckles and raises one hand, allowing the bullets to fall into his other hand.)
Tobias: Of course a loser like you is still living at home with his parents in his 40s.
Nurse Allen: Oh my God! What did you do with them?!
Tobias: Your mom will be just fine. As long as you take me to where they're keeping the Markovian metas.
Nurse Allen: What about my father?
Tobias:  Ah yes. The Blackovian. I assure you he died well.

Black Lighting: (as he's shocking Gravedigger and knocking him out.) You have nothing to be ashamed of. You fought well.

(Agent Odell gets in the passenger side of his SUV and sighs. Suddenly, his driver pitches forward, clearly dead. Odell's eyes widen for a moment as he hears a voice from behind him.)
Khalil: Now, you didn't really think I was going to let you get away? Not after making me kill my own mother, did you?
Odell: Caveat emptor.
(There is a long pause. Whatever Odell expected to happen... doesn't.)
Khalil: That shutdown only works on Painkiller. I'm Khalil. (undoes the safety on the pistol) We haven't officially met.
(Black Lightning flies down and lands in front of the SUV. He walks around the side and waves a hand at the car. The power windows lower and he regards Khalil.)
Khalil: Don't try to stop me.
Black Lightning: No. You're going to stop yourself. Becuase you're smart enough to realize that a bullet to the head is too good for him. He needs to be shackled. Caged. Humiliated. And then die alone.
(Khalil raises the pistol and fires three shots into Odell's back through the car seat. Odelll gasps but doesn't fall forward.)
Black Lightning: Khalil!
(Cooly, Khalil gets out of the car and holsters his pistol.)
Khalil: (matter of factly) I shot him through the spleen. Don't need it anyway. He'll be alright. Well, unless he has internal bleeding or gets an infection. And if that's the case, it's God's will.  He's all yours.
(Khalil turns around and walks off. Black Lighting does nothing to stop him.) 


Continuity

Gravedigger figures out that Lightning is Black Lightning's daughter based on the fact that Jefferson is fighting angrier than he was in their encounter in 313.

Black Lightning tells Gravedigger that they're related and that he knows his half-brother Ben Pierce was his grandfather. This doesn't matter to Gravedigger, who offers Black Lightning only one more chance to surrender.

Gravedigger's new powers include a sonic scream and the ability to emit microwaves.

Jamillah Olsen and her cameraman are killed by Markovian soldiers.

Markovian soldiers abduct Lightning while Black Lightning is distracted.

Sgt. Grayle oversees the transfer of the metahuman teens taking shelter at Garfield High to The Pit, along with Erica Moran.

Agent Odell gives the order for the ASA to evacuate Freeland. He sends Commander Williams to remove all the classified information still within the city and anyone who has classified knowledge. He also sends Major Grey to acquire or destroy Martin Proctor's briefcase.

Gambi begins searching for Jennifer.

TC starts talking to the cameras around Freeland trying to locate Agent Odell.

Gravedigger tries to win Jennifer over by telling her about his plan to develop an independent metahuman state within Markovia. She doesn't believe him.

Gravedigger is 100 years old.

Painkiller fights his way through a Markovian checkpoint and steals an energy weapon sniper rifle.

Lady Eve meets with Major Grey. She tells her that Gambi has the Briefcase in exchange for having her seat back on the Shadow Board.

When Major Grey tells Lady Eve to prepare to relocate to Gotham City, she figures out that means the ASA is planning to destroy Freeland.

Lady Eve is wounded in the fire-fight which follows, but survives long enough to tell Lala and the 100 to go aid the Freeland Resistance in fighting the Markovians.

Tobias Whale is revealed to be alive in Markovia.

Tobias tracked down Michael Allen - the nurse who was a Markovian spy in the ASA - and killed his father.

The ASA has some kind of counter measures which exhaust TC as he tries to work past their computers to look for Odell.

Gambi calls Brandon in to help Black Lightning rescue Jennifer. Since it involves rescuing a friend, Brandon is agreeable to help, regardless of what he said before about sitting out the invasion fight.

Command Williams finds Dr. Jace in Brandon's apartment and kills her.

Lala and a group of 100 members save Chief Henderson, Two-Bits and a group of Freeland Resistance members from being overwhelmed by Markovian soldiers.

Commander Williams tracks Lynn to the lab at The Pit, where she is working on an anti-booster that can remove the extra powers Gravedigger absorbed.

Lynn kills Commander Williams by throwing him into a wall with the super-strength she gave herself by copying Erica Moran's power.

Gravedigger is revealed to have given himself the power to fly.

Gravedigger is addressed as First Citizen by the Markovian forces.

Khalil fights Gravedigger to assert control of his body as he's about to shoot Lightning with the energy weapon he stole. He takes control back.

Gravedigger is able to get past the Resistance forces guarding The Pit, including Erica Moran and Sgt. Grayle, by putting them to sleep with his command power.

Thunder and Grace seal the metahuman kids in a safe room within The Pit.

Gravedigger gets past Grace and Thunder by ordering Grace to kill Thunder with his command power.

A group of Markovian Rangers with weapons that can kill Black Lightning and Lightning are left behind to ambush them.

Chief Henderson attacks the Rangers, being fatally wounded in the process.

Chief Henderson dies with Jeff by his side, with Jeff saying he was his best friend and promising to save Freeland.

Grace is knocked into a coma by Thunder.

TC recovers from being injured by the ASA counter-measures and figures out how to work around it.

Lynn finishes her anti-booster formula and works it into a tranquilizer dart, planning to shoot Gravedigger while Black Lightning distracts him.

Brandon and Lightning combine their powers to create "volcanic lightning" - a lava-like mixture that cuts through the magnetic force-field Gravedigger was using to protect himself.

Gravedigger is able to use his some kind of concussive force-beam vision to beat back Lightning and Brandon.

The self-destruct command word for The Pit is "Rosebud".

Black Lightning is able to knock out Gravedigger once his powers are neutralized.

Black Lightning leaves Gravedigger behind after Gambi alerts him that The Pit is going to explode. He carries Lynn out and they barely fly away in time to escape.

Khalil stops Agent Odell from fleeing Freeland and shoots him in the spleen as revenge for being forced to kill his mother.

Major Grey leads what few ASA troops remain in Freeland in a raid on Gambi's Tailor Shop. They find the Sanctum but are repelled by TC and Gambi. This apparently kills every ASA member who knew that Jefferson Pierce and his children were Black Lightning, Thunder and Lightning.

Grace is said to be in a coma and Lynn is uncertain if she'll ever wake up, as there's no baseline for knowing how fast a shape-shifter can recover from that kind of trauma.

The US Congress launches a special investigation into the ASA and their actions in Freeland.

Tobias watches the Congressional hearings and declares that it is time for him to return home.

The ASA is disbanded thanks to Black Lightning's testimony and the evidence in the ASA briefcase.

Lynn is able to stabilize every Pod Kid and Green Light Baby in Freeland.

Congress approves the funding for a special boarding school devoted to the metahuman kids and helping them adjust.

Agent Odell is said to be detained and will be prosecuted for his actions.

Gravedigger is revealed to have been watching the proceedings, using a digital facial mask similar to the one Gambi uses.


Untelevised Adventures

Most of the fight with Black Lightning and Brandon rescuing Lightning takes place off-camera.

It is unclear how Gravedigger escaped The Pit or if he still has his original superpowers.


The Bottom Line

A solid finale to an excellent season which resolves most of the outstanding storylines and leaves plenty of room to grow into Season 4. While the idea of a metahuman school seems to be taken straight out of X-Men, it will offer a new challenge that fits the theme of the show. Because you know Jefferson Pierce is going to be put in charge of this new Meta Academy. It will be interesting to see where the show goes from here.

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 8 - The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace

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



Plot

Jefferson Pierce's days of playing nice with the ASA are officially over, leading to a stand-off when Black Lightning and the Resistance join forces to defend the Franklin Terrace apartment complex from the ASA and Painkiller being sent to take out Black Lightning. Meanwhile, Tobias Whale continues to manipulate Lynn from behind the scenes, Gambi and Anissa search for a way to deliver the truth of what is happening in Freeland to the outside world and Jennifer reconciles with Brandon and begins to explore her new power levels with the grounded boy.


Goofs

Why does Thunder leave in the middle of the siege to take Gambi the footage Jamilla Olsen gave her? Didn't she do that already earlier in the episode?


Performances

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III steals the show as Tobias, managing to be menacing even when he's strapped to a doctor's table.


Artistry

The balance between the action scenes and the music used to back them is fantastic.


Trivia

Tobias paraphrases Revelation 6:8 of the King James Bible when describing himself to the ASA agent interviewing him; And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

TC, the technopathic metahuman teen introduced in this episode, is loosely based on Technocrat - a member of the Outsiders from the comics. Geoffrey Barron was a brilliant engineer who built his own armored suit - the Technocrat 2000 - intending to market it as a personal defense tool. He wound up having to use it to defend himself from an assassin and joined the Outsiders in their 1993 series. Geoffrey Baron was an ordinary human, however, whereas TC is a metahuman with a completley different power set.



Technobabble

Lynn is farming Tobias' blood for the antibodies containing the stabilization cure.

Brandon suggests that he's immune to Jennifer's powers because being an Earth-bender makes him naturally grounded.

A power flare is when a metahuman's powers surge out of control due to their emotions going out of control. In the case of Brandon, this results in a powerful localized earthquake.


Dialogue Triumphs

Tobias: I'm not a meta. I'm something different. I ride the pale horse and Hell follows with me.

Tobias: You know, Dr. Stewart, I'm jealous of you. Yes. Jealous because you're going to be famous.
(Lynn turns away from Tobias, pointedly ignoring him.)
Tobias: Come, come now. Don't be modest. I can see you on the cover of Ebony and Essence now. "Dr. Lynn Stewart, the strong, sexy, intelligent black woman who saved Freeland and the world by enslaving black youth. " Hmm.
Lynn: What're you rambling about?
Tobias: Fame, my dear. Fame for the cure.
Lynn: I asked you a question.
Tobias: Don't be naive, Dr. Stewart. You know exactly what the ASA is gonna do with those metas once you stabilize them. Just look at the roster you gave me. Super strength. Accelerated healing. And my favorite - camouflage! Seem like weapons to me.
Lynn: I've heard it all before.
Tobias: Oh, really? From who?
(Lynn doesn't answer, but that in itself is an answer given her expression.)
Tobias: Wait. You don't mean Black Lightning? How interesting. I guess he's smarter than I thought. Then again, that suit. Tell me. I've always been curious. Is he a big fan of Earth, Wind & Fire? Or is it Parliament? Perhaps Bootsy Collins.
Lynn: I'm not being naive. I know the ASA wants to use the metas as weapons and once they're stabilized, they might decide they want that too, but at least this way I'm giving them a choice.
Tobias: Hmm, is that what they're calling slavery these politically correct days? I've worked with the ASA for decades, with you about a month and some change. Does it look like these kids have a "choice" to make of their own? No, Dr. Stewart, the choice has already been made for them. Those kids will be weapons whether they like it or not. And not just them. But everyone in Freeland with the meta-gene. Now that the ASA knows what Green Light can do, they'll flood the city until they get as many metas as they can.
Lynn: It's not possible.
Tobias: (skeptically) Hmm.
Lynn: How would they even get that much Green Light?
Tobias: I don't know. But what I do know is, it'll be all because of you. (mockingly) The great, smart, talented, and beautiful Dr. Lynn Stewart.

Jefferson: Look, Mrs. Shepard-
Mrs. Shepard: Ah-ah-ah. I've lived here for 45 years. This is my home. I'm not going anywhere.
Jefferson: I understand that, but it's just an apartment. It's not worth it.
Mrs. Shepard: You disappoint me, Jefferson. You know better than anyone what this means, what this place means. Look. Come.
(Mrs. Shepard gestures to the window and points out it when Jefferson comes to look with her.) 
Mrs. Shepard:  You see that street down there? That's where we had the sit-in to get the right for colored folks to live here. You see that old hickory tree, the one you used to love to play under? That's where I met Obama when he came to Freeland. (laughs)  He was so tall. This is more than just an apartment. This is part of me. Part of our people. Have you forgotten that?
Jefferson: No, no. They're gonna throw you out. (sighs) They'll hurt you. Mrs. Shepard, please. This is not a wise decision.
Mrs. Shepard: I know that they hurt you. I saw the video. You chose not to fight back. This is my decision. I'm staying.
Jefferson: I hear you, I do. But I just-
Mrs. Shepard: Things don't always happen the way you want them to. Sometimes, you just have to do what you know is right. And trust that you're in God's hands.
Jefferson: Good-bye, Mrs. Shepard.

(Commander Williams' eyes glow blue, revealing he is now copying Black Lighting's powers. He approaches the porch of the apartment building, where Black Lighting is standing. Waiting.)
Commander Williams: This is your final warning. Step down, meta-freak.
Black Lightning: This building belongs to the people of Freeland. We ain't leaving.
Commander Williams: Fine. Then just die.
(Commander Williams shoots lighting out of his hands. Black Lighting holds the energy off with his own.)
Commander Williams: (strained) You don't wanna dance with me. I have your powers and the finest tactical training on Earth.
Black Lightning: (not even breaking a sweat) Yeah, right. The thing is, you've got a lot of electricity coursing through your nervous system right now. I've got this suit to protect me. You don't. Meta.
Commander Williams: (weakly) I see your point.
(Commander Williams collapses and has to be carried off by his commandos, as the crowd watching the fight from the street cheers.)


Continuity

Tobias Whale's date of birth is April 20, 1946. In Western Astrology, this makes him either am Aries or a Taurus. As befits a "cusp", both descriptions seem to suit Tobias Whale as they tend to reflect both signs depending on the time of day they were born. Aries tend to be ruled by their emotions, even if they are naturally inclined towards logic. They are also generally optimistic and giving towards their friends and family, but Heaven help you if you're an enemy who arouses their ire as they through everything into their passions. Taurus' are practical and pragmatic but equally territorial in regards to their family. All in all this fits Tobias' nature as a skillful planner who values those close to him but who gets emotional when he's been betrayed.

Anissa's powers appear to be back to normal. Gambi still advises her to take it easy.

Anissa still has a nasty-looking scar where Painkiller's dart hit her. It is, thankfully, clearing up as Anissa continues taking the antivenom Gambi gave her.

Gambi discovered through the ASA mainframe that the official cover-story the ASA is using to keep people out of Freeland is that there was a SARS outbreak. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, they government is trying to stop a disease from spreading.

Gambi's electronic equipment can only broadcast as far as South Freeland and he still needs something that shows the truth about what is happening in Freeland besides the video of Jefferson being beaten by ASA commandos.

Tobias points out to Lynn that all the metahumans the ASA is working to save have powers with combat applications and suggests that they are planning to turn Freeland into a farm for metahumans once they use him to stabilize the metagene.

Brandon reconciles with Jennifer.

Jennifer tests the theory that Brandon can't be hurt by her powers because he's naturally grounded.

Anissa approaches Jamilla Olsen as Blackbird and asks if she has any footage they can use to send a signal outside Freeland. Jamilla agrees to gather her best footage for a short, sweet video.

Major Grey was apparently injured in the battle between her forces and Black Lightning. This has made Commander Williams - the ASA soldier with the metahuman ability to copy other metahumans powers - the effective commander of the ASA forces in Freeland.

Henderson comes to Jefferson and tells him that the ASA is clearing out Franklin Terrace, Jefferson's old apartment complex when he was a kid, and forcing the residents out to turn the building into a barracks for more ASA soldiers. The only hold-out so far is their third-grade teacher, Mrs. Shephard.

Jefferson agrees to try and talk Mrs. Shephard out.

Jennifer lies to Brandon about how she got her powers, saying that some guy slipped Green Light into her drink at a party.

Brandon says that he got his powers naturally and that his mother was one of Dr. Jace's test subjects. One of Jace's assistants felt bad that a pregnant woman was being experimented on and helped her to escape captivity, but the damage was already done. Brandon says his mother slowly wasted away after he was born and she died two days before he turned 10. After that he was thrown into foster care.

Brandon ran away from home as soon as he figured out he could make diamonds with his powers.

Jennifer tells Brandon she found Jace's last known whereabouts.

Mrs. Shephard has a side business growing and selling weed out of her apartment.

Jefferson broke one of her windows as a kid and she was more upset that his ball knocked over one of her plants than about the broken glass.

Mrs. Shephard lived in Franklin Terrace for 45 years. She can point out the place where they held a sit-in to allow blacks to live there and the hickory tree Jefferson played around as a boy. She says she met President Barack Obama under that same tree and was surprised by how tall he was.

Mrs. Shephard's resolve inspires Jefferson to finally start fighting the ASA openly right there.

Gambi finds an abandoned radio tower in Baker Hills he thinks they can use to get around the ASA transmission blockade.

Anissa gives Gambi the footage Jamilla put together.

Franklin Terrace Apartments is located on the corner of 8th and Lewis.

Anissa dons her Thunder costume for the first time in months to help her father fight to defend Frankin Terrace. She also gathers some Resistance fighters, along with the police loyal to Henderson, to help with the siege.

Gambi discovers that the Baker Hills broadcast facility has been taken over by one of the escaped pod kids - a boy known only as Baron, but he came to call himself TC - short for Technocrat, which was what the ASA called him when he was put into suspended animation in the 1980s.

TC is a technopath who can communicate with and control machines. He fled to Baron Hills because the old machines there were a comfort to him and being in modern civilization was painful due to the sheer amount of "smart machines" most people carry with them now.

Lynn finally admits that she can't let the kids she's been healing become weapons and asks Tobias for help in saving them. He says the simplest way is to help him escape since, without his antibodies, there's no way to stabilize the metagene. Lynn says she doesn't have the security clearance to get him out but Tobias says there is another way - splicing the genes of the girl with camouflage powers and giving them to him so he can sneak himself out.

The ASA report on Dr. Jace which Jennifer gives Brandon says they lost track of her after she was kidnapped by the Markovians.

Brandon is revealed to have the ability to generate earthquakes after he has an anxiety attack thinking about being trapped in Freeland while his mother's killer is somewhere else he can't get to now.

Gambi persuades TC to help him prepare the machines to broadcast a signal out of Freeland.

Thunder fights Painkiller as the ASA sends him in to take out the Resistance. This time, because she is prepared, she is ready and is able to send Painkiller flying out a window.

Anissa recognizes Painkiller as Khalil after he is forced to remove his goggles during their fight.

TC is able to use his powers to make sure Jamilla's message goes through, fighting the ASA attempts to hack and trace their broadcast signal.

Gambi helps Lynn to escape from The Pit, as the deal between the ASA and the Pierce family is officially declared off now that Black Lightning and Thunder are fighting with the Resistance openly.

Lynn is able to escape but loses the bag containing her Green Light based intelligence enhancement drugs.

Jefferson stands up to Commander Williamson and sends the ASA running from Franklin Terrace.

Henderson welcomes Black Lightning to the Resistance.


The Bottom Line

A solid episode, though the subplot with Tobias gaining a new power is left dangling and it's unclear if Lynn actually did as he suggested before she left The Pit. The subplots are pretty well balanced, though the introduction of TC sticks out a bit. It still seems a bit odd that Jennifer is running around doing her own thing and nobody in her family seems to have noticed her absence. Still, the individual scenes work well this week even if it does seem like there's four different shows contained within this single narrative.

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 3, Episode 6 - The Book of Resistance: Chapter One: Knocking On Heaven's Door

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




Plot

Things come to ahead between Lynn and Jefferson about how to best get the ASA out of Freeland. As Anissa fights against Painkiller's poison, Jennifer decides to look into her new classmate Brandon and find out just why he was able to counter her powers with his own.


Artistry

There's some great imagery at the end of the first segment, with Jefferson seen in silhouette as he walks away with gospel music playing in the background.


Technobabble

When Instant uses his powers, it generates a neutrino anomaly. The ASA learns how to track this and uses it to determine when Instant and the Markovians have entered into Freeland.

The ASA set up neutrino disruptors around their key assets in Freeland to trap the Markovians.


Dialogue Triumphs

Anissa: I guess if you're seeing this, it means I didn't make it (clears throat) and I'm okay with that. Really, I am. Because I know my sacrifice... it meant something. Jen... Jen, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for leaving you. (tearing up) Especially with what you're going through. Mom. Dad. (clears throat) Uncle Gambi. I knew what I was doing, and it was worth the risk. (coughs) Now, none of you are gonna take comfort in hearing this, but it's because of you that I was strong enough to do what had to be done. (moans in pain) You all taught me to stand up for what's right even if it's difficult because evil triumphs when good people do nothing, and I damn sure wasn't gonna do nothing.

Jefferson: If I could say anything to Tavon, I'd tell him how proud I am of him. I'd tell him how much he inspired the other students and me to be the best version of ourselves. I would tell him that his death His death will not be in vain.

Tobias: Did someone wake up on the wrong side of the light socket this morning?
Lynn: I'm not here to talk to you, Tobias. I'm just here to check you're healing properly, so I can harvest another round of marrow.
Tobias: So you can cure the Pod Kids.
Lynn: I didn't say anything about the Pod Kids.
Tobias: You didn't have to. Helping them would be the only reason Odell pulled me out of the hole I was in. You know you can't trust him, right? So, whatever he promised...
Lynn: But I suppose I can trust you?
Tobias: I'm a true friend, Dr. Stewart. I'd much rather stab you in the front, whereas Odell...Well, you get the metaphor.

Jefferson: Agent Odell. I can't say I'm surprised to see you.
Agent Odell: Mr. Pierce, I came by to tell you that the ASA has a team of neurologists standing at the ready to give you a thorough examination.
Jefferson: I don't need a neurologist, I'm fine.
Agent Odell: (scoffs) I beg to differ. You must have suffered brain damage to think there'd be no consequences from breaking our deal.

Lynn: You're a monster, do you know that?
Tobias: You may think I'm a monster, but I'm nothing compared to Odell. You have no clue who he is, do you?
Lynn: You're just trying to get inside my head.
Tobias: Maybe. If only you had a way to make me tell the truth and get the answers you seek. Oh, wait. You do. (smiles sadly) I mean, you did. Poor, poor Issa.
Lynn: (startled) What do you know about Issa?
Tobias: The question isn't what do I know about Issa. The question is... what does Odell know?


Continuity

Anissa records a video for her family in case she dies from the poison.

Jefferson, Lynn and Anissa attend Tavon's funeral.

Jamilla Olsen confronts Jefferson at the funeral and starts asking him questions. He agrees to answer one question - what he'd say to Tavon right now if he could talk to him one last time.

Lynn gets into a fight with Jeff over his going out as Black Lightning and fighting the ASA commandos.

Gambi says that the poison infecting Anissa is destroying her cells faster than anything he's ever seen. He says that if it weren't for her metahuman healing factor, she'd already be dead. As it is, the poison is repressing her metagene and making her mortal, even as it's making her weaker by the moment.

Gambi thinks the poison is similar to one he encountered before but it is 10 times as potent as the original. He estimates Anissa has no more than two weeks to live if he can't find an antidote.

Gambi is trying to supercharge the anti-venom he created for the original poison, but he can't guarantee that will work.

Gambi agrees to give Anissa a day before he tells Jeff and Lynn about Anissa being poisoned.

Truthteller Johnson was fished out of the river the morning after Tavon's funeral.

Inspector Henderon asks Gina to get her engineering student nephew to build a broadcasting system strong enough to reach all over Freeland.

Somehow, Tobias heard about Black Lightning attacking two ASA commandos depsite being in solitary confinement. He tells Lynn he's willing to keep Jefferson's identity a secret if she can get him a list of ever metahuman in The Pit and what powers they have.

Jefferson goes by Anissa's apartment and tries to apologies for pushing her to bring Tavon back to Freeland. He says it is his fault that he died. Anissa refuses to let him take the blame, says it is her fault for not fighting him harder on it being a bad idea and that Tavon's death is her responsibility.

Grace says she doesn't remember much when she shape-shifts into a leopard, but she does remember the smells and can recognize those smells as a human. She says she can smell death on Anissa.

Jennifer breaks into Brandon's apartment and finds that it is full of coal, miniature greenhouses, diamonds and that his computer has pictures of Lynn on it.

Jennifer is now capable of using her power to bypass the password on computers.

Again, Brandon shows that he is capable of repelling and absorbing Jennifer's electric powers.

Agent Odell confronts Jefferson about his attacking the ASA commandos. He does not react well to Jefferson saying their deal is off.

The teleporting assassin working for the Markovians, last seen in 216 appears again. This time, he kills all the ASA commandos in a truck heading into Freeland and commandeers it for the Markovians. According to Black Lightning Wiki, this metahuman is known as Instant.

Inspector Henderson picks up Jamilla Olsen and threatens her if she doesn't stop reporting on things in Freeland. When she refuses, he recruits her to become the new voice of the Resistance broadcasts.

Lynn prints a selection of data sheets on certain Pod Kid and Green Light Baby metahumans who have manifested superpowers. These include R. James (MAJOR level - sound manipulation), Erica Moran (OMEGA level - energy manipulation) and Wendy Hernandez (OMEGA level - aerokinesis). Lynn shreds the last of these two print outs.

Brandon tells Jennifer that he isn't stalking Lynn - he's trying to find Dr. Jace, who was responsible for killing his mother and he intends to kill her. The last link he had to her was Lynn.

Brandon agrees to keep Jennifer's family out of his business.

Brandon says that his powers let him manipulate the earth and everything that comes from it. This apparently lets him literally stay grounded in the face of Jennifer's electrical energy attacks.

Brandon reveals that his powers let him change coal into diamonds. He give Jennifer one he says that should pay for her college.

Gambi traces the poison infecting Jennifer and determines its a stronger variant of what Painkiller generated when he was first empowered by Tobias.

Lynn gives Tobias five minutes to memorize the printouts she made.

Tobias hints to Lynn that Agent Odell killed Issa because his power to make people tell the truth was too dangerous.

Gambi's anti-venom saves Anissa.

The five main ASA assets in Freeland are The Pit, The Armor, The Detainment Facility, The Perimeter Generator and the Command Center at Club 100.

Colonel Mosin is the leader of the Markovian strike team sneaking into Freeland.

Jefferson intervenes in the fight between the Markovians and the ASA. However, his powers short out the neutrino disruptors, allowing Instant and Colonel Mosin to escape.

Agent Odell is apparently killed in the fight with the Markovians.

Kyrie is another member of the Resistance.

Jamilla makes her first Resistance broadcast.

Instant says he was hired to get in and out of Freeland - not fight Black Lightning - which is why he ran for it after the neutrino disruptors failed.

Gambi scans Khalil Payne's grave and determines it is empty.

Lynn leaves Jefferson, because of his continuing to act out as Black Lightning without consulting her.  It is clear, however, that her perceptions have been altered by the Green Light usage.


Untelevised Adventures

Black Lightning fights two ASA soldiers the night after Tavon's funeral.


The Bottom Line

An odd episode, which barely gives Jennifer anything to do and kills the main villain off in the most unceremonious fashion possible... assuming Agent Odell is killed, which may not be certain given how often people on this show come back from the dead at random.

(UPDATE: Sure enough, Agent Odell is resting in the next episode.)

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 5 - The Book of the Occupation: Chapter Five: Requiem For Tavon

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




Plot

The hunt for Blackbird intensifies, as Jefferson takes it upon himself to bring Tavon home to Freeland. Meanwhile, Lynn has a major breakthrough in her search for a way to stabilize the metagene but it requires her dealing with the last person in the world she wants to see - Tobias Whale!


Influences

The Outsiders comics of Judd Winick (Grace and Anissa's romance)


Goofs

The scene of Erica dying, leaving behind nothing but smoking shoes is cartoonish.


Performances

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III saves this episode, conveying the menace of Tobias Whale's character even as he's helplessly strapped to a gurney.


Technobabble

Lynn sais that Dr. Jace created the metahuman virus as a means of sending Lynn her research, which was sliced into the DNA of the virus, which she had already developed her  own vaccine.

On closer examination of the virus' RNA, Lynn determines that Dr. Jace used a gene-editing tool to send her a specific amino acid chain.

Twenty amino acids make up a protein chain. The protein created by the specific chain Dr. Jace discovered was a byproduct of a serum that was the predecessor to the metagene-triggering vaccine in Green Light. Once it's metabolized in a human host, it strengthens the mitochondrial membrane potential of meta cells significantly. In theory, Lynn can use this to stabilize the metagene. The only problem is the chain can't be synthesized - it has to be taken from the host who developed the chain naturally.

Robot comes from the Czech word robota, which means "forced labor."

Replenishing electrolytes is the best way to beat a hangover.


Dialogue Triumphs

Painkiller: (To the ASA sergeant that insulted him that is now choking on his poison) Do you have kids, Sergeant? A religious man, perhaps? You see, I often ponder my victims' last thoughts before they die. And the truth is it's fascinating to me.

(Henderson is questioning Two-Bits about stolen ASA property he's been reselling.)
Two-Bits: Why are you hounding me anyway?
(Henderson holds up an evidence bag. In it is the tomato that Two-Bits threw at him earlier.)
Two-Bits: Hey, I did miss.

Henderson: You haven't seen anything out of sorts lately, have you?
Rev. Holt: If I saw something, I'd have said something.
(Rev. Holt chuckles nervously.)
Henderson: Mmm-hmm. The trouble is, all my leads end right here in this church. You care to explain?
Rev. Holt: I have no earthly idea. I suppose those with the most sin cast the first stone.
Henderson: Well, I'm not the one smuggling the metas outside of Freeland. (smirks cutely) All aboard! Choo-choo!
(Rev. Holt's face freezes up in realization.)
Henderson: Yeah, I thought that might ring a bell.
Rev. Holt: Now, now, come on, Chief. Listen You don't think I'm human trafficking? Huh?
(Rev. Holt laughs. Chief Henderson clearly isn't buying it. Suddenly, Holt goes all fire and brimstone.)
Rev. Holt: I am down here saving these poor souls. These people have rights. Chief Henderson, they have rights!
Henderson: Reverend Holt, you have the right to remain silent. A right that I know that you will waive.
Rev. Holt: Now, you hear me, Chief Henderson. You cannot arrest me here. We are in the house of the Lord. And He sees all!
Henderson: Yeah. Between me and you, Reverend, He's seen worse.

Tobias Whale: I recently found myself with a lot of time to contemplate what got me in this godforsaken pit. And all I can come up with is Black Lightning always showing up whenever your daughters are in trouble. Once is chance. Second time is coincidence, but a third? Now, that's a pattern.
Lynn: Black Lightning saves a lot of lives in Freeland.
Tobias Whale: This is true. But after that boy your daughter was dating got his spine ripped out, some new female firecracker-type superhero appeared and lit my ass up. With Black Lightning's help, of course. Do you see the pattern?
Lynn: Only the musings of a lunatic.
Tobias Whale: Humor me. Answer this lunatic's one question. (smiling wickedly) What's your super suit look like, Dr. Stewart?

(Henderson pulls out his phone and shows Two-Bits and Rev. Holt a video a student shot of Jefferson Pierce being beaten by the ASA.)
Henderson: Tavon Singley and Jefferson Pierce are the spark we needed.
Two-Bits: "We"?
Rev. Holt: What exactly are you saying?
Henderson: The people of Freeland are ready to fight now. We've all been working independently, nickel-and-diming these bastards, but it's time to join forces, run the ASA out of here, take our freedom back.
(The rest of the Resistance leadership come out of the shadows behind Henderson) 
Two-Bits: So, you've been leading the insurgents this whole time?
Henderson: I'm just a man trying to do what's right. Join us.
Rev. Holt: We'll be crucified if we try to take the ASA on by ourselves.
Henderson: But who said we by ourselves?
(Blackbird emerges from behind Rev. Holt and nods to him.)
Rev. Holt: "And the scales fell from his eyes, turning Saul to Paul."
(Rev. Holt extends his hand to Henderson, who shakes it.) 
Two-Bits: (chuckling) My man.


Continuity

Tavon films a video for his parents from the commune he's working on in South Freeland. He notes that he'd never seen the stars before now and how the metahumans and ordinary people in South Freeland are working together.

Agent Odell uses facial recognition software to try and identify Blackbird. He seems to have figured out that she is Anissa Pierce.

Painkiller nearly kills an ASA Sergeant who insulted him while sparring.

Agent Odell sends Painkiller after Blackbird.

Lynn has a dream that she was running experiments on a girl named Erica who had the power to absorb kinetic energy, effectively making her bullet-proof. She told Erica to release the energy and Erica made herself explode, leaving behind only a pair of smoking shoes. It's unclear if this was a nightmare of something that did happen or something Lynn feared would happen.

Truthteller Johnson delivers a broadcast, describing how the assault on the Freeland PDHQ in 304 was not the work of Markovian terrorists, as the ASA is now claiming, but Blackbird leading a raid to free non-metahuman citizens that were being illegally held.

Jennifer is feeling sick, her perception of things being slowed down. She wants to take a sick day, but Jefferson feels her forehead and cheek and says she feels fine.

Lynn says that she's been having recurring dreams of severed feet. She eventually realizes this is her subconscious trying to tell her that Dr. Jace left a message for her in the DNA of the metahuman virus.

Lynn determines that Tobias Whale (ASA Patient 49) has an amino acid chain in his DNA that could be used to stabilize the metagene in other people.

Acting Police Chief Henderson announces that Blackbird is now wanted in connection with the attack on Freeland PDHQ. The ASA is now offering a $50,000 reward for her. Two-Bits throws a tomato in his general direction once the press conference is done.

Tavon's parents meet with Jefferson. They believe that the ASA killed Tavon and are covering it up. Jefferson promises he'll see what he can do

Anissa gives Grace the vaccine for the metaplague.

Gambi has been watching over Grace to make sure she doesn't lose control of her shape-shifting when Anissa isn't around.

Jennifer is feeling chills and accidentally triggers a power surge in the computer lab at school. When asked about why she looks bad, she tells her friends that "I was flying high on pure energy last night, and now I feel like gravity's crushing me." They don't realize she's being literal.

Acting Chief Henderson arrests Two-Bits after determining he's been stealing supplies from the ASA and reselling them.

Blackbird delivers more of the meta vaccine to Reverend Holt. She tells him to inoculate all the metas they're going to sneak out of Freeland that night and tells him to make sure everyone is wearing black.

Jefferson asks Anissa to bring Tavon back to Freeland. She says its a bad idea, but she'll see what she can do.

Blackbird delivers the meta vaccine to South Freeland and asks Tavon if he wants to go back home  to Freeland with her.

14 of the Pod Kids died under Lynn's care.

MB4 is the official ASA designation for the serum that gave Tobias Whale eternal youth and super-strength. Lynn gives him a dose of it to save his life so

Painkiller attacks Tavon and Blackbird as they are coming through the ASA perimeter into Freeland. They are able to escape, but not without both being poisoned.

Agent Odell calls upon Anissa's apartment hoping to find her sick with Painkiller's toxin. He is instead greeted by a perfectly healthy Anissa. This is really Grace shapeshifted to look like Anissa.

Acting Chief Henderson arrests Reverend Holt for smuggling metahumans out of Freeland.

Tobias tells Lynn that he's figured out that Jefferson is Black Lightning.

Tavon succumbs to the poison and dies in Black Lightning's arms.

Anissa firmly puts Tavon's death on Jefferson's hands.

Lynn asks Agent Odell to "disappear" Tobias after she is done with him.

The rumor going around Garfield High is that Tavon was shot by the ASA trying to escape Freeland.

Jefferson intervenes after a group of students confront the ASA soldiers over Tavon's death and one of the soldiers hits a boy in the face with the butt of her rifle.

Brandon has something to ask Jennifer, but the question is forgotten as a fight breaks out between Jefferson and the ASA soldiers.

Shots are fired into the air and the soldiers begin beating Jefferson as the students look on in horror.

Brandon holds Jennifer back from getting involved as her powers spark. Somehow, he absorbs the energy she's generating into himself.

Agent Odell says that he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he was younger.

Agent Odell allows Jennifer to attack the soldiers who beat up her father.

Inspector Henderson takes Two-Bits and Reverend Holt to a meeting of Freeland's Resistance, revealing himself to be its leader. They agree to all work together, using Tavon's death and Jefferson's beating as a rallying point for the people of Freeland.


Location

South Freeland


The Bottom Line

A complete game-changer that salvages the season so far, by putting the show's best supporting cast front and center and looking at the big picture instead of all the smaller subplots that had been all but forgotten over season 2. We have gone through the tunnel and there is light at the end!

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 4 - The Book of the Occupation: Chapter Four: Lynn's Ouroborus

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




Plot

Returned to a drastically different Freeland, Jefferson faces new challenges in his civilian identity as Lynn feels the pressure to find a cure for the metahuman plague and turns to drastic measures. Meanwhile, Jennifer has her confidence shaken, as Anissa continues her secret work as Blackbird while rebuilding her relationship with Grace.


Influences

The Judd Winick run of Outsiders (Grace and Anissa's romance)


Goofs

Granting that the ASA is your typical stupid evil government organization, you'd think any plan that involves getting your chief scientist and the only person capable of saving your investment hooked on a drug would be a phenomenally stupid idea.


Performances

Jordan Calloway has developed Painkiller into the kind of villain you love to hate yet feel sorry for and his new smiling, earnest yet ruthless persona is one of the best things about the new season.


Artistry

It's a subtle note in the script, but it's pleasantly surprising to see Principal Lowery trying to stand up for the students and resist the ASA, even if it was likely born of his refusing to have anyone question his authority rather than any personal interest in student welfare.

The effects work for the final scene with Jennifer in orbit is some of the best the show has seen. In fact, it's better than the similar effects for Jean Grey's fire in Dark Phoenix.


Trivia

The note about Grace being trafficked as a sex slave as a child is taken directly from her background in the comics.


Technobabble

The metahuman virus has properties similar to Ebola.

The chemical structure of the metahuman virus is similar to a chemical compound found in both Green Light and the ASA vaccines.

Without exception, Green Light users develop a notable boost in brain activity.

Lynn theorizes that by removing the psychoactive properties of Green Light, she can make it safe for consumption and use the drug to enhance her intelligence. The process is similar to the one used to extract the THC from from marijuana. The end result is that Lynn developed a drug that left her with increased focus and an enhanced ability to process information.

Gambi created a mobile Faraday cage disguised as a coffee tumbler. It can be used to block the signal of any electronic device placed in it.

Gambi also created a device to mimic the signal of the tracking device they think is implanted in Jefferson's new costume watch.

Gambi coated the tires of several ASA vehicles with a radioactive resin, leaving a trail he could use to find The Pit.

According to Gambi, Jefferson's new suit is far better than anything he ever made in his life. He says it would have taken him $30 billion and ten guys working around the clock to equal it. The costume is based around next-gen nanotech, and has an increased conductivity threshold that allows Jefferson to generate 20-30% more electricity without any risk of damaging his nervous system.

According to Agent Odell, the active ingredient of Green Light is the most addictive substance on Earth.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Jefferson and Jennifer are moving past the line of students waiting to be tested for the metagene.)
Jefferson: To think, once upon a time I was worried about metal detectors.
Jennifer: It's not about corner boys now. If a war breaks out, we're gonna be really happy the ASA is here.
Jefferson: (stunnded) Wait, what? Jen. (quietly) Jen, you saw what happened at that checkpoint. They pointed guns at us!
Jennifer: Didn't you just let the ASA experiment on you? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you did. Why would you do that if you thought the ASA was no good, Dad?
Jefferson: To protect you.
Jennifer: (bitterly) That's always the reason, isn't it?

(Brandon, Jennifer and Kiesha are talking about Tavon's arrest while smoking in a bathroom.)
Brandon: So they're just gonna lock him up and wait till the results come in?
Jennifer: There's no way in hell Tavon's a meta.
Brandon: I heard someone dropped a "see something, say something" dime on him. Got some beef over a girl.
Kiesha: (To Jennifer) You really believe that peacekeeping stuff - about the ASA helping?
Jennifer: Look, I don't know. Okay? But what I do know is, Markovia's dangerous. I've been hearing some crazy stuff about them, like war-crime stuff.
Brandon: That's dumb as hell. How could you judge an entire country based off of rumors? (scoffs) Y'all don't even know what the hell y'all talking about, man.
Jennifer: Oh, and you do?
Brandon: I'm just saying. History is written by whoever wins. So unless we experience things firsthand, how do we know it's true?
Jennifer: Well, if it was up to my mom, I would never experience anything. I really hate how they say that they want us to be better than them. 'Cause in reality, they never do.


Dialogue Disasters

Major Grey: Anything dealing with that rebel scum, including their dietary needs, is an ASA matter and well beyond your current mandates.


Continuity

At this episode opens, it has been six days since Lynn began trying to cure the metahuman plague.

Lynn develops an intelligence-enhancing drug based on Green Light, which she begins taking in a desperate bid to develop a cure for the metahuman virus faster.

Since Jefferson was locked up by the ASA, traffic-stop check-points have been established around Freeland.

People who have been cleared as non-metahumans are given special ID cards to get them through the check points.

Agent Odell has given all of the Pierces fake cards declaring them to be non-metas.

A group of Resistance members armed with energy weapons attack the checkpoint as Jefferson is taking Jennifer to school.

Gambi goes to work on blocking the tracking device in Jefferson's new costume.

Gambi has an ex-wife he refuses to talk about, but he sympathizes with Jefferson not seeing eye-to-eye with Lynn on how much they should work with the ASA.

Gambi says he'll also figure out how to locate The Pit and let Jefferson focus on saving his marriage.

Agent Odell continues to check up on Jennifer. When she asks how she can be sure the Markovians are a threat when the ASA is controlling the Internet in and out of Freeland, he offers to send her a link to an ASA intel video regarding Markovia's operations around the world.

The 100 are hijacking ASA trucks carrying weapons and supplies.

Agent Odell sends Painkiller out to find out who is responsible for his missing trucks.

Jamillah Olsen is reporting on how now students are being forced to submit to metagene testing.

Brandon already has an ASA non-meta pass, despite the students at Garfield High just now being tested and given individual IDs.

Jefferson sees video footage of Anissa (as Blackbird) throwing a tank at ASA agents.

Jefferson's class roster was permanently assigned to another teacher, per ASA orders. They also apparently arranged for him to get a pay-raise, a nicer office, less work and reassigned him to be Garfield High's guidance counselor, all over the objections of Principal Lowery.

Jefferson directly voices his displeasure over Freeland being under martial law to Agent Odell. As with Jennifer, Agent Odell says this is necessary because Markovian agents killed his people and will turn Freeland into a war-zone if not countered. He further threatens Jefferson with putting Anissa and Jennifer in The Pit if he doesn't keep cooperating.

The ASA commandeer Freeland PD HQ as another facility for holding metahumans, over Henderson's objections.

Agent Odell sends Jennifer a video on the Markovian invasion of Sudan which leaves her in tears. Markvoia has been accused of all manner of war-crimes, but the UN has yet to be able to get into Sudan to access the damage.

One of Lynn's patients is a bus driver named Richard who has lived in Freeland all his life. He's been married 38 years and been working the same job one month longer than he's been married. He has two sons and one daughter named Olivia, plus an undetermined number of grandchildren. His daughter is about to get married to a man he likes (though he'd never admit it.)

Blackbird stops several members of the Resistance from buying weapons from the 100. She says that she won't have her symbol or name being used to shoot-up ASA checkpoints.

Jefferson goes to speak to Anissa and finds Grace at her apartment.

Jefferson and Anissa argue about Grace being aware of her secret identity. This causes Grace to have an anxiety attack, and she shape-shifts into a young girl.

Anissa reveals that she knows Grace's real name is Shay Li Wylde and that she was trafficked as a sex slave as a young girl.

Lynn is revealed to be practically living in her lab now, stopping back at the Pierce house only to get a few things before going back to continue synthesizing a vaccine.

Painkiller tracks four of the missing trucks to two ASA guards. They confess that they were paid for a delivery schedule by Sinzell - the 100 drug dealer who is running the black market in Freeland.

Jennifer's class discusses government sponsored genocide in comparison to the situation in Freeland. Jennifer is the only student in favor of government occupation of a territory in order to prevent violence - an approach which Brandon points out didn't work in Rawanda.

Tavon Singley, one of Jefferson's favorite students, is taken into custody by the ASA.

Principal Lowery tries to stop this, and is beaten by the ASA soldiers for his efforts.

Lynn gets her vaccine for the meta-virus to work on Richard.

Henderson tells Jefferson about Tavon being held in the FPD HQ.

Anissa tells Jefferson about the Freeland Resistance and the effort to get metahumans out of Freeland through an Underground Railroad. She says it is made up of herself, Reverend Holt and a handful of other people.

Anissa is stunned when Jefferson approves of what she's done with The Resistance and the Underground Railroad out of Freeland.. He even laughs at the irony of her nickname of Harriet - a reference to Harriet Tubman.

Jefferson, Gambi, Henderson and Anissa organize a raid on the FPD HQ that frees all the imprisoned Resistance members as well as Tavon.

Painkiller tracks down Sinzell and kills him.

Tavon flees to South Freeland along with the freed metahumans.

The Resistance members all elect to stay in Freeland and keep fighting, even though the ASA has identified them now.

Agent Odell tells Jefferson he knows that he was involved in the attack on the police station and that was his last chance.

Gambi tracks down the location of The Pit.

It is revealed that the ASA was already aware of the effects of the alternate Green Light formula that Lynn is now taking and that they have been using subliminal messages on their computers to encourage her to keep taking the formula she thought she had devised on her own.

Agent Odell gives Jennifer a new suit and an ear-piece. He then instructs her to change and fly straight up until she hears beeping. She moves up high enough to see the curvature of the Earth and a corona of energy springs up around her, making her eyes glow - a sensation that is apparently pleasing based on Jennifer's reaction.


The Fridge Factor

Jennifer's IQ has dropped about 50 points, with the cynical young woman who didn't believe much of anything suddenly becoming a member of the ASA Hitler Youth, so to speak.


The Winick Factor

Jefferson's sudden freak-out over Anissa wanting to be famous over video footage shot while she was fleeing the ASA doesn't ring true.


The Bottom Line

Uneven in the extreme, with minor characters from the past season suddenly reintroduced with little rhyme or reason. Tavon's exodus and Lowery's humbling might have meant more if either of them had been a major presence in the show. For every magical moment that works (most of the Painkiller scenes, Jennifer's discovering the extent of her power, Jefferson telling Anissa how proud he is, the raid on the Freeland PD HQ) there are just as many terrible moments where the melodrama doesn't work (Anything involving Major Grey, Lynn's scenes with Richard, and everything involving Lynn's newfound drug addiction.). Quite probably the worst episode of the series to date.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 3 - The Book of the Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent Odell's Pipe-Dream

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




Plot

As Grace and Anissa have an emotional reunion, Jefferson makes a deal with Agent O'Dell that will win him his freedom.. Little do they know that O'Dell has made a similar deal with Jennifer and begun to consolidate his power over Freeland, as a plague breaks out among the incarcerated metahumans.


Influences

Judd Winick's Green Arrow


Performances

Bill Duke has never been creepier or more subtly intimating as Agent Odell as he is here.


Technobabble

It is possible to apply enough force at the right angle to snap both the fibula and tibia with one strike or twist.

The commotio cordis is a lethal disruption of the heart's rhythm caused by a single precisely timed blow, like hitting a person with a defibrillator.

Lynn says the virus killing the metahumans is made of mutations that she created and the only other person who knew about them was Dr. Jace.


Dialogue Triumphs

Observer: Mastering 23 different marital arts seems extreme.
Painkiller: Uh, there's no extreme in war. And, "To kill the grass you must kill the root. " Pol Pot.
Observer: You're quoting someone who killed 10% of the population of Cambodia?
Painkiller: 25%. Pol Pot killed 25% of the population of Cambodia.

(Agent Odell places a black jewelry box on the desk before Jefferson.)
Jefferson: What's that?
Agent Odell: Why don't you open it and see?
(Jefferson does so, It's a watch.)
Jefferson: It's a watch.
Agent Odell: Try it on.
Jefferson: Like I have a choice.
(Jefferson puts it on. Nothing happens.)
Jefferson: Doesn't work.
Agent Odell: Run some current through it.
(Jefferson flexes his arm. The watch lights up and shows the time.)
Jefferson: (sarcastically) Oh, hey, it tells the time. Great, thank you.
Agent Odell: It does a lot more than just that. That watch has more technology in it than the space shuttle, but it can only be activated with your unique skills.
Jefferson: But all I see is a watch.
Agent Odell: Hmm. Why don't you try to hit it with around ten volts and see if your perception changes?
Jefferson: But that'll fry it.
Agent Odell: (earnestly) Will it?
Jefferson: Okay. I'll humor you, okay? Ten volts.
(Jefferson stands and flexes again, electricity sparking along his bicep. Suddenly, cloth begins to materialize along his arm, forming a Black Lightning costume out of whole cloth.)
Jefferson: Wha-?
Agent Odell: This is the reason why we have you here, why we're testing you, why we're putting you through so much pain and struggle.
Jefferson: Oh!
(By this point, the costume is about halfway across Jefferson's torso)
Agent Odell: It's so we can create tech that will help all metas to live better. The Markovians are planning on killing or capturing all of the metas in Freeland. I cannot stop them without your help. If you help me with this, you can go home and be with your daughters.
(A pair of goggles forms on Jefferson's face. He looks down and flexes, the costume briefly lighting up as he runs a current through it. For the first time in a while, he smiles.)
Jefferson: Well, damn.

Tobias: Where's your truth boy?
Agent Odell: We had to let Issa go.
Tobias: So you killed him?
(Agent Odell says nothing. His face betrays nothing.)
Tobias: Makes sense. I'd have done the same thing. Can't have some kid running around knowing about all your dirt. Tell me, Agent Odell. Did you smoke him yourself?
(Again, Agent Odell says nothing. His face betrays nothing.)
Tobias: You did, didn't you? (laughs, with the laugh becoming a lingering cough) I knew you did.
Agent Odell:  We both know it's your fault that Issa is dead.
Tobias: You didn't want that boy dead, you shouldn't have put him in there with me.
Agent Odell: Point taken. Well played. (voice slowly becoming more intense and deliberate) But from now on, you will be dealing with me. And I promise you, you will tell me where I can get the information from that briefcase.
(Tobias coughs.)
Agent Odell: Oh. You know I just realized? 
(Agent Odell sits down opposite Tobias and reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket. He pulls out an eyeglasses case and replaces his glasses with a pair of sunglasses with the same frames.)
Agent Odell:  You... You haven't been out of your cell in over a month. I owe you some time in the sun. Open.
(The ceiling starts to scroll away, letting what appears to be the light of a nice, sunny day into the cell. Tobias is too weak to do anything but squint up in annoyance.)
Agent Odell: My understanding is that one minute in this concentrated UV light is like an hour on the beach. If only you were more... melanated.
(Tobias begins screaming, trying to shield his face with his hands. His hands begin to blister almost immediately.)
Agent Odell: Let me know when you're ready.
(Agent Odell stands and leaves the cell, as Tobias continues screaming.)


Continuity

The reprogrammed Painkiller knows 23 martial arts, including Aikido, Kali, Wrestling, Western boxing, Judo, Tae kwon do, Jujitsu, Muay Thai and Silat. He also knows how to trigger a commotio cordis (or sudden heart stoppage) with a single focused blow.

The reprogrammed Painkiller also knows world history well enough to know the exact percentage of Cambodia's population killed by Pol Pot.

Anissa is still seeing the reporter Jamilla.

Henderson visits Detective Sgt. King in the ASA camp. She tells him about the metahuman plague and that she has it, just before she drops dead. She also tells Henderson that there's a safe deposit box key in a false bottom in her locker and asks him to deliver its contents to her husband.

Agent Odell asks Lynn for her help in treating the metahuman plague.

Jennifer is asked to give new student named Brandon a tour of Garfield High.

Agent Odell gives Jefferson a watch capable of generating a new costume for him. He promises that if Jefferson can help him with rescuing an ASA team captured by Markovian soldiers outside Freeland and continue to help him protect the city, he will let Jefferson move back into his home wtih his daughters.

All the police officers in Freeland are being tested for the metagene.

Tobias Whale is on pills for arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, and bladder function.

The withdrawal on the anti-aging serum Tobias took is 10 times worse than coming off of heroin.

Agent Odell takes 18 pills a day for various ailments.

Agent Odell begins torturing Tobias with a concentrated UV lamp to get him to talk about Agent Proctor's briefcase.

Brandon is from Springbrook High and wears $1000 sneakers.

Jennifer makes reference to the events of the series pilot (her and Anissa being kidnapped), 112 (Painkiller attacking the school) and Tobias Whale ripping out Khalil's spine in 210 as she's giving Brandon the tour of Garfield High.

Painkiller is sent on a mission to hunt Markovians. He is eventually sent to 324 Oglethorpe.

Henderson is assaulted by a woman while touring Freeland with the newly elected mayor.

Agent Odell offers to help Tobias retake his old territory in exchange for the briefcase. Tobias turns him down.

Lynn determines that Dr. Jace created the virus that is killing the metahumans and that Cyclcotronic was probably the carrier.

Henderson delivers the money in the safe deposit box to Detective Sgt. King's husband, while delivering the news of her death.

Agent Odell visit Jennifer and tells her about the death of Nichelle Payne. He lies, however, and says a Markovian agent did it rather than Painkiller.

Agent Odell gets Jennifer to agree to help him destroy a Markovian data farm on the outskirts of Freeland and do some other jobs that will help them save the city.

Jefferson finds out the captive ASA soldiers were supposed to get captured and that he is meant to be fire-support on a mission to capture Dr. Jace. Unfortunately, she got away before the raid could be completed.

Grace is waiting for Anissa on the street outside the free clinic. The two reconcile and Anissa promises to help Grace get what she needs so she can stop stealing drugs and self-medicating to control her shape-shifting powers, which she says she's had since she was born.

Grace amicably splits up with the reporter Jamilla, saying she worked things out with her ex.

Jennifer destroys the data farm, clearing the way for Painkiller to attack a Markovian safehouse.

Jefferson and Lynn return home.

Tobias is now having nightmares of Black Lightning taunting him, saying he'll never get out of prison and never get back what he lost.


The Bottom Line

A smartly-written return to form, helped by a strong focus on Tobias, Bill Duke's performance as Agent Odell and Jefferson finally being allowed to do something.