Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 13 - The Book of Resurrection: Chapter Two: Closure

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

Plot

With Jefferson Pierce apparently dead, his family make one last strike against Tobias Whale, as Freeland's Chief of Police goes mad with power... literally. There's also an unexpected enemy within, but before the night is done Black Lightning will strike one last time.

Influences

Daredevil: Born Again (hero returns after almost being killed and having his life ruined by his crime boss archenemy) and Batman and The Outsiders (The new Jennifer's background is somewhat reminiscent of the origin of Halo.)


Goofs

There's no resolution regarding Gambi's romance with Lauren.


Performances

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III absolutely slays during his death scene.


Artistry

Even by the standards of this show, this episode has some fantastic music and it is well used throughout the episode.

The switching between young and current Jefferson as he speaks to his father is a nice touch.

The scene of Jefferson emerging from his grave is pure comic book magic made real.


Trivia

On the day this episode was originally aired, The CW formally announced that it was not picking up the Painkiller spin-off.

As he dies, Tobias quotes Moby Dick and Ahab's last words- "To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell's heart, I stab at thee; For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."

Also on the same day this episode originally aired, Cress Williams revealed that he was in talks with the showrunners on The Flash to appear as Jefferson Pierce in a few episodes of The Flash Season 8.

Will Catlett improvised the final line of the episode and the series, with the approval of director Salim Akil.

The new Jennifer is revealed to be an energy being who replicated Jennifer's body and replaced her. This seems remarkably similar to the background of Halo, a member of the Outsides in the comics, who was revealed to be an energy being that took over the body of a young woman named Violet Harper. The key difference is that Violet Harper was not a good person and Halo's spirit was good, whereas here we have a malevolent spirit taking over Jennifer Pierce's life.


Technobabble

With the Promethium energy, Jefferson's electrical blasts can overcome Tobias' grounding, at least enough to throw him around though he doesn't seem to suffer any heat damage from the electricity.


Dialogue Triumphs

Gambi: You don't worry about this. Forget it ever happened.
Young Jefferson: I'm as bad as Tobias.
Gambi: Don't say that. Don't even think it. Put it out of your mind.
Young Jefferson: I still see his face when he died. I'm a monster.
Gambi: Stop. That guy was a known killer, and a One Hundred gang member. He pulled a gun on you, and he was gonna kill you in cold blood. You reacted instinctively, Jeff. It was self-defense. Nothing more.
Young Jefferson: Never again. I don't want these powers.
Gambi: I'll teach you. You'll learn how to use them, how to control them for good.
Young Jefferson: No.
Gambi: You're hurting right now, son. But don't give up. Learn from this. Your powers properly used can give hope. Hope to your city and its people. All you need is a code, Jeff. Together, we'll find you one. 

(Alvin Pierce and Jefferson Pierce sit on the steps of Jefferson's boyhood home. As they talk, Jefferson shifts between his adult self and his tween self.)
Jefferson: Even with powers, I suffered the same fate.
Alvin: No, you've made your fate, son. Starting with a code to keep you from losing your way and becoming like him.
Jefferson: You know?
Alvin: About the One Hundred boy you killed?
(Jefferson makes a face remembering it.)
Alvin: See, that there, what you're feeling? That's shame. Tobias doesn't feel shame. And that's why you'll never be like him, and why you're the one to stop him.
Jefferson: I tried, Pop. I tried for years. He won. He killed me. I don't have what it takes to stop him.
Alvin: No, you have everything you need. No more hiding under the bed, son. In order to accomplish what you've never done, you have to use what you never have. So go get it, and get it done. 

(Tobias and Black Lightning are fighting, but neither is doing much damage. Finally, Tobias is able to knock Jefferson Pierce down.)
Tobias: You need somethin' that hurts your nappy-headed neon ass. Let me introduce you to my favorite word.
(Tobias picks Black Lightning up and lifts him over his head, carrying him towards the window.)
Tobias: It's called "defenestration".
(Black Lightning shocks Tobias, forcing him to drop him. He then focuses a blast and sends Tobias flying out the window as he is moving in on the fallen Black Lightning. Once he's standing he moves to the window, only to find Tobias, impaled on a decorative spike, and slowly sliding down it as it comes through his chest.)
Black Lightning: Tobias, hold on!
(Choking on blood, Tobias struggles but the spike is too far down for him to grab it for leverage. His struggling is only accelerating how quickly his own weight is pulling him down the spike.)
Tobias: "To the end, I grapple with thee. From the bottom of hell's heart, I stab at thee". 
Black Lightning: Tobias, don't.

(Tobias reaches for both his guns and draws them.)
Black Lightning: Stop! We don't have to do this! There's another way!

Tobias: (breathing heavily) "For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee".
(Tobias begins firing wildly at Black Lightning, but Jefferson easily puts up a shield to block the bullets. He then aims the electrical wave at Tobias, but there is no anger or malice in it. It is mercy, as the lighting quickly kills Tobias and ends his suffering in this world. Jefferson looks at Tobias corps in disgust, as it begins to rapidly age to his true age.)

(TC sits down at his computer and activates his power. He's suddenly in the psychic headspace dojo that Khalil and Painkiller share.)
Painkiller: Oh, you must be crazy bringin' your ass here.
Khalil: I invited him.
Painkiller: (To Khalil) Don't think I won't kick your ass, too.
TC: What if I come with good and great news?
Painkiller: Speak.
TC: Tobias Whale is dead.
Painkiller: Damn. I wanted to kill him. (To TC) That's not good news. (To Khalil) Let me kick his ass just a little.
Khalil: TC, what is your other news?
TC: I've isolated the system code for the kill order. I can free you.
Painkiller: Good. Let's do it.
TC: Well, there's a catch. It's linked to everything you know and love about the whole Pierce family. If you break the kill order, you won't remember the Pierces at all.
Painkiller: So what? Pains in the ass anyway.
Khalil: (To Painkiller) Shut up, and sit your Black ass down.
(Khalil pauses and looks back to TC.)
Khalil:  TC, there's gotta be another way around.
TC: Well, there's not. I've checked and I've double-checked.
Khalil: Damn. (To Painkiller) You won't stop, will you? Sooner or later, you're going to kill Jen and all of the Pierces.
Painkiller: Best believe. But I'm not nobody's puppet. Cut the damn cord.
(Khalil gets up and turns away from them both, looking troubled.)
TC: If you need more time, I can...
(Khalil raises his hand, cutting him off.)
Khalil: Always known I'd give my life for that girl. Never thought I'd have to forget her. Do it. 

(Lala sees Tobias' corpse, still impaled on the spike. He laughs.)
Lala: Somebody finally stuck it to your ass.


Continuity

Jennifer shows everyone the photo of Jefferson that Tobias sent her. Gambi determines it is not a fake.

Gambi is unable to trace Jefferson's phone.

Gambi is still working on locating the energy emitter, but thinks he should have it traced soon.

Gambi apparently spoke with Detective Shakur and he's getting the Meta Task Force to stand down on pursuing Blackbird, Thunder and Grace, so they should be able to move on Tobias without police interference.

Gambi also confirmed that Looker is in the process of clearing Jefferson and Lynn's names.

Detective Shakur goes into Chief Lopez's office and finds the used meta booster. He also determines that the power she gave herself was energy absorption.

Detective Shakur tries to call Jefferson to warn him and leaves a message on his voice mail.

It is revealed that Jefferson has been buried alive somewhere in the woods outside Freeland.

Gambi finds the emitter in an industrial park in West Freeland, which holds Tori Whale's tomb and the headquarters of Drakestone Security - a Blackwater-style firm that Tobias owns, only they use more high-tech weapons, like the new brand of DEG.

Jennifer goes back into the ionosphere to absorb more power. As she's there, something in the mass of particles tries to grab at her. She just barely gets away from it. A face also forms with the energy, along with hands.

Lynn insists on running some tests on Jennifer since she's a little dizzy after her trip.

A flashback to 30 years in the past shows Gambi and Jefferson burying a dead gang member in the woods - one whom Jefferson accidentally killed with his powers in self-defense. This leads Jefferson to make his vow against killing.

The particles in the ionosphere form into a second Jennifer - the original Jennifer.

Grace, Anissa and Gambi raid Tori Whale's tomb.

Gambi disables the emitter, restoring Grace and Anissa's powers just in time for them to save him from the Drakestone soldiers.

Jennifer confronts the new Jennifer, who reveals herself to be an energy being who lives in the ionosphere.

The fake Jennifer refers to the Ionosphere as The Glaze and says there are many intangible beings there who long to have physical forms.

Jennifer absorbs the fake Jennifer as they fight.

Jefferson seems to have a vision of his father as he is on the verge of death, praying to God that his family will be protected and that he will be allowed to go to Heaven.

Alvin Pierce apologizes to Jefferson for not being there to raise him, but tells him he can still beat Tobias by using what he never has before.

Detective Shakur gets a call about Chief Lopez drawing power out of an alley behind the power plant, which is starting to effect the city grid. He gathers every cop he can from the station and takes them to confront her.

Jefferson feels the energy from all of the newly-created Promethium under Freeland and uses it to recharge, emerging from his grave in costume.

Anissa was hit by several DEG blasts and requires medical attention after the fight at Tori Whale's tomb but is still conscious when Jefferson calls in.

Tobias' office is located in Tori Towers.

Lightning helps the police to bring down Chief Lopez.

Jefferson accidentally kills Tobias after reflexively shocking him and knocking him out a window, causing Tobias to be impaled on a decorative spike outside his office. He does try to save Tobias, but, defiant to the end, Tobias tries to shoot Black Lightning to keep him from saving him.

When Tobias dies, his corpse ages in an instant, his de-aging serum apparently wearing off.

TC tells Khalil and Painkiller about Tobias' death. Painkiller isn't happy, as he wanted to be the one to kill Tobias.

TC also tells Khalil and Painkiller that he found way to turn off Painkiller's kill order, but it will require him to erase all of Khalil's memories of the Pierce family, as the order is too firmly embedded in those memories to remove by itself.

Khalil and Painkiller both agree to this and TC removes all their memories of the Pierce family.

Sometime later, the family organizes an official wedding ceremony for Grace and Anissa.

Grace officially adopts Wylde as her superhero name.

Lynn apologizes to Gambi for blaming him for Jefferson being a superhero.

Neither TC or Jennifer drink any of the champagne at the party.

TC decides to wait on telling Jennifer about Khalil.

Jennifer says she's disturbed that nobody but her father seemed to have any idea she'd been repalaced by the fake Jennifer.

Jefferson and Lynn announce that they are getting remarried.

Jefferson announces that he is retiring from being a superhero and will leave protecting the city to Jennifer, Grace and Anissa.

Gambi announces that he is retiring too and that TC will be taking over his role on the team.

In Tobias' office, Lala, last seen in 406, finally frees himself from the concrete Ishmael trapped him in. 


Location

Akashic Valley


The Bottom Line

A largely satisfying conclusion that resolves most of the storylines of the season, though the return of Jennifer comes out of nowhere and the Painkiller resolution is bittersweet in the wake of the revelation that - baring his jumping to another series or some other network picking up the show - this is it for Khalil. Still, it could have been far worse, and at least Lala got the literal last laugh.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 5 - The Book of Ruin: Chapter One: Picking Up The Pieces

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

Plot

Chief Lopez declares war on Freeland's vigilantes and gangs, but the Pierce family have bigger concerns. Tensions run high and tempers flare as all the family secrets come out into the open and the life of Jennifer Pierce hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, Destiny proposes a truce between The 100 and the Kobra Cartel.


Influences

Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Machiavelli's The Prince (Both are cited by Lala in discussing strategy.)


Performances

It's hard to say who delivers the stronger performance here with the most limited screentime; Marvin Jones III as Tobias Whale or William Catlett as Lala.


Artistry

The effects work of Jefferson in orbit is good.

The script for this episode is one of the smartest in quite some time, with lots of witty banter.


Trivia

This marks the first episode where Laura Kariyki, credited as JJ, played Jennifer Pierce.


Technobabble

Gambi guesses that Jefferson's affinity for electrons allow him to sense Jennifer's presence in the energy her physical body disintegrated into. 

TC is able to talk to satellites from ground-level.

Gambi says they need a Hadron Particle Condenser to change the energy that was Jennifer's body back into solid matter.

Gambi is able to wake Jefferson up while he's in freefall by playing a series of high frequency sounds through his earpiece. 

With a particle condenser, there's a chance of creating miniature black holes. These could disappear almost instantly or destroy everything around them.

According to Gambi, once the energy is fully rendered and the DNA sequences have been decoded by the particle condenser, it will transmute the energy into matter. TC says the process is similar to how an object is 3D printed, only using organic material.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Jefferson flies up, blasting energy from his hands to carry him higher and higher. He doesn't look down until he starts breathing heavier from how thin the air is. Only then does he see the curve of the Earth and the fantastic view below him.)
Jefferson: Wow. I could see how someone could get used to this.

(Red quizzes Tobias on what a falling object over the city was, not knowing it was Black Lighting.)
Red: What do you think that was? Maybe a meteor or a shooting star?
Tobias: Do I look like Neil deGrasse Tyson to you?
Red: I'm not even really sure who that is, but I'm going to guess no.
Tobias: (chuckles) That's the problem with white privilidge. You get to be ignorant and still command respect. 

(Tobias chuckles at the video footage of Jefferson in costume again.)
Tobias: You know, Red, you may actually have to earn your money.

Red: (levitating his oversize coin in his hands) Just say the word, boss.
(Suddenly, the coin flies across the room, burying itself in the wall. Tobias' smile fades.)

Tobias: Boy, I've got two words for you. Spackle. And paint. Now fix my damn wall!

(Destiny proposes a truce between The 100 and the Kobra Cartel.)
Lala: So the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That's what you're saying?
Destiny: Seems like a truce makes sense, given the circumstances. You can even pick the place. Bring some people that you trust and we can hash out the details.
Lala: Nah. I think I'm good. I'm not really looking to do a peace summit right now. And the way I see it, the enemy of my enemy doesn't make you a friend. It just means I've got more enemies to deal with.

Devonte: So you really want this truce?
Lala: Nah. It's time that we flip the script. Like they say, "There's no avoiding war. It can only be postponed to the advantage of others."

Devonte: What you saying?

Lala: Destiny came at me with that Sun Tzu, so I went straight Machiavelli.

(Devonte looks confused)

Lala: That means that that bitch gots to die!

Tobias: In chess the most dangerous pieces are the ones that your opponent keeps on reserve. You must make your opponent commit. And once committed, you have yourself a game. (chuckles) And whenever I have a game, I always win.

Tobias: If one would have power, one must recognize the hierarchies in all things.

Val: Who said that?
Tobias: Me.

Val: May I be candid?
Tobias: At your own peril.

Black Lightning: You know, I'd hoped you'd turned the corner when we fought the Markovians. How much death do you need, man? Killing the mayor wasn't enough for you?
Lala: Man, I didn't kill that fool! And none of my boys did neither.
Black Lightning: That's not what Chief Lopez thinks.
Lala: There's only one person I wanted dead that night. Tobias Whale. And you should want him dead your damn self! Because no matter what that negro's playing at, know this! He's coming for all of us.
(Sirens start to be heard in the near distance.)
Black Lightning: We've got to stop killing each other, bro.
Lala: Tell that to the police. Freeland's my house. I don't kill nobody in it. Unless they've got it coming.
(Black Lightning drops the charge on his hands. Lala lowers his DEG and nods.)
Lala: Glad to see you back. Freeland's been needing someone to look up to.


Continuity

Jefferson claims to be able to sense that Jennifer is still alive. Anissa believes him.

Lynn and Gambi don't believe it's possible.

TC says that the Starlink satellite says something weird is going on in the area where Jennifer exploded and is able to get it to give him a visual view of it.

Jefferson is able to borrow the equipment Gambi needs to save Jennifer from a "fast friend" at STAR Labs in Central City (i.e. Barry Allen from The Flash) 

Jefferson dons his Black Lightning suit in order to fly into the ionosphere and try to absorb Jennifer's energy.

Jefferson absorbs Jen's energy but passes out in the process.

Gambi is able to wake up Jefferson before he crashes to Earth.

Tobias' new bodyguard is named Red. He's confirmed to be a telekinetic metahuman, powerful enough to throw a gold coin with enough force to penetrate a wall.

Tobias' AI Katie is able to access security cameras showing Jefferson's landing.

TC blames himself for not being able to stop Jennifer from going into the ionosphere. 

Lydell Green's body is found by the police. The coroner discovers that despite the electrical burns on his body (delivered by Jefferson in 403) he was killed by blunt force trauma - the blows administered by Lala in 404.

Despite Detective Hassan Shakar's belief that Green was probably killed by the Kobra Cartel, Chief Lopez decides to pin his death on Lightning and use his death as an excuse to crack down on the vigilantes of Freeland.

Chief Lopez also appoints Detective Shakar to lead a special Meta Task Force and refuses to accept no for an answer when he tries to shrug out of the job.

Detective Shakar served in the USMC for four years and spent two years in special operations. He turned down a chance to work in SWAT because he wanted to be a real detective - not busting down doors at 2 AM.

Lynn knew about Jennifer taking trips into the ionosphere to get charged up.

Lynn blames Jefferson not being there for Jennifer in the last year for her getting hooked on the "charge." He, in turn, blames Lynn for not doing anything to stop Jennifer's addiction because of her own struggles.

The 100 is blamed for the murder of Mayor Billy Black in 404, despite his being killed with police rounds.

Lightning is named as the primary suspect in the death of Lydell Green and is publicly declared Public Enemy #1 in Freeland.

Jefferson tells the rest of the family that he did beat up Lydell Green, but says he did not kill him.

Anissa ignores a phone call from Grace so that she can stay with Lynn, who is drinking heavily and pigging out on junk food.

Anissa still hasn't told Grace about what happened to Jennifer.

Gambi guesses it will take at least another day before Jennifer's body is reconstituted.

Jennifer was a fussy eater as a child when it came to fruit. She had no trouble with broccoli, but wouldn't eat grapes that were too squishy or apples that were bruised.

Jefferson lost Jennifer at the supermarket while picking out apples once. He found her five minutes later reading in the magazine section, looking at pictures of football star Colin Kaepernick. It was the only time he ever lost one of his kids and until Jennifer's near-death experience it was the worst moment of his life.

Gambi says that he doesn't agree with Lynn about what happened to Jennifer being Jefferson's fault. He does, however, agree with her that Jefferson should never have stopped being Black Lightning. 

Destiny calls Lala and suggests The 100 and Kobra Cartel call a truce to work against the police together. He reluctantly agrees, but immediately begins planning how to turn the tables against her.

Anissa still hasn't told her family that she and Grace were married in 403.

Anissa tells Grace about what happened to Jennifer.

Red does not play chess.

Red's father was killed by his mother. As a result, he doesn't trust any woman getting close to him or to Tobias.

Val went to Yale.

According to Tobias, Yale's law school producers a larger number of law professors than any other college.

Jefferson attacks The 100's underground fight club as Black Lightning, before calling the police and tipping them off as to its location.

Lala denies killing Mayor Black, telling Black Lightning he only wanted to kill Tobias Whale and he was the only one he and his men shot at.

Lala and Black Lighting seem to come to an understanding. Lala even says it's good to see him back.

The next morning, when Gambi wakes up, Jennifer is 92% reconstituted. 

TC did not sleep at all the previous night. 

According to TC, the particle condenser is pretty sure it can put Jennifer's body back together, but they aren't sure if she'll still be alive when they do it.  The computer processers think there's only a 24% chance she'll be alive.

Lynn apologies to Jefferson for blaming him for Jennifer flying off.

Jefferson, in turn, apologies for blaming Lynn's addiction for Jennifer getting addicted to flying in the ionosphere. 

Lynn says that Jefferson was a far better parent than she was.

The police ambush the site Lala chose for The 100 to talk peace with the Kobra Cartel.

Lala is shot to death but resurrects, kills several cops, and flees the scene.

All the other 100 members, including Devonte, are arrested.

Destiny watches the whole raid from a distance, and, seeing Lala escape, makes a phone call saying they need to bring in an assassin who specializes in metahumans. 

Anissa takes Grace into the new Sanctum, which is hidden behind a secret door in the tunnels under Freeland.

Anissa tells the rest of the family about Grace and she's formally welcomed into the family.

As Jennifer's body reforms, Jefferson suddenly loses touch with her essence and can't sense her energy anymore. Gambi has no explanation for this.

The episode ends with Jennifer emerging from the pod, but she looks completely different than she did before, even as she clearly recognizes her family.


Untelevised Adventures

While Barry Allen is said to have run the equipment Gambi needed to Freeland, he does not appear on camera.


The Bottom Line

A solid, stunning episode, even before the cliffhanger ending with a new actress playing Jennifer. The opening scenes give us a high-water mark for the special effects and it's good to see Jefferson back in the suit again. More, it's good to see Lala back to being the ethical but not idiotic street tough he was back in Season One and Tobias being his usual erudite self.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 4, Episode 2 - The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses

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

Plot

Lynn grows more concerned for Jefferson and his inaction, as the war between The 100 and the Kobra Cartel rages on. Meanwhile, Anissa grows closer to a new co-worker, Lynn becomes bolder in her own vigilantism watching Jennifer's back and Tobias throws down the gauntlet.


Goofs

The summary for this episode made mention of a subplot where Jennifer became interested in a new boy at Garfield High. No such subplot appears in this episode. In fact, Jennifer is never seen at school in the episode and it's suggested she's skipping classes completely. 

The cliffhanger at the end of last week's episode where Jennifer seemed to be falling to her death is not referenced in this episode and apparently amounted to nothing.

Anissa is oddly nonplussed by Grace shape-shifting into an apparently awake leopard after having been in a coma for a year. Has this been happening often? Is she only awake in the leopard form? Does she lapse back into a coma when she changes back to her human form? This really needed to be better explained.

How do Jennifer and Lynn, who are at home, get to the scene of the shooting before Anissa, who was just around the corner from it? They can fly fast, but not THAT fast.


Artistry

The show's use of music continues to be one of its best features, with this episode opening ironically with War's "Why Can't We Be Friends" as we see Freeland being torn apart by gang violence. 


Technobabble

DEGs or Directed Energy Guns are special weapons that can negate most metahuman abilities. The Freeland Police have just been outfitted with the latest DEGs for use against metahuman vigilantes.

The new wave of DEG are 600% more lethal than the last generation. 

Tobias has a new longevity serum which also grounds him, making him immune to Black Lightning's powers. Presumably it also would protect him from Lighting. 

Jennifer can accelerate her healing by flying into the upper atmosphere and taping the electrical energy in the air around her.

The principle of entanglement is a physics principle which notes that particles which are connected remain linked, regardless of distance when separated.. 

According to Lynn's research, the metagenes respond to different environmental influences, including other genes, which could be a variable in determining what powers a person may develop.


Dialogue Triumphs

Tobias: Chaos has always been my friend.

(Jefferson is leaving the school. It is late. Tobias is waiting in the parking lot.)
Tobias: Finally.
(Jefferson throws lightning at Tobias reflexively. It does nothing.)
Tobias: (deadpan but smiling) Ouch. Are you finished? I had my serum tweaked to insulate my skin, so that was like doo-doo off a duck's back. If I was you, I'd calm down, Jefferson. It's dark outside, but anyone could see us right now. Don't blow your cover, big dummy. I just stopped by to say I haven't forgotten.
Jefferson: What?
Tobias: I haven't forgotten all the stress and strife you've caused me over the years. I also haven't forgotten that you cost me my sister's life.
Jefferson: No. No, that was all you. I haven't forgotten that you murdered my father. So, no matter what everybody else thinks, I know who you are.
Tobias: Hmm. I know who and what you are, too. And I have to wonder why I haven't seen your blistering Black ass playing dress-up lately.
Jefferson: I don't need a suit to kick your ass, so let's go.
Tobias: (chuckling) I'm a captain of industry now, Jefferson. A philanthropist, for God's sake. I can't be out here tussling in a parking lot with some thug. But that's the spirit. See, I'm gonna take away each and every thing you love. But it's no fun if you don't fight back.
(Tobias walks away laughing.)

Jefferson: Everywhere I look lately, it seems like I see things I shouldn't. People dead who shouldn't be. Bad people just getting away with whatever they want. I can't do anything about it/


Dialogue Disasters

Lynn's reaction to finding Jefferson passed out on the porch and calmly asking if he is alright. This is even stupider when you consider that she's a medical doctor.


Continuity

Lady Eve is confirmed to be the leader of the Kobra Cartel, but nobody has seen her in a year. Destiny is her underboss and seems to be running the day-to-day operations of the gang.

Lala is officially recognized as the leader of The 100, with Devonte Jones as his right-hand man.

Monovista International is the company which has the contract to produce DEGs for the Freeland police.

Lala sends a group of men to disrupt one of Lady Eve's VIP poker games. Only the driver mades it back alive.

Lala orders Devonte to acquire some of the new next-gen DEGs the police are buying.

Jefferson passes out on the porch after venting his electricity in the middle of the night in a fit of rage. Lynn doesn't find him until the next morning.

The Pierce Family address is given as 7 Floyd Lane, Freeland, GA 30317

Going through the mail, Lynn finds a final notice for registration for the SAT's addressed to Jennifer.

Jennifer admits that she hasn't registered for the SAT or ACT yet.

Darius is a new doctor working with Anissa who flirts with her until she tells him she's a lesbian. She is not offended by the flirting, however, and does agree to go out for a drink as friends since he's still getting to know people in Freeland, having just moved there.

Tobias Whale has a new bodyguard and a new AI named Katie who oversees his smart office.

Tobias works with a realtor named Val, who helps him acquire 18 blocks in the Browning neighborhood. He does not plan to develop this land, saying the chaos of the region suits his purposes.

The hospital Lynn and Anissa are working at now is identified as the Center for Gene Therapy and Genetic Research.

Tobias is easily able to hack the computers at the Center for Gene Therapy and Genetic Research.

Lynn and Jefferson start seeing their therapist separately instead of together.

Lynn realizes she doesn't have any friends or hobbies outside of her work. 

Tobias confronts Jefferson in the parking lot at Garfield High and tells him that he will be coming after him eventually, but first he intends to destroy everything Jefferson loves.

Grace shapeshifted into her leopard form in her sleep.

Anissa has not been going out as much as she used to.

Darius had a dog named Rusty he had to put down recently. He was 14 years old and been with Darius since he was 8 weeks old.

Anissa gets a notification of a shoot-out around the corner from the bar, on 3rd and Harper. She tries to go to change into Thunder but is stunned when Darius wants to come with her, thinking she meant doctors might be needed to treat the wounded.

Jennifer tells Lynn she's thinking of not going to college, seeing the work she does as Lightning as far more important.

Gambi is not on the radio as Jennifer approaches the shoot out.

Lynn gives herself wind powers to watch Jennifer's back when she goes into a fight. 

Jennifer is able to get most of the 100 and Kobra gang members to drop their guns and run.

Lynn sneaks up on the one gang member who tries to sneak up on lightning and knocks him down. Lightning, in turn, shocks him after he nearly shoots Lynn.  In the process, Jennifer is impaled on a piece of broken glass.

Lynn tries to call Gambi for help, but he still isn't answering the radio.

Gambi is revealed to be at dinner with Laura, who admits she had a crush on him when they were younger. She offers him another job with Monovista. He once again turns it down, saying he was only going out with her because of his interest in her - not the job.

Anissa and Darius run into Marcel Payton - a teacher at Garfield High. His van was caught in the crossfire of the shootout and his son shot.

Jefferson is at home with Lynn returns. She lies about a head injury she acquired during the firefight.

Lynn admits to Jefferson that she's been using her metaboosters to go out and watch their children when they were fighting crime because he isn't Black Lightning anymore. 

Jefferson accuses Lynn of trading one addiction for another after accusing him of being addicted to his powers.

Darius and Anissa are unable to save the wounded boy.

The next day at work, Darius is deeply disturbed by the boy's death

Jefferson meets with Marcel Payton and learns that he's been homeless for a year, since his home was destroyed after the War for Freeland. He was unable to find a new home since rent shot up after the War for anyone on a teacher's salary. Worse yet, CPS took the rest of his kids.

Jefferson confronts Gambi over his absence. Gambi explains that he was investigating the next generation of DEGs being made by Monovista and working on a defense against them.

Gambi refuses to research which 100 gang member is responsible for shooting Marcel Payton's son.

Gambi breaks into Monovista and hacks their computers in person. 

Anissa and Jennifer confront Lynn on her playing hero and tell her to stop. 

Gambi meets with Laura again and agrees to take a job in the R&D wing of Monovista.

Anissa, as Blackbird, calls a meeting of The 100 and Kobra Cartel leadership. She calls for them to recognize a certain park as a safe space for homeless people and keep their people out of it.  They both agree. The area becomes known as the Blackbird Zone.

Lynn gives herself telekinesis to respond to an incident in Blackstone Square.

Jefferson calls TC, who helps him find the 100 shooter.

TC identifies the shooter as a man named Lydell Green, who lives on East 23rd Street.

The episode ends with Jefferson breaking into the home of the shooter and beating him up.


The Bottom Line

Another lackluster episode which addresses some things that should have been explained in the premiere last week. The most maddening aspect of it all is how out of character it seems for Jefferson to be sitting on the sidelines in both his roles as things get progressively worse in Freeland. It's almost as if the writes couldn't think of any storyline for him other than a sudden crisis of faith, which, while well acted by Cress Williams, isn't all that exciting to watch and seems outright confusing given all the other subplots.

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 2, Episode 10 - The Book of Rebellion: Chapter 3 - Angelitos Negros

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




Plot

Still on the run from Tobias, Jennifer and Khalil start to ponder their future together. Meanwhile, Jefferson approaches Henderson about a favor.


Influences

Romeo and Juliet (Tobias makes reference to it when discussing Khalil and Jennifer's romance)  and Mortal Kombat (Khalil's injury at Tobias' hands)


Goofs

What are the odds that Lynn would give her little "Come home" monologue in the same train-yard Khalil and Jennifer were hiding in?  Or was she giving that speech in every abandoned building in her territory?


Performances

China Anne McClain is pretty much carrying the show at this point, at least so far as all the scenes involving The Pierce Family go.

Again, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III is a marvel, capable of playing charming one moment and sadistic the next.


Artistry

Even by the standards of this show, the soundtrack for this episode is top-notch.


Trivia

Near the end of the episode, Tobias discovers that the ASA had four metahumans cryogenically frozen that they dubbed the Masters of Disasters.  This is the name of a super-villain group with elemental themed powers which first appeared in Batman and the Outsiders #9 (April 1984).  Their membership consisted of water manipulator New Wave, earth manipulator Shakedown, fire manipulator Heatstroke, cold manipulator Coldsnap and wind manipulator Windfall.


Technobabble

Gambi is able to track Khalil's phone usage and pinpoints a two mile area he might be hiding in after eliminating all his usual hang-outs and places Tobias controls.

Todd Green is an encryption specialist and an expert on the internal workings of algorithms.

Jefferson's super-suit has the ability to display holograms through a projector in the gauntlet.


Dialogue Triumphs

Khalil: You remember that time I asked you to be my girl?
Jennifer: Yeah. How could I forget? (chuckles) You said that if anything had happened to me, the thought of not being able to ask me out would mess with you. Yeah, I remember. You was all shy and cute.
Khalil: Wait.. was?
Jennifer: Don't worry!  You're still cute now that we cut off those promoter dreads.

Jennifer: Khalil... I can't. I can't do this. I'm sorry, but I'm not ready. I didn't leave home to lose my virginity in a train car like this. I left home to keep you safe. To keep you alive. And I don't regret that. Because you are alive. But I don't... I don't want it to be like this. We're on the run and in a train car and... you know? (sobs) I'm worried. I'm worried about what's going to happen to you. I'm worried about what's going to happen to me. I'm worried about what my family's thinking about-
Khalil: Hey. It's okay.  I'll wait.
(Khalil just pulls her closer.) 

Jefferson: Khalil knows too much to risk Tobias getting his hands on him.
Khalil: You mean about Jen having powers? Or you being Black Lightning?
(There is a pregnant pause as Jefferson and Lynn both look at Jennifer.)
Jennifer: Uh-
Khalil: She didn't tell me. (shrugs) I'm not stupid. I mean, she's electric and you and Thunder came after us.

Henderson: I can't believe you're trying to save this kid's life after all he put you through.
Jefferson: I know, man. I know. But... I guess I'm just glad that he's.. he's the person I thought he was.

(After having rippfed out Khalil's spine.)
Tobias: I told you I'd always have your back.


Continuity

Khalil created an apartment for himself in an abandoned train car.

Khalil is a talented artist and drew several sketches of Jennifer.

Lynn tells Jefferson about her talk with Khalil's dad in 209 and how he had an apartment somewhere.

Khalil gives Jennifer back the necklace he got for her when they were dating.

Tobias Whale is an expert on the history of jazz music.

Todd Green is a vegan.

Todd Green is an encryption specialist.

Tobias wants Todd Green to fully hack Proctor's briefcase.

It is revealed that Tobias has managed to partly hack the computer inside Proctor's briefcase. He discovered some information, mostly about crooked politicians in Freeland, corrupt agencies of law enforcement, judges and some very interesting real estate purchases made under an alias that does not exist.

Tobias bought all the land the ASA was interested in except for Reverend Holt's free clinic.

Tobias has no idea why the ASA wanted the land and wants Todd Green to figure that out along with what this has to do with metahumans.

Jefferson is able to speak Spanish.

Jennifer and Khalil return to the Pierce house.

Todd Green comes up with a list of the three places Khalil went to most frequently for Cutter.

Todd Green determines that there's some holes in Cutter's resume while researching her. This doesn't make her happy but Tobias praises his initiative.

Cutter finds Khalil's train-car apartment.

Khalil decides to turn himself in, at Jefferson's prompting.

Jefferson tries to make a case for leniency to Henderson. He eventually persuades him to go to the FBI to make a plea bargain and to let Khalil see his mother before he turns himself in.

Tobias has Assistant District Attorney Montez in his pocket and arranges to have a blue .450 sent to them after they give him the information on where Khalil is turning himself in to the FBI.

Khalil says that none of what happened to him is Jennifer's fault and he didn't mean what he said about her making him go to the march in 103 ruining his life. He says that Jennifer is the best thing that happened to him. 

Cutter captures Khalil from the FBI convory.

Tobias rips out Khalil's spine, leaving him in the middle of the road in front of Rev. Holt's church.

Todd Green hacks the computer and gains access to something called Project M.O.D.

Project M.O.D. gives Tobias access to the information on the Pod kids.

Todd Green also discovers that the free clinic was the first place the ASA bought when they came to Freeland and started handing out the Green Light vaccine.  Reverend Holt took the clinic over after the vaccine project was abandoned.

M.O.D. stands for Masters of Disaster - four super metahumans in cryogenic suspension contained with the old ASA facility.


Untelevised Adventures

We don't see the fight between Cutter and the various FBI agents.


The Winick Factor

Again, it's unbelievable that Jennifer and Khalil are able to evade all the people they do who are trained hunters.

Telekinetic bullet-dodging powers aside, it still beggars belief that Cutter is able to taken on a dozen FBI agents and police officers by herself and kill them all.


The Bottom Line

By all rights, this should have been the mid-season finale.  The cliffhanger ending is great and hints at big things coming. Unfortunately, the story still suffers from making the villains unbelievably invincible and the heroes incredibly incompetent, except when the story dictates otherwise. Still, China Anne McClain and Marvin "Krondon" Jones III manage to carry their scenes through sheer charisma.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 9 - The Book of Rebellion: Chapter 2 - Gift of the Magi

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



Plot

With Khalil fatally wounded by one of Cutter's poisoned blades, Jennifer must work quickly to save his life while dodging her family and Cutter. Meanwhile, Tobias works to secure the services of a young doctor who feels abused by the system, as part of his plans.


Influences

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (title, theme of sacrifice) and the Black Lightning comics of Tony Isabella.


Goofs

As Tobias himself points out, Cutter is kind of an idiot. He specifically said he wanted Khalil brought in alive in the last episode and she used a poisoned blade to attack him. Now she's defending her decision to kill Khalil outright and telling Tobias he'd better be ready to pay her for his body. Ignoring that this is not a smart way to treat a client in a gig economy, she is saying this to a man she knows for a fact has no issue with killing underlings who fail to follow orders... given that's the whole reason she sent her after Khalil in the first place!

Lynn's storyline in this episode is completely pointless. Apart from freaking out and playing the hysterical mom, all she does is talk to one man who gives her no new information. It's almost as if the writers have no idea what to do with Lynn now that the Green Light Baby storyline is apparently played out.


Performances

Again, China Anne McClain delivers a powerful performance as Jennifer Pierce and sells the fact that Jennifer is capable of doing everything she does in this episode.

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III continues to be a delight to watch as Tobias.  You wish we got to see more of him in this episode, even though nearly everything he does here - apart from talk to Cutter - is a total non-sequiter to the rest of the plot.


Artistry

The music in the Club 100 scenes is good.

The special effects for the teleporting assassin are good.


Trivia

The episode title comes from a story by O. Henry, which tells the tale of a young couple who each sacrifice what is most important to them to get a Christmas present for the other. This is probably a reference to how Jennifer gives up her family to try and save Khalil and Khalil tries to get Jennifer to abandon him because he doesn't want her to abandon her life for him.


Technobabble

Khalil's system is so full of toxins that it gave him a degree of immunity to Cutter's poison. While he is still sickened, she says that if it weren't for his powers he would have died in minutes.

Most large appliances and generators operate at 240 volts. Since Jennifer runs hotter than that, by increasing the voltage threshold of Jefferson's goggles, that will narrow down the "hot spots" he can see using his electro-vision.


Dialogue Triumphs

Khalil: I remember when I first saw you.
Jennifer: Are you seriously getting all corny on me right now?
Khalil: (coughs) No. No. No, this This is a memory I'll keep for myself. But... (breathing heavier) I knew then that you were special.
Jennifer:Well I remember all the girls at Garfield going on and on about Khalil this and Khalil that. And I'm like, "What the hell is the big deal? Who is Khalil?" And, um, then I saw you standing at your locker. And I can't lie. First thing that popped into my head was "Well, damn!"
(They both laugh.)

Tobias: Must be tough, smart kid like you, good family, good private schools, always getting passed over despite his superior talents. Why do you think that is, Todd, that you keep getting passed over? It's because it's the black man's burden to carry the weight of white privilege. Without the benefits of being rich or white, you'll never be better than second best. Well, unless of course you change the game.

Khalil: You know Tobias is never gonna stop, right? My family, either.
Jennifer:I know.
Khalil: J, we're never gonna be able to run fast enough. You know that, right?
Jennifer: Then we'll find a place to hide, you know? Get 'em off our scent for a while.
Khalil: I think you should go home.
Jennifer: I'm not going anywhere.
Khalil: J, come on. Look, you deserve better than this. Look, just because my life is jacked, doesn't mean that yours has to be.
Jennifer:  I'm not hearing you right now. I'm the ride or die type, you already know that.
Khalil: Yeah, and it's the dying part that I'm afraid of.

Jennifer:Well, I'm not. We're in this together, okay? And after everything we've been through, what should we even be afraid of?


Continuity

Jennifer gets Khalil to a barn.

Jennifer determines that Khalil has a fever.  She thinks his wound got infected and that there was some kind of poison that even his body can't cope with.

Gambi perfected the anti-venom to neutralize Painkiller's venom, which he started trying to make in 203. He uses this to treat Khalil's aunt.

Lynn visits Khalil's mother and looks around his room.

Khalil had a brother, Keenan, who was part of The 100 gang, working as a drug dealer. He died when he was 15.

Khalil's mother has no idea if Khalil knows how to contact his father or not. She describes her ex husband as being no good.

Todd Green is a young teacher who is denied a gran for an advanced encryption class. The grant is instead given to Garret Tortolani - a rich white teacher whose dad donated the money to have a new wing built on the local research center.  When he is escorted off the campus, he finds a card in his car from Tobias Whale, asking him to meet him that night at Club 100 because "he deserves better."

Jennifer uses her powers to break an electronic medicine dispenser to get the drugs she needs to treat Khalil's injuries.

Jennifer barely dodges Jefferson and Anissa at the hospital an doesn't notice Cutter tailing her.

Gambi is able to hack the hospital security footage to identify Jennifer and see which way she went after she left wit h the drugs she stole.  He also gets a shot of Cutter's face.

Jefferson has to be talked down from going off flying to look for Jennifer without his costume.

Khalil claims to be on fire inside even after he's been given antibiotics.

Khalil says she knew Jennifer was something special when he first saw her.

Jennifer says that she didn't think much of Khalil until she heard other girls fawning over him and then she looked at him and had second thoughts.

Todd Green graduated college at 17, and earned a Masters and PhD before he was 21. Tobias Whale says he has been keeping an eye on him for sometime.

Todd Green does not like being touched, though he does like women.

Cutter's real name is Giselle Cutter.

Tobias reminds Cutter that he was paying for Khalil to be brought in alive - no exceptions or excuses.

Gambi thinks Cutter is a low-level telekinetic, as it's been said that bullets don't touch her even at point-blank range and she can throw knives around corners.

Lynn searches for any information she can find on Khalil's father, Kito Payne, on Gambi's workstation.

Jennifer connects with a part of her self in the psychic landscape she formed in her head that intuits how to use her powers and recalls old science lessons. This gives her a version of her father's electro-vision that lets her see Cutter in the darkness using a pair of night-vision binoculars, though she can see her bio-electricity as well.

Jennifer is able to taser Cutter to bring her down.

Jennifer reasons that Cutter must keep an antidote in case she cuts herself by accident.

Cutter keeps an antidote to her poison in her necklace.

Kito Payne is working at a diner He tells Lynn that he did keep in touch with Khalil by phone. He told him to stay away from Tobias, but Khalil felt he owed Tobias for the surgery that let him walk again. He said Khalil had told him he had a place of his own now and that he wasn't staying with Tobias.

Jennifer and Khalil tell each other they love each other.

Jennifer and Khalil leave Cutter tied up in the barn.

By the time Gambi, Jefferson and Anissa get to the barn, Cutter has escaped.

Tobias transfers $100,000 into Todd Green's account. He agrees to work for Tobias.

Jennifer and Khalil continue driving off somewhere together.

The final scene shows a teleporter killing several people in a bar. He then takes a phone-call from someone who asks him to come to Freeland.


Location

An unknown location with a bar full of dead rednecks, after the teleporter kills everyone.


The Winick Factor

Granting that Jennifer is supposed to be smart for her age, it's embarrassing that she is able to outwit and evade a professional assassin, her medical doctor sister, her professional educator father and "Uncle Gambi" whose job description in his previous life was "tracker of teenagers with super powers for secret government program."


The Bottom Line

A failure as an episode. An enigma as a mid-season finale. None of the major subplots of the season are settled. Then again, most of them haven't been refereed to in about a month, like Jefferson's job status, where The Green Light babies still alive are standing and whatever is going on with Grace Choi. And then Tobias' scenes are all focused on introducing a new scientist character who - based on how quickly Body Bag Boy and Looker were removed from the show - will be gone in three episodes as well, along with the new teleporting assassin.

The hell of it is the best things about the show right now - the Khalil/Jennifer romance and Tobias' plan - are the only things this episode pays attention to. And yet nothing is done to advance those storylines. All in all, I'm one more lackluster episode away from abandoning this episode guide.

Black Lightning Episode Guide: Season 2, Episode 8 - The Book of Rebellion: Chapter 1 - Exodus

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



Plot

Jennifer and Khalil hit the road, but Tobias has put a bounty on the head of his protege. As they lay low at Khalil's aunt's house, Black Lightning and Thunder hit the streets looking for the runaways. Will they get to them before Tobias' problem-solver Cutter does?


Influences

The Black Lighting comics of Tony Isabella.


Goofs

The sequence of a drunk Lynn tearing apart Jennifer's room is a little too over-the-top.


Performances

Marvin "Krondon" Jones III steals the episode. He usually gets the best speeches as Tobias Whale, but his performance here is a high-water mark even for his usual high standards. He perfectly achieves what the tropers call Affably Evil, putting on a kind face and pleasant tone even as you can sense the menacing undercurrent implied by his body language.

China Anne McClain continues to impress as Jennifer. Despite being far out of her element in this episode, McClain perfectly captures Jennifer's confidence and intelligence as she stands up to Khalil when he starts to overstep his bounds in stressful moments.


Artistry

The first sequence in which Khalil tries to rob Club 100 to get some cash for his and Jennifer's escape is a fantastic bit of work all around. Great music. Wonderful lighting design inside the club. Good fight choreography.

The effects work for Jennifer's ball-lighting is fantastic.


Trivia

This episode introduces a mercenary named Cutter who Tobias hires to track Khalil.  There is a villain called Cutter in DC Comics, but he is a man named Austin Phelps who is a master knife-fighter who appeared in one story in Detective Comics.

The show's version of Cutter is a black woman who is a master knife thrower and fighter. She has no metahuman powers - just skill and training..

One of the Zip Codes for Freeland, GA is 31148. This is not a real Zip Code in the USA, though the 300XX to 311XX are reserved for Atlanta, GA.


Technobabble

The best Gambi can do in tracking Jennifer's cell phone is to determine the tower she was using. Since each tower had a broadcast range of 40 miles, this is not helpful.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Nichelle Payne enters into her apartment. Tobias Whale is sitting in a chair in her living room, reading Moby Dick.)
Tobias: Late night?
(Nichelle turns, sees Tobias and shivers.)
Tobias:  (cheerfully) Perhaps what you need is a good read. Always puts me right to sleep. (holds up his book)  Moby Dick? One of my favorites.
Nichelle: I guess you're here to put me to sleep?
Tobias: (chuckling) Actually, I have a strict "no mama" rule. I believe a man has to have principles. But I do need you to contact your son. Tell him to keep his thick lips shut.
Nichelle: I thought he was with you.
Tobias: Hmm. He left town with that Pierce girl. Boy knows a lot about my business. I have plans. I'd surely hate to have to change those plans.
Nichelle: (determined) I don't have no way to reach him. Even if I did, you'd have to kill me first.
Tobias: (nodding and smiling) I respect that. You're a strong black woman, I can tell.
(Tobias heads for the front door but stops and turns around as he gets to it.)
Tobias: How did you wind up with such a weak-ass son?

Khalil: I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have yelled at you like that before.
Jennifer: Yeah, you should be sorry. What the hell was that?!
Khalil: Something just came over me. Okay? Jen, the things Tobias did to me, hitting me, burning me... I just didn't want him to find us. I snapped.
Jennifer: Well, you snap at me like that again, and Tobias is gonna be the last person you're gonna have to worry about. I will light your ass up. You need to remember that.
Khalil: I know.

(Tobias is sitting at a table in his office, playing chess against himself. He turns to a painting of his sister and begins speaking to it.)
Tobias: Our plan failed, Tori. That boy... he was supposed to make Black Lightning his enemy. But he's weak. He ran away. Now he's our enemy. (pauses) I should've known. Can't trust a Negro as far as you can throw him. I knew his ass wasn't a killer but I kept giving him chances.
(Tobias pauses as if pondering this and nods.)
Tobias: You're right. That is my problem, isn't it? I get stubborn and try things over and over again. Well, not anymore. From now on, if something ain't working, I'm gonna change it. (nodding to himself) Yeah, I'mma change it.
(Tobias stands and regards the painting of Tori.)
Tobias: You were the best person in my life.

Jefferson: You should have said something.
Anissa: What?
Jefferson: Khalil's text, you should've told us. We could've talked to her before it was too late.
Anissa: Are you blaming this on me?
Jefferson: What? No. But if you had told us, then maybe we-
Anissa: Wow, wow! Okay. (pauses) Did you ever stop and think why she was talking to Khalil in the first place? Hmm? Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, I don't know you and Mom never let her out the house? That you treated her like she was some kinda prisoner?
Jefferson:  Wait, we didn't treat her like a prisoner. We were trying to protect her.
Anissa: No, you were just trying to control her. You acted like she was some kind of freak or a monster! All your rules, your quotes, and all of your phone check-ins - It was too much, Dad. Too damn much! You drove her away just like you did me.

(Cutter enters Tobias' office.)

Tobias: I see you found the place. I also see your price has gone up.

Cutter: You get what you pay for. I thought you were against hiring black folks.

Tobias: No. Just thick-lipped, incompetent darkies like the one I want you to find. Thought I'd get a discount, considering our past.

Cutter: Hmm. If I factored in our past, I wouldn't be here.

Tobias: (chuckling) Yet here you are.

Cutter: Sorry to hear about Tori. I know what she meant to you.

Tobias: It was just yesterday she was telling me I'm too stubborn. Need to try new things.

Cutter: I thought she was dead.

Tobias: So, history or not I better get my money's worth.

Cutter: (scoffing) Okay. All right, here we go with the threats. I see you haven't changed. Ain't nobody scared of your pale ass, Tobias, so you can stop right now with your bad guy act. Just tell me who this person is you want found.

(Tobias pulls out a tablet with a tracking app on it.)

Tobias: Him. But I want him alive.

Cutter: If you have a tracker, what do you need me for? You can nab him yourself.

Tobias: Have you not seen the news lately? I'm an upstanding citizen now. I can't risk doing it. But it's got to get done. Besides, my people tried already. Sometimes it's best to leave things to the professionals.

Cutter: Okay.

Continuity

Khalil robs Club 100 to get some quick cash for his escape. Jennifer covers his escape by blowing the power in the club with a ball of lightning.

Lynn and Anissa discover that Gambi is alive.

Gambi determines that Jennifer is trying to get away by car or on foot since there's no sign of her at the bus stations or airport.

Anissa tells Lynn and Jefferson that she saw that Jennifer had gotten a text from Khalil but she didn't think anything of it since she said she wasn't responding.

Inspector Henderson files a missing person's report for Jennifer despite her not having been gone that long. He confirms they already have an arrest warrant and APB for Khalil.

In his haste, Jefferson blows out the front windshield of a young couple he mistakes for Khalil and Jennifer.

Khalil has an aunt in Henley Heights he thinks will let them stay the night with her. Henley Heights is a rural neighborhood near the peach farms.

Khalil yells at Jennifer when she asks about calling her parents, saying that Tobias will be watching them.

Gambi notices the power outage that Jennifer caused as he's checking the security cam footage from around town.

Tobias goes to Khalil's mother and asks her to get a hold of him. She says she has no way to call him and no idea where she is.

The news is reporting that Khalil kidnapped Jennifer.

Khalil's aunt agrees to let them stay the night after Jennifer confirms she hasn't been kidnapped.

Khalil apologizes for snapping at Jennifer. She accepts the apology but says if he ever uses that tone again, she will shock him. He agrees and gives her a burner cell phone as a peace offering.

Jennifer calls Anissa to tell her she is okay and wasn't kidnapped but she hangs up before Gambi can trace the call.

Jennifer cuts Khalil's dreadlocks off. While she is doing that, she finds a bump on his neck when she thinks is a tracking chip.

Khalil's mom tells Lynn about her sister's house where she thinks Khalil might be hiding. The address is 5038 Franklin Avenue, Freeland, GA 31148.

Gambi got Anissa her own vehicle for traveling as Thunder - a motorcycle.

Cutter gets to Jennifer and Khalil first. They make a break for it when Black Lightning and Thunder show up. Cutter stabs Khalil deep enough that he won't be able to get far on foot.

Jennifer shorts out the drone Gambi is using to track them.

Jennifer is able to short out the tracking chip in Khail's neck.

Jefferson and Anissa, in costume, go into the woods after Khalil and Jennifer.

Cutter calls Tobias and complains that Black Lightning showed up and that she doesn't fight metahumans without warning. Tobias then recalls how Black Lightning came back into action at the same time "The Pierce Girl" was in Club 100 with one of his men and later when she was being held hostage at The Seashorse Motel in 101.

It seems that Tobias Whale may have guessed that Jefferson Pierce is Black Lightning.


Location

Henley Heights


The Bottom Line

A rather nice chase episode that resets the players after last week's rather lackluster offering. Still, while most of the cast spend this hour spinning their wheels (particularly Jefferson Pierce, shockingly enough), all the scenes focused on Tobias Whale and Jennifer Pierce make it worth watching. And that cliffhanger... next week will be a shocker, one way or another.