As always, please be aware that this recap is chock full of spoilers, so please don’t read if you haven’t watched it.

The usual previously montage…

We begin by meeting Black Lightning, standing on top of a building and in contact with Gambi.  All of a sudden BL jumps from the building, but he’s ok, Gambi has done some work with the suit, and BL can now fly.  They are testing out enhancements to the suit and BL is loving it.  Lightning then comes across a couple of cops dealing with a young lad.  The lad is showing symptoms of being on the drug, Green Light. Because of the struggle, one of the officers has pulled out a gun and is aiming to shoot.  He does, but Black Lightning has other ideas and stops the bullets doing any damage. BL is disturbed at what was going to happen, he knocks the young lad out with a bolt of electricity and tells the police that shooting him wasn’t the answer. Next time, use a taser.

With the way the world is, and events that have happened, this was a powerful moment.

Back at his tailor’s store, Gambi sees Tobias Whale on one of his monitors and goes through to the shop floor. They, quite obviously, know each other and have a past.  We hear that Tobias has a serum running through him that means he won’t age. Tobias mentions Gambi working for the ASA and, consequently, knows things that would help Tobias. Tobias asks Gambi who BL is, but is told that he can’t be helped.  Tobias, ultimately, leaves.

Gambi isn’t intimidated by Tobias and I guess this goes a little way to having us believe that, despite what we have seen before, Gambi isn’t on the villainous side.   I certainly hope not anyway.

*ALERT* James Remar is an actor I’ve always loved comment.

Anissa and Jennifer are at home talking. Anissa hides something on her laptop and Jennifer bursts into her room.  She is watching videos from a “conspiracy theorist” regarding kids with special abilities and the experiments that have gone wrong.

Jennifer and her friend Kiesha go skating. While there, they bump in to 2 girls from school who are none too friendly.  One of these girls, Teala, is an exciting-girlfriend of Khalil makes her feelings toward Jennifer show.  Her friend shoves Jennifer and a fight breaks out, but Jennifer shows great skills to defend herself, coming out on top.

Jeff is in a pharmacy where he sees a young father arguing with the assistant about out of date drugs he’s been sold.  He’s told there is nothing that can be done. Jeff jumps in to try and sort the issue and is angry that nothing can be done to help the father.  However, despite his anger (and the assistant getting ready for him with a baseball bat) Jeff bends over in pain to his head.  He does recover and to solve the situation, buys the father the medicine he needs for his daughter.

Anissa is still researching the videos and realises that her Grandfather is mentioned.  Interest piqued.

Jeff is taking painkillers for his headache when he receives a text message from Gambi regarding a packing slip that Jeff had found.

Jeff, as BL, goes to the address Gambi has given him. He scouts around outside before breaking in to the warehouse.  He is stopped by a man with a gun after realising the warehouse is full of chemicals.  Black Lightning asks why he has the chemicals and, thanks to sending him flying, gets the answer that it is for Green Light and for a man named Joey Toledo.

BL talks to Gambi about this, Toledo works for Tobias, the man who killed Jefferson’s father.   While talking of this though, Jefferson unexpectedly passes out.

Gambi has contacted Lynne who and he tells her about Jefferson’s headaches.  She can’t see anything wrong with him and wonders if it is Black Lightning related.  Suddenly Jeff wakes up and his only thought is of getting Toledo.  Lynne tries to tell him to rest.

Tobias and Tori, brother and sister, talk of Tobias’ visit to Gambi. Tori says Lady Eve won’t be happy but Tobias doesn’t seem worried.  He has aspirations of being higher in the organisation and doesn’t feel valued. Tori’s tells him that he’s making bad decisions. She says that it’s because he has never dealt with his first enemy, Eldridge. Tori tells him that she has found him.

We see a flashback to the childhood of Tobias and Tori who are bullied by their father, Eldridge.  He’s a nasty piece of work and is shown to hit Tori.

Tobias wants to know where he is.

Anissa and Jeff talk about her Grandfather.  She tells him about the stories of kids with special abilities and believe him to be involved.  Jeff tells her that he told these stories and goes on to tell her more about him.

She goes to see the editor of the Freeland Gazette, David Poe, to find out more about her Grandfathers work and the expose of the missing children.  Poe isn’t talking and asks Anissa to leave.

Inspector Henderson is visited by Black Lightning. They talk and BL tells Henderson he needs help and he can do that.  BL tells him of Joey Toledo and Henderson reluctantly agrees to let him help.  BL has left him a mobile phone in his car and calls it the…

…BLACK-SIGNAL…

Love it.

Lynne tells Jeff talk of her worries for Jeff.  They are visited by the family of Teala, the girl she fought with.  Jennifer broke her wrist and ordination a cast, her family aren’t best happy.  Lynne tells them they will take action on what Jennifer did.  Just as Jennifer walks in, which is a little time later, her parents and the others are getting on.  When she walks in it goes quiet and the other family leave.  Lynne and Jeff take her to task about what happened with Lynne being the stronger.  They were unaware there were 2 girls she fought with and Jennifer tells her dad she wasn’t hurt because he told his girls to stick up for themselves.  Jeff has a wry smile on his face as she tells him that and Lynne isn’t best pleased.  Jennifer gets herself grounded.

Anissa returns to Poe at the Freedland Gazette.  He tells her she is like her Grandfather and he has gather a box file of the case that she wants to know about.  Poe tells her that her Grandpa was on to something but that people are always watching. People who have no worries about killing anyone.

Tobias visits Eldridge, who is surprised to see him and Tori. He starts off by punching Eldridge in the mouth.  Eldridge is pretty much told what sort of father he was but he argues back that he was there to feed and clothe them after their mother left.  Tobias, despite saying he can appreciate that and goes in for the hug, breaks Eldridge’s back and he and Tori leave him Tobias die a slow death.

Anissa reads some of the documents from the file she was given by Poe, including newspaper articles featuring Tobias.  She also comes across a key for a storage locker.  She wants to visit the place but needs a disguise.  Without her hoodie, that Jennifer has, she tries the Catwoman outfit she wore to an earlier party.

Jeff and Jennifer talk about what happened with her.  He gives her advice on being careful with her we emotions and that sometimes it’s easier to walk away.

Anissa practices some moves, unfortunately, her outfit splits.  She needs something else so hoes shopping and walks out with a superhero outfit of her own.

 

Jeff is doing his own training when he receives a call from Inspector Henderson (who’s calling Black Lightning).  It’s about Toledo Andy Henderson gives BL the info Hebrew needs about him and his girlfriend. Henderson sends him photos.

Jeff suits up, Gambi tries to stop him due to the problems he’s been having.  Jeff is having none of it and goes anyway.

Tobias is given an envelope by Syonide.  He opens it and sees it contains a dusty powder, just as we see a flashback of Lady Eve telling Tobias about Albino bones being ground to dust and sold as magic powder.  It’s obviously a threat to Tobias.

Anissa is at the storage facility in full, new, superhero gear.  Looks great and she looks like a cross between a 70’s superhero and a Charlie’s Angel.  It’s a great look.  She finds a safe in a locker, opens it up with her powers and finds a small tube with a substance inside.

Black Lightning finds the girlfriend of Joey Toledo, asks for her phone in a very convincing manner, she gives him the phone and BL texts Toledo, as her, and to get him outside the club where she is meeting him.  BL starts to beat him down and all is going well until another one of his headaches comes on.  From here, Toledo gets the upper hand, for a few seconds at least, before BL gains his own composure for a few seconds.  Unfortunately for him that’s all, he can’t use his powers either, and Toledo feels triumphant in getting away.  Lightning is left lying there.

Episode end.

Ok, so for me, this is one of the best Black Lightning episodes up to this point and, for me, what it does well is to flesh out the stories of the various characters shown.

Black Lighting – the issues with the pain he is suffering in his head, the passing out etc.  We also see how he has brought up his daughters to look after and defend themselves.

Anissa – More of her turn towards becoming the superhero we know she is going to be. I loved the scenes of her trying to come up with her own costume and the one she chooses is a cross between 70’s disco and one of Charlie’s Angels. I loved that scene and, let’s be honest – is there a hotter looking superhero in the CW shows? It is no doubt arguable that there is but I am currently struggling. However, that’s not her story, her turn towards being a superhero has been one of my favourite parts of the show and I can’t wait to see the next step in her progression.

Jennifer – A fine, young, actress in the part in China Anne McClain and her story is starting to come together. Great stuff, dealing with being the star of the track, her boyfriend being paralysed and still trying to have the time a teenager should have with her friends. Her fight scene was terrific at the skate arena was excellent and was totally unexpected. Again, it gives us more about her character and how she has been brought up by Jefferson.

Gambi – You all know I love James Remar and it was nice to find out a little more about him through his scenes with Tobias. Finding out about who he works for, he’s dealt with Tobias in the past etc. All great, and showing no fear to Tobias was very well done, although I do feel that there is a little hint of it there.

Tobias – A great scene that delves in to his past, his abusive father, Eldridge. Only a small scene but I thought that Marvin “Krondon” Jones III excelled here and you could see the effect that his childhood has had on him. It helps you feel a little empathy to the character. To also find out about the serum he has running through him, to stop ageing, was also great.

Tori – While not the biggest part, we also find out more about her childhood with Tobias. When they visit Eldridge, and she holds the gun to him, I got the feeling that, while she would have shot him, it would have hurt her very much to do so.

Lynne – while not seeing mass amounts from her, we see that, while Jefferson is doing his Black Lightning gig, she loves him so much and will always be there. Despite their separation, there is so much love between the two that I can only see them together.

Ms Fowdy – where was this foxy lady this episode?

All in all, I’d give this an 8.5/10

If you enjoyed it, would like to give us your thoughts, please do so below or on any of our social media pages.

Cheers, John