As usual, full of spoilers, so please don’t read on if you haven’t seen the episode.
We start with the usual “Previously…” montage.
A the Police station, we see Inspector Henderson arrive, just as Deputy Chief Cayman is talking to a task force with the responsibility to bring down Black Lightning (BL).
BL is still down after his fight with Joey Toledo, struggling with the pain in his head which, in turn, means his powers are down (typical from electricity). As the police are out and looking for him, Gambi arrives, finds him in the alley and put him in his van, calls Lynne and tells her that Jefferson is hurt.
TITLE CARD
Toledo has made his way back to Tobias’ place, tells him what happened between him and BL, how BL struggled with the pain in his head. Tobias wants to know why he didn’t finish him and the best way to get that info from him is, obviously, grab him by the throat lifting him in the air. Oh…
WHILE STILL SIPPING HIS DRINK.
Tobias tells Toledo about Lady Eve sending him powdered albino bones as a warning. Syonide tells Tobias of a message she receives, Tori is under protection and all is well. Tobias tells Toledo that he is to get a crew together, get out on the street and as soon as the cops get BL, he wants to know.
BLACK LIGHTNING DOESN’T LIVE OUT THE NIGHT
Back at the police station and Henderson has heard that someone saw BL get in a van (fans of BL apparently). Cayman is not happy that BL has not been caught and wants to know how a criminal and a freak has fans. Cayman then has to take a call from someone with the initials, JT (Joey Toledo one would assume). Henderson looks like he’s suspicious of his boss, no wonder really.
Back at the base of BL and Gambi, Lynne is looking over Jefferson as he explains why he did what he did. She looks at a brain scan she took of him and comes to the conclusion that his powers helped him recover, helped his brain heal. She continues checking him over and Jefferson tries to hold Lynne’s hand. She pulls away, telling him she doesn’t want to be part of this again and that he has no idea how this all affects her. every time she sees him like this.
A new day in Freeland and Anissa is taking part in a protest against a statue in the city, obviously a very political figure. Anissa and the others take out water guns and spray the statue with a coloured liquid. Police arrive and arrest those taking part in the protest.
Lynne is at work and asked to look at some brain scans. They are scans of those addicted to the drug Green Light. They look similar to those she took of Jefferson.
GREY MATTER SHOULD BE DARK, BUT IT’S LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE
Lynne compares the scans she is shown to those of Jefferson and sees how similar they are. While she is doing this, he colleague sees her, is on the phone and the scoots away. Dodgy geezer.
Jefferson is at the police station to pick up Anissa after her arrest. He asks if she is ok and walks away. In the hallway he is fuming; she has broken the law, and despite her protestations of the statue being an insult to black people, he tells her that doing what she did gives the police a reason to hurt her and that, even though the guns were not real, it only takes one unsure look and, well, we know what could happen next. He calms down telling her he doesn’t want to lose her.
JENNIFER WAS HERE BUT WASN’T REALLY INVOLVED IN THE SCENE
At home and Anissa is working on the research from her grandfather. Jennifer hears her talking to herself and walks in, making the excuse that she wants Anissa to check her homework, which turns out to be perfect. They get on to Jennifer’s relationship with Khalil. Her dreams of dating/proms etc. seems gone and she doesn’t want her future just to be there helping Kahlil get around. She feels guilty for saying that but Anissa assures her otherwise.
Gambi and Jefferson are checking out BL’s powers after his issues and find that there are no further problems and Jeff is feeling good.
WE’RE SCREWING WITH THE FORCES OF NATURE, MAN
Jefferson asks what the problem was with what happened and Gambi tells him that due to everything, Feedback was the problem. (Maybe, Jeff was going all Spinal Tap – turning it up to 11).
Jefferson wants to get back to work and that means making Tobias Whale pay for the murder of his father; ridding Freeland of the threat that he poses and ridding them of Tobias is what the city needs. Gambi is almost resistant whenever Tobias is brought up and Jefferson is aware of this. Jeff wants to know why but Gambi tells him he is being ridiculous. Jefferson doesn’t listen to what Gambi is saying about not going to kill Tobias, he’s going for him.
Lynne is at work, where she finds Gambi waiting in her lab for her. She asks what he wants and he tells her he wants to speak about Jefferson. He tells her he is crossing a line and that Jeff is going to kill the man who killed his father; and when you do that you lose something inside yourself. He tells Lynne she is the only one who can stop him doing this but she wants nothing to do with it, that it was his choice and not hers.
OH, BEFORE I FORGET, STILL IN THE JAMES REMAR FANCLUB
Jefferson, in his school office when he receives a text from a doctor for an appointment about his neurological issues. Big stretch but this leads him to turn on his computer and search on the medical issues that albinism may have on people health; those who suffer with that anyway, such as Tobias.
In the school toilets and Jennifer is with Keisha talking of a video she has found on social media of her fight (from the last episode) and the girl she fought with talks of how Jennifer is acting like a white girl.
Anissa goes to see Lynne at work, taking along the research of her grandfathers. First they talk about attendance at the family dinner, Lynne and Jennifer etc. Lynne asks why Anissa wants her to look at the research, Anissa doesn’t say anything and Lynne wants to know what’s up with her. Anissa ignores the question and Lynne tells her to promise that she will tell her when she is ready. As Anissa leaves, Lynne has a look on her face as if she knows what is going on with her daughter.
Black Lightning is on the streets as Gambi is back at the base. Gambi knows that BL is out for Tobias and he tries to reason with him, tells him he is different from Tobias and to keep it that way. BL enters a building and, before Gambi can say anything…
CONNECTION TERMINATED
BL has, actually gone to to see a Doctor Mayfield, someone who treats those with albinism. The doctor is worried that BL is there to hurt him but is assured otherwise. This doctor treats Tobias Whale and BL wants to know how the appointments are made (he receives a call as and when for after hours appointments). BL wants him to call Tobias and ask him to come in but the doctor tells him that he would kill them all. BL assures him he can help and that Tobias will, ultimately, crush him. BL passes him a phone, if he changes his mind, ring him.
At school the next day and we see the foxy Ms Fowdy catching up with Jefferson in the school hall. She shows him some items that have been attached to social media, about his daughter Jennifer. They show her face, on a white body, dancing and Khalil’s name attached to the post. Jefferson goes to see her in class but she isn’t there, she finds her in the school gym. He talks her through it, comforting his daughter as all good dad’s do. She explains that she wish poeple would stop it with the whole black/white, light skin/dark skin stuff (smart girl) and that Khalils comment has hurt her. Jeff explains that he could revealing who he really is, especially when things don’t go his way. She says she needs tomtalk to him despite her dad saying she should leave it.
NEWS REPORT
In the park, another protest is interrupted by white supremacists, where one of these people have driven a car through the students, killing one of the protesters. Anissa and Ms Fowdy are watching the report, Anissa knew the girl who died and Kara (Ms Fowdy) says she wishes that there was something that could be done to stop this madness.
Jennifer goes to see Khalil, wanting to know what is going on with him. She suggests they take a break and Khalil snaps. He blames her for what has happened to him, taking him to the march where he got shot.
IT’S YOUR FAULT BECKY!!
(I must explain that, at first I thought this was a mistake, calling her Becky, however, I am now aware that this has something to do with a Beyonce song and I now kinda have a clue)
He explains how he was a clean student, no trouble, no drugs et. and that this shouldn’t have happened to him. She says she’ll pray for him but he dismisses that and tells her he doesn’t want her prayers and get out.
Jeff, or BL, receives a phone call from Dr Mayfield telling him he has arranged for Tobias to visit him at 6pm that night. Jeff says he’ll be there.
Jennifer comes out from seeing Khalil and tells Jeff he was right, she should have waited. She just wants to go home.
At the statue where the protests have been taking place a vigil is being held for the death of the young girl. Anissa, sorry Thunder as she is in costume, arrives to pay her respects. She looks up at the statue, screams in anger and gives an almighty stamp of the foot, making the statue come crashing down. She runs away. In her car, she cries and calls her mum. Lynne, firstly, tells her she has started looking at the information she gave her. Anissa wants to go see her mum and tell her the reason she needs to know. At the same time, Lynne receives a call from Gambi saying that she needs to get involved because Jefferson is going to kill someone.
Jeff arrives on the roof of Dr Mayfields, just in time for Tobias to arrive. We see a flashback of the murder of Jeff’s father as he watched under a bed. Jeff powers up electricity in his hands, he’s ready to kill Tobias. Gambi contacts him and puts Lynne on the speaker, trying to talk him down. She tells him he is a hero,not a murdered.
All of a sudden, glass smashing and Jeff hears it. He tells her he is on his way. Thunder is already there and sees what has happened. Someone has broken in and Lynne has been tied up. Thunder gets there as two men are searching the lab. She takes them on, beating them in the process. Thunder is trying to untie Lynne as BL walks in. He tells her to get away from Lynne and, not knowing who each other is, they get in to a fight as Lynne watches. Lynne can’t scream as she has her mouth taped up. The fight goes back and forth before BL gets the better and knock Thunder out. Only then, does he realise that is Anissa.
Gambi picks them up and they all get in the van and they are taken home. Lynne is checking on Anissa and she seems to be fine despite concussion and a few bruises. Jeff wants to know what Anissa was doing and Lynne tells her that she is doing what he does and she has powers.
Tobias is ion his car, talking to someone in the back, about making the right decision. He’s talking to Khalil and Tobias promises him he will walk, with Syonide reassuring him too and that he..
WILL KNOW STRENGTH, BE STRENGTH
and it’ll be so much fun.
Cut to Lady Eve (or Evelyn as Gambi calls her), yes Gambi is there. We find that he taught her everything he knew. She tells him that he could have retired very wealthy if he had gone in to business with her when she left the agency. He is there to get clarification that the Pierce family are off limits to her, she agrees but Lynne had something she wanted. Eve is the one who sent goons to Lynne’s work, not knowing she’d be there, looking for something. She is obviously after the research that Anissa had. They talk about the new meta-human, Anissa, Eve wants to know if he knows anything about her, he says not. These two have a deal, a deal that he has kept and nothing about Tobias has gotten out as requested. Eve tells him that…
IF HIS DIRTY LAUNDRY GETS OUT, SO DOES YOURS.
Gambi leaves.
At the Pierce home, Anissa comes around. She awakes and sees Black Lighting standing there..
“DAD?”
Episode end.
Ok, so I have to say first of all, that this wasn’t my favourite episode of the show so far, although it did have plenty of good points.
Nice to see the episode start straight after the last one with BL in the alley down.
Tobias is a bad ass.
Syonide speakss. Is that the first time we have heard her talk? Maybe, not 100% sure on that.
Kynne knew that her daughter had powers before she saw them first hand, clever woman.
Nice fight scene between Thunder and BL.
James Remar is great, and looking forward to finding out more about his past.
Kara Fowdy was back.
Is it just me or is Anissa as Thunder the sexiest of all superheroes in the CW shows?
The not so good stuff.
Cayman came and went, nothing later on.
Khalil is dull, I hope that now Tobias has his claws in him, his character will improve.
The arguing between Jeff and Lynne is getting monotonous.
While I understand the political statements the show is trying to make, I do believe that there can be too much. This episode was full of it but, sometimes, less is more.
Not enough Ms Fowdy.
I’d probably give this episode a 6.5/10.
If you have any thoughts, then please feel free to comment below or on our social media pages.
Cheers, John
