Spoilers Ahoy!!!!!!

We start with the usual vignette (yes, I’m using this word) of the past of Black Lightning/Lynne etc. before we crack on with the usual “Previously…” segment.

DOWN IN THE BASEMENT – THE DAY AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE (I assume anyway)

The episode starts and we are taken straight to Lynne who is giving Anissa the once over in Gambi’s basement. This is following the events of the previous episode in which the sexiest superhero on the CW, Thunder, fought with Black Lightning, aka her father/daddy/papa. Lynne comes to the conclusion that Anissa is suffering from a concussion after the fight but also discovers that, not only does she have abilities, but her healing powers are accelerated. Lynne, the worried mother, tries to convince her daughter that she should not get involved in the same work that Jefferson does. Anissa, visibly upset, disagrees with Lynne and tells her that she wants to help people. She goes on to tell Lynne that she has no idea what she is going through at this time. – Nice opening scene with mother and daughter, for the most part. I love Anissa’s passion to do what she wants to do in helping people and be like her father. Lynne, quite rightly the concerned mother, shows that concern to her daughter but, sometimes, I wish she would realise that she is fighting a losing battle.

Elsewhere (well, upstairs actually), Jefferson is talking to Gambi and questions him about the arrival back in Freeland of Tobias Whale. Gambi admits that he knew, eventually, and tells Jefferson that he kept it quiet in order to protect him from himself. He knows that Jeff will want to kill Tobias as revenge for the death of his father and Gambi, to his credit, doesn’t want Jefferson to do something that he knows he will regret. Jeff is obviously pissed at Gambi. – The cracks are starting to appear in the relationship between these two. I do hope that things work out as I think they are a great team and the two actors have a great chemistry together.

TOBIAS GOES UFC

We are then taken to Tobias Whale who, just for fun/training or whatever, is involved in a cage fight, with one massive dude who was recruited by his right hand mad, Joey Toledo. Tobias gets the better of him first up and complains to Toledo about where he gets these clowns from. Behind him, the big dude gets up, approval from Tobias and they fight again. Ultimately, Tobias gets the better of him once more and ends up killing him. Wondering how he managed to get up, he checks the guys’ bag and finds that he was taking the drug, Green Light. – We see more of the threat that someone like Tobias Whale can bring here. I’m sure he will fight BL at one point during the season and it’s something I look forward to.

Later on and Jefferson and Lynne are talking to Detective Henderson about what happened during the break in at Lynne’s workplace. He thinks that The 100 may be after Jefferson and went for Lynne to get to him; it seems to make sense, especially as they have already tried something similar after the kidnapping of Jennifer and Anissa. Another detective is sat with Henderson as he interviews the Pierce’s and, based on the descriptions given shows Lynne what he has come up with. She confirms that the two sketches represent the men who broke in to her lab. – What is with Henderson’s voice? It seems to get slower and deeper with every episode.

TAKE CARE OF IT!

Staying on the sketches, Lady Eve has acquired the same and they are, as we know from the previous episode, they are two of her henchmen. She tells them to take care of it. In his basement, Gambi receives a text from an “Unknown number (he knows really), that tells him that the “cleaners are on their way”.

Outside the police department, Jeff and Lynne are talking about the future of their daughters, especially now that Anissa has her powers.

IT’S THE BLACK-PHONE

Jefferson gets a call on the phone he use for his Black Lightning guise (if you can come up with a better name that The Black-Phone please do – John); it’s Detective Henderson who is asking if he knows of anyone else with powers in Freeland as he has received reports of a, seriously hot, female with powers who has destroyed the Confederate statue in the city. Jefferson tells him he has no idea. – Ok, so Detective Henderson didn’t say the words “seriously hot”. However, I thought it was very easy to notice that Jefferson/BL was lying through his teeth when asked the question.

As the phone call ends, Anissa walks in to his office at the school. They talk about the research that she has relating to the research her grandfather, Jeff’s father was working on and the research into that, that she has been taking on herself. Jeff tells her that he thinks the break in at Lynne’s lab was about the box of research that Anissa had taken. They also talk about how and when she should use her powers, basically, Jeff would rather she tried not to. They fall out. – Again, more parental care here which is always good to see in whatever context. Anissa, being strong willed, doesn’t think that she can do that. Her character, she’s a protestor, standing up for rights etc. shows that this cannot happen and she will always stand up for people.

Gambi has gone to visit Lady Eve, she’s surprised he got in to her but it’s easier said than done keeping him out. He warns her that Tobias should remain underground, out of sight. He worries that the police force may find out that he is still alive and the repercussions this might have. We are also made privy to the fact that Gambi helped Lady Eve build her drug empire in the city. – Noooooo, I don’t want Gambi being a villain of any sort. James Remar always plays the villain and it’ll be nice to see something different from him. Have I ever mentioned how much I like watching James Remar in anything? Great actor.

BREAKFAST

At the Pierce household, it’s breakfast time. Anissa and Jefferson are unusually quiet and this not gone unnoticed by Jennifer who makes comments asking what is going on between the two as they are acting weird and haven’t made any comments on the fact that Jennifer is wearing something that belongs to Anissa or something relating to school from her dad. Jefferson tries to convince Jennifer that they fell out after Anissa became mad that her dad was missing a brain scan after his recent problems with his headaches. – Is it me or is the only time we see Jennifer this whole episode? Shame as she is a great character and a great young actress playing her. Oh well, I have no doubt that we will be seeing more of her.

At Gambi’s and Anissa has gone to see her mum who is hiding out there after the events at her lab. They talk to each other and Lynne tells Anissa that, as Jefferson was unable to give up moonlighting as Black Lightning, that it was the ultimate cause of their separation.

After leaving her mum, Anissa makes her way to the offices of the Freeland Gazette where she wants to talk to the editor who gave her the research carried out by her Grandfather. She had been trying to contact him numerous times before without success and so she keeps knocking on his office door. Soon, a co-worker sees Anissa knocking at the editor’s door and has to pass on the sad news that he passed away a couple of days earlier. Anissa is visibly upset at the news she has just received. – While we probably knew that this was going to be the case after she couldn’t get hold of him, it was still a jolt to the system and we saw how much it hurts Anissa.

A TORNADO AT TOLEDO’S

At the place of Joey Toledo, Gambi makes an appearance, disguised of course and promptly shoots and kills all those in his path. He gets to Toledo, shoots him and, as he is still alive, removes his disguise to show him who he is. Toledo, unsurprisingly, dies. – Short scene but I bloody well love this. Gambi is a bad ass and James Remar does play parts like this very well. Love his disguise, he has a bit of The Shadow about him, certainly the look anyway.

At home Anissa tells her dad that David Poe, the editor of the Freeland Gazette has been killed. He comforts her. – As any good father would.

A SOFTENED STANCE

Jefferson goes to see Lynne at Gambi’s. They talk and her stance on how Anissa should progress softens. She wants Jefferson to train her daughter, to ensure that she doesn’t get hurt when she is out on the streets. He’s not entirely convinced just yet. He suddenly gets a call from Detective Henderson and has to leave. – Nice to see Lynne softening a little even though she will still be extremely concerned.

Tobias is sat a desk at his base when he receives word from his sister, Tori that Joey Toledo has been killed. – Love how Tobias is seen siting at his desk, with a copy of Moby Dick just sitting there. As simple a thing that it, I really liked it.

WHERE’D HE GO?

Black Lightning goes to meet Detective Henderson. They meet up and BL is informed that Joey Toledo, his main route to Tobias Whale has been killed. The detective goes on to inform BL that he has gotten word of Tobias attending a jazz concert at a venue in the city. Jefferson, does what he does best and leaves, leaving Henderson wondering where he’s gone after he turns his back on him, and goes to check out the info he has been given.

SUIT UP!

Back at Gambi’s and Lynne wants to ask Gambi a favour. She wants him to tailor a suit for Anissa. He agrees, obviously, and when Anissa arrives at his shop, he talks to her about it and you can see how excited she is that this is going to happen. – What? No more blue lycra? Haha, never mind. Still, it’s another step on her road to becoming Thunder and, still, ding dong! Good to see Lynne getting involved and the ball rolling on her daughter having maximum protection.

At the club that Tobias is attending for the concert, BL arrives. Tobias spots him in the dark and a gunfight breaks out where both Tobias and Tori get hit. Tobias manages to get dragged in to a car to make a getaway but Tori is left dying. Jefferson tries to get her to breathe, looking distraught at what has transpired. Tori dies. – Short, action packed scene that pulled a punch at the end with the death of Tori.

AT THE SAME TIME IN ANOTHER PART OF THE CITY AND…

…a wake is being held for Joey Toledo at the funeral parlour of Lady Eve. Lady Eve arrives and looks around, two men with what look like very special guns that fire electricity open fire on Evelyn and her men. The men have been sent by Tobias and Lady Eve shows her own skills by fighting off a couple of the men herself, showing how much of a badass she is. Unbeknownst to her, a third man rises up from one of the coffins, shooting her full on with the electric gun (That’s all I’ve got at the moment – John), and pretty much frying her to death. – Wow, I did not expect that to happen. So much for the feelings that Lady Eve was the real big bad of the season. Quite a shocking (no pun intended) climax to her appearance on the show – however, as we will soon find out, this could well change).

 

THUNDER IS COMING

At home, Jefferson goes to his daughters’ room to talk. He tells her about his experience that evening and Tori dying right in front of him. It is things like this that are difficult to take. He goes on to reassure her that Freeland City, do not only need Black Lightning, but her as well to fight The 100, something that brings a smile to the face of Anissa. He promises her that he will teach her everything he knows about fighting crime. – Yes, Thunder is definitely coming now. Can’t wait to see these two in action.

Detective Henderson makes a call to Black Lightning. He tells BL that he has gone too far this time and Jefferson has no idea what he is speaking of. Thanks to the guns used, it appears that Black Lightning is being set up for the death of Lady Eve and her men. – Crafty Tobias.

RESURRECTION

Finally, we are taken to a hotel room where see the body of the, choked to death by Tobias, Lala lying there when all of a sudden he bursts back in to life. He sees an apparition of Lawanda, the woman he murdered, and she disappears, but only to reappear as a tattoo on his chest. – Wow, what a surprise this was and great that I haven’t seen any spoilers of this at all. Loved his character and having him back should be great. Is he now the Tattooed Man? Fingers crossed.


Well, what a cracking episode this was. So much going on, it was like a 45 minute self-contained movie with a super ending to take us to a sequel.

Really enjoying the fact that full on Thunder is coming and Anissa’s development will now speed up faster than ever – although I am going to be sorry to see her original outfit go.

Everyone on the show put in a cracking performance throughout, this is a really great cast that has been put together.

Not enough Jennifer this episode – she’s a cracking character, played by one of the finest young actresses on tv at the moment. I have no doubt that will change.

Where was Khalil, especially after his final scene last time out?

Did I hear Tobias mention something about The Shadow Boys? Or did I dream that?

This was full of shocks, surprises and some super action. For me, the best episode of the season so far and it’s an easy 9/10.

If you would like to post your own thoughts on this episode, please do so below or on any of our social media feeds, all welcome.

Cheers, John