Spoilers Black Lightning - Season 1

[dahj]

why does he need the visor that goes opaque?

I guess that could be useful so he doesn't get blinded when he's shooting bright lightning all over the place but I haven't paid attention during the action scenes if that's the case, I only noticed it's darker when he's talking to people that know him.

 

[Christopher]

I guess that could be useful so he doesn't get blinded when he's shooting bright lightning all over the place but I haven't paid attention during the action scenes if that's the case, I only noticed it's darker when he's talking to people that know him.

Yes, exactly. He's only blackened the visor when facing people who would recognize Jefferson Pierce -- first his daughters, then Henderson. So clearly it's meant to conceal his appearance, which shouldn't be necessary if there's some natural side effect of his power that keeps people from making out his facial features.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

Well try to picture it from the point of view of someone that isn't an extreme liberal, which is where these politics go. I find Supergirl on occasion, especially since Trump won, to be borderline misandrist. I don't want politics in my superhero shows. I just want to watch a superhero show.

The problem with a show that political is that it presents one side only, and very skewed to the point of ignorance. I just want to watch Supergirl kick butt. I want evil to be evil, not a political point. And I don't need tokenism and political correctness. Just show superheroes.

Supergirl has a chip on its shoulder and it hurts the show.

I was not aware that racism and sexism coming from the leader of a powerful nation (and which is causing said behaviors to erupt among a lot of people) was something to be passed over or just swept under the carpet due to viewers feeling uncomfortable.

EDIT (2/3/2018) If you don't like the TV show, you can always read the monthly comic book (which has some elements of the TV show, but not all.)

I guess that could be useful so he doesn't get blinded when he's shooting bright lightning all over the place but I haven't paid attention during the action scenes if that's the case, I only noticed it's darker when he's talking to people that know him.

That's my take on it, too (I also have a character I play in the video game DC Universe Online who's based on BL and wears the same goggles.)

 

[JD]

^ I think Tobias Whale fits the definition of "superpowered bad guy" since he seemed to just drain Lala's life away as if he were siphoning it, but we'll see.

^ TREK_GOD_1 also alluded to Whale's "metahuman status." I don't know if he was referring to the same scene, but I just rewatched it, and my first impression is unchanged: that Whale simply choked Lala to death the old-fashioned way. I wonder if we're not so used to wall-to-wall metas on these shows that we're seeing "powers" where they aren't intended.

I thought he might have been super strong, because he seemed to lift Lala up pretty easily, and killed him pretty quick.
As for him not struggling, I thought it was just because his hands were cuffed behind his back.
This was a good follow up the pilot, I liked the way they built up to Jefferson deciding to go back to being Black Lighting permanently. Although it was sad that Wanda had to die before he did.
I loved the doorman and the guy in elevator opening the doors and holding the elevator for him. .

 

[Christopher]

I thought he might have been super strong, because he seemed to lift Lala up pretty easily, and killed him pretty quick.

Strong, sure, but that doesn't require superhuman strength. Again, in the comics, Tobias Whale has no superpowers of any kind -- he's just got a lot of muscle and fighting skills. Above average does not equal superhuman.

Although it was sad that Wanda had to die before he did.

That's LaWanda.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning
Episode three: "Lawanda: The Book of Burial"

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: Jefferson's "shower" speech was funny, but on point about what the kid's habits were, and how that was not going anywhere near his daughter. I do get the feeling his dedication to his family will lead to the death of someone--perhaps Lynn, since he has eyes on him at school...

Jennifer Pierce & Anissa Pierce: "Tired of walking around with signs, trying to change people's hearts" Again, we see the disconnect between a young person today, always seeking some more immediate, aggressive way to change life, thinking the Civil Rights-like marching is not getting what you want right here, right now.

Anissa accused of being somehow phony for being "Miss Black Lives Matter" while being with an Asian woman shines a light on some black people leaning in the direction of racial isolation / racism as a means of being "true" to a cause.

Lynn Pierce & Peter Gambi: Jefferson's "people live with their misery instead of dying to change it" to Gambi is yet more borrowed commentary taken from the pre and Civil Rights Movement era, specifically the divide between those who were willing to keep the fight going, even in the face of violence, while others believed--or were frightened into believing "safety" (as if they ever truly had that in society of that time) was better than a night-stick or bullet.

One might understand some of Gambi's actions, but between Gambi and Henderson, it seems Jefferson might end up on his own, or have more "enemies" than he can handle.

Tobias Whale: Aside from his general brutality, last week some questioned the idea of his being a metahuman. In the scene where he murders Lala, his neck was glowing just under the surface of the skin.

"That's what I hate about these church going Negores" is yet another reference from reality--this time, the atheistic hatred of people of faith, and their unwavering dedication to God's way being the path to freedom on earth, as opposed to the empty promises of militant/radical behavior, or in this case, criminal behavior.

NOTES:
The idea of a person's costumed life threatening his family is a long-lived comic-book trope (most notably Spider-Man) is worked into this series in a more effective way than any of the other DC/CW series.

Henderson coming into conflict with Jefferson would add to that Spider-Man trope.

Black Lightning gets a small ratings break tonight because a pivotal episode of This is Us was preempted by Trump's State of the Union speech.

GRADE: B+

 

[Christopher]

Hmm... So, thanks to Grace Choi's conversation with Anissa, we know that the show is set either in a world where Supergirl is a fictional character, or on Earth-38 where Supergirl is real. They kept it ambiguous by having her talk about superhero comics in a universe where we know superheroes really exist. Still, it potentially opens a door and is going to spark all sorts of speculation.

The comic they chose is appropriate, since the Outsiders were a team that, in the comics, has included not only Black Lightning and Looker (the other heroine Grace mentioned), but both Grace and Anissa/Thunder. But apparently here they're fictional. (And it's the second Outsiders name drop on The CW in as many weeks -- in last week's Arrow, Curtis suggested it as a new team name.) In the comics, Grace Choi is a half-Amazon whose superhero name is... Grace. (Don't tell Curtis. At least The Ray put a "The" in front of his first name.)

So far, the pattern seems to be that Black Lightning doesn't show up until the climax of the episode and has just one big action scene. I guess an older superhero has to pace himself and all, but still, I'd like to see a bit more action. Even in the old '70s superhero shows where the hero only appeared costumed or transformed for a few minutes per episode, the usual formula was that it would happen twice. But then, it seems Anissa's going to start fighting crime pretty soon, so maybe we'll get more costumed action per episode once she suits up.

I loved the subplot about Jennifer and Khalil deciding to have sex. They approached it so maturely and responsibly, without all the shame and baggage that just gets in the way. They talked it out ahead of time, arranged for responsible precautions, and were open about it with their parents (or at least Jennifer was). It was great. The most immature reaction came from Jefferson.

 

[dahj]

Hmm... So, thanks to Grace Choi's conversation with Anissa, we know that the show is set either in a world where Supergirl is a fictional character, or on Earth-38 where Supergirl is real.

It may also be on an Earth where Supergirl is real, but not Earth-38.
Or it may even be on Earth-1, where Supergirl is an occasional visitor who's semi-real.
Basically, it's as non-committal reference as it can be and I hope they keep all of them that way this season, because I can't see any possible storyteling reason to limit their options later on.

(Judging by Anissa's costume, Catwoman may also be real and/or a comic book character here )


I loved all the family moments this episode, the sex talk, the parents talking about the sex talk and Lynn's talk with Anissa at the hospital. This is one family that's got their shit straight and it is frankly very refreshing to see a distinct lack of a failure to communicate.

So many other good moments too, the talk between Henderson and the Reverend was really powerful, and Annisa slowly figuring out her powers was kinda cool.

Speaking of Anissa, the girl's got game, picking up Grace without even getting of the floor of the library.... smooth . I'm glad they didn't drag out the breakup with Chenoe, since it was obvious last week that it wasn't gonna last.

So 9 years ago Black Lightning and Tobias Whale had a confrontation that led each of them to believe that the other was dead. Now Tobias knows Black Lightning's back, but Gambi is hiding the fact that the Whale has returned so that BL won't go after him until he's ready. There's nothing more sinister in that footage deleting moment, right?

Also, how or why did Tobias' henchwoman manage to miss BL with the sniper?

Khalil sure could use Felicity's magic walking chip right about now, but so far this doesn't seem like the show that will ignore the consequences.

After 3 episodes I'm very impressed by this show, hope it keeps going this strong.

 

[Christopher]

It may also be on an Earth where Supergirl is real, but not Earth-38.
Or it may even be on Earth-1, where Supergirl is an occasional visitor who's semi-real.

Those possibilities did occur to me, but they seem less likely. Particularly the latter, since there are other female heroines who would be more familiar/famous to the people of Earth-1 than Supergirl, who's only really shown up in public twice. If an Earth-1 Grace were going to name a real superhero that Anissa might cosplay as, it'd more likely be someone like Vixen, Black Canary, or Hawkgirl.

And "real Supergirl on not Earth-38" is a possibility, yes (according to Harry Wells, certainly), but why bother? If the producers wanted to set their show on a world with a real Supergirl, there's one already available.

Basically, it's as non-committal reference as it can be and I hope they keep all of them that way this season, because I can't see any possible storyteling reason to limit their options later on.

Sure, but I'm thinking that it opens a door if they want to go through it later. I'd like a second show set on Earth-38 to balance out having so many shows on Earth-1. Also because Black Lightning as a comics character has established ties to both Superman (through their common Metropolis setting and shared use of Inspector Henderson) and Batman (through the Outsiders), and we know Earth-38 has both (though we also know that Earth-1 has a Bruce Wayne, at least). So it feels like it would fit there.

(Judging by Anissa's costume, Catwoman may also be real and/or a comic book character here )

I dunno, catgirl costumes are pretty generic stuff. That actually disappointed me about the party scene -- it was supposed to be a cosplay party, but nobody was dressed up as any recognizable character. Usually, when comics or animated shows in superhero universes do costume-party sequences, the partiers are always, always dressed up as superheroes. Thanks to the way they set it up through Grace, they could've done that and still kept it ambiguous whether the heroes were real or fictional. And maybe they could've seeded some existing superhero characters that might actually be used in the future.

and Annisa slowly figuring out her powers was kinda cool.

Yep. I loved the sheer joy she expressed when she finally started to get a handle on her powers. So much emotion there.

Speaking of Anissa, the girl's got game, picking up Grace without even getting of the floor of the library.... smooth . I'm glad they didn't drag out the breakup with Chenoe, since it was obvious last week that it wasn't gonna last.

It was only obvious to me because I already knew she'd be getting a girlfriend named Grace Choi, and that woman didn't seem to be her. Anyway, Chantal Thuy (Grace) is lovely. I look forward to seeing more of her.

So 9 years ago Black Lightning and Tobias Whale had a confrontation that led each of them to believe that the other was dead.

I don't think it's been established that Jefferson thinks Whale is dead. There was still a wanted poster for Whale in the police station in the pilot, so he's still considered alive and at large, although there was one for Black Lightning as well. I think Jeff just doesn't know Whale's whereabouts, doesn't know that he's still active and behind the 100. I guess it's ambiguous, though.

Now Tobias knows Black Lightning's back, but Gambi is hiding the fact that the Whale has returned so that BL won't go after him until he's ready. There's nothing more sinister in that footage deleting moment, right?

That's what we're supposed to wonder. Maybe Gambi doesn't want BL to get obsessed with hunting his white whale (so to speak) and lose sight of the bigger fight.

Also, how or why did Tobias' henchwoman manage to miss BL with the sniper?

Maybe she wasn't aiming at BL, despite what Whale's order seemed to suggest. It could be that her intended target was the priest. After all, he was the one who led the rally in defiance of the 100, and he wasn't wearing body armor like BL, so he was the more logical target under the circumstances. In which case, the question is, why did she miss a lethal shot?

By the way, I looked up the credits, and the henchwoman "with death in her eyes" is named Syonide, after several DC assassin characters. The first Syonide was a male assassin who tangled with Black Lightning on Whale's behalf, and the other two were women who fought the Outsiders, one working for Whale and the other for Lady Eve. I guess the show's Syonide (played by South African actress/model Charlbi Dean Kriek) is an amalgam of the first two, at least.

 

[dahj]

If an Earth-1 Grace were going to name a real superhero that Anissa might cosplay as, it'd more likely be someone like Vixen, Black Canary, or Hawkgirl.

True, but because of the recent Nazi invasion Supergirl could currently be more in focus of news and gossip stuff than the usual heroines.

But yeah, it would be a better fit for Earth-38.

That actually disappointed me about the party scene -- it was supposed to be a cosplay party, but nobody was dressed up as any recognizable character.

I just rewatched the scene and there's a Harley Quinn there at the bar.

It was only obvious to me because I already knew she'd be getting a girlfriend named Grace Choi, and that woman didn't seem to be her.

We knew Anissa avoided meeting her family and friends, and the Pierces weren't even sure what her name was. It's actually surprising they stayed together for a year. The sex must have been really great.

 

[DigificWriter]

Jefferson and Lynn had both met Chenoa, but Chenoa's parents hadn't met Anissa because the latter kept making excuses to avoid such an encounter.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Ratings: even with Black Lightning's biggest competition--the powerhouse This is Us being preempted by Trump's State of the Union address, Black Lightning still did not manage to win the night, earning 0.8 (2.2 million), being completely smothered by the State of the Union address, which took in a 14.8 rating (45.6 million).

 

[DigificWriter]

I'm still not sure why you think ratings matter, but whatever.

 

[jamesraykenney]

<snip>
Screw them.

He was saying that DESPITE thinking there were too many superhero shows on TV that the critic liked it anyway.

 

[jamesraykenney]

<snip>

Now i forget...are you the one who has complained about Superman killing Zod in Man of Steel? If so.. then let that feeling help you understand how African AMericans feel about the police as a whole...because those consequences are real life, and worse than a fictional Superman killing a fictional villain, there have been far too many innocent African AMericans getting killed. (And many who are "guilty" of something were certainly not guilty of a capital offense)
<snip>

While I agree with most of that, I hate it when people say things like: "And many who are "guilty" of something were certainly not guilty of a capital offense".
Whether a crime is a capital offense or not has NOTHING to do with the use of lethal force. It has EVERYTHING to do with presenting the appearance of a threat to the police. Depending on the state, stealing coffee cup can make you subject to the use of lethal force by none police. In some states, you can use lethal force to prevent the theft of any personal property. This does not make the crime a capital offense, but the rules for 'during the commission of a crime' are WAY different than the rules once you are awaiting a trial.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I think the two musicians have done well in their parts (Krondon as Whale and Jill Scott tonight) and James Remar as Gambi(?) is such a different look and performance than he's done before.

As to Hit Girl, I wondered if BL’s suit deflected it maybe but she didn’t seem surprised by it so I don’t know. Odd scene IMO.

Any comic guys get a little triggered seeing that folded comic book in her back pocket?

 

[Christopher]

James Remar as Gambi(?) is such a different look and performance than he's done before.

I know him mainly from animation voice roles, so he sounds pretty familiar to me. (His roles include Hawkman in Justice League Unlimited, Black Mask in The Batman, Vilgax in Ben 10: Alien Force/Ultimate Alien, Two-Face in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Silver Monkey in Beware the Batman, and Korra's father Tonraq in The Legend of Korra. It looks like he's also had a recurring role on Gotham, so he seems to like Batman.)

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I guess I grew up watching too many cheesy movies which is where I know him from.
EDIT: I tried to get this to start at 1:37 but it's not working...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[The Realist]

I think Remar may be most familiar to many folks as the psychotic cop killer in 48 Hours. He was memorably chilling in that role, with a mean, stupid volatility that made him seem truly vicious and lethal.

 

[dahj]

seeing that folded comic book in her back pocket?

These days it's hard to fold digital ones.