If you're talking about the black catsuit, she didn't so much reject it, as it rejected her butt
Yeah, also this kind of proves that you can still have fancy costumes and not sacrifice "realism" for it. (Khm.. hear that Netflix MCU?... khm.
)
Spoilers Black Lightning - Season 1
- Thread starter dahj
- Start date
If you're talking about the black catsuit, she didn't so much reject it, as it rejected her butt
Yeah, also this kind of proves that you can still have fancy costumes and not sacrifice "realism" for it. (Khm.. hear that Netflix MCU?... khm.
)
I’ve come to kind of like the in-your-face lighting on BL’s suit, it’s just so unashamedly ridiculous. It works for a hero who is a bit out-of-touch that it comes from a different stylistic era. I could see BL wanting a symbol the villains and community would remember and that might draw attention to him away from the civilians he's protecting. Though maybe an off switch wouldn't be a bad idea, turning it on when he's about to actively engage with the enemy rather than when spying from a nighttime rooftop.
^ He could be her "Gambi" except every upgrade comes in the form of a fabulous new accessory.
So I’m awakened by a coughing fit fighting off walking pneumonia and what pops in my head? “Black Light Mode”, c’mon CW make it happen...
Speaking of costumes, this is my favourite of the runner-ups for Anissa's costume:
...its like Electra Woman ate the Powerpuff Girls, the barfed them up on fabric!
Black Lightning
Episode six : "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"
Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: So, his powers allow him to heal twice as fast as the average human.
For all of his calls for his daughters to use their heads, he finally uses his own in applying a little detective work in his pursuit of a doctor who treats Tobias' albinism.
Anissa Pierce: Jefferson criticizing his daughter with "they look enough like real guns to end you" / "you're a black woman. you don't have the luxury of being naïve" were spot on. The defacing the statue scene was accurate in how some jump on the protest train (in its modern form), and think nothing of consequences they are never prepared to handle.
With no experience using powers, she should have been flattened by BL within seconds.
Jennifer Pierce: Being tormented for "talking like a white girl" is more real than most are capable of understanding. Of course, Kahlil being behind the insulting posts is the foundation of a Whale trap, which suggests Whale might suspect who BL is under the mask.
Gambi: His resistance to BL going after Tobias...as seen two episodes ago, Gambi's behavior about the subject of Tobias finally proved he's covering his own ass--not only with his involvement with Lady Eve, but in the in the program that created Green Light and (by association) caused the murder of Jefferson's father.
Lynn Pierce: her not "giving a damn" about Jefferson's interest in the man who murdered his father was enormously selfish, not to mention her complete disinterest in helping Gambi bring Jefferson back from the edge of becoming a murderer...well, until the last minute.
Tobias Whale: Whale's "today, white boys are just as lazy and shiftless as the brothers" -- basic racism and self-hate rears its head again.
NOTES:
Yes, Whale was always a metahuman.
The Confederate statue scene was this series' first over the top moment in trying to rip one from already fading headlines. Thunder's stomp should have destroyed the platform as well as the statue.
I thought Jefferson's pain was caused by a form of feedback--although this is natural, rather than due to the suit.
Fowdy's disappointed expression after Jefferson leaves to talk to his daughter did not seem to be about his independence, but unrequited feelings. With Lynn bickering with Jefferson at every turn.....
Kahlil's atheistic rant may be his immaturity at work (along with the influence of Tobias), who certainly mocks faith and/or mistakenly blames it for not getting what he wants in life. I'm guessing he will be the test subject of whatever Gambi-connected treatment/experiments Jefferson's father investigated long ago, leading him to either seek revenge on Jennifer, or use her to lure BL into a trap. Its easy to imagine an enhanced Kahlil taking on BL and Thunder (or defeating both) somewhere near the season finale.
Thunder's costume is awful. In today's world of cosplayers who create costumes just as good as screen-used work. She should go online and ask for pointers.
GRADE: B+
Episode six : "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"
Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: So, his powers allow him to heal twice as fast as the average human.
For all of his calls for his daughters to use their heads, he finally uses his own in applying a little detective work in his pursuit of a doctor who treats Tobias' albinism.
Anissa Pierce: Jefferson criticizing his daughter with "they look enough like real guns to end you" / "you're a black woman. you don't have the luxury of being naïve" were spot on. The defacing the statue scene was accurate in how some jump on the protest train (in its modern form), and think nothing of consequences they are never prepared to handle.
With no experience using powers, she should have been flattened by BL within seconds.
Jennifer Pierce: Being tormented for "talking like a white girl" is more real than most are capable of understanding. Of course, Kahlil being behind the insulting posts is the foundation of a Whale trap, which suggests Whale might suspect who BL is under the mask.
Gambi: His resistance to BL going after Tobias...as seen two episodes ago, Gambi's behavior about the subject of Tobias finally proved he's covering his own ass--not only with his involvement with Lady Eve, but in the in the program that created Green Light and (by association) caused the murder of Jefferson's father.
Lynn Pierce: her not "giving a damn" about Jefferson's interest in the man who murdered his father was enormously selfish, not to mention her complete disinterest in helping Gambi bring Jefferson back from the edge of becoming a murderer...well, until the last minute.
Tobias Whale: Whale's "today, white boys are just as lazy and shiftless as the brothers" -- basic racism and self-hate rears its head again.
NOTES:
Yes, Whale was always a metahuman.
The Confederate statue scene was this series' first over the top moment in trying to rip one from already fading headlines. Thunder's stomp should have destroyed the platform as well as the statue.
I thought Jefferson's pain was caused by a form of feedback--although this is natural, rather than due to the suit.
Fowdy's disappointed expression after Jefferson leaves to talk to his daughter did not seem to be about his independence, but unrequited feelings. With Lynn bickering with Jefferson at every turn.....
Kahlil's atheistic rant may be his immaturity at work (along with the influence of Tobias), who certainly mocks faith and/or mistakenly blames it for not getting what he wants in life. I'm guessing he will be the test subject of whatever Gambi-connected treatment/experiments Jefferson's father investigated long ago, leading him to either seek revenge on Jennifer, or use her to lure BL into a trap. Its easy to imagine an enhanced Kahlil taking on BL and Thunder (or defeating both) somewhere near the season finale.
Thunder's costume is awful. In today's world of cosplayers who create costumes just as good as screen-used work. She should go online and ask for pointers.
GRADE: B+
^ Personally, I rather like how garishly comic-booky Anissa's costume is, especially for a young hero just starting out. Beats the hell out of the drab Bryan Singer X-Men-style suits the LSH members were saddled with on Supergirl.
Black Lightning started off with a fairly measured pace to its storytelling, but the last couple of episodes have really been jam-packed. Not a complaint, just an observation -- the show continues to be smart and involving at any speed. And from the looks of the preview, next week promises to be especially exciting.
Black Lightning started off with a fairly measured pace to its storytelling, but the last couple of episodes have really been jam-packed. Not a complaint, just an observation -- the show continues to be smart and involving at any speed. And from the looks of the preview, next week promises to be especially exciting.
Well. I was just thinking that I hoped the secrets between Anissa and her parents wouldn't last much longer, since it's frustrating when characters keep secrets and never get to have real conversations about certain things. And I certainly got what I wished for tonight. Though I have mixed feelings about the Black Lightning-Thunder throwdown. On the one hand, it was pretty cool to see how well Anissa held her own, and the choreography was pretty effective. On the other hand, it's a bit implausible that Jefferson didn't recognize his own daughter's features. Lynn obviously did, and it's not like that face paint was much of a disguise. Maybe they should've set up the scene so that the office's lights went out before BL arrived.
Then again, I've been having a little trouble recognizing Anissa from scene to scene myself. For some reason, I was having a hard time getting used to the actress's face. I've never been great with faces, and sometimes it takes me a while to learn someone's face well enough to recognize them. I realized today that I think the reason I've had trouble with Anissa is that she changes her hairstyle so often, and changing hairstyles can throw off my limited facial-recognition abilities. So it's taken me a while, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it with her. Still, her own father should be used to all her looks by now.
Anyway, now everyone but Jennifer knows about Anissa, and Anissa knows about her father. I kind of hope they all sit down as a family and bring Jennifer into the loop too, rather than finding some contrived excuse to keep lying to her.
I'm really tired of the cliche of heroes having to be talked down from killing for revenge. Just once I'd like to see a story where the hero refuses even to consider killing the murderer of their parents/spouse/whatever because that would mean becoming like them, or because it would betray their loved ones' memory. But they handled it pretty well here.
I like it that Thunder's public debut was trashing a Confederate memorial. As soon as Anissa was arrested for the protest, I knew she'd be coming back in costume later on, though I didn't expect it to be so public. I'm also surprised that their fictionalized version of the white-supremacist counter-protest was so close to reality. This show doesn't pull its punches with the social commentary.
I don't mind a little garishness in principle, but this costume is pretty ugly. Especially the way it seems to have cartoon breasts and decolletage drawn onto the front. It's very much an adult Halloween costume sort of thing rather than a proper superhero costume. I hope Gambi gets to work on her upgrade pretty soon.
Then again, I've been having a little trouble recognizing Anissa from scene to scene myself. For some reason, I was having a hard time getting used to the actress's face. I've never been great with faces, and sometimes it takes me a while to learn someone's face well enough to recognize them. I realized today that I think the reason I've had trouble with Anissa is that she changes her hairstyle so often, and changing hairstyles can throw off my limited facial-recognition abilities. So it's taken me a while, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it with her. Still, her own father should be used to all her looks by now.
Anyway, now everyone but Jennifer knows about Anissa, and Anissa knows about her father. I kind of hope they all sit down as a family and bring Jennifer into the loop too, rather than finding some contrived excuse to keep lying to her.
I'm really tired of the cliche of heroes having to be talked down from killing for revenge. Just once I'd like to see a story where the hero refuses even to consider killing the murderer of their parents/spouse/whatever because that would mean becoming like them, or because it would betray their loved ones' memory. But they handled it pretty well here.
I like it that Thunder's public debut was trashing a Confederate memorial. As soon as Anissa was arrested for the protest, I knew she'd be coming back in costume later on, though I didn't expect it to be so public. I'm also surprised that their fictionalized version of the white-supremacist counter-protest was so close to reality. This show doesn't pull its punches with the social commentary.
I don't mind a little garishness in principle, but this costume is pretty ugly. Especially the way it seems to have cartoon breasts and decolletage drawn onto the front. It's very much an adult Halloween costume sort of thing rather than a proper superhero costume. I hope Gambi gets to work on her upgrade pretty soon.
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Jefferson was stressed, and thought that Thunder/Anissa was attacking Lynn, so he attacked her. It was the classic 'superheroes meet, and mistake one another for a bad guy' trope seen in Avengers, a few classic comics, and Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice. Hopefully Thunder/Anissa is okay.
Most likely, Jennifer has the same powers as her daddy and her big sis, and they may be starting up soon.
Although I don't condone that myself (with one recent exception), I can understand why he's tempted to do it; Whale is a murderous prick and then some. One day, somebody might kill him, or he'll be destroyed due to a petard-hoist of his own making.
I liked that myself, and I'm glad to see such a monument destroyed in fiction (if not in fact) by a black person like myself; it reminds me of this destruction of a racist symbol from a certain movie.
He'd better get to work on a costume similar to her dad's and the showrunners had better (in real life) give her that same costume, because as it is the police are probably looking for her because she destroyed that statue. As it is, at least that kind and type of symbol of slavery and proto-fascism is gone in fiction (if not in real life) and made gone quickly, without any bullshit hemming and hawing from politicians about how to get rid of it.
With regards to a new (and better) costume, I've got some great ideas.
These are pix of my character from DC Universe Online named Megawatt Kid, whose powers and costume are based on that of Black Lightning (comic book version):
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Pretty good episode, lots of relevant things to chew on without being too hamfisted about them.
Whenever Jefferson lays into Anissa I always think of the old (problematic maybe?) Chris Rock bit.
Whenever Jefferson lays into Anissa I always think of the old (problematic maybe?) Chris Rock bit.
I was thinking the same with Jefferson’s rather distinctive facial hair, few people have such a completely full “bowl” of hair. Or did they hand wave that his powers distorts his identity, can’t remember.
...yet one would think that someone going public as a woman with superpowers would use something more utilitarian than something that looks like a bad dance skin from 1982.
Well, the season is moving toward its mid point, so the conflicts all grow at this point.
...and considering how next to no one ever recognizes faces or voices behind flimsy disguises in superhero fiction, BL's reaction was justified. Some viewers need to remember that in this series' universe, BL is the only superhero game in town. There's no casual references to "that man in Metropolis" or "that man in Gotham". Jefferson thinks he's the only one, and with The 100/Tobias/Green Light trouble going on, there's no questioning Jefferson's actions.
I think that would be too much for this series. Its enough that Jefferson will need to deal with his daughter trying to risk her life in a society where criminals will mark her (for death, or experimentation), and law enforcement will not tolerate another vigilante. Jennifer tossed into that would lead to too many storylines stuffed into what should be a straightforward tale of Jefferson trying to understand and/or mentor one child.
Except impulsive, destructive acts do not solve problems or advance any idea of racial respect/wound-healing in a society. The showrunners can try to make that statement, but it came off as said showrunners getting off on emotionalism, instead of having characters make a serious point about Confederate monuments and its continued effect on current race relations and it history in America. The irony with that scene is that in real life, anyone attempting to destroy a monument would face serious legal consequences and accomplish nothing--the very point Jefferson tries to drill into both daughters' heads since the pilot.
These are pix of my character from DC Universe Online named Megawatt Kid, whose powers and costume are based on that of Black Lightning (comic book version):
The blue and yellow accents tie her to BL too much, and for her own protection (from BL's growing list of enemies), it would be wise for her to have a unique costume. I like your design, but the colors would be a problem for Thunder.
A note about crossovers: Before the series debut, some wondered if Black Lightning was set in the same universe as the other CW/DC shows, or if crossovers were possible, but the general tone, level of performances and direction of the series makes BL so different than the others, that any sort of crossover would seem forced, as they are speaking different ideological and creative languages. BL--if WB/DC allow it--can use other DC characters down the line, in the event the showrunners want to add more superheroics, but any attempt to add any other Berlanti series to BL would be as unnatural and jarring as trying to merge the Transformers with the film Coming Home.
From what we've seen, BL doesn't fight metas usually, encountering one surely caught him off guard.
I thought the fight was rather believable, Anissa has been testing her powers, and we know she took self defense classes, so no, she shouldn't have gone down easier.
To be fair, usually you can't really buy a non-ugly costume in a costume store, kitsch is kind of their thing. Also, I think she was intentionally going for ridiculous because ridiculous is distracting, and it obviously works since even her own father didn't recognize her.
Yeah, they did. Jennifer said something about his face being out of focus or something like that.
I don't see a problem there, over the years comics have done crossovers between way weirder combinations of heroes than those available here.
(BTW does anyone know where I can pitch my idea for a Mick and Jefferson team-up in a sort of Lethal Weapon style adventure?
)
i give it an A...but i am biased, being a dad of 2 daughters, so I really connect with Jefferson the dad, whohad some good scenes in that role. I might have to have a talk soon with my oldest daughter as Jefferson did with Jennifer.
Yes, the pacing is great...but some great moving of the story.
Oh..and regarding the costume... i thought they posted a different costume before the series came out...so this might be a phase, with some jokes I am sure. TVline.com posted this photo
i still think the wig is a really good idea, and wish the new Black Canary would use it.
Maybe that reason is light racism?
Lots of other cues to help you know its Anissa...I take it this is a Southern city, a pseudo-Atlanta? (Though one without southern accents).
I don't mind a little garishness in principle, but this costume is pretty ugly. Especially the way it seems to have cartoon breasts and decolletage drawn onto the front. It's very much an adult Halloween costume sort of thing rather than a proper superhero costume. I hope Gambi gets to work on her upgrade pretty soon.[/QUOTE]
That's not true... they made a VERY vague reference to "other" superpowered beings...
And Freeland just might be a place where superheroes never come, so they aren't at the forefront of interacting with them, so it seems like far off in the distance and not affecting day to day life. I was in Door COunty Wisconsin with 9/11 hit... the thing is, most people get there purely by car, so all the airlines stuff i am sure did not affect them much.
Or more importantly...all the stuff that happens in poorer urban communities doesn't affect day-to-day life in suburbia, so there is little interaction between the two.
i think you overblow the differences... the difference between, say Black Lightning and FLash would be no different than the range Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy give us...and both will be in Avengers in May.
[/quote]
I really look forward to Iris meeting with Lynn and getting mentored by her in the spousal support area...
=====
Random thought -- just noticed that Garfield's mascot is a Panther...wonder if that was deliberate?
Also, i was wondering if someone can help me out with the timeline.. i am a little confused as to Tobias Whale...so he killed Jeffrson's dad when Jefferson was a boy... but he later became a city councilman in addition to his crime business?
And Jefferson went to college and partcipated in the Olympics... so started his superhero career about 20 years ago? Had about a 10 year career? Off for 9 years? Trying to piece it together...as Anissa is 20 something...(23, if Jennifer is 16?)
One last thought... Black Lightning, like Black Panther, is doing a good job with strong black women. Lynn in particular.. seems like she knew what ANissa was trying to tell her over the phone...if she could have, she would have stopped the fight, knowing why.
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I'm glad Anissa and Jefferson finally learned about each other's powers. The story with Anissa discovering her powers has been good so far, but I really look forward to them working together, and Jefferson mentoring her.
Lynn's speech to Jefferson to stop him from killing Tobias was pretty good, I wonder if we'll start to see her helping out Gambi as their non-superhero support.
Hmmm, so it sounds like Lady Eve and Gambi have some kind of history, and that the deal Tobias referred to last week might actually be with her.
Lynn's speech to Jefferson to stop him from killing Tobias was pretty good, I wonder if we'll start to see her helping out Gambi as their non-superhero support.
Hmmm, so it sounds like Lady Eve and Gambi have some kind of history, and that the deal Tobias referred to last week might actually be with her.
Vague is not confirmation until someone says something more substantial like "that flying guy in Metropoolis".
...except that for superheroes--at least in the comics--they manage to leave their home city when necessary. If they can leave the planet (in the trillion tomes that's happened), they can make their way around the U.S.
But that's stretching the connection (at this point), as there's so much going on in Avengers:Infinity War, that its not as if the silly antics of the Guardians are going to be played out right next to the Black Panther as seen in his two film appearances. The other Berlanti shows are so far removed from the tone and ideology behind BL, that an "as is" crossover would not work. Heck, as it stands the so-called "Crisis" crossover was a muddled mess where the plot was flat, characters under/misused and this is with series that have far more in common with each other than anything seen in Black Lightning.
Let us not forget Kara Fowdy. She seems like's she's being set up for something a little bit bigger than talking about the problems of high school.
If Fox could make a Sleepy Hollow/Bones crossover work, I'm pretty sure Berlanti and co. could combine Black Lightning with the Arrowverse shows.
It might be more serious and political than the others, but I haven't anything in BL that would prevent it from crossing over with the Arrowverse shows.
It might be more serious and political than the others, but I haven't anything in BL that would prevent it from crossing over with the Arrowverse shows.
Arrow has always been more serious than the other shows, and Supergirl is intensely political. It would fit just fine, if they wanted it to.
Supergirl has been referenced by name twice so far, both by people talking to Anissa. Grace Choi suggested Supergirl as a costume possibility (along with Looker of the Outsiders) when inviting Anissa to her cosplay party, and the store clerk who helped Anissa assemble her proto-Thunder costume said "You're about the be the fiercest and most fabulous Supergirl on the block." There have also been one or two implicit references to Batman (e.g. "the Black-Signal"). But it's ambiguous whether they're known as fictional characters or real heroes. Grace was reading an Outsiders comic, but it could be based on real people (like the way the Marvel Universe has an in-universe Marvel Comics that publishes comics based on the real heroes), or it could be that Grace was mixing references to both real and fictional heroines. So the writers are keeping it cagey about whether Supergirl, Batman, etc. are real or not in the show's universe.
The misadventures of Kara and Barry trying to find a Jitters in Freeland might be amusing.
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