Spoilers Black Lightning - Season 2

[TREK_GOD_1]

I did take issue with some of what was said regarding the 'syndrome' of 'illegitimate births' in the black community as if there is some credence to Tobias's disparaging comments.

As I've always observed, Tobias is self-hating, but he uses his hatred of other black people by using anything he can against them, whether true or not. In this case, he was referring to the level of out-of-wedlock births in the black community, which has been a recognized problem for a few generations, and addressed by everyone from black pastors to politicians (I've witnessed those discussions in church and in community meetings over the years up front). If you believe the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics' 2017 report, it lists births to unmarried black, non-immigrant women at 77.3 percent, compared to the national non-immigrant average of 42% (30% for whites), which is a serious problem. Black Lightning's producers and writers are not afraid to deal with at times, uncomfortable ideas. facts or problems that are actually addressed in the real world community, but as you point out, they have Tobias say certain things couched in offensive ideas, which he--in classic criminal fashion--turns around and uses it as his justification for his abuses / crimes against the community.

other groups also have out-of-wedlock births that's not scandalized or as scandalized as it has been when it comes the black community.

Yes, that's the racist double-standard when it comes to media perception, but in looking at an issue, scandalizing perceptions have to be pushed to the side in order to do something about it. No matter the subject, there's always someone or some group willing to use information to damn a target, but again, as offensive as it might be, it has to be removed so you can get at the truth.

There are social issues out (but also reasons for those besides supposed racial/genetic/cultural deficiencies spouted by Tobias), but also I think it's notable what conclusions are drawn from a situation and the how and why of that, and Tobias's warped views are likely the result of his abusive upbringing and how he's found a way to cope with that.

Hmm. You might say his abusive behavior is a coping mechanism, but he has also turned what mistreatment he faced into a justification of self-hating views he was likely exposed to / believed in his formative years--some based on firsthand observation / experience. Undoubtedly, he's still guilty of trying to play the same "I own you" and/or "You're too stupid to do it yourselves" and/or "control yourselves" game the A.S.A. played with the children, or in real life, the agenda formed by the architects of the Tuskegee Experiment.

One thing I do think Black Lightning is attempting to do, with varying degrees of success, is show different black experiences,

There rests one of the central conflicts within the black community, which season one of this series covered right out of the gates with Jefferson being the model of fighting against all odds to rise to the challenge and succeed, while his old classmate (Latavius "Lala" Johnson) rose to be a criminal force with the 100 gang, yet is able to argue his side of the problem almost as effectively as Jefferson. Additionally, we see how Khalil's big chance was tragically taken from him, so he was easy to bait from one offering another kind of "miracle hope"--like Tobias, which is the producers addressing how some people can't do it Jefferson's way to escape racially-driven poverty / lack of opportunity, etc.

Of course, there's a moral to this story in that Khalil knows he's in too deep with Tobias, but he accepted the latter's help, or pretty much a second life (considering the tech that's in his body), so in a way, he will always find Jefferson's kind of speeches / approaches to be little more than lip service that failed to help him when he needed it most.

Complex issues handled with careful attention to reality, which is why this series could be argued to be the best superhero show on TV.

 

[DarKush]

Thanks for the reply. The media has not been the best when it comes to providing nuance and context when discussing the black community historically, and whatever travails-real or perceived-that are afflicting the community. When it comes to the issue of marriage and fatherhood this is also the case. I've seen Bill O'Reilly among others fulminate about black out-of-wedlock births, and using the issue to demonize the black community, particularly black men and black fathers.

Though inside those numbers, as the Vox article points out, not being married does not equate to absentee fathers, it's just the familial arrangement has changed, though linking the out-of-wedlock births to 'deadbeat' black fathers is easy to do, in order to castigate the alleged or implied moral failings of the black community, and there is no strong counterpoint in the media to counter this narrative. Doing so gets around thorny issues of government/societal responsibility for why black communities are in the state they are in, in the past, and in the present. It's all too easy to blame individuals and not looking at declining marriage rates and increasing out-of-wedlock births across society. The black community, being one of the most economically distressed in the nation, was more vulnerable to the societal shifting first and faster, but it is affecting a greater swath of the country now as well. But as long as the media uses these societal changes as political points and for fear mongering instead of diagnosing what is causing these changes and how does one address them, first by deciding if in fact decreased marriage rates and out-of-wedlock births are 'problems', then the 'problem', if it is one, will not be addressed. And by addressing it that means it can't be extricated from larger systemic issues. Even the conservative National Review article admits somewhat to that, even though I disagree with the author's flippant 'solution'.

There has long been the tendency to concoct the worst fictions when it comes to black people and they become twisted truisms and the idea of rampant 'deadbeat' fathers could be another one of those. Why I think some black people accept and promote some of these twisted truisms are that the community is not monolithic in its thinking or experiences and there have been undeniable societal changes-some of which I myself consider negative-and there has been deprivation and dislocation-and people are trying to make sense of it all and find a cause, or causes for it.

I credit Black Lightning for highlighting some issues, but it also reminds me of the limits of a network television show to address those issues with depth, and instead go with a surface attention or mention-and in a television/pop culture environment that has been often been devoid of even surface mentions when it comes to African-American life, history, and culture-I do give it points for that.

I also caution against the notion that Black Lightning reflects reality. It definitely goes places I haven't seen many television shows, including cable shows go, and it displays a social consciousness better than any other superhero I've seen, including Luke Cage, the other Netflix shows, The Gifted (though I'm still in season for that show), Heroes, or Supergirl and Flash. That being said, I think Black Lightning, being a network television show, on The CW no less, is not immune to facile explorations of complex issues. I give them credit for going places no one else has and for having the best of intentions, but the show presents a hyperreal, almost Cliff Notes version of black history, culture, and contemporary issues. For me, I keep in mind that the chief goal is for them to entertain, but I am glad they are informing-somewhat, often-as well, while also presenting a multifaceted look at a contemporary African-American family and experience (s) in the process.

http://www.vox.com/2015/6/21/8820537/black-fathers-day
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103235/Most-children-U-S-born-wedlock.html
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/latest-statistics-out-wedlock-births-roger-clegg/

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning
Season two / episode 4--"The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak "

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: He's correct in making the separation between himself, Anissa and the people Anissa was Robin Hood-ing; she believes she's invincible and can get away with anything, but Jefferson knows the streets in ways she does not (he protected her from that in the way she was raised, despite her political awareness), including the difference between random street thugs and professional criminals. More on this later.

Jefferson is a wonderfully complex character; he carries so much guilt over what he's put his family through, yet he presses on like the natural hero, including wanting to testify that he witnessed his father's murder. With so much personal stress pulling him in every direction, I cannot imagine he will go for long before making some sort of mistake.

Lowry (the principal) is so classically clueless with his government-branded "zero tolerance" policy and how that--as Jefferson explained--transforms kids into the threats he claims he's trying to prevent...but in his eyes, its just get rid of a "threat"...and I noticed that of the two kids fighting, he expelled the darker skinned kid, and was lenient on the lighter skinned boy.

Gambi: .Interesting that he did not mention Fowdy to Jefferson and Anissa….

Initially, I wondered why he would not resort to using some sort of sodium pentothal derivative on her to get her to cough up information, but, Fowdy finally had her change of heart at the last minute by revealing Tobias has Proctor's briefcase.

Sad that she did not even want to be buried. Essentially wiped (burned) off the face of the earth.

Anissa & Jennifer Pierce: Anissa is even more brazen and shortsighted than ever before; this is slowly making the once responsible older sister seem like the junior member.

"I have my own set of rules!" What a set-up. With Tobias predictably targeting the clinics she's helping (trying to kill BL), Steven Connors and the Pierce clan are not only headed for a fight, but I see Connors attempting to sell whatever he can to the highest bidder--such as Percy Odell and the A.S.A. There has to be a victim at the end of this, even though it was pleasing to see her come to her senses about her father and the job...for the time being.

Speaking of that junior member, it was a sort of coming of age moment of her within Perenna's realm, thinking that she will eventually face Khalil in a way shattering all of her past life with him--even though the memories...the connection only pointed her in his direction. If she's smart, her feeling isolated will not lead her to reveal her secret, or attempt to run off with him, but she's a teenager so...

Lynn: Helga Jace--for obvious reasons is all "in" with the continued butchery of the children...and is now on the trail of Lynn's daughters. This is bad/good; i'm sure no one watching misses the dark road the series is taking, particularly after Jace is likely to get the go-ahead to pursue the suspected meta-relatives from the ever-watchful Percy Odell.

Tobias and Henderson: Short, but a strong look into the contrasts of people born of the same environment--a matter of choices, which the Lowry's of the world choose to ignore in favor of profiling.

"I keep saying black people gotta get off that fried chicken and Kool-Aid diet for years..." Again with his running commentary of self-hate, later bookended with his "it never ceases to amaze me how you white folks always want to play the savior..." to Connors. Tobias has continued to allow whatever he's dealt with (in his past) to make himself into a walking island of a "freak", where he fits in nowhere, at least not in any strict racial association category.

NOTES: The Langston Hughes quote on Jefferson's chalk board--
"O, Let My Land Be A Land Where Liberty Is Crowned With No False Patriotic Wreath,
But Opportunity Is Real, And Life Is Free,
Equality Is In The Air We Breathe"

….was the pointed reminder of what's not happening at the school under Lowry's control where his racism (the "Black Jesus" line and his color-selective punishment of the students) seeks to crush any notion of equality for its largely black student body.

GRADE: A . My only complaint is that there's no new episodes until November 13th.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Black Lightning moving to Monday after Arrow starting January 21

 

[Christopher]

So BL takes Legends' slot while Legends takes a hiatus. I thought part of the idea of adding Sunday shows was so that they wouldn't have to swap out the superhero shows like that again.

 

[dahj]

Yeah, they need to figure out a better system, especially if they're adding Batwoman next season as well...

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning
Season two / episode 5--"The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem"

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: I wondered if Henderson was playing an angle in trying to lead Jefferson to believe Gambi was killed, but it had a crushing effect on Jefferson, who fell right into the stages of grief--denial, anger, and depression. Unlike so many superhero movies and TV series, Jefferson (while drunk) complains about the toll his other life has taken on him. There's no grinning "I'm a hero" declarations here--its more pain than anything else. Sad and powerful, punctuated with the pocket watch scene.

Gambi: Caught off guard by the assassination attempt, but in for a scene heavily inspired by Hydra's attack on Fury from Captain America: The Winter Soldier (right down to the onboard computer calling out the weakening shield status), it was tense enough, but I could not buy the idea of one of the series lead characters killed off.

Anissa & Jennifer Pierce: It was an effectively heartfelt moment to see Jennifer and Anissa really considering Gambi their uncle, instead of that being just a nickname/title.

Grace mutating into...something, but her not sharing that with Anissa suggests she's afraid anyone knowing will lead to her disappearing like the children, or she's more involved in the Green Light problem than she's willing to admit.

Enjoying seeing Henderson working with the Pierce family in and out of costume.

Lynn & Helga Jace: Lynn should have known better than to trust a lab butcher like Jace, but her application of the increased dosage comes off like Jace following orders. Perhaps the dosage will increase the powers of the survivors, and if so...its easy to see where that will go.

Tobias: So, the walls are closing in on the heroes, as yet another "honest" person--Councilman Kwame Parker--is blackmailed thanks to his taking campaign money from Proctor, which begs the question of just how much Parker knew about the A.S.A.'s activities. In typical politician fashion, he slicks his way throught the press conference, seemingly all bought in to Tobias' string pulling, but his story is anything other than one way. I expect him to rediscover his ethics sometime down the road.

Khalil: Once again, Tobias lets him know he's not only an enhanced lackey, but anything short of following his every word means death, so as Khalil has said before, he's "caught up".

NOTES: Fast paced, emotion-heavy episode.
The mutant cop (and whatever was racing by on the road) attempting to trap Anissa was fairly freaky, particularly the fact the cop knew something about Anissa...

GRADE: A+.

 

[The Realist]

There's no grinning "I'm a hero" declarations here

That's a thing that bugs me in modern superhero stuff -- way too much of characters pontificating about heroism, proclaiming themselves heroes, etc. (My beloved Supergirl is as guilty as any of this.) Pretty sure George Reeves made it though six seasons of Adventures of Superman without once calling himself a hero -- he just was.

That little digression aside, I will say this was another outstanding episode of BL, consistently the CW DC show whose quality all the others should study and aspire to.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

That's a thing that bugs me in modern superhero stuff -- way too much of characters pontificating about heroism, proclaiming themselves heroes, etc. (My beloved Supergirl is as guilty as any of this.)

Indeed. If someone has to say it, they're not much of a hero in my view. That's why I love the MCU's Captain America--he's humble and just has a natural need to help others. Not once does he push his chest out and claim he's the "right man for the right job because I'm..right!" He acts based on true selfless drives, no matter how much he suffers as a result of his calling. Jefferson's bar room confession mirrors that, and despite his pain, he will never sell his life's purpose for egocentric reasons--in or out of costume.

Pretty sure George Reeves made it though six seasons of Adventures of Superman without once calling himself a hero -- he just was.

I've never been the biggest fan of the Reeves Superman series, but I can agree with your view of the character's...character.

That little digression aside, I will say this was another outstanding episode of BL, consistently the CW DC show whose quality all the others should study and aspire to.

Absolute truth.

 

[Christopher]

I can't believe Gambi's actually dead, but if he faked his death, why wouldn't he contact the Pierces to let them know? Maybe the usual reason, to make sure they didn't inadvertently give anything away and had authentic reactions.

And why didn't Jeff tell Anissa that Henderson knew about them being Black Lightning and Thunder? That's something she had a right to know -- something the whole family had a right to know, since it wasn't immediately clear what Henderson intended to do with the knowledge.

I also have a hard time believing Lynn would be so gullible about Dr. Jace's fake simulation. Scientists don't take anything on faith -- the way for Lynn to react to Jace's simulation would've been to rerun it herself to check Jace's results, not to blindly put it into practice.

 

[DarKush]

I wasn't feeling this episode. I don't buy that Gambi is dead, and if that is correct, it feels like they spent a lot of wasted time showing the Pierces' grieving over his 'loss'. Certainly from a character standpoint that made sense, but if this is some big fake out I think it was a waste of time from a story and pacing standpoint. This season already has been on a slow burn and it's still simmering. The character work/acting remained good as ever, but I would like to see more happen this season, especially by this point. Jefferson was barely in his Black Lightning costume, and Anissa didn't suit up as Thunder at all.

The pacing makes sense, with all the various storylines for the Pierces'. I mean, these issues won't be solved overnight, or even in television time, but still, give me more action to break up the slow pace. It would be great to see more DC villains show up every other episode or something.

I am glad they are going forward with Grace Choi, and that she has some kind of meta powers, but it doesn't appear she's Amazonian, and I'm a disappointed in that. I don't know if she's supposed to be the Black Lightningverse version of another Outsider or DC metahuman yet. I'm hoping she is. I did like when Lynn socked Dr. Jace. She didn't hold back. I think she's been wanting to do that for a long time. And really that was the most action in the episode once after Gambi's action-filled 'send off'.

I didn't realize when I was watching the episode that it's a two-parter/multi-parter. Perhaps I will feel differently once the whole story is told.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Binged this week through the series so far. While I can't imagine Gambi is actually dead this show really does kill off people without building it to be an event: Syonide, Lady Eve, Lala, and so on. Do you guys think that may be a reflection of inner city violence or am I reading too much into that? Maybe it's a lack of forethought, what was the point of Syonide's skin or Lala's ghosts if they weren't going to go anywhere with that?

I wish there was more going on with Tobias Whale, his whole organization seems to consist of himself, Khalil and four or so guys in an abandoned bar. Maybe it's my expectations of these types of shows and this one seems more focused on Jefferson and his family's internal struggles than with external threats.

I am glad that Henderson knows what's up now as that makes his relationship more interesting and for him not to have figured it out would be a discredit to his character at this point. I was delighted to see that they brought on Bill Duke for a small role. Just keep him away from the Bic Razors...

Anyone else expected Will Smith to be the new principal when they said his name was Mike Lowrey?

Yeah, especially cuz after one spirited viewing my stepbrother's kids kept doing impressions of Martin Lawrence saying Mike lOWWry. Maybe it was a joke naming this very uncool, very white guy Mike Lowry especially as he doesn't seem like a guy who'd go by "Mike".

 

[Christopher]

A bit of a continuity glitch here -- early in season 1, Looker was mentioned as a comic-book (or real) superhero that Grace suggested as a cosplay possibility to Anissa. So this is quite a different interpretation of her, and of her powers from the comics, though I guess this silver-element-mass-mind-control thing bears some resemblances to Looker's traditional psionic powers and her vampiric nature.

I've been trying to figure out the etymology of the names given for the two groups, which the closed captions rendered as Sange and Perdi. The latter looks like it means "the Lost," but I'm not sure what the former could be.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning
Season two / episode 6--"The Book of Blood: Chapter Two - The Perdi"

Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning: Playing more of a supportive role in the episode, but that too, is one of his "powers", as we will see in the next episode.

Gambi: I don't believe in torture or murder (one might argue its self defense as opposed to Supergirl's Manchester Black murdering people outright for revenge), but damn, Gambi's behavior opens the door to many interesting stories about his past.

Loved his helping / protecting the family again.

Anissa & Jennifer Pierce: Anissa's dedication to her patient is admirable; season one, I wondered how they were going to flesh out her life outside of being a heroine, and now they've placed her in a logical position, considering her social rearing that justifiably keeps her connected to the problems she faces in her other identity. Sort of like the reason Clark Kent became a reporter.

Here we see the Perdi group's racism regarding the twins, and yes, that kind of sick favoritism inspired by a history of being the recipient of abuse has happened in reality. In other words, that reaction does not just happen with white people. The point that needs to be expressed is that the abused still "crossed the line" even in the face of never ending social and institutionalized racism...though that's easier said than done/realized.

So, the freakish "Looker" is responsible for the enhanced people Anissa spotted in the climax of the previous episode. A new, interesting wrinkle...and she shares her tastes in race with Tobias....

There's much to learn about her, but so far, she's not much like her counterpart introduced in the pages of the short-lived gem Batman and the Outsiders in 1985.

Lynn & Helga Jace: Lynn's guilt & anguish over the death of the pod kids is understandable, but she should have known that there was no trust to be found with Jace and their handlers. In a way, she--after all she was subjected to during the events of season one--would not be so unprepared for treachery. As it stands, Jace has the A.S.A, interested in relatives with powers and no ill effects--she knows what that means, yet she was still rather naïve about who she's dealing with.

Tobias: "Let's see if his God will protect him again..." aside from his disgusting, aggressive atheism usual levels of bloviating & self hatred ("Why you flappin' yo' thick lips?"), he has just set himself up--or so it appears--by letting Khalil know he was the one responsible for the original assassination attempt on the Reverend that ended up disabling him...

Khalil: The wheels were certainly turning, and was naturally conflicted throughout, in thinking he's going to protect his mother and the fellow church goers, one would have suspected Tobias has some technological contingency plan to deal with Khalil through his enhancements but being a metahuman himself, he delivered one painful lesson on trying to "man up" and kill Tobias.

"Its not like I have anyplace else to go!" / "Its too late for me!" In writers' terms, that's also--and obviously--speaking to the plight of a young black male realizing he has no hope in the world, although the reverend has truthfully pointed him in the right, spiritual direction--one he's not ready to take. Even he knows he's a genuine victim.

Now, he not only has nowhere to go, but no way to protect his mother....that is, until Jennifer reveals her powers to him in the next episode. If they attempt to join forced against Tobias, a betting man might think they will end up facing the bigger picture behind Tobias' power.

Councilman Kwame Parker: The reverend was sharp in dealing with Parker's serpentine ways with simple truth. Nice to see.

NOTES: Splitting the visually different children who are only powerful together was the lost message for the Perdi, the Senge, Tobias and pretty much all of Freeland. Hopefully, the babies will not have to be harmed to make that point.

GRADE: A+.

 

[DarKush]

For me, this episode was an improvement over the previous one. We finally got to see Black Lightning back in action and we got some more good character work/character development. I think Black Lightning is the best superhero drama on television right now, though I feel this season the tendency has been to put the drama over the superhero aspect, and I want to see more of the superhero aspect.

I liked the scenes with Lynn a lot this week. How she had to face the community and her conversation with Jennifer. We don't see them in scenes together enough, having conversations so that was good. I also liked the scenes with Tobias and Khalil, and the fight between them. I like how they are shifting Khalil.

While I was happy to see Looker on the show, and also heard that mention of Markovia on the news, I'm not so sure about this take on her. I don't see her teaming up with Black Lightning or Thunder anytime soon. The Romeo and Juliet storyline didn't do much for me either. I wasn't surprised that Gambi was alive, but I wasn't expecting him to show up again so soon. I also was expecting him to be tied into the Perdi/Sange conflict in some way.

 

[The Realist]

I think Black Lightning is the best superhero drama on television right now

Agreed, which makes me wonder sometimes why it gets so little attention here and elsewhere. The AV Club recently stopped doing weekly reviews, probably because they weren't generating much traffic -- just like here, the comments section was a fraction of what it is for something like The Flash, which is about half the show this one is.

I thought this was another excellent outing, though I admit the main storyline struck me as a little ... peculiar. The Hatfields and McCoys rural setting seemed a bit strange; Freeland is clearly a major urban center, this world's equivalent of Atlanta, and while it's true you don't have to get too far outside that city to find yourself in the boonies, I still think you have to go farther than "South Atlanta." The various secondary threads worked better, I thought: Khalil's struggles (the confrontation with the preacher was particularly good), the aftermath of Lynn's disastrous decision last week, and especially the return of ruthless, torturin', killin' Gambi (nobody really believed he was dead, right?).

 

[Mr. Adventure]

That episode was interesting as it seemed to be a departure from the typical Black Lightning fare introducing a ton of new players and a whole backwoods (South Freeland) culture and history. The music was noticeably upfront and different to boot. Interestingly, Jefferson and BL took a back seat in the narrative and Lynn's usual confidence shaken by the recent events. Maybe one of the first times I can remember that the school really didn't factor into the proceedings.

Couldn't she tell that poor guy if his girl is alive or not? Is he wandering Freeland talking to the night?

 

[Christopher]

Couldn't she tell that poor guy if his girl is alive or not?

Clearly not. She's working on a classified government project. She's undoubtedly subject to a non-disclosure agreement, and revealing anything she's not cleared to reveal would be breaking federal law.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Agreed, which makes me wonder sometimes why it gets so little attention here and elsewhere. The AV Club recently stopped doing weekly reviews, probably because they weren't generating much traffic -- just like here, the comments section was a fraction if what it is for something like The Flash, which is about half the show this one is.

That is a very important question--one I seriously doubt anyone would honestly address, particularly in the perceptions of Black Lightning compared to the other Berlanti shows, differences in sociopolitical ideology expressed--the works. Actually, your question deserves someone to write an article, perhaps broken up into a series to properly address specifics of this difference of attention, etc.

 

[Reverend]

For my part, I've been mostly quiet because frankly, I haven't been digging the show all that much.
It's not terrible by any means, but I'm having a hard time finding a foothold or even a particular character to feel invested in. I think it's partly a lack of focus, both tonally and in terms of narrative structure. It feels pretty scatterbrained at times. So many side-plots that do little more than tread water from one episode to another. So many side characters I'm supposed to care about but just...don't.

Most of the other CW shows (to a greater or lesser extent) have managed to find some sort of balance between the silly/fun comic book stuff and the more serious dramatic stuff. I think because BL tackles such sensitive and important social issues head-on, it too often struggles to present it in the context of a super-hero show without bordering on either overly preachy and self conscious or reducing it's impact almost to the point of caricature.
For me that makes for a show that I sit though mostly out of a sense of obligation because it needs all the support it can get. I'm just not all that entertained by it.