Spoilers Black Lightning - Season 3

[TREK_GOD_1]

The government threatening to nuke Freeland was definitely an unexpected development. I also realized that despite what I had been thinking before, we had seen an earlier response from the government, the ASA's actions were the response. I had been thinking they were an independent group, but then I remembered this week that they are a government organization, so what we saw them doing is what the government was doing.

Yes--the ASA is another agency of the federal government, one Gambi talked about in season one, which links it to everything Gambi and Gravedigger have revealed about the metahuman program.

Now that Grace and Anissa are married, I'm pretty sure one of them is doomed. This is the kind of show were resolving your issues, and getting to be happy is pretty much a death sentence, or at least means that something really bad is going to happen.

That would be in line with innumerable TV new marriages over the decades. If done properly, the survivor will adopt a new world view that places her in line with characters with a "this is the way it must be" mentality such as Jennifer, Odell and on occasion--Jefferson.

I'm thinking we've reached the point where they're going to need to come up with some kind permanent solution for Painkiller. He's gotten out twice in just the short time he's been locked away, so that's pretty clearly not going to keep him contained.

Brainwashing / programming as part of the implants makes a full escape nearly impossible. I just fear that the showrunners will have Khalil so devastated by his life / actions--and the threat of permanently losing his mind to Painkiller that he might consider suicide--either by his own hand, or by the way of a villain.

I think the whole opening narrated by Gravedigger was probably some of the most in depth the Arrowverse has ever gone on a villain's history and motivation.

Agreed. It was well thought out. Aside from parallels to the Winter Soldier, the idea of black soldiers and civilians subjected to government experiments is a real part of U.S. history, which is where the Gravedigger story takes its inspiration.

 

[JD]

With the whole Painkiller thing, I'm hoping they'll just find a way to merge them, so we have Khalil with all of Painkillers skills.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

"Is Tobias my cousin?"

 

[The Realist]

^ Yeah, that made me LOL -- and for all of Black Lightning's many virtues, it's rarely an LOL kind of show.

 

[Kirk Prime]

The government threatening to nuke Freeland was definitely an unexpected development

It also does not work in the confines of the Arrowverse, or the real world for that matter.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

It also does not work in the confines of the Arrowverse, or the real world for that matter.

Is there a real world equivalent to this threat? Besides, within the Arrowverse the US had already been nuked once from Russia.

 

[Kirk Prime]

Is there a real world equivalent to this threat? Besides, within the Arrowverse the US had already been nuked once from Russia.

I don't remember that. When did that happen? Which show?

There is no chance the US would nuke its own soil and murder a million of its citizens under any circumstance. Of course, there is also no chance the US would allow Markovia to invade and set up shop without an all out declaration of war, and not even bothering to attack Markovian soil.

The whole invasion from another country makes no sense in real world terms. But even if that happened, it also makes no sense that a threat like Gravedigger is on US soil and there is no back up from the Justice League.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I don't remember that. When did that happen? Which show?

Season 4 of Arrow at the end with Damian Darkh, Felicity redirects a missile to a small town instead of a major city but still thousands were killed. Don't worry about not remembering it, it's basically dropped by the next episode.

 

[Kirk Prime]

Season 4 of Arrow at the end with Damian Darkh, Felicity redirects a missile to a small town instead of a major city but still thousands were killed. Don't worry about not remembering it, it's basically dropped by the next episode.

That does slightly ring a bell now that you mention it. However, as you describe it, Felicity was really given a Sophie's Choice and pulled a Spock--the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few.

Maybe in the post-Crisis universe, that didn't happen. Since I don't remember it, I'm basically going by what you said though. In that example, a terrorist/criminal launched a nuclear missile, and Felicity diverted it. That's not the same as the President choosing to launch a missile at a city in the US.

Interestingly enough, in the DC universe, if something like that did happen, you would have someone like Captain Atom to cleanse the area by absorbing the radiation. I think he could do that.

 

[JD]

I don't remember that. When did that happen? Which show?

There is no chance the US would nuke its own soil and murder a million of its citizens under any circumstance. Of course, there is also no chance the US would allow Markovia to invade and set up shop without an all out declaration of war, and not even bothering to attack Markovian soil.

The whole invasion from another country makes no sense in real world terms. But even if that happened, it also makes no sense that a threat like Gravedigger is on US soil and there is no back up from the Justice League.

Thinking about it, it kind of makes sense that the government would just leave the whole Markovia and Freeland situation to the ASA. They reason this whole thing is happening is because the ASA experimented on people and created the metas in Freeland, and if the rest of the government would react then it would probably come out what the ASA did, and it would probably create a whole lot of controversy. Letting the ASA handle it makes keeping all of that quite a lot easier. So far the Markovians attacks also seem to be fairly small scale, and they probably figure that the ASA can handle things for now.

 

[JD]

The CW has posted a 1:38 second extended trailer for the finale, and it looks like it will be insane.

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I noticed Black Lightning and Gravedigger fighting in 2 or 3 different locations, so I'm wondering if we're getting one big fight or just a bunch of different ones throughout the episode.
We see Grace injured and Annisa asking if her mother fan do something, but the fact that they're making us think she's going to die, makes me think she's actually going to be OK.
I'm curious if Painkiller is really aiming a rifle at Jennifer and Jefferson, of if it's actually Khalil protecting them. That's exactly the kind of situation where they like to make it look like one thing is happening, when it's actually the opposite.

 

[JD]

EW.com has posted an interview with Cress Williams discussing tonight's finale. I completely forgot that Damon Gupton/Chief Henerson was leaving to show tonight.
He's not very happy about Gupton leaving, he says that he was one of his favorite people to work with.
He also says that he believes this is the first episode they've done where he spends to whole thing as Black Lightning.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Now we just need Routh and Gupton in a buddy cop TV series.

Spoiler

That picture of Black Lighting at some kind of hearing looks hilarious. I love he's all in his gear but he has a couple of water bottles and a name plaque that says "Black Lightning" like it's just day-to-day business.

 

[The Realist]

EW.com has posted an interview with Cress Williams discussing tonight's finale. I completely forgot that Damon Gupton/Chief Henerson was leaving to show tonight.
He's not very happy about Gupton leaving, he says that he was one of his favorite people to work with.

I share Williams's disappointment over Gupton's forced departure. He was one of my favorite actors and characters on the show.

I have a bad feeling they're going to kill Henderson off. I'd much rather see him survive and pop up on Superman & Lois (since he was introduced originally as a Superman supporting character way back in the 1940s).

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

I don't remember that. When did that happen? Which show?

There is no chance the US would nuke its own soil and murder a million of its citizens under any circumstance.

One thing leads to another. America has never had a problem targeting/killing its own citizens. In the 1960s and early 70s, the National Guard, Army units and the increasingly militarized police forces not only occupied largely black cities with tanks and grenade launchers, but fired those weapons at activists and at buildings they believed to be "strongholds".

In 1994, investigations revealed that during the 1950s, the military used parts of St. Louis to test inhaled biological weapons on its citizens, leading to many developing many lethal forms of cancer, and of course when assistants to elected officials such as Sens. Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt demanded answers, the Army refused to provide them.

That is the real America, and far from a isolated case.

Most of Black Lightning's plots are based on/inspired by real world crimes he government committed against black citizens over the decades. Testing biological weapons on the people is just as soulless and illegal as the idea of using nuclear weapons. Either way, death followed.

The whole invasion from another country makes no sense in real world terms.

During the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations some in national security argued that invasion was very possible from the U.S.S.R., or possibly in coordination with their allies.

But even if that happened, it also makes no sense that a threat like Gravedigger is on US soil and there is no back up from the Justice League.

What "Justice League" are you referring to? Black Lightning is continuing with the ASA/Green Light/occupation story its developed since the start. You keep thinking that CW bastardization of COIE is going to have all of that mess running through this series, but the end of the season has arrived, and so far, that has not happened, and yes, it would damage the story the showrunners wanted to tell.

Further, problems happen on the other series, but I'm not seeing Supergirl flying in to help the Flash (or the opposite). While that might happen in those series' next seasons, notice how Lex really does not refer to anyone else--its just Supergirl and to a lesser degree Superman he's concerned with, or acknowledges. No mention of Flash, Batwoman, Black Lightning (or the entire ASA/Freeland situation with metas).

 

[The Realist]

DAMMIT.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

Black Lightning
SEASON THREE FINALE / Episode 16 - "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"

Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning / Lynn: Well, he tried to reason with Gravedigger--even trying the family angle, but the "blood thicker than water" philosophy is usually meaningless to sociopolitical ideologues.

If Henderson was being written out, this was a powerful effective way for it happen. the love between Jefferson and Henderson as best friends--effectively surrogate, but occasionally strained brothers--was believable, despite their not having much on screen time together in the past two seasons.

Lynn--when sense fails, knock Williams "the f**k out", as the expression goes. Not sure if she's being altered into a meta--or did she use a temporary "fix" to withstand the gunshot...

Apparently, Williams was knocked out by Lynn, but was he able to survive the explosion...

Odell / Major Sara Grey / Carson Williams: Easy to assume Grey would prefer to go beyond obtaining the briefcase--and attempt to kill Gambi. Sure enough, Grey's treachery not only spilled the plan to destroy Freeland, but another reference to the Shadow Board in Gotham. If only Odell shows up on Batwoman...

Williams' execution of Jace ended with a curious moment of Williams giving the body a second look. I wonder if he was thinking the calculating Jace could have treated herself with a certain resurrection formula....

Gravedigger vs. Jennifer: "This country was built by and for rich white men. And that's never going to change."
Jennifer: "There's been plenty of change--not enough, sure, but its disrespectful to the sacrifices of our ancestors just to say there's been none."
Gravedigger: "Change? Oh, you mean Obama? And Martin Luther King? It seems to me that Obama was bought and paid for by rich liberals and multi-national corporations, and Martin Luther King? was a coward who lacked the courage to fight for his own freedom!"
Jennifer: "Are you insane? MLK was one of the most courageous people to walk the face of the earth. Not by fighting, but by purposely putting himself in harm's way. The moral authority of his cause could not be debated!"
Gravedigger: "Yeah, they debated that plenty--"
Jennifer: "He was on the right side of history. 'Metas are with you, or else?' That's not independence or peace!"

Outstanding exchange. Jennifer is certainly her father's daughter with her perspectives. I love a fantasy series so anchored in the realities of history. Even Gravedigger made valid points--but was completely wrong about King.

Gambi: With his shop exposed, he (and T.C.) will head where? The writers have worked to build the believable bond between Gambi and T.C., and I certainly want to see more of that in season four.

Khalil: Yes--he has finally defeated the Painkiller programming, and turned the tables on Odell. Contrary to the assumptions of some viewers, Khalil is a heroic character--even shooting Odell in the spleen, knowing he can survive the loss of it. Not sure what his future holds, but he is one of the most compelling figures on this show.

Anissa / Thunder: I thought Grace would end up on the bad side of this conflict. Being a meta, it would not be wise for her to be sent to the standard hospital. One could imagine opportunistic doctors turning her into a lab rat if her powers are discovered.

Tobias: Dark times ahead, as he sets his lecherous sights on Lynn, and the surviving metas. With Lynn still addicted to Green Light, I see Tobias manipulating

Lala: Temporary acts of heroism...but he's still a base criminal who needs to met his end.

NOTES:

Gravedigger lives. His little smile could be his being pleased with the Pierce family's testimony...or he's smiling because he's looking forward to a rematch / part two of his plans.

Jefferson's testimony--
"So what happened in Freeland was not random. It was the latest in a long, reprehensible history of experimenting on black people. From trial and error surgeries on woman in bondage, to giving men syphilis at Tuskegee, and now to decades of illegal human experimentation to create metahumans."

Not only drew from real history (syphilis, surgeries on black women, etc.), but locked this series into such a grim walk that there is no commonality with most of the CW-DC shows. None. For three seasons, Black Lightning has proven--in the face of doubts about such a black-themed show--that its the best DC live action series of this century, possibly ever.

As far as DC TV shows overall, its only competition can be found in the heyday of the animated "Timmverse." (B:TAS - JLU). With the exception of Batwoman, it leaves the rest of the challenged CW/DC series in the dust in every conceivable way.

Jefferson taking about the unforgivably immoral practice of human experimentation is something you will never hear expressed so forcefully (or at all) on Supergirl regarding Lena's experiments.

Season 4 cannot come fast enough.

GRADE: A+

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I don't know who does the action scenes/stunts/etc. for Black Lightning but I think it has the best action of all the CW shows.

BTW, check out who was on the bench:
https://twitter.com/ChristineAdams/status/1237197796782100480

 

[Kirk Prime]

I thought it was a terrific finale, though I'm curious how Wayne Brady is shape shifting now.

And what was really odd was that Gravedigger just didn't order Black Lightning to stand down.

If he is powerful enough to order everyone around, why bother with the other powers?

What "Justice League" are you referring to? Black Lightning is continuing with the ASA/Green Light/occupation story its developed since the start. You keep thinking that CW bastardization of COIE is going to have all of that mess running through this series, but the end of the season has arrived, and so far, that has not happened, and yes, it would damage the story the showrunners wanted to tell.

However, the COIE did happen in this universe. Black Lightning has Supergirl and Flash in his cell phone. In universe, there are no showrunners. Superman exists. They live in the same country.

What happened in Freeland made no sense in the context of the entire DC Arrowverse.

Hopefully next season they will deal with that a little better. I'm not saying do weekly crossovers, but in the context of the Arrowverse, what happened in Freeland was absurd because they would have had help.

Superman and Supergirl, in theory, would have also been resistant to Gravedigger's mind control as well since they aren't human. Cisco may have been able to come up with a block to it like he did with Grodd.

 

[Kirk Prime]

Jefferson taking about the unforgivably immoral practice of human experimentation is something you will never hear expressed so forcefully (or at all) on Supergirl regarding Lena's experiments.

And it should be. It's not a racial thing at all--it's a human thing. Experimentation on humans like the ASA did was horrific.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this episode was the MLK debate between Jen and Gravedigger. That was very well written and I'm glad Gravedigger's revisionist history on MLK was called out.