Though Black Lightning didn’t have its own “Crisis on Infinite Earths” episode, the crossover is affecting this show in a big way.
For the last two seasons, Black Lightning existed in its own Earth, not interacting at all with the rest of the CW-verse. That started to change in December’s midseason finale when a wave of antimatter appeared and pulled Jen into two alternate realities at once. As soon as she worked things out with her… selves, the wave swallowed the Earth and Pariah pulled Black Lightning into the rest of the crossover. Now, he knows other superheroes exist, on this Earth no less thanks to all universes combining into one. That’s an exciting note for the show to come back on.
The show’s not going to go full on into other superheroes existing just yet. After Jefferson finds Jen, they explain to Gambi everything they’ve just been through. He says that if all worlds combined, there could be significant changes that only they would be aware of. It’s best, he says, to just keep his experience to himself as he figures out what, if anything, is different.
Yeah, it’s a little handwavey, but it allows the show to introduce Crisis’ effects at its own pace. Anything it wants to change can now be a fun surprise. Until then, we pick up right where we left off before Jen’s antimatter-induced coma that nobody remembers.
Cress Williams as Black Lightning and Nafessa Williams as Blackbird. (Photo Credit: Annette Brown / The CW)
Even a minor reset like this has an effect on the episode’s story, though. That effect is that it takes almost half the episode of any story to get going. Jen wants to kill Odell, and Jefferson has to talk her down from that. In Gambi’s hideout, he sees Anissa about to walk into an ambush, so he rushes to help her and sends Jen to check on Lynn.
That’s where one of this season’s big stories at least starts to pick up steam. Jenn finds her mother recording something about dosages. When she says hi, it startles Lynn to the point where she drops her vial of Green Light and screams at Jen for it. Lynn eventually calms down, but Jen’s still worried about her. When and earthquake starts out of nowhere, Jen realizes it’s Brandon losing control of his powers. Lynn refuses to go with her, but gives her some medication that will stop the seizures.
This is where the episode’s biggest problems begin to crop up. In trying to get all its stories from the first half of the season going again, it takes on too much. Lynn’s addiction is the most coherent, and for once, it’s not the worst part of the episode.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of this storyline, but I was happy to see it finally addressed in a meaningful way. It actually moved forward here, rather than having her show up for a scene or two and act neurotic while everyone else makes worried faces.
Here, Jen sends Jefferson to check on her, and he finds Lynn in the bathroom with a container of Green Light. He flushes it down the toilet and she hits him for it. Christine Adams’ performance here is both amazing and terrifying, making for what’s probably the most tense scene the series has had so far.
Damon Gupton as Inspector Bill Henderson, Cress Williams as Black Lightning, and Nafessa Williams as Blackbird. (Photo Credit: Annette Brown / The CW)
You would think a scene this big would be going somewhere, wouldn’t you? We get this big climactic moment in one of the season’s ongoing stories, and it just gets dropped. In the middle of this big fight, Jefferson keeps getting calls from Jefferson.
The ASA is transporting a bunch of captured metahuman kids that night, and the resistance needs Black Lightning to help rescue them. For a moment, the hectic nature of the scene works. In this moment, Jefferson is spread too thin. He’s trying to save his city and keep his family together and losing both of them. For all the episode’s faults, this scene is really well-done. Then it drops the Lynn thread entirely. We’ll pick up her addiction story another week, I guess.
Once Jefferson gets to the planning meeting with the resistance, the show decides to add yet another storyline about the conflict between him and Anissa. Henderson asks for his advice and he takes over the meeting. Anissa reminds him that she’s in charge and he needs to start listening to her.
Where did this plot come from? If it was happening during the first half of the season, it wasn’t recent enough for us to remember it. Did the show really feel like it needed yet another conflict when every other story is also happening in this episode?
It feels especially needless because 10 minutes later, while actually on the mission, Jefferson learns to defer to his daughter and the decision ends up saving lives. So what was the point of the whole fight? At least we got a good action scene. I’ll watch Black Lightning and Blackbird take out squads of ACA soldiers all day.
China Anne McClain as Jennifer. (Photo Credit: Mark Hill / The CW)
The same goes for Jen, who sees a bit of action herself this episode. While she’s saving Brandon, Agent Odell sends his agents after her. She hasn’t returned his calls ever since she realized what a monster he is. Two ASA soldiers tranq them from the window, and drag them away in a van. Fortunately, the collars they use can’t contain Jen’s power and overload easily. She undoes the collars and shoots lightning at a bunch of ASA cops.
Even when the story leaves a lot to be desired, Black Lightning almost always nails it on the action. As they make their escape, Odell drives up and tries to convince Jen to come with him. She refuses and tries to blast him in his seat… only to find out that he’s a hologram. So now he knows he doesn’t have her in his pocket anymore and he knows she’s out to kill him. Not a great place for Jen to be in.
Black Lightning stumbled a bit in its winter return. “Crisis” was fun, sure, but now it feels like the show is making up for lost time. It rapidly switched between every possible story without really getting to a satisfying place on any of them.
Even Gambi’s story, where he takes in TC and begins to care for him, doesn’t go anywhere just yet. It was still incredibly sweet, and I enjoyed it more than anything else in the episode. I do want to see their friendship explored more, and it looks like we’re going to.
As TC dives into the internet to find out who ordered the hit on Gambi, he gets overwhelmed and collapses on the floor. Gambi promises to get help. You get the sense he really cares for TC and this whole story made me smile. Plus, we found out who ordered the hit: Lady Eve.
Well that’s interesting. I’m not opposed to adding another villain to this season. I just hope it doesn’t lead to more jumbled stop-and-start episodes like this one.
Black Lightning airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on The CW.
Previously on Black Lightning:
- Black Lightning Season 3 Episode 9 Recap
- Black Lightning Season 3 Episode 8 Recap
- Black Lightning Season 3 Episode 7 Recap
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