Black Lightning, Season 1, Episode 6: Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder
Yeah, this episode is definitely another one that failed to impress. It feels... generically superhero, injecting a huge chunk of prissy drama that Black Lightning had handled relatively maturely in its first four episodes. Between the all-too-easy offscreen conversion of Khalil from sympathetic victim into a plot device, to Lynn and Jefferson both refusing to listen to reason and spouting jackass remarks without much to really inform the viewers of their decisions, this episode is just a huge, huge mess.
Jennifer and Anissa both have some real-life subplot deal with Jennifer dealing with the whole cyber-bullying scene, but it feels forced and detached from everything else going on, and it ends up meandering back to Khalil, who's naturally all frustrated and angry and bitter because that's what the narrative demands of him. Anissa's subplot of destroying the statue of a racist founder, initially joining in a public paint-gun vandalizing spree (which I don't really see doing -- Jennifer, yes, Anissa, not really) before suiting up as Thunder to crush it with a stomp. It feels particularly trying too hard, and there are definite arguments as to why this isn't the right thing to do in the situation.
The big story arc for Jefferson in this episode is whether he's going to give in to his bloodlust and his crusade for vengeance (and that flashback to little Jeff hiding under the bed as Tobias Whale force-feeds his father his own newspaper and kills him is horrifying) and whether he should create a gigantic lightning ball to kill Tobias feels shoehorned and doesn't develop organically. We waffle between the whole "is Jefferson damaging his own brain with his powers?" subplot and him pulling a season one Arrow Oliver Queen in ignoring everyone before being talked down at the last second, and it's not particularly well-done. Jefferson goes from the calm, honourable, war-weary hero with a slight temper problem into straight-up Punisher mode on the flick of a switch, and Lynn goes from hysterical, angry "fuck 'im if he has a death wish" angry loved one to equally hysterically crying on the phone telling Jefferson to stand down.
Throw in the fact that the final act ends up diverting Black Lightning away from his quest for Tobias and into rescuing his ex-wife from a bunch of thugs -- something that quite literally came out of nowhere -- and ending up in a fight against Anissa in her own superhero getup is absolutely clunky. Black Lightning fighting Thunder, neither aware of the other's identity, is definitely well-done and exciting, and definitely more than a little harrowing when Black Lightning whacks Thunder's body up into the ceiling and drops her onto the ground... but at the same time, narratively it feels forced and a unsatisfyingly abrupt jump from the scenes that preceded it. (Not that Anissa's detective work is particularly exciting, mind you).
Whatever the case, though, all the members of the Pierce family except Jennifer ends up in the most awkward family circle in their life as Jennifer realizes her father's Black Lightning (and just whupped her ass) and Jefferson and Lynn are forced with the reality that their daughter's a superhero (and that Jeff just whupped his own daughter with lightning powers). Moreso than anything, the scenes involving this fight and its aftermath is extremely powerful, and makes me want to forgive the sheer messiness of this episode.
We get the revelation that Gambi's ties are not just to Tobias Whale, but apparently he's a retired member of the organization that Lady Eve belongs to, but again, it doesn't really answer much. Overall, though, despite the best efforts of the actors involved, this episode is actually quite messy, filled with plot threads that don't really connect particularly well with each other, but ends up picking itself up with a pretty solid ending..
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