Black Lightning S03E16 Review: Metahuman War

Black Lightning, Season 3, Episode 16: Liberation

And here we go with the exciting conclusion to the three-parter "Book of War". Season three of Black Lightning is a lot better composed than its second season. There were certainly a lot of problems with the third season, with its very slow pacing for its first half and a very rapid one for its final couple of episodes, and the fact that a lot of the B-plots seem to be more or less afterthoughts... but at least it stuck to its guns and really charged through its stories full-on through. And while I do have some problems with the pacing of these last couple of episodes, I cannot deny it -- I really did enjoy the breakneck pace and non-stop tension in "The Book of Markovia" and "The Book of War" arcs.

As much as I bemoaned the fact that Gravedigger's introduction was done via a gigantic exposition dump and he has got the completely irrelevant actually-Jeff's-grand-uncle revelation that doesn't amount to much... Gravedigger's actually charismatic enough to really carry these couple of episodes as a pretty fun antagonist. He's kind of one note, basically resorting to his backstory for any sort of depth, but at least it's a decent backstory, y'know? And none of the fights lasted very long, but at least they're all entertaining as Gravedigger just unleashes his many borrowed superpowers that is basically what the CW special effects team can easily replicate. Cyclops eye-beams, metal bending, levitating people, super-strength... stuff like that.

Meanwhile, because, again, Gravedigger's huge master plan is basically just "hey, march on Freeland, kill everyone who resists", guess what? Everyone in Freeland resists. And this part of the episode does feel like it moves a bit quickly and felt a bit irrelevant considering how little the police and the 100 gangsters actually have felt throughout the season, but Hendersen and Lala (who forgot throughout this arc that he has Tattooed-Man powers) basically enter an alliance to shoot a bunch of Markovian invaders dead, and we do get a bunch of neat cameos from characters like Two-Bits and Reverend Holt, which is always nice to see. Also, while all of this is going on, Lady Eve meets up with Major Grey to discuss Eve's extradition to Gotham City... and Eve realizes that they're going to nuke Freeland, and the resulting shootout leaves both Grey and Lady Eve seemingly dead. Lady Eve's actor is great and all, but she really got the shaft this season, huh? She's buddies with the creepy Lazarus dude, so I guess she's going to be back next season. Oh, and not that anyone really cares, but the Perdi are also rescued off-screen.

A good chunk of the episode is just fighting against Gravedigger as he moves all the way to the ASA bunker to capture all the metahumans evacuated there, and... well, people die in the process, even as Jeff ends up rescuing Jennifer, who gets kidnapped long enough to argue with Gravedigger. We've got things happening left and right, including a middle action bit where Painkiller is about to snipe Black Lightning from afar, only for Khalil to break free and end up fighting Painkiller in a very clean, awesome action scene. I also do like that instead of the neutral ground of the darkened corridor outside Khalil's apartment, this time Khalil brings the fight to Painkiller and beats his ass with katanas and whatever in a fascimile of the ASA training room.

While all of this is going on... people die, and I feel like some of these deaths might've been a bit more impactful spread out a little, but it does really hit home the feel of "oh no, shit's going down". Jamillah Olsen, who is a character I forgot existed, gets gunned down randomly in a news report early on in the episode. Captain Henderson is perhaps the biggest name to go down, being a central character in the first two seasons, sort of a supporting character in the first half of the season when it's all about occupation and completely disappearing after the mid-season break. I suppose there might be a problem with the actor? At least he managed to go out in a pretty great scene, taking a shot meant for Black Lightning and getting a great, if truncated, send-off.

All of the focus of the good guys is on Gravedigger, so Odell takes the chance to do some slimy ASA cover-up stuff. He sets the ASA base to self-destruct when he confirms that Gravedigger has entered, and sends off Commander Williams to take care of any loose ends... which involves Dr. Helga Jace, left bound by Brandon who sort of panics in the whole thing. Bye-bye Jace, and when he attempts to attack Lynn (who's making an antidote for Gravedigger's superhero steroids) turns out Lynn is prepared with another dose of the super-strength serum she used against Tobias and knocks Williams out.

Gravedigger, meanwhile, proves unstoppable (if not particularly lethal), taking out practically everyone in his path, putting Erica Moran to sleep, tanking Brandon and Lightning, and forcing Thunder and Grace to fight each other. Poor Grace gets put into a coma when Anissa is forced to defend herself, which... yeah, this was kind of easy to see coming after the wedding stuff, but I dunno, it feels kind of tacked onto a whole lot of casualties. Eventually it's Lynn and Jefferson that manage to tag-team and disable Gravedigger and defeat him with a zappy-zap, before everyone evacuates the ASA base as Odell's bomb blows it up.

And after that? It's mostly just wrap-up. Odell doesn't quite get away scott-free, because Khalil catches up to him and we get a cool scene where Jefferson tries to talk Khalil down from killing Odell... and then Khalil seems to shoot Odell in the back, but turns out he shot to maim, not kill. There's also a hearing in congress as Black Lightning, Thunder and Lightning stand as witnesses as they reveal the depth of the ASA manipulation and exploitation of metahumans and reveal the briefcase for all to see, and they walk out triumphant with the ASA disbanded and the Pierce family being recognized as superheroes. Gravedigger is still alive, though, apparently with some self-disguise powers, although I guess he respects the Pierces going for metahuman rights the legal way? Meanwhile Tobias Whale is off somewhere, scheming, after murdering some dude or whatnot.

Ultimately... this one is more of a huge action scenes, and the sheer amount of deaths and confrontations that happened at fast pace only worked because they all hinged on viewer familiarity with them. Sure, not a lot of us really care for, oh, Commander Williams or Agent Grey or whoever, but they're recognizable, and so are many of the good guys that died in the chaos. Again, I still think the Grace bit was unfortunate and honestly felt a bit shoehorned in just to give Anissa some angst next season (compare it to how tactfully Khalil's exits were done, for example). Ultimately, though, it's a pretty satisfying conclusion to the end of the ASA and Markovia storylines, and when we return for season four, it seems like it's going to get a bit more personal for the Pierces with both Gravedigger and Tobias running around. This season tries for a far larger scope in ambition and plot, and while it doesn't completely succeed, I did enjoy my wild ride through this season for sure with its breakneck pacing. Honestly? Pretty good stuff.

DC Easter Eggs Corner:

• Black Lightning's creators Tony Isabella and Trevor von Eeden make cameo appearances as part of the Congress panel reviewing the events that took place in Freeland.