Hello fellow Black Lightning viewers! Welcome to this week’s episode, featuring old flames, new flames, hard truths, sad pod people, and a literal round of applause for Thunder. Well-deserved, imo.
Last week, we met Issa Williams, who was killed by police but came back to life and ran away from the family that was now scared of him. Now he’s been captured by Creepy ASA Agent Guy and handed to Lynn to figure out what to do with. Lynn continues to be the real MVP of this show, which is very cool because she’s one of the only main characters without ‘powers’ (except the power she wields over my heart). She’s already dealing with a lot because somehow, a pod kid woke up and broke out of his pod. He killed a lab attendant and himself, and set free a girl named Wendy Hernandez, who can control wind. She runs off, clearly terrified and, as Lynn puts it, having a psychotic break. So, with Wendy creating hurricanes around town and Issa suddenly in her care, Lynn has a lot on her plate.
We also find out that when Issa looks at people, they tell the truth but usually just in a mean way. This leads to very un-fun dinner conversations in the Pierce household, which is temporarily hosting Issa. It’s sad because Issa can’t control anything; he’s just scared and confused and misses his family. On top of that, turns out he could either die really quickly or choose to be frozen in a pod until they figure out a way to stop whatever breakdown is happening in his body due to Green Light.
However, Issa and Jenn have a very sweet bonding moment on the roof, which is cute. Another thing that happens on the roof is that Kahlil shows up trying to apologize-ish to Jenn for being under the control of Tobias and I guess win her back? But when he touches her, she starts to light up, so she turns away and tells him to leave. Poor house-arrested Jenn is really going through it these days.
Luckily, she has a fabulous older sister, and these two have some of my favorite scenes in the whole series. There’s a great one in this episode where they bond over dating and how their period cramps have gone away since they got their powers. Jenn teases Anissa, saying she needs to get back out there, and Anissa DOES.
We learn in this episode that Anissa is very smooth with women, which is fun to watch. However, she comes on a little too strong with uber-rich musician Zoe B, who plays a house party or something where Anissa stands front and center making heart-eyes at her through her entire set. Not even three sentences into talking to this woman and Anissa suggests she play a song for her naked. Um, ok? Y’all know I’m 200% here for queer content but this line feels like some dude wrote it.
Regardless, it’s implied that they sleep together because the next morning they’re both at Zoe’s house, complete with rooftop pool and promises of private jet rides for dinner in NYC. Anissa plays it too cool (and is too busy) to take Zoe up on this insane offer, but they’re very cute together, I’ll give them that. Later, at another party, Grace (!!!) appears in a catering uniform with a tray of glasses, and is none too happy to see Anissa with a new bae.
This. storyline. has not. been given. enough. attention!
Anissa apologizes for not having called in a minute, and I’m over here like, what is happening?! Last we saw Grace they were cuddling in a library, which is the cutest gayest thing in the world! And now we’re just supposed to guess that they had a relationship and/or a ghosting situation? Does Anissa just get bored with relationships easily?
Anyway, Thunder and Black Lightning have to save the world from/help out Wendy Hernandez, who’s still on the loose. Thunder saves a cop trapped in a car in the wake of some destruction Wendy left behind, and everyone cheers for her, which she gleefully indulges with a bow and a bunch of high-5’s. I really like that she’s so excited about how cool she is, but Jefferson thinks it’s more important to be humble and concentrate on the selflessness of their acts. It’s Jefferson who finds Wendy and ends up shocking her, which snaps her out of her psychotic episode. She gets returned to her pod, where Lynn promises that she will work hard to find a way to save her and the other pod people.
Finally, Jefferson finds out that he’s about to be replaced as principal by a white guy, which of course is upsetting for everyone except the white school board. He makes a resignation speech at the school, saying he’ll stay on as a teacher, and is given a standing ovation of support from all the students. It’s very poignant and sweet. Time will tell if the board changes their minds about the principal thing, but either way looks like Jefferson will still be involved with Garfield High.
That’s it for this week! What did you think of this episode? Are you also here for everything the Pierce sisters do together? What do you think of Anissa’s new bae and the situation with grace? Let me know in the comments and see you next week!
