A family of superheroes is everything I ever wanted The Gifted to be, but since that show ended up stumbling more times than I would’ve preferred, I’m glad Black Lightning is here to fill that void.
It turns out that Jefferson and Lynn finding out that their eldest daughter Anissa has powers just like her dad is exactly what this show needed. Their concern over this new gift and whether or not it might also affect Jennifer is extremely refreshing and realistic. Let’s hope the writers continue to tackle this storyline with the utmost subtlety going forward.
And then the rest of the episode happened. I’m not sure who assisted in bringing the big action scene to life because Lady Eve, Black Lightning, the cops and a couple of thugs fighting off with the kind of ridiculous guns you would see on Legends of Tomorrow is horrendously staged and oddly edited. In addition, after all the buildup and character development, this is how they decide to kill off Tori and Lady Eve? I’m certainly hoping this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Jill Scott because that would be tremendously disappointing.
Finally, there’s that insane ending. I praised the show for mercilessly killing off LaWanda in the second episode, but somehow Equinox: The Book of Fate brings her back as a ghost before she is transported into a tattoo on the recently revived LaLa. Or at least that’s what I think happened. As twisted and ridiculous the episode’s final moments are, there’s no denying I’m more intrigued than ever to see what happens next.
Lightning Bits
– Hilarious moment as inspector Henderson refers to Black Lightning as the electrician.
– Gambi killing Toledo seems like a pretty insignificant afterthought. Sadly, this will cause a bigger rift in the Jefferson/Gambi dynamic.
– Jefferson and Anissa pretending like nothing is wrong in front of Jennifer is a priceless scene.
– Gambi wants to create another suit for Anissa. Hopefully, it’s nothing like the embarrassment he’s had Black Lightning walk around in.
– Anyone else got huge One Tree Hill vibes as we sat through a montage of everyone preparing for the big fight scene?
Freeland Quips
Gambi: I didn’t tell you in order to protect you.
Jefferson: From Tobias?
Gambi: From yourself.
Jefferson: You can’t afford to lose your head. That’s when people get hurt, or worse.
Anissa: Then train me. Show me how to do this.
Jefferson: No. You’re clearly not ready.
Anissa: No, dad. You’re not ready.
Lynn: This life is hard, baby. That’s what I’m telling you. And if you’re not careful, you could lose yourself in it. When’s the last time you had a conversation with anyone besides your family? When’s the last time you were on a date? When you do what your father does, what you wanna do, everybody gets a happy ending but you.
Conclusion
A solid follow-up to last week’s cliffhanger, but Equinox offers another jaw-dropping ending that has me both intrigued and slightly concerned.
Chris Rating
B