Black Lightning – Lawanda: The Book Of Burial

By starrymag | February 6, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Reverend Jeremiah Holt (Clifton Powell) addresses his congregation about Lawanda’s murder. Meanwhile, Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) climbs over a fence into a junkyard and sets up her phone camera before attempting to test her powers on an old washing machine. She kicks the machine, but hurts her foot in the attempt. Holt makes an impassioned speech declaring that they need to fight back against the 100 gang and requests that they march with him.

 

The speech is met with applause while Anissa kicks the machine several times until she figures out the secret to her powers. Inspector Henderson (Damon Gupton) attempts to dissuade Holt from marching, but Holt angrily reminds him that the police force is helping the gang. Henderson promises that good work is being done against the gang, but Holt tells him that they can’t trust the police. Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) attempts to defend Henderson, but Henderson and Holt argue some more before Henderson walks out.

 

Anissa finally activates her powers and sends the machine flying across the junkyard, screaming in triumph. Jefferson tries to dissuade Holt from going through with the march, but Holt accuses him only caring about his family and students. Despite Jefferson’s insistence that it isn’t true, Holt insists that he’s tired of the way things are and is willing to die to change things. Jefferson reminds him that Lawanda didn’t want to die, but Holt replies that Lawanda was willing to die because Black Lightning gave her hope. Holt then tells him that Black Lightning gives him hope and that he is the answer to Freeland’s prayers.

 

Peter Gambi (James Remar) reminds Jefferson that heroes inspire people, but Jefferson is adamant that he doesn’t want to inspire people to get themselves killed. Jefferson expresses his concerns about protecting the march, but Gambi insists that he’ll be ready. He explains the upgrades he made to the Black Lightning suit and allows Jefferson to practice his targeting in a simulation. After a couple of failed attempts, Jefferson is able to hit the correct target in the simulation.

 

Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III) and Syonide (Charlbi Dean Kriek) visit Lady Eve (Jill Scott) and hand over a bag of money to compensate for what she lost due to LaLa’s stupidity. Eve reminds Tobias that Black Lightning is the real problem, but Tobias insists that he killed Black Lightning years ago. She tells him that Black Lightning threatens people’s ability to stay in line and about Holt’s plans to march. Eve demands Tobias take care of it, as people can’t be allowed to believe they can take the streets back.

 

Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) and Khalil (Jordan Calloway) finally their plans to rent a hotel room during the weekend, and Jennifer promises that she’ll tell her parents where she’s going. After confirming that he has condoms, Khalil confesses that he’s a virgin. He apologizes for lying about it, and Jennifer insists that her virgin self still finds him sexy.

 

Grace Choi (Chantal Thuy) approaches Anissa as she reads in a bookstore and asks if she needs help finding anything. Anissa tells her she’s reading about genetic mutation, and admits that it’s not for school. They introduce themselves, and Grace shows Anissa that she’s reading a comic book called “The Outsiders.” Anissa says that it isn’t her thing, but Grace jokes that it should be if she’s reading about genetic mutation for fun. Grace tells her that she’s a bartender and her bar has a weekly cosplay party, inviting her to come.

 

Henderson tells Jefferson that the police has been instructed not to patrol the march, but is unable to figure out where the orders are coming from. He asks Jefferson to try and dissuade Holt, but Jefferson tells him he already tried. Upon hearing that Holt is inspired by Black Lightning, Henderson insists that Black Lightning is going to get all of them killed. Jefferson and Gambi observe a hologram rendering of the city and strategize how to protect the march, and Jefferson suggests that Gambi help him out as well.

 

Lynn Pierce (Christine Adams) tells Jefferson that Anissa isn’t joining them for family dinner. Jefferson comments that Jennifer will eventually stop joining him as well and asks Lynn if she will continue to come after the girls have left. She replies that she wants to stop worrying about him, but they stop their conversation as Jennifer comes downstairs. Jefferson tells her that Anissa isn’t coming and Jennifer admits she was hoping to get her support. He asks what she’s referring to, and she tells him that she’s ready to have sex, leaving Jefferson and Lynn stunned.

 

During an awkward dinner, Lynn talks to Jennifer about her decision while Jefferson comments how young she is. Jennifer asks how young they were, and awkward silence follows. After Jefferson insists that he and Lynn love each other very much, Jennifer asks if they lost their virginity to each other. Jefferson admits that they didn’t, and Lynn insists that it’s important for her to have sex with the right person. Jennifer tells them that Saturday is the day, and both Jefferson and Lynn drink in the stunned silence.

 

Later, Jennifer tells Anissa about the conversation and that she was hoping that Anissa would be there for support. Jennifer comments that Anissa’s been a ghost lately and asks her if she’s all right. Anissa insists that she’s fine, and Jennifer asks her to go to the march with her. Jennifer is surprised when Anissa tells her she’s not going to the march and Anissa tells her that she’s tired of marching and that she wants to do more. Anissa agrees to go when Jennifer accuses her of not being a good sister lately and they hug.

 

Lynn visits Jefferson at school, and laugh about family dinner. Jefferson asks if they’re being too liberal about this and Lynn points out that Jennifer is being responsible by talking to them about it. Lynn tells Jefferson that she’s thinking of having Jennifer move in with her if he’s going back to being Black Lightning. He resists the idea, but she insists that she doesn’t want Jennifer to see him hurt. Jefferson refuses and Lynn storms out of his office.

 

Jefferson spots Khalil in the hallway and calls him over. Khalil boasts of his track achievement, but Jefferson tells him that his concern for him goes beyond that. Jefferson asks him about his hygiene routine, and asks him to elaborate. When Khalil admits that he dries his feet first before the rest of his body, Jefferson asks him if he wants to give Jennifer athlete’s foot. Khalil replies that he doesn’t think so, and Jefferson tells him that he and Jennifer should slow down unless the answer is a definite no.

 

At the bar’s costume party, Anissa dances with Grace. Chenoa (Shein Mompremier) spots them on the dance floor and gets angry with Anissa for cheating on her. Anissa tells her she’s not cheating, just dancing. Grace steps between them and tells Chenoa to take their argument outside. Chenoa storms off and Grace asks Anissa if she’s going to be okay. Anissa replies that is and leaves after Chenoa.

 

Gambi puts out roadblocks dressed as a construction worker and Tobias gives his associate instructions to abandon the gun at the scene. When he sees the man’s hesitation, he approaches him and stabs his hand into the desk with a knife. After ordering him to send a message to the march, Tobias removes his knife and tells the man to stop bleeding on his desk.

 

Grace checks on Anissa as she sits at the bar, and Anissa tells her that Chenoa took her key back. She apologizes, but Anissa admits that their relationship had run its course and that she was holding on to deal with the changes in her life. Grace replies that everyone pretends to be superheroes, but says that being a superhero would be lonely when Anissa comments that it would be nice to have powers.

 

Gambi goes over the new parade route with Jefferson and they discuss the gang’s strategy to disrupt the march. He theorizes that the gang will kill marchers instead of Holt, to prevent people from marching again. Holt leads the march down the street as Black Lightning observes from the roof. Jefferson panics upon seeing Lynn, Anissa, and Jennifer among the marchers, but Gambi tells him that they can’t do anything about it.

 

Black Lightning spots a gunman approaching the march and jumps from the roof and blocks the gunfire with his lightning. When the gunman is out of bullets, Black Lightning zaps him and then zaps another gunman approaching the march. He faces the march and Holt leads the marchers in singing “Amazing Grace.” Tobias pulls up in his car and can’t believe that Black Lightning is back. He expresses his frustration with singing churchgoers and orders Syonide to kill Black Lightning.

 

Her bullets miss Black Lightning and hits Holt and Khalil instead before she and Tobias drive away as the crowd screams. Lynn tells Black Lightning that she’ll get them to a hospital and urges him to go. Jennifer tries to go in with Khalil as he’s rolled into the hospital, but Lynn holds her back. Anissa comforts Jennifer in the waiting room, and Jennifer asks if he’s going to be okay. Anissa admits she doesn’t know, and confirms that Holt is going to be okay.

 

Lynn rests her head on Jefferson’s shoulder as he watches news footage praising Black Lightning for preventing a bigger tragedy. Henderson is interviewed by the Reporter (Holly Firfer) and insinuates that Black Lightning is making things worse for the people of Freeland. Lynn admits the bullets shook her, and Jefferson admits he would have warned her if he knew she was going. Lynn apologizes for suggesting that Jennifer move in with her and the bullet gave her perspective. Jefferson apologizes, and Lynn admits that deep down she always knew Black Lightning would return. He tells her that she and the girls are his priority whether he is Black Lighting or not, and she calls him a good man.

 

Gambi sees security footage of Tobias in the car and deletes the footage. Lynn asks Anissa what’s going on with her, and ask if she remembers when she came out to them. Lynn tells her that nothing she could do could make her stop loving her, and that she’s troubled by her silence. Anissa tells her that she and Chenoa broke up, and Lynn tells Anissa that she wasn’t as into Chenoa as Chenoa was into her. She tells her to tell her what’s really bothering her whenever she’s ready and promises that she’s there for her. They rejoin Jefferson and Jennifer, and Jennifer tells them that Khalil is paralyzed from the bullet hitting his spine.