Black Lightning – The Book Of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem

By starrymag | November 19, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

Peter Gambi (James Remar) purchases food from Hiroshi (Toshi Toda) speaking in Japanese. Later, a car pulls up next to his car at a light and a man shoots at him from the backseat. He keeps shooting at Gambi’s car as the drivers chase Gambi through the streets. The computer tells Gambi that the car’s structural integrity is decreasing and Gambi swerves off the road. The car explodes as it turns to the side and ends up on the side of the road.

 

At the clinic, Reverend Jeremiah Holt (Clifton Powell) tells Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) that he was surprised by her offer to volunteer. Anissa tells him that she believes in the work he’s doing there, and Holt tells her that a group of staff members resigned after the attempted attack on the clinic. Anissa tells him that she’s not one to back down from a challenge and offers to start immediately.

 

As Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) works on her math homework, she gets annoyed by the math program asking if she’s still there. She rants about how she can’t go anywhere and that she would have more respect if the program was a real teacher. Jennifer gets a text from Khalil Payne (Jordan Calloway) asking to hang out. In a flashback, Khalil sits with Jennifer in the school hallway, asking why she finally responded to him.

 

Jennifer admits that she misses the school and her friends and is annoyed that her parents have locked her up. Khalil apologizes for her being on lockdown, admitting that part of the reason is his fault. He admits that he was angry and took things too far. Khalil asks if they can fix their relationship, but Jennifer tells him that she needs to return home before Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) finds out she’s gone. In the present, Jennifer ignores Khalil’s text.

 

Anissa examines a pregnant woman, Anaya (Birgundi Baker), and her boyfriend, Deacon (Rob Morean) nervously looks out the window. He tells Anissa to do her job, so they can get out of there and Anaya apologizes for Deacon’s rudeness. Anissa determines that Anaya’s blood pressure is normal, and Anaya admits she terrified at the prospect of motherhood, questioning whether she’ll be good at it. Anissa tells her that from her experience, all great parents have those doubts about their parenting abilities.

 

Khalil brings Councilman Kwame Parker (Eric Lynch) to see Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III), and Parker tells him that he and Khalil will go to prison for kidnapping. As Tobias plays pool, he tells Parker to do what he asks, or he will end up in a hole. Parker tells Tobias that he doesn’t scare him, but Tobias blackmails him with the fact that his election campaign was funded by Proctor, telling him that he works for him now.

 

Bill Henderson (Damon Gupton) visits Jefferson and tells him about the attack on Gambi. Jefferson asks Henderson to take him to Gambi, but Henderson informs him that it won’t be possible. Henderson asks Jefferson and Anissa if Gambi was one of them, and Jefferson informs Anissa that Henderson knows the truth. Jefferson asks when they can see the body, but Henderson tells him that Gambi burned up inside his car and tells them to let him handle it.

 

After Henderson leaves, Anissa questions why Jefferson didn’t tell him the truth about Gambi’s work. Jefferson insists that Henderson knows enough and that they’ll protect Gambi. Anissa wants to get their suits, but Jefferson tells her that they should sit tight and that he won’t believe Gambi is dead until he sees it with his own eyes. Dr. Helga Jace (Jennifer Riker) is amazed at Lynn Pierce’s (Christine Adams) formula and is excited to start trials. However, Lynn wants to wait until they can assure that they can save every single pod kid. Anissa informs Jennifer of Gambi’s death and comforts her when she breaks down.

 

Anissa visits Grace Choi (Chantal Thuy) and asks if she can come in. She tells Grace about Gambi and that she realized that Grace would be the person outside of her family she would want to spend her last day with. Grace asks what she expects her to say to that, and Anissa tells her she doesn’t want her to say anything as she kisses her. Anissa pins Grace against the wall and Grace leads her to her bedroom while Lynn comforts Jefferson in their room.

 

The next morning, Grace tells Anissa that their night together was a mistake. Grace tells Anissa that she’s sorry about Gambi’s death, but that she can’t just use her like that. Anissa tells her that it’s not like that, and Grace confesses she let her guard down when they first met. Grace asks her to promise that she won’t hurt her again, but Anissa is unable to. Grace walks outside and takes a pill when her tattoos start shifting around her body.

 

Jennifer questions why they’re doing a memorial for Gambi if Jefferson doesn’t want one, but Lynn tells her that Jefferson is hurting at the moment and eventually will want to do something. Jennifer admits that she can’t believe Gambi is dead, as she ignores a text from Khalil asking to meet. Lynn looks through Gambi’s apartment and finds Gambi’s pocket watch with a picture of a younger Gambi and Jefferson.

 

Parker gives a press conference announcing that an anonymous donor has offered to pay for the relocation of the clinic to a safer area. A reporter asks who the donor is, and Parker tells them that the donor is someone who has recently returned to Freeland. Another reporter (Christopher Marquez) asks for confirmation of his source’s claim that the donor is Tobias, but Parker tells him that revealing the donor’s identity defeats the purpose of anonymity.

 

Jennifer embraces Jefferson, telling him she appreciates him. Lynn asks how he’s doing, and Jefferson tells her to stop worrying about him. She gives him the pocket watch, telling him that she thought Gambi would want him to have it. However, Jefferson orders her to return it as it belongs to Gambi, declaring that he’ll take it back himself.

 

Frank ‘2-Bits’ Tannner (Jason Louder) joins Jefferson at the bar and expresses his condolences about Gambi. As Jefferson continues drinking, 2-Bits asks if he needs a ride home. Jefferson tells him Henderson is coming, and 2-Bits tells him to let him know if he needs anything. Jefferson sees a customer slap the waitress’ butt and grab her when she yells at him. Jefferson walks over to them and gets into a fight with the man. Henderson and 2-Bits pull Jefferson away, and Jefferson rants about how he’s given everything to this city, but it just keeps taking from him.

 

Tobias asks Khalil to join him, asking if he’s ever had caviar. He explains that this fancy dinner was planned in advance to celebrate the year anniversary of meeting Syonide, reminding Khalil that he failed his job and let Syondide get killed. Tobias tells him that he is now the only family he has left and tells him a story about a stronger brother that put the weaker brother out of his misery, asking Khalil if he understands what he’s saying.

 

Deacon collapses at the door of the clinic with red dots on his face, asking Anissa to save the baby before he dies. Jace tells Lynn that she found a way to save all the kids and suggests that they increase the dosage of the serum to target all of the pods at once. Black Lightning visits 2-Bits and asks what he knows about the attack on Gambi. 2-Bits tells him it was definitely an assassination, suggesting that the government is involved. Black Lightning asks if anyone saw Gambi escape the car, but 2-Bits tells him that he had no chance.

 

As the police examine Deacon’s death, Anissa tells Henderson about Deacon and Anaya’s previous visit to the clinic. Anissa tells Henderson about Deacon’s request, and wonders if Anaya needs her immediate help. Henderson determines that Deacon’s death is not an accident and Anissa collects a mysterious moving silver substance after it seeps out of Deacon’s face. Anissa does research on Deacon in Gambi’s lab and determines that he’s from South Freeland. Khalil knocks on Jennifer’s window, and she tells him he can’t be there. He tells her that he heard about Gambi and wants to make sure she’s okay. Jennifer tells him that she appreciates his concern, but that he needs to go. Khalil tells Jennifer to call him if she needs anything before leaving.

 

Jefferson goes into Gambi’s shop and looks around. He breaks down at Gambi’s counter and Anissa is alerted to Jefferson’s presence in the shop. Jefferson pulls out the pocket watch, looking at the inscription thanking Gambi for always being there for him before looking at the picture inside. He continues sobbing and Anissa watches him. Jefferson is startled by her presence and Anissa gives Jefferson a hug as she tells him that Gambi once told her that helping Jefferson become Black Lightning was one of the greatest things he ever did. He asks why she’s there, and she tells him she’s also there to remember Gambi.

 

After Lynn and Jace inject the serum into the pods, half of the kids die. Lynn questions what’s happening and Jace tells her that she told her what she wanted to hear, pointing out that the remaining kids will survive. Lynn punches her and orders security to take her away as Jace exclaims that they saved fourteen lives. Anissa drives into South Freeland but is pulled over by Sheriff Clark (Robert Walker-Branchaud). She asks why he pulled her over, and he questions where she’s going. Anissa explains that she’s there to check on Anaya, but she drives away upon noticing Clark’s face moving similar to Deacon and figures run by at super-speed in the distance.