Black Lightning – The Book Of Little Black Lies

By starrymag | March 26, 2018

By: Jessica Wolff

 

Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) replays his conversation with Peter Gambi (James Remar) as he takes out his anger on a punching bag. Jefferson calls Bill Henderson (Damon Gupton) as Black Lightning and confronts him for not following the lead he sent him and allowing the evidence that could exonerate him to be destroyed. Henderson replies that he has rules to follow unlike him, and Black Lightning tells him that it isn’t always easy to be him and that he can’t sit back and watch Greenlight destroy Freeland.

 

Black Lightning declares that he will put a stop to Greenlight with or without his help, and Henderson asks what he needs. Black Lightning declares that he didn’t kill Lady Eve, and Henderson promises to take some vacation days to launch his own investigation. He asks Black Lightning to tell his family the truth if he ends up dead and is labeled dirty. Black Lightning promises that he won’t let that happen, and Henderson hangs up.

 

Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) checks on Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain), who asks for some Prozac. Jennifer explains that she thinks she’s going crazy, and Anissa tells her that she isn’t. Anissa admits that she knows what’s she’s going through, and tells her that she has powers. Jennifer asks what she means, and Anissa tells her that she’s Thunder. Jennifer accuses her of messing with her and climbs back into bed, refusing to listen to her. Anissa proves it to her by using her powers to lift her bed up. Jennifer panics and Anissa tells her that Jefferson is Black Lightning.

 

Jennifer runs out of the room ordering Anissa to stay away from her as she follows her. Jefferson asks what’s going on, and Jennifer embraces him and tells him what just happened. He doesn’t answer, and Jennifer realizes that Anissa was telling the truth. Jefferson tries to explain, but Jennifer gets mad at him for lying to her for her entire life and asks how she can trust him.

 

After Jennifer storms off, Jefferson asks Anissa what she was thinking. Anissa argues that Jennifer needed to know the truth. Jefferson tells her that it wasn’t her decision to make, but Anissa argues that she’s the only one who understands what Jennifer is going through. Anissa asks what lies his parents told him and Lynn Pierce (Christine Adams) argues that they never lied to her. She argues that half a parent’s job is protecting their kids, but Anissa replies that they aren’t kids anymore. Lynn responds that they will always be her kids, and criticizes Anissa for telling Jennifer without consulting them first.

 

Anissa apologizes for disrespecting them, but argues that she felt it was necessary. Lynn warns her how reckless it was since Black Lightning is now a murder suspect. Anissa apologizes and Jefferson promises Lynn that he would never let anything happen to their daughters. She asks if he can keep that promise, and tells him that him risking his life doesn’t make her feel any better about it. Lynn suggests that Anissa was right, and they could have done things differently. Jefferson laughs that they could have been better at all of this, but that their kids have a better chance than them with their grandkids. He says that Black Lightning has always been accused of wrongdoing, but he refuses to let it distract him from the mission.

 

Anissa asks how they’re going to stop the gang, and Jefferson declares they have to go after Greenlight. Anissa asks if Gambi is going to be helping them, and Jefferson replies that he can’t be trusted. Jefferson suggests they start with his father’s research, and asks Lynn what else was in the file. She responds that there was a reference to bribery of a politician, which Jefferson concludes is related to Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III). Jefferson decides to look at the court records, and tells Anissa to stay with Jennifer. Anissa reminds them that she’s going to sneak out anyway, and Lynn tells them to be safe.

 

Lynn checks on Jennifer, and tells her that she understands what she’s going through. Jennifer asks if she’s coming in to tell her that she has powers too, and she jokes that she is before telling her that she doesn’t. She tells her that she can come to her when she’s ready to talk and that she loves her. Jefferson and Anissa check the files and they figure out that a mysterious organization attempted to bribe his father to kill the story. Anissa goes to look up the company’s public records and Gambi attacks a man in his car, demanding to know who set up Black Lightning. He explains that he poisoned him and he will provide the antidote in exchange for information. The man reluctantly writes down a name for him and Gambi hands him the antidote.

 

Anissa and Jefferson confront Teddy Evans (Charles Green) wearing facemasks, one of President Obama, and demanding information. He refuses to talk and Anissa grabs his phone, explaining that she’s done a lot of research on him and can easily finds his accounts’ passwords. Jefferson forms a ball of lightning in his hand and threatens to use it, causing the man to agree to talk.

 

Anissa checks on Jennifer and tells her that she’s lucky. She explains that she and Black Lightning got into a fight before she found out the truth. Jennifer asks if she has a point, and Anissa explains that she’s excited to use her powers to help people. Jennifer replies that she doesn’t have the same desire, and declares that she wants to be normal. Anissa comments that normal is overrated, and this is who they are. She calls their powers a blessing, but Jennifer argues that they don’t have a choice.

 

Anissa asks what she’s watching and Jennifer tries to hide it. She grabs the laptop and plays a video of a fan (Derrick Haywood) talking about how hot Thunder is. The video turns into a remix and Anissa is frustrated that they’re only talking about her looks. Jennifer tells her that she has more fans than Black Lightning and tells her about a fan page praising her as a feminist icon. Anissa can’t resist and asks to see it.

 

Gambi asks Caleb Scott (Benedetto Robinson) for access to research on weapons that can kill Black Lightning, but he refuses. However, he agrees to search for the purchase history of a single weapon after Gambi looks up his real name and address. Henderson observes and takes photos of a weapons deal with Deputy Chief Cayman (Anthony Reynolds).

 

Gambi hides a camera through a ceiling vent and observes several transparent tubes with people inside. He flashes back to his observing a metahuman and informing Martin Proctor (Gregg Henry) of his discovery years ago. In the present, Gambi pulls his camera up and waits at the tailor shop for Anissa. She asks what the urgent call was about and he closes the window shades. He asks if Jefferson knows she’s there, and she tells him that Jefferson said he couldn’t be trusted. She tells him that she wanted to determine for herself and asks what happened between them. He tells her that he kept a past bad deed from him, and he wants to make things right.

 

Gambi tells her that people are in danger and explains that he used to work for an organization that collected metahumans. He asks her not to tell Jefferson, and warns her that Freelend is not safe for her or Black Lightning. Gambi tells her that he believes Black Lightning is the only one that can expose the truth, and asks her to tell Jefferson. Anissa agrees, and Gambi makes sure she knows that he will always care about them. He gives her a bag and tells her to be safe.

 

Anissa suits up in her new suit and walks out to Black Lightning. She tells him Gambi gave it to her, and tries to convince him that Gambi cares about them. Jefferson tells her that it’s between him and Gambi, but Anissa compares his feelings about Gambi to Jennifer’s feelings about him withholding the truth from her. He denies that it’s the same and warns her about the danger of the people they are going after. Jefferson tells her to run if anything happens to him.

 

Lynn tries to talk to Jennifer, but she just walks away. She orders her to stop, and threatens to make her pay her own phone bill if she keeps giving her attitude. Jennifer sits down, and Lynn tells her that sometimes parents have to make decisions without consulting her. Jennifer points out that she always thought they trusted her, and Lynn argues that they couldn’t have her blurting out the truth when she was little. She explains that Jefferson only returned to being Black Lightning to rescue her and Anissa from the motel.

 

Jennifer asks why they didn’t tell her she would develop powers, and Lynn replies that they didn’t know. Jennifer admits that she feels like a freak and Lynn consoles her. She believes that nobody will want to be with her, and Lynn tells her she fell for her father. Jennifer assesses that Black Lightning is why they broke up, and Lynn admits it. Lynn tries to assure her that her father will always be there, but Jennifer declares that she and Jefferson would still be together if he didn’t have powers. She tells Lynn that she doesn’t want to save the world, and just wants a normal life. Jennifer asks if she can have kids and Lynn embraces her as she breaks down.

 

Black Lightning and Thunder wait for Proctor to show up. His car pulls up and he goes into a door, before exiting again. Proctor makes a phone call to Cayman at the arms deal, and Anissa reads his lips to figure where he’s going. Jefferson asks how she heard what he was saying, and she tells him that she took a lip reading class to understand what the police were saying. He compliments her, but tells her not to let it get to her head as they follow Proctor. Henderson watches the cars pull away and calls Black Lightning, reporting what he saw. Black Lightning warns him to let them handle it, but Henderson ignores him.

 

Black Lightning attacks a group bringing a shipment to the lab. Proctor orders Cayman to investigate the noise and another guy shoots at Thunder. The bullets deflect and Thunder fights him. Proctor asks if the weapons are ready as Black Lightning approaches the lab. He puts a gun to a Chemist (Jonathan Williams) and threatens to shoot if Black Lightning comes closer. Black Lightning laughs and says that it’s no loss. The chemist insists he’s not a bad guy, but Black Lightning points out that he’s killed many with Greenlight.

 

A man sneaks up behind Black Lightning and the lights go out. Henderson takes out the guy and arrests the chemist. As soon as they are out of the way, Black Lightning destroys the lab and a guy on headset tells the guards in pursuit to take him in alive. Black Lightning shoots lightning at them, but their weapons absorb his powers. As they shoot to kill, Thunder sneaks up and attacks him. The other guard aims at her, but Black Lightning takes him out with his lightning.

 

They exit the lab as it explodes and Jefferson tries to talk to Jennifer when he gets home. He tells her that he understands why she’s mad, but insists that he kept the secrets to protect her. Jefferson tells her he knows she’s not a little girl anymore, and promises to be honest to her from now on. Jennifer admits she understands after talking to Lynn, and asks him to join her for a movie.