Black Lightning – The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros

By starrymag | January 27, 2019

By: Jessica Wolff

 

 

As Thunder (Nafessa Williams) rides on her motorcycle, Peter Gambi (James Remar) reports that he hasn’t found any new leads while assuring her and Black Lightning (Cress Williams) that they will find Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) and Khalil Payne (Jordan Calloway). Meanwhile, Giselle Cutter (Kearran Giovanni) wakes up in the woods and cuts the ropes binding her hands.

 

Khalil takes Jennifer inside a train, where he has turned one of the cars into a makeshift apartment. She admires his drawing of her, and he explains that he wanted a place where Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III) wouldn’t bother him. Lynn Pierce (Christine Adams) calls Jefferson, who urges her to rest. She declares that she won’t rest until they find Jennifer.

 

Jefferson updates her on their search, and Lynn tells him about her discussion with Khalil’s father and his mentioning that Khalil had an apartment. Gambi begins searching where Khalil’s cell phone usage has the most frequency to figure out the apartment’s location, and Jefferson asks Lynn to not make any more moves without backup.

 

After reminiscing about the start of their relationship, Khalil offers Jennifer her necklace back but tells her that it doesn’t mean she has to take him back. Jennifer tells her she’d love to have it back and she kisses him after he puts it back on. Khalil tells her that she doesn’t have to worry about hurting him, but Jennifer tells her that she’s not ready and doesn’t want to lose her virginity in a train car while on the run.

 

She tells him that she’s worried about what’s going to happen to him, and he assures her that he will wait for her. Jennifer admits that she wishes this was all a dream and asks where they’re going to go after they’ve left Freeland. Khalil suggests California, but Jennifer tells him that she wants to leave the states. They decide on a location and debate which language they should learn.

 

Lynn meets up with Jefferson, Anissa, and Gambi, asking if they’ve found anything. Gambi explains that he’s pinpointed some possible locations and Lynn suggests they split up to search the areas. When they protest, Lynn tells them there’s no time to argue and loads her shotgun. Gambi splits the map into four and Jefferson tells him to watch Lynn as they split up.

 

Tobias tells Todd Green (RJ Cyler) that he should appreciate jazz more, comparing it being universally unappreciated to Todd’s own skillset. Tobias tells him that he needs his encryption skills to crack the code of the briefcase, and Todd assumes he’ll be working outside the law. Tobias has Todd answer his phone for him, and Todd tells him it’s someone named Cutter.

 

Tobias refuses to take the phone, and Todd talks to Cutter. Todd tells Tobias that Cutter lost Khalil, and Tobias curses. Todd tells Cutter that Tobias isn’t happy, and Todd tells Tobias that Cutter wants to know the three most visited locations of Khalil’s implant. Tobias doesn’t answer, and Todd asks why she wants to know. He asks Cutter about her answer and Cutter hangs up on him. Todd asks Tobias how long Cutter has been searching for Khalil, and Tobias replies that it’s been too long.

 

Gambi and Anissa search for Jennifer, but find the locations deserted. Black Lightning surveys his own location, and finds a man being mugged. He stops the mugging and shows the victim a hologram of Jennifer and Khalil. When the man doesn’t answer, Black Lightning asks in Spanish and the man replies that he hasn’t back in Spanish.

 

Lynn goes to train tracks and yells for Jennifer. As Khalil and Jennifer hide, Lynn continues to call out to Jennifer. Lynn begs Jennifer to come home, telling her that there is no end if she and Khalil keep running. She promises they’ll help them if they come home and tells Jennifer that they’re not a family without her. Lynn tells Jennifer that she loves her before leaving the tracks.

 

Khalil tells Jennifer that they can’t go back, and Jennifer tells him that she doesn’t want to go back under lockdown. However, Jennifer tells her that Lynn is right about running away not being the solution to their problems. Khalil reminds her that they’ve survived so far, and Jennifer tells him she wants to live instead of just survive. Khalil warns her that Tobias will find them if they go back but realizes that Tobias isn’t looking for her. He apologizes for putting her in this situation, telling her it’s time to go home.

 

Jefferson, Lynn, and Anissa come home to find Jennifer sitting on the couch. As they embrace her, Khalil greets them. Lynn and Anissa restrain Jefferson, who tells him that he should be glad he’s with his family at the moment. Tobias shows Todd the briefcase and opens it to reveal a high-tech computer inside. He explains that some of the data is encrypted and tells Todd that he wants him to crack the code. Tobias tells him he wants to know why the ASA was so interested in Freeland’s poverty and what it has to do with metahumans.

 

Cutter walks in and Todd teases her about not being able to bring Khalil in. She tells him that she’s not interested in his jokes, and Tobias tells him to give her what she needs. Todd comments that he did a little research into Cutter while he was looking, and Cutter threatens him. Tobias tells Todd to give her the list, and Todd hands it over. Tobias tells Cutter to hurry up and bring Khalil in, while telling Todd he needs him to recover the encrypted information before he makes his next move.

 

Cutter walks through Khalil’s train car but finds it empty. After an awkward silence, Khalil apologizes to Jefferson and Lynn for involving Jennifer in the situation. Jennifer argues that running away with him was her choice, and Lynn tells Khalil that they accept his apology but warns Jennifer that Khalil is a danger when he’s with her.

 

Jefferson reminds her that Tobias wants to kill Khalil and that Khalil knows too much. Khalil asks if he’s talking about Jennifer having powers or him being Black Lightning, explaining that he figured out the latter without Jennifer telling him. Khalil assures them that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt them, and Jefferson tells him he meant that Khalil knows enough to put Tobias behind bars. Jefferson suggests that Khalil turn himself in, but Jennifer argues against the idea. Khalil agrees with Jefferson, declaring that he’ll turn himself in.

 

Bill Henderson (Damon Gupton) objects to Jefferson’s plan, reminding him that Khalil is a wanted murderer and tried to kill him once. Jefferson argues that everything for Khalil would have been different if he hadn’t got shot, but Henderson argues that he still chose to work with Tobias. Jefferson tells him that Tobias will kill Khalil, and that he owes it to Jennifer to make sure Khalil is safe as he brought her home. Henderson tells him that Khalil will only be protected if he agrees to testify, and Jefferson admits that he’s glad Khalil is the person he thought he was.

 

Jefferson tells Henderson that Khalil wants to see his mother, Nichelle Payne (Yolanda T. Ross), first but Henderson tells him that it will hard enough for the plan to work without a tour of Freeland. Jefferson promises that Black Lightning and Thunder will watch over the meeting, but Henderson reminds him that they’re still vigilantes before Henderson reluctantly agreeing.

 

Jennifer remarks that it’s like a tornado tore through her room, and Anissa tells her there were a lot of emotions after she ran away. Anissa tells her that it wasn’t her most mature move, but Jennifer argues that they didn’t have a choice. Anissa replies that there’s always a choice and tells her that she would have helped them. Jennifer criticizes her for not helping when she was in lockdown, and Anissa argues that their parents were trying to protect her.

 

Jennifer comments that she had more fun on the road than at home, and Anissa asks if she had sex with Khalil. Jennifer asks how she knows that there was a conversation about that, and Anissa explains that they’re two attractive teenagers on the run. Jennifer admits that a part of her wanted to, but she didn’t. She comments that it seems like it will never happen at this point, and Anissa tells her she made the right decision for her in the moment before they hug.

 

After a phone call, Tobias tells Todd to have a car to delivered to ADA Montez and to pass information of Khalil being taken into custody to Cutter. Khalil tries to join Jennifer on the roof, but Jennifer tells him he can’t be outside before shutting the curtains. Khalil embraces her and Jennifer apologizes for bringing him to the march where he got shot. He stops her, assuring her that he wanted to be there and that none of this is her fault. Khalil promises this isn’t the end and that they can finish what they started after Tobias is put in prison for good. He tells her he loves her, calling her the best thing that’s happened to him before they embrace again.

 

As Black Lightning and Thunder observe from the roof, Nichelle embraces Khalil and she questions the heavy level of security guarding Khalil. He assures her it’s okay and apologizes for everything. Henderson tells them that they need to go, and Khalil assures Nichelle that he’ll be okay as she refuses to let go of him. Khalil is put into an armored van and transported away. Thunder asks if he’ll be okay, and Black Lightning assures he’s better with them than with Tobias.

 

The transport lane is blocked by an overturned car and Cutter lying on the ground. The driver of the lead truck stops and gets out to check on Cutter. After he approaches, she slits his throat, stands up, and faces the approaching SWAT team. Jefferson gets a call from Henderson telling him that the transport went wrong. As he arrives at the scene, Henderson finds every member of the transport team murdered and Khalil missing before reporting it to Jefferson.

 

Lynn informs Jennifer that Khalil was kidnapped, and she breaks down in her arms. Cutter brings Khalil to Tobias, and Khalil insists that the plan was entirely his idea. He insists that he made Jennifer go on the run with him, and Cutter replies that she had plenty of chances to leave. Khalil tells her that Jennifer couldn’t go back home, and Tobias remarks that it’s like a Romeo and Juliet story. Khalil tells him that he just wanted to get away from him, and Tobias tells him that he has no issue with Jennifer.

 

Tobias calls him out for getting Syonide killed and running away without facing consequences. He tells Khalil that he wanted him to be great and compares him to a sharecropper before ripping his metal spine out of his body. Tobias comments that he always said he would have his back and tells Cutter and Todd to take out the trash. They deposit him in front of the church and Reverend Jeremiah Holt (Clifton Powell) tells him that the lord will protect him after he and his congregation find him

 

Todd cracks the code to the computer which leads to information on Project MOD. He calls for Tobias, who is not happy to be woken up. Todd shows him what he found, and they look at the file to see the ASA’s initial experiments on the citizens of Freeland, which led to four super metahumans, or masters of disaster. Todd asks what happens now, and Tobias declares that now it all begins.