This week on Black Lightning, the Pierce family sought to reconstitute Jennifer after her spontaneous combustion at the end of last week’s episode.
1. Cheapest Guest Appearance Ever
At the start, Gambi tells Jefferson they’ll need a particle condenser from STAR Labs to reassemble Jennifer, so Jeff (not subtly) tells him he’ll ask the Flash to lend them one. We skip over that phone conversation and Barry handing over the device, because it happened in “a flash,” but also so they didn’t have to fly Grant Gustin over from Canada. It’s easily the cheapest crossover we’ve ever had, but at least Black Lightning continues to be part of the wider CW universe, and it saved money for the next part…
2. Black Lightning in Spaaaaace
That’s right, Jefferson flew higher, further, faster than he ever has to retrieve Jennifer’s particles. It was a beautiful view, even if it pushed my suspension of disbelief over his powers to the limit (clearly the budget didn’t extend to his costume generating a precautionary helmet), and falling to Earth with style (albeit mostly unconscious) is easily the coolest thing he’s ever done. Welcome back Black Lightning!
3. Pacing Hits Filler Levels
Unfortunately, the rest of the episode feels like it was marking time until Jennifer’s return (and the twist involved) at the end. Conflicts resume, then are resolved over the course of the hour: Lynn blames Jefferson’s absence for Jen becoming addicted to the ionosphere. Grace gets annoyed that Anissa doesn’t answer her calls. Destiny proposes an alliance with Lala now that the cops are after them, but then she double crosses him. Jefferson confronts Lala about Lydell Jackson’s death, which the cops are blaming on Lightning, but then he lets him go. Whale postures with his new sidekicks a lot. Gambi and Jefferson reminisce about when Jen was very small. That’s most of the episode in a nutshell.
4. A Strange George Floyd Reference
Hassan Shakur leads the squad Destiny calls on the 100: he chases Devonte, who collapses, and starts proclaiming he can’t breathe. Hassan tells him that’s because he’s overweight, and that he’s disrespecting the dead. I found it weird, because out-of-universe, it’s the writers who’ve decided to make this reference to set up a one liner. Perhaps it fits in with Hassan’s characterization as someone who’s not as ease with his superiors, but I don’t want to make that call: what do you folks think?
5. A New Face
I’d avoided discussing that China McClain had revealed she’d already left the show, partly to avoid spoilers, but also because I held out hope she’d return for (or filmed in advance) the finale. When Jennifer emerges from the energy container, she’s played by Laura Kariuki, rendering her family understandably speechless. It is jarring — she doesn’t look her parents and sister anymore. I wish Kariuki all the best of luck with the part, but it is baffling that the production couldn’t convince McClain to finish out the remainder of the show’s run, and it also feels like a contrived way to resolve the story of Lightning becoming public enemy #1.
How is Jennifer’s change in appearance going to be explained to her friends? Either you expose her secret identity or fake her death; either way sounds awful.
As always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, and see you next week.
