BLACK LIGHTNING - SEASON 3.8

REVIEW:  BLACK LIGHTNING - SEASON 3, EP. 8:  "The Book Of Resistance - Chapter Three:  The Battle of Franklin Terrace"


Things have begun to heat up in Freeland, and the battle lines are drawn.  The fight for the city is on, and it's going to be a knockdown, drag out fight to save it.  Meanwhile, Lynn has to continue to deal with not only her addiction, but deal with the manipulation and taunting of Tobias.  Jennifer is trying to learn more about Brandon, and the Resistance is looking to make another move to get the outside world on their side.

We begin this chapter with Tobias being tested, making sure that his progress is advancing.  As they're testing him, he's taunting them, telling them about how he will be free eventually, an that they can't hold him back.

Jefferson is asleep, having a dream where he's arguing with Lynn about his life as Black Lightning when he wakes up.  He looks at the side of the bed next to him, realizing she's not there.   He looks around the house, but she's not there.  He calls her cell, but all he gets is her voicemail.  

Down in Gambi's bunker, he's checking up on Anissa's progress.  She seems to have her full powers back, but still has the mark of the virus Painkiller gave her.  Gambi suggests rest and taking the antitoxin, but Anissa rebukes, saying she needs to be out there saving the people.  Gambi tells her that the ASA has incresed their activities, and has been able to silence the public outside of Freeland by saying the city has a SARS  warning, thus giving the outside world the perception that there's a nasty virus in the city.  As much as he has used the video of Jefferson's beating, and various other clips, it's not enough.  The signal is limited, and it would take a regular radio signal to get the word out.  Anissa tells him that she's got an idea to get the word out better.  

Tobias is wheeled back into Lynn's lab, and he doesn't take long to start working her nerve.  Boasting about how great she will be when she finds a cure of the metakids.  He tells her that he's been working with the ASA for a long time, and he knows their REAL plan--to make every metahuman a solider in their quest to take down the Markovians.  And, if need be, they will use all the Green Light they can get their hands on to turn people INTO metas, just so they can have soldiers.  This DEFINITELY gets Lynn's attention.  

We check in on Brandon, who's cooking when Jennifer shows up, who blasts him immediately, which has no effect on him.  He's slightly annoyed, but they both apologize for their behavior the last time they were together.  Jennifer and him smoke, and she says she uses it to relax herself, and to keep herself under control.  They discuss their powers, and Brandon says that her powers are electrical, and his powers are earth based.  It's as if he is able to ground Jennifer.  They begin to discuss his connection with Dr. Jace.

Moving over to the Resistance, we see that Jamillah has just finished a broadcast, when Blackbird shows up.  She commends Jamillah on doing what she can to get the word out.  But she has a plan to get the signal outside of the perimeter, and wants Jamillah to start digging up all the video clips that she can find that will show what exactly the ASA is actually up to.

Jefferson is at home cooking, when Henderson shows up.  They bicker a little, but realize they both need to be on the same page.  Henderson tells him that, when he saved the metakids, he made himself a part of the Resistance whether he liked it or not.  Jefferson isn't happy about Henderson's methods.  But it's then that Henderson drops the bomb on Jefferson that the ASA is looking to take over Jefferson's old apartment building on Franklin Terrace, and have kicked out all of the residents against one---their old 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Shepard.  Jefferson and him decide to go there to help her out before they storm the place and harm her.

Back with Brandon and Jennifer, as they continue to smoke pot, Brandon inquires at how Jennifer got her powers---she lies and said someone slipped Green Light into a drink she had one night.  He falls for it, and she asks how he got his.  It's here that he discusses how Dr. Jace had performed experiments on his mother WHILE she was pregnant with him.  However, one of her aides managed to have a little compassion, and helped her escape.  She gave birth, and as he grew, he had to take care of her until she ended up dying.  He then got tossed into foster care, until he discovered he could make diamonds with his powers.  So, he bailed, and has been on the hunt for Jace ever since.  He came to Freeland to kill her.  Jennifer can understand, recalling how her boyfriend Khalil had died at Tobias' hands.  Jennifer then informs Brandon that she has a lead on Jace's last whereabouts.

Col. Williams (where the hell has HE been?  Been MIA for the last couple of episodes), and his soldiers are at the front door of Franklin Terrace, demanding the door to be opened when Henderson and Jefferson arrive.  Jefferson says that kicking these people out of their homes is wrong, and Williams counters with this line about them "serving their country", but Jefferson says this is NOT protection, but an occupation, and the people are sick of it.  Williams can care less.  He says he will talk to Mrs. Shepherd, and Williams only gives him 5 minutes.  

We see Mrs. Shepherd tending to her plants---she's a pot dealer.  Jefferson knocks on the door, and she lets him in.  He tries to reason with her about leaving the apartment before she gets hurt, and that it's just an apartment.  However, she takes him to the window, and shows him the tree he used to climb when he was a kid, and another place where she met President Obama.  She said that she's been there most of her life...and remembers when the neighborhood was first allowed to have black people reside there.  She is not leaving, under any circumstance.  She will stand her ground, because this is her home.  She accepts her fate, and she says that nothing ever happens the way they're supposed to.  It's something that Jefferson takes to heart.  He understands, and calls Henderson to let him know she's staying...and that things are about to get charged up, because he's in.  He powers up, and it's go time.

Anissa and Gambi discover and old station on the outskirts of town that's been abandoned.  It will serve the purposes in getting the signal out.  Just as they're about to move the plan into motion, we hear the police scanner talk about Black Lightning facing off against the ASA.  Anissa knows she needs to help her dad, and Gambi suggests that it's time for Thunder to make a reappearance.  She suits up, and here we go.

Black Lightning is taking on the ASA, and holding the frontline off, as troops circle around the backside to be able to nail him.  One of the guards questions his superior, and actually asks that they're really doing this, and his superior tells him that orders are orders.  Thunder arrives, with the Resistance in tow.  Williams orders Henderson to stand down, and Henderson says he takes no orders from him anymore.  He goes to check on Mrs. Shepherd.

Gambi has made his way to the abandoned station, and goes to start things up, when he's locked inside the control room.  He recognizes the boy approaching him as Baron, who can control electronics.  He informs Gambi that he's stuck, and Gambi does his best to convince him that he's one of the good guys.  Baron eventually believes him, and releases him.

Lynn is using her access to check on Tobias' claims.  She does find out that the ASA has a HUGE storage of Green Light ready to go, confirming her fears.  She goes back to Tobias, and says that she is going to help her save the kids, and he says he can't help unless he can get free.  She thinks he's crazy, but he says that she needs HIM to save them.  He says that she can use one of the kids who's powers are the ability to camouflage.  If she splices her genes with his, he'd be of a bigger help.  

Brandon reads the information Jennifer provides him about Jace, and he begins to get upset, henceforth releasing his powers in greater strength, causing an earthquake, which freaks Jennifer out.  She tries to calm him down, but eventually, he mellows out, but ends up passing out.  When he awakens, Jennifer says that he had a power-flare.  Turns out, his powers are emotional based, just like hers.  

Baron, who was dubbed "Technocrat" by the ASA, and prefers to go by TC, says that he can communicate with electronic systems.  He'd been in the pod for 30 years.  However, with all the new technology out there, it was causing him great pain when he got out, and he had to get away, so he found the abandoned station on the far end of town to get some peace.  He does agree to help Gambi get the word out beyond the perimeter.

Thunder takes out the guards looking to kill Black Lightning, and they meet up, as she takes the Resistance into the building and tells them to position themselves and let no ASA member get in.  She goes through the building to check on everything, and bumps into Painkiller.  They end up doing battle, but something is a bit off---Painkiller isn't quite as bad ass as he once was.  Thunder is having her way with him in the fight, and then she nails him, and he flies back.  Once he gets up, he takes off his glasses, and shocks Thunder when she discovers it's actually Khalil.  He goes to attack her, and she blasts him out of the building.  Meanwhile, Col. Williams looks for an update, when his troops inform him that Painkiller is down.  He's had enough, and he begins to power up to take on Black Lightning.

Thunder then meets up with Gambi at the station, and she hands him a flash drive with all the video they need.  They know they have a small window to operate until the ASA finds them, and they begin broadcasting, but the signal gets jammed, and they feel they failed.  However, TC manages to fix the problem with his powers, and they actually get the information out.  The mission was a success.

Back at his bunker, Gambi  goes over the file he has on TC, when he sees that the ASA is locking down the Pit..meaning Lynn is going to be captured.  He contacts her, and lets her know that Jefferson has joined the Resistance, which pisses her off.  Gambi then guides her through the building to help her escape custody, but not before she grabs the cure----and loads up on Green Light in the process.  She's doing okay at one point, until she leaves a room too quickly and bumps into a guard.  He just stands there, and lets her by, when the other guards come running.  He says she had clearance, and they let him know it's been rescinded.  The deal with the Pierces is off.  She manages to get out of the building, and Gambi is there to meet her, but she drops her purse.  She says she needs her purse, but Gambi tells her to leave it, because they need to escape.  Lynn is upset as they take off.  

Back at Franklin Terrace, Williams is ready to throw down with Black Lightning, and they get into with their powers.  Williams believes he can get the best of Black Lightning, but it turns out that he can't handle Black Lightning's power, and he goes down.  The ASA falls back in Williams' defeat.  Mrs. Shepherd comes out, and thanks Black Lightning.  She then goes to check on her plants, as Black Lightning and Henderson now are on the same page---and ready to take down the ASA.



Another powerful episode!  We have the battle lines drawn finally, and Jefferson...after sitting on the fence for a good part of this season, has finally chosen a side.  Downside is...it makes the agreement with the ASA null and void.  This now makes the entire Pierce family a target.  Sadly, Jennifer is the one OUT of the loop on this.  And I wonder if  Col. Williams, Major Grace, or Odell when HE comes back will find a way to manipulate Jennifer to THEIR will, and turn on her family.  It's something to think about.  

Gotta hand it to Tobias---the man is slick as hell when pulling people's strings---and he KNOWS he's got Lynn on his hook.  Working her nerve is one thing, but to praise her work, knowing that she's only a pawn for the ASA's ultimate plan.  And while HE knows what the ASA has been up to, since he's been working with them for YEARS, but he makes sure he digs the needle of deception deep into Lynn, and it works.  Feed her a little truth, and she'll do whatever it takes to save the kids---even if it means working with the man who wants to kill her family.  Tobias ALWAYS has a plan...that's what is so great about hating him...but LIKING him at the same time.  Not sure if he got out during Lynn's escape, but we never got back to him after Lynn went and checked on his story about the Green Light.  

Jennifer and Brandon now see that BOTH their powers are driven by their emotions, and they both have to learn to control their emotions in order to use their powers, and keep them under control.  But we see that his power is pretty awesome.  I still wonder if HE is going to be the Geo-Force we haven't seen as yet, or will they still go the route with Brion Markov as the hero (we know virtually NOTHING about Markovia on this show outside of the fact that Jace worked for the government, and is with the Markovian Army).  Brandon's presence in this fight will be interesting to see down the road.  I DO, however, see him and Jennifer getting A LOT closer before this season ends.

Lynn again gets manipulated by Tobias some more, after having been manipulated by Odell to begin with.  Becoming a Green Light addict has not helped her cause either.  It's put a strain on her relationship with Jefferson, she's completely ignored her kids, because she's obsessed with saving the pod kids.  Plus, her indifference towards Jefferson's life as Black Lightning...she'll just NEVER accept him as a super hero.  After she finally came to terms with it within the first two seasons, she's taken a step back, character wise.  If there's one person I am NOT a fan of right now---it's Lynn and her holier-than-thou attitude.  But now that she's lost her stash of Green Light....I wonder how long it'll be before her family finds out about her addiction, and what's going to happen when she's in detox mode the next episode or so?  

It was awesome to finally have Anissa don the Thunder ID again.  I'm not sure if she's going to go back and forth between that guise or Blackbird, but I know that it's good to have her back to full power.  But one thing I'm wondering though?  Will she be forthcoming with the information she now possesses?  That she knows Painkiller is Khalil?  Will Lynn and Gambi manage to tell Anissa to keep it under wraps to Jennifer?  How long before THAT piece of information comes to light?  

Finally, it's great to see Henderson and Jefferson on the same page.  Now the Resistance has solid leadership and firepower to fight back against the ASA.  Things from here on out are going to get good.  But...we have to be mindful that the Markvoians are lurking in the background.

This show is hitting all the notes, and has an excellent rhythm.  We've got a solid storyline, and it's playing out well...with some twists and turns along the way.  It's been an amazingly fun ride thus far, and the pace hasn't slowed down.  

We got no CRISIS connection for this episode, but Black Lightning WILL be involved in this crossover.  I was bummed we didn't get any links to the crossover here, but nonetheless, looking forward to Black Lightning interacting with Flash, Green Arrow, Supergirl, and the Legends.  

That'll wrap up this week, and look forward to all of you subscribing, leaving a comment, and spreading the word about this little ol' blog.  

Until next time...the power is OUT.