Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Lightning Season 2

 

The 16-episode second season of Black Lightning aired during the 2018/2019 TV season. It picks up shortly after the events of the season one finale and the attack on the school by Tobias and Painkiller. The second season starts with the fallout from that, expands the ASA storyline and experiments on metahumans, and continues Jefferson's crusade to take down Tobias. Much of the season is also dedicated to Jennifer's transition into lightning. She is basically a battery that, where Jefferson absorbs energy, she generates it. Many episodes in the middle of the season revolve around her balancing being a rebellious teenager and coming into her powers.

For those not familiar with the characters, the show is set in the city of Freeland, which is a majority-black city that is struggling with gang violence from a gang called The 100, which is headed by a former corrupt politician named Tobias Whale, who has powers of his own. Jefferson Pierce (played by Cress Williams) is a former Olympic athlete and is now the principal at Freeland High School. His oldest daughter, Anissa (played by Nafessa Williams), is a medical student, part-time teacher, and social activist. She is also the superhero known as Thunder, possessing invulnerability and super strength for as long as she can hold her breath. Jefferson's youngest daughter, Jennifer (played by China Anne McClain), inherited a version of Jefferson's powers. Lynn (played by Christine Adams), Jefferson's ex-wife, is an expert in metahuman medicine. They are joined by Jefferson's version of Alfred, named Gambi (played by James Remar), who helps Black Lightning and Thunder fight crime in the city.

The show definitely has a different feel from the other superhero shows on the CW, and it is the only one that is not directly tied in with the other shows like Arrow, Flash, and Supergirl. That is primarily because those shows are filmed in Vancouver, while Black Lightning is filmed in Atlanta. Supergirl was named dropped in Season One of Black Lightning, so it is tied into the Arrowverse tangentially, but we don't know if it is set on Earth 38 or one of the other Earth's that was established in the multiverse. Each of the episodes is titled "Book of ____________," and each book has individual chapters. Each time the storyline shifts to a new main focus, the book title changes. The season ends on a cliffhanger of a looming threat to Freeland that sets up at least a part of the storyline of season three.

The show also has a political bent (while not referencing any real politicians), playing off of real-world themes like the Black Lives Matter protests, the rash of white people calling the police on black people that happen to be nearby, as even plays off things like the Tuskegee experiments. That said, it has a very diverse mix of characters; some good guys are white, some bad guys are black, and it is much more nuanced than just one group is good, and one group is bad.

The Blu-Ray set is a three-disc MOD set. The episodes are spread over the three discs, and unlike most MOD sets, this includes a couple of extras. One is a featurette on the character of Tobias, and one is a cheesy featurette about filming the series in Georgia. There are no commentary tracks, cast interviews, or the like. Overall, if you liked season one of the show, you will probably like the second season. I cannot say that everyone who is a fan of the other Arrowverse shows will automatically like Black Lightning, especially if you love that the other shows are more closely tied together. But if you are a fan of superhero shows, it is definitely worth checking out.

Blu-Ray/TV Series Review: Black Lightning: Season 1

 

The 13-episode first season of Black Lightning aired during the winter and spring of 2018. The show starred Cress Williams (who was probably best known for his role in the series Hart of Dixie), Nafessa Williams, China Anne McLain, Jordan Calloway, Krondon, Christine Adams, Damon Gupton, and James Remar (who was probably best known for his role in the series Dexter). The show is set in the fictional city of Freeland, centered around the character of Jefferson Pierce (played by Cress Williams), a metahuman with the power to control electricity who had been the superhero known as Black Lightning. Pierce was retired from the superhero (and Principal at the local high school) gig at the beginning of the series and only to get sucked back in when his daughters were in danger from the local gang. There is also a shadowy government organization in the background hunting down metahumans and putting Black Lightning and his family in danger.

When the show premiered, it was the newest in the slate of superhero shows airing on the CW. During the first couple of seasons, aside from a somewhat throwaway Supergirl reference early in the season, it was not clear whether it was actually tied into the Arrowverse shows. It is also unclear if the show was set on Earth 38 (meaning the version of Supergirl being referenced is the same as on the show) or some other Earth where she exists. 

The show is definitely written with the modern-day political and racial climate in mind. There are references to Black Lives Matter, the orange genital wart's brand of politics, events like the Charlottesville riot, etc. Unlike some of the one-star reviewers on Amazon, I do not think the message of the series is all white people are bad or, as one suggested, that all black youth carry guns. The point was to show part of the modern-day experience centered around a successful and respected black family trying to improve things in their city. It should be noted that one of the good guys in the show is a cop trying to ferret out corruption in the police department, and Black Lightning is assisted by a white character. So, to say any race in the show is all of one thing or the other is overly simplistic and generalizing.

The Blu-Ray set is a two-disc set. The A/V quality is very good, and the show looks and sounds good in the high-definition format. The extras include two features with the crew about shooting the show in Atlanta (which are included on the first disc), a feature on the scene from the pilot when Jefferson is pulled over, which was a take-off on a real-life incident experienced by the show's executive producer, a gag reel, about 30 min of deleted scenes, and about 20 minutes of the comic-con panel discussion. Just to warn anyone who watches the bonus material first, the comic-con panel does spoil a lot, so if you want to avoid spoilers, do not watch it before you watch the episodes.

Overall, it is a show that is still finding its legs. Much of the first season (as you would expect) is developing the characters and the environment they live in. It definitely has a take on political, racial, and social issues, so if you are easily offended by or uncomfortable with shows that do that, whether you agree with the takes or not, this is definitely not the show for you. That said, I think it was a good first season, sets up what is likely to be an even better second season, and hopefully will get worked into the larger universe of shows down the line. The cast comprises mostly character actors and relative unknowns, which I think works for the ensemble nature of the show. Cress Williams definitely pulls off the conflicted superhero who does not want to get back into the fight or create waves with the police very well. I think the show is well-written and acted, and the first season packs a lot into the 13 episodes. Some of the storylines get resolved to set up what is likely to be the main conflict in season two. It is definitely worth the time to watch.