In the wake of the Seahorse Motel attack, Jefferson swears he’s not returning to the superheroic life. But his daughters are struggling to deal with it, Lala wants payback and one of Jefferson’s old students is about to change everyone’s lives for good.

This is an episode built on character notes and small touches. It’s a brave thing for a second episode to do, but, even with the cathartic closing action sequence, Salim Akil’s script stays the course. In fact, even there there are moments of humour and character. The fact Jefferson walks the streets is fitting for a street-level hero. The fact he chooses not to use the lift to go confront Lala because he needs all the exercise he can get is both very sweet, very funny and very sensible.

And that’s where the tragedy lies here. Every character bar one does the sensible thing thing and that one mistake costs everyone dear. Lala’s murder of LaWanda and Will triggers his own death at the hand of Tobias and also gives Jefferson no choice. Black Lightning is back whether he wants it or not. And as this episode shows, he honestly isn’t sure if he does.

That uncertainty is emerging as the defining force of Black Lightning’s first season. The CW shows already deal with heady concepts like this; Arrow is about the battle to turn anger into a positive force, The Flash explores the power/responsibility conundrum and Supergirl examines feminine voices, the need to listen to them and why we all too often do not. Even Legends of Tomorrow, goofy as it is, goes out of its way to make it clear that heroism and respect are something everyone both has and deserves.

All of those elements are wrapped up in Black Lightning and all of them are viewed through this uncertainty. It’s an incredibly compelling lens too; Freeland itself on the way to becoming a character, a city on the verge of Something. If Jefferson has his way that will be a new era of safety. If Tobias does, it’ll be a larger empire built on the corpses of his enemies.

But regardless of who wins, this episode goes out of its way to show us there is no such thing as a victimless war. Lawanda, played with completely grounded and broken strength by Tracey Bonner is the heroine of her own story. A kinder city would have had her be a longterm ally to Jefferson. The best she can hope for in Freeland is helping bring LaLa down, even in death.

She’s not alone either. Poor Will is murdered out of hand by Lala, in an echo of his own fate at the hands of Tobias. But the victims aren’t limited to the dead; Jefferson’s relationship with Lynn is complicated even further by the return of his superheroic identity, and Anissa and Jennifer both struggle with major upheavals in their personal lives. The standout here is China Anne McClain whose Jennifer is fine right up until she isn’t. The show’s exploration of PTSD is measured, deliberate and as real as it gets and her scenes with Khalil (played by Jordan Calloway who hits it out of the park from the moment he’s on screen) are highlights of the episode.

There’s even time for a couple of fun little grace notes. The doorman holding the door for Black Lightning, the lift gag and the neat explanation for why no one has gone, ‘Excuse me Black Lightning but you’re clearly Jefferson Pierce.’ Even better, there’s a clear hint that Jefferson’s disguise really is skipping. Take a good look at Inspector Henderson’s face in that closing sequence. Is that surprise that Black Lightning is back? Or is it recognition of who Black Lightning is?

Talking to our esteemed editor last week, he made the excellent point that Black Lightning feels like a DC show filtered through the Marvel Netflix approach. He’s right too. There’s the same measured, calm unspooling of big concepts, the same excellent music choices and the same sense of emotional and thematic weight that the best Marvel Netflix shows have.

Verdict: Two episodes in, Black Lightning is well on the way to being one of DC TV’s crowning jewels. Unflinching, humane and human far more than superhuman, it’s absolutely worth your time 9/10

Alasdair Stuart