Gambi saves Jefferson just before the police arrive, Henderson becomes suspicious of his boss, Anissa takes matters into her own hands, and Jennifer and Lyn are both faced with tough choices.

Longform superhero stories always suffer from what Hank Azaria referred to as ‘the idiot ball’ during his time writing for Herman’s Head. The term referred to which character would have to be temporarily stupid in order for the plot to work and you see it in all of these shows; the amount of times Lex or Lana didn’t see Clark use his powers in Smallville springs to mind. Likewise, in a related field, the maddening ability Scully has demonstrated for 11 seasons and 2 movies to be knocked out just in time for the UFO to fly over head.

Black Lightning has the opportunity to change that. It’s a freshman show, under half a season in and its lead character is unlike any other currently on screen. And this week, more than any other, it embraces that opportunity.

The episode opens and closes with Jefferson in a position of total vulnerability. At the start he’s barely conscious following what he’s told is feedback from using his powers. At the end he’s standing over his daughter, both in uniform, both aware of who they really are for the first time.

In between we get some major updates on Gambi, Lyn and both the Pierce girls. This, in turn, leads to the show successfully marrying real world concerns with its superheroic narrative. A near beat for beat analogue of the Charlottesville protests, right down to the bearded white manbabies screaming ‘YOU WILL NOT REPLACE US’ and the death of a protestor leads to Anissa’s first public display of her powers. Jefferson’s rage at the loss of his own father leads to him being faced with the exact same choice he counsels his students through: commit a crime, end your life as you know it. Live, and deal with the agony of your past and the pressures of your present safe in the knowledge you’ll do it all again tomorrow. And the consequences of those choices in turn tie back into Jefferson as man and Jefferson as hero.  Nothing is easy. Nothing is fast. Nothing is the right choice. Just the choice that’s right enough. Everyone from Jefferson to Khalil, Gambi to Anissa makes compromises this week and all of them deal with the consequences.

The result is complex, compassionate and nuanced superheroic storytelling that treats its characters and its audience with the same respect.

Verdict: Continuously impressive and, this week, definitively raising its game. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart