Jefferson faces the consequences of his actions. Kara realizes she has nowhere left to run. The Pierce family process recent events whether they want to or not. The Green Light babies are revealed to be government property.

Black Lightning kicks the door in on its second year with an episode that upends the entire show. By the end of the episode, Anissa is in business for herself, Jen’s powers are out of control, Jefferson is out of a job and Tobias is down a henchwoman. Only Lynn is where she needs to be, despite the best efforts of the magnificently laconic Bill Duke as Agent Odell.

This is typically gutsy storytelling for this show but it pushes even further here. Just as Supergirl interrogates her privilege this week, Black Lightning drills down on the fundamental arrogance of the superhero. Jefferson doesn’t believe he’s going to be fired until he is. He doesn’t take the girls’ problems seriously until Lynn is injured. It’s an insular life and one the family pay the price for this week.

Although they aren’t the only ones paying. Nissa’s Daredevil corridor fight-esque drug raid (cut to Flashlight by Parliament no less!) is a wonderfully burly, scrappy fight and sets Nissa up as a very different kind of hero to her dad. It also leads to a stark moment where everyone in the church she donates the money to pulls a gun on her. Freeland is not a nice place a lot of the time. But it could be and that’s why they fight.

Verdict: Just as The Flash sets out its new premise and Supergirl its new theme, Black Lightning does an excellent job of continuing and expanding last season’s plot in surprising and personal ways. It’s especially fun to see the previously pretty superfluous Kara used this way. Bad times are coming back to Freeland, that’s for sure. But what’s for certain is that the Pierces will be there to meet them. 9/10

Alasdair Stuart