Jefferson and Anissa clash over their tactics. Jennifer’s therapy takes a turn for the worse. Tobias makes his move.

This is something of a departure for Black Lightning and speaks directly to the format change the show is pioneering for the CW superhero shows. As the title attests, this season in particular is intensely novelistic in approach and this episode feels less like an individual story and more like a gathering together of multiple threads. And that is by no means a bad thing.

The most impressive material here deals with Jefferson’s relationships with his daughters. Anissa is driven, focused and inexperienced. Jennifer is furious, terrified and overlooked. Jefferson and Lynn are great parents. but they’re also human. This episode sees them pay attention to Anissa at Jennifer’s expense and vice versa and crucially sees them know they’re doing it too. The drama here doesn’t feel forced at all. Rather it presents as the natural offshoot of the incredible pressure the entire family is under. No one here is wrong. But no one is quite right enough either.

That bleeds over into the other plots too. I especially liked Gambi’s cheerful refusal to lie about helping Anissa steal the money and the fact that action has put her on Tobias’ radar. Likewise Jennifer and Khalil’s reunion feels earned for the same reason from two different directions. Khalil is acutely aware of both what Tobias is and what he owes him. Jennifer knows her family mean well but can’t help but be pushed away. It’s clever, character-driven writing all the way down. Likewise Henderson’s confrontations with Tobias and Jefferson and Tobias’ masterplan. All of it is subtle, clever stuff especially the last point. All of it is generated from the consequences of previous episodes and sets up the rest of the season.

Special note should be made too of director Salli Richardson-Whitfield’s action skills. The opening fight is a pleasingly burly, untidy slugfest but the bomb ‘disposal’ sequence is even better. The action scenes in Black Lightning have a feel all their own and these are two of the best the show has produced to date.

Verdict: On its own this is a fun episode, as part of a season it’s even better. The CW’s newest addition continues to impress. 8/10

Alasdair Stuart