Jennifer gets lit and Vice Principal Fowdy gets revealed as an interesting player

Starting right off, Black Lightning opens with Two-Bits (Jason Louder) selling items on the street as he witnesses a Garfield high student take Green Light and then get captured by the ASA. While this is happening, Anissa (Nafessa Williams) goes on her own to break into the warehouse with all the bodies, where she finds out that they’re still alive. Instead of taking them herself, she goes back to her dad and tells him what she found. They head back to the warehouse to get the bodies of the kids, but the bodies are already gone. After they return from the warehouse, Jefferson (Cress Williams) divulges all the information that he knows about the bodies and Gambi (James Remar). Two-Bits shows up at the house to tell Jefferson that he saw the girl light on fire from the inside, which causes Jefferson to restrict Jennifer (China Anne McClain) from going to school. During an argument, where Anissa throws a lot of harsh words at Jennifer, she completely turns into fire! Lynn (Christine Adams) does a full body scan on Jennifer, where it shows that instead of taking the electricity and channeling it through her body like Jefferson, Jennifer is a generator– creating pure energy.

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Martin Proctor (Gregg Henry) shows up at Gambi’s shop to find out who Black Lightning is. After torturing him without getting any answers, they decide to go get Jefferson to determine if he’ll confess. Instead, Jefferson tampers with the lights and Gambi shoots the two goons. They escape and make peace with each other. Gambi tells Jefferson to find the spotter– the person identifying and notifying the ASA about the kids with acquired abilities. At the end of the episode, we see Martin talking to someone with the bodies of the children in the pods behind him. The camera moves and it is revealed that Vice Principal Fowdy (Skye P. Marshall) is the spotter! Martin reveals to her that Jefferson is Black Lightning and now she has to take him out. This week’s episode ended with a great reveal and we’re so ready to see what happens next, but first, let’s discuss the big moments from this week!

Discussing those shocking moments is our Black Lightning roundtable:

Caitlin (@wlwcaitlin) – Writer and fictional lady enthusiast

Makayla (@keiyswally) – Kid Flash enthusiast

Raych  (@candicespattons) – lover of iris west and black female characters. tv enthusiast

Jenn (@ejtlotz) – Multi-fandom, DCTV enthusiast, and occasional live tweeter

Brianna (@notevenloaded) – Iris West/Candice Patton enthusiast and MCU apologist.

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1. This episode had a lot of good moments! Which part did you enjoy most?

Caitlin (@wlwcaitlin): I like seeing the Pierce family finally work together in regards to their powers and the larger threat. Now that everybody knows, I’m glad they’re finally becoming a team.

Makayla (@keiyswally): My favorite part was definitely that fight scene with Anissa and Jefferson. Their powers work so well together. Also, I loved the scene with Jennifer and her powers. It’s really interesting to get to see more of what she can do. I really hope they continue to explore it.

Raych (@candicespattons): Honestly, I enjoyed the moment where Jennifer lit up in front of Anissa the most. It was great seeing her powers.

Jenn (@ejtlotz): I would have to say the father-daughter team up between Jefferson and Anissa towards the beginning was my favorite moment during the episode. I have a weak spot for power duos in any relationship, so this was just a whole meal for me. You could tell the trust was there from the way Anissa used his lightning as a beam to project herself off, to the way Jefferson used her as a shield while he fired– powerful, through and through.

Brianna (@notevenloaded): “Girl, bye.” and Jefferson/Lynn! Also, Jennifer asking Jefferson how he uses the bathroom in his suit was cute. Yes, I’m a sucker for the family aspect.

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2. Are you glad that Gambi and Jefferson are back on speaking terms?

Caitlin: Yes, but there’s still no real reason to trust him moving forward. Here’s hoping he’s learned his lesson and won’t be keeping any more secrets from Jefferson.

Makayla: As much as I didn’t trust Gambi at first, I definitely do after this episode. I’m glad Jefferson finally realized that Gambi does care about them, and will protect them no matter what. They definitely need each other, and it’s good that they’re back on the path of becoming close again.

Raych: I am, especially with all that’s going to be happening. They both need their allies.

Jenn: I actually am glad. I do understand where Jefferson was coming from when he wanted Gambi out of his life, but they need him. I just wish Gambi would reveal the whole truth; he is still hiding the fact that he knew Lady Eve personally and the whole story behind that.

Brianna: I am, especially because Gambi got his ass handed to him by the ASA over Black Lightning. That scene after the “escape” from the ASA between Gambi and Jefferson, with Gambi all bloodied up, was very well acted. I loved it.

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3. Do you think Anissa wants Jennifer to use her powers for all the right reasons or do you think she has some selfish intent behind it?

Caitlin: I think Anissa believes that her powers are a gift and that it’s her duty to use them. I don’t necessarily think that’s ‘wrong’ or ‘selfish’, that’s just what she believes. Clearly, Jennifer believes differently.

Makayla: I think Anissa may want Jennifer to be like her. She keeps pushing the ‘hero’ agenda on to Jennifer, and it is obviously making Jen react negatively. It does seem a little selfish but at the same time I know she just wants her sister to be great, so it’s understandable why she’s pushing so hard.

Raych: I wouldn’t say they are selfish reasons but the reasoning isn’t right because Anissa needs to understand that she and Jennifer differ in how they think and approach things. The other thing, Jen is just a teenager she’s not ready for powers, much less the responsibilities that come with it.

Jenn: This is a tricky question. Essentially, I am being asked what my analysis is of a character who doesn’t fully understand her own intentions with this topic. I guess to answer this the best I can, I would say there is a small part of her that does want to be a sister duo. Anissa likes to help people, she’s Harriet. So the idea of being able to do this with her sister no doubt sounds appealing to her. But then again, she does have pure intentions. Anissa is very passionate about making a change and I think she saw Jennifer as another force on her side to do that. At the end of the episode though, I think Anissa came to an acceptance of sorts that this is not the life Jennifer wants.

Brianna: I don’t know if there’s any selfish intent, but she is definitely pushing her too much. Not cool to bring up the Khalil thing, either.

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4. Jennifer’s powers are lighting up fast! How do you think her powers could negatively affect her if she doesn’t get them under control?

Caitlin: Well, if she can create pure energy out of nothing, she could probably end up with the most destructive power out of any of the Pierces’. There’s no real limit and if she can’t control it, then it could be really bad.

Makayla: Jennifer’s powers are amazing, but if she doesn’t learn to control them or her emotions she could hurt herself or someone else. Now that the ASA knows Jefferson is Black Lightning, she and Anissa are going to be targeted, and if she slips up and they see her powers, she could end up in those tanks with the other kids.

Raych: She could really end up hurting herself and others if she’s not careful. She could also end up hating herself for having these powers more than she already does, so I hope she learns to control them quickly.

Jenn: Well, we saw what happened when Anissa ticked her off. If Jennifer flew off like that in public, she could be exposed and kidnapped like the other children. Another possible scenario is she could seriously hurt someone. Her body is pure energy; that could do some serious damage.

Brianna: She could cause a lot of chaos without meaning to and it could also cause her stress and pain if she doesn’t get them under control.

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5. LaLa is not keen on having his drug dealing business slowing down. How do you think the showdown between him and Tobias will go?

Caitlin: Tobias is definitely going to try to kill him, but that might not be so easy given what we saw this episode. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of getting hurt, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Makayla: LaLa definitely has some issues. The showdown between him and Tobias is going to be very intense. It seems LaLa has some new found strength that he didn’t have before, so it makes me wonder who’s stronger: Tobias or LaLa.

Raych: I have no idea how it’ll go down but it will definitely be big and there’ll be a lot of collateral.

Jenn: To be honest, I don’t even know. My head is still spinning at how he is alive and what is going down with him. I think Tobias will be a bit more than shocked to see him but apart from that reaction, I honestly have no clue. Tobias is clearly a big dog–he doesn’t like it when his power threatened. But then again, we have seen how ruthless LaLa has been since he came back. I guess we will have to see what happens.

Brianna: That should be exciting, especially since it seems that Lala is similar to Tobias–strength-wise.

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6. Speaking of Tobias, what do you think him and Khalil are up to?

Caitlin: Nothing good, I assume. If Khalil comes back and he’s both walking and on Tobias’s side, it’s definitely going to be interesting for Jennifer and the Pierce family.

Makayla: Honestly, knowing Tobias, he’s planning something big and probably having Khalil help. It’s hard to imagine what he’s planning, but obviously, it will have something to do with “taking the city back”. I am curious about how they are going to fit this drama into the main plot.

Raych: They’re keeping a low profile because they are probably trying to figure out a way to take their operation elsewhere and get rid of Black Lightning once and for all.

Jenn: First of all, I would like to say I think Tobias is a great villain. And Khalil is a character I liked at the start of the show and currently, I think Tobias is manipulating him with the fact that he can fix his disability. I see Tobias using him for whatever means necessary. Khalil obviously had a close relationship with Jennifer; that can be manipulated as well as the connection to Jefferson through Jennifer. Tobias may not know Jefferson is Black Lightning, but he does know that he is an important figure in that town and a person opposed to his business. Again, we shall see.

Brianna: I have no idea, honestly. I’m excited to see what they’re doing.

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7. WOAH! Vice Principal Fowdy is also an ASA agent. Did you see that coming? What are your thoughts on that ending?

Caitlin: I knew there was something creepy about her! It’s clear she’s always wanted to seduce him, so she may be finally making good on that next episode to get closer to him.

Makayla: Honestly, I distrusted her from the start, so I’m surprised but I’m also not. Now that she knows Jefferson is Black Lightning, some issues are definitely going to arise. I’m curious to see how this plays out, and I wonder who’s going to confront who first. Jefferson doesn’t know she works for the ASA yet, but he’s bound to figure it out and that will definitely cause some drama.

Raych: I’m honestly shocked. I wasn’t expecting it all and I’m just anxious to see what happens next.

Jenn: I saw that coming approximately three minutes before it was revealed. I do not think she will last long–she is in over her head here. Also, I just know she is going to annoy me. Because of her previous scenes with Jefferson, I have a sneaking suspicion that she will try to expose him through flirting and emotions. If that happens to be the case, I won’t be able to stand her.

Brianna: I did not see that coming at all! Such a good twist. I’m intrigued and can’t wait to see where that leads these characters, especially since she’s stationed right in the school and bound to find out about Jennifer somehow.

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Black Lightning’s utilization of each character brings out some of its best plot twists

We always suspected that there was more to Kara Fowdy than what we initially saw. We knew that she was a big flirt when it came to Jefferson but her being involved with Martin just made her character much more interesting. The writers use every single character with purpose! Just when you think a character may not be important, they bring them back to show us what more they can add to the plot. It’s nice to see that no character goes to waste. It was also shocking to see Jennifer’s powers flare up, but it gave us a chance to learn more about them. She’s still behaving like a whiny teenager but it’s not to the point where it has become unrealistic and frustrating. The pacing of Jennifer learning about her powers has been done well so far, and we’re glad to see that her family members are trying to understand her better as well. Although Anissa is being a little forceful about the situation, we think that she has the best intentions when it comes to Jennifer and just wants her by her side fighting the bad guys too.  

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LaLa (William Catlett) is still talking to the people he murdered and as always, Catlett delivered all of his lines perfectly. We’re not sure if these moments are supposed to bring some humor but it does and it’s a nice touch to the show. We’re still very much intrigued by LaLa’s storyline. He’s creepier and scarier since he came back from the dead. It’s made for some of the best moments in the episode. William Catlett is doing a great job in this role and we’re still loving this villain. Another great thing about this show is the way they show the new moves for Black Lightning and Thunder. The warehouse fight scene was so great and the chemistry of these two characters is so good. They work together so perfectly and it’s fun to watch! It’s also nice to see them use new moves and not have to spend so much time having them explain how they can do it. They just do the moves and we can admire their skills. We love being surprised by what these two can do in their fight scenes!

Can you believe there are only three episodes left? This season has breezed by in all the best ways. Next week, the ASA arranges to get Jefferson arrested, while Gambi and Anissa try to show that Black Lightning is still on the streets and Lynn seeks Henderson’s help.

Black Lightning returns Tuesday, April 3rd at 9/8c on The CW.