What is happening to the Pierce family this week on Black Lightning?
Following last week’s episode, which saw Jennifer and Khalil finally leave Freeland, Jefferson search for his daughter, and Tobias step up his recruitment, Black Lightning is taking its mid-season break. Like the rest of the CW DC Comics shows, Black Lightning will return with new episodes in January.
As such, episode 9 was as good a half-way marker for the season as any, and offers a chance to look back over the season as a whole. Somewhat surprisingly, Tobias Whale has taken a back seat in the villain car to a number of quick flash, hit-and-run stand ins. It’s hard to say that was a big change for Black Lightning, after all, this is only the show’s second season. But it was. During the first season of Black Lightning the so-called villains remained largely in concrete. The ASA was the largest problem-maker for much of the season, and though it’s head, Martin Proctor, appeared on-screen a few times he was never a central figure. And then Lady Eve, who was clearly more influential within the 100 gang, was around for a while. In the end, it was always Tobias Whale, a villain who the audience had gotten to know despite (or perhaps because of) his position not quite at the top of the 100 hierarchy. He eventually murdered Lady Eve (and framed Black Lighting for it) in order to improve his own standing.
As such, it was expected that Tobias would maintain his place at the center of the story, particularly given his history with both Black Lightning and Jefferson’s family. However, he took a step back in the first half of season 2. Unfortunately none of the secondary villains in the first half of the season have stuck around. Looker probably had the most potential, her powers were both interesting and creepy, but her transparent (and shallow) racist goals undermined the character, and she died pretty quickly. Cutter was significantly less interesting. So-far she has just been a mercenary with no discernible personality. Who knows if any more will come out, as it looked like she was taken into custody in episode 9.
Assuming the secondary-villain trend continues in the second half of the season the next victim, as it were, has already been introduced. There’s a teleport on his way to Freeland, hired by someone. Presumably this person was Tobias, but that was never quite confirmed. And now that Jennifer and Khalil are out of Freeland, how does that change things? Jefferson/Black Lightning might have to make a choice between protecting Freeland and looking for his daughter.
When Black Lightning returns in 2019 it will move to Monday nights. Same time, but after Arrow rather than after The Flash. A brief promo for the first episode after the break has been released, along with a look at Jennifer in her superhero suit (her alter-ego’s name is Lightning.)
Based on what that trailer shows, Tobias does seem to be stepping into a more central role. He even says do himself: “Now it all begins.” The teleporting meta who showed up in the final sequence of episode 9 doesn’t show up, but that doesn’t mean much. There is a fair amount of chaos (what looks like a large car crash/hold up, and Black Lightning holding someone in a cage of electricity) and who knows who’s behind it all.
Black Lightning will return to the air on Jan. 21, 2019, and several of the episodes can be streamed at CWTV.