By now it should make out as no surprise that when given the opportunity , Black Lightning never overleap the chance to inject elements of veridical world conversations about police brutality and systemic racism into its plot . In pillowcase you ’d forgotten that fact during the show ’s brief hiatus , “ Three Sevens : The Book of Thunder ” is a somewhat heavy - handed monitor .
Over the course of the preceding five sequence , Black Lightning ’s done an expert problem instal its sprawl cast of lineament , their conflicting motives , and the intricate WWW of secret and lies that bond everyone together . Now that the time of year ’s just about midway over , it ’s high time that the show ’s togs start to come together in a cohesive way , and “ Three Sevens : The Book of Thunder ” goes about making that happen by centering its focus back on the Pierce family .
Jeff ’s return to the vigilante life as Black Lightning has had an increase wallop on his daughters ’ life sentence since the very first episode — something their female parent ’s been desperately attempt to avoid . For Anissa , the effects of her father ’s extracurricular activities have been way more traditional and predictable by genre tv set standards . But “ The Book of Thunder ” take care to commit a fair amount of blind time to Jennifer , the young of the Pierce girls , who ’s arguably the member of the house live uttermost from Black Lightning ’s more fantastic component .
As a show about a category superheroes in the making , Black Lightning has always been in a unique position to explore the cape musical genre in way that set up it aside from most other show like it . We know from Lynn and flashback into his Black Lightning glorification days that Jeff ’s all too conversant with overexerting himself in the name of keeping Freeland ’s streets dependable , and how that would logically put a nervous strain on his house . “ The Book of Thunder ” drives home the estimation that even though Jennifer ’s the least involved in the “ family business , ” there ’s no material manner she ever could have desire to be untouched by the ripple effects do by Black Lightning ’s return .
While the repose of the show ’s characters have been dealing with losses that are passably off from their own personal biography , Jennifer ’s loss of Khalil to Tobias Whale ’s manipulations feels so much more grounded and reflective of what the teenaged girl of a superhero would have to scramble with . Though we basically know at this point that Jennifer ’s soon to come into her own powers inherit from her father , “ The Book of Thunder ” humanize her in a way of life that Black Lightning has n’t quite done for Anissa yet . One imago this is meant to further wire just how different they will be as Hero .
While Jennifer ’s story is mostly priming coat - stratum , emotionally - relatable adolescent drama , Anissa ’s truehearted - tracking her direction to becoming a full - on masked champion — fitting given the installment ’s rubric . The mystery that surrounds Jefferson ’s father ’s destruction and the origins of the powers of Freeland ’s metahumans has never seemed like a especially unmanageable one to unpack , so it ’s supporting to see Anissa blowing her room through it as she pieces things together . “ The Book of Thunder ” does play into the unfortunate job of making everyone seem a little bit dense in retrospect because of just how much everyone suddenly learns about one another by the episode ’s remnant , but it ’s all deserving it for the major reckoning that closes the episode out .
It ’s interesting that the first time we really see Black Lightning push another right metahuman , he ’s unknowingly face off against his girl and , surprisingly , she ’s capable to hold her own . Though neither Jefferson nor Anissa probably know it just yet , their in - costume fight dead symbolizes the form of dynamism that ’s ultimately going to be the only matter that economise Freeland . Anissa is very much like her father in a lot of fashion , but as she ’s been coming into her identity as a vigilante , she ’s teach that she ’s ready and willing to be a variety of hero sandwich that her beginner — in his civilian guise — isn’t . She ’s bold and headstrong , both because she ’s superhumanly durable and because that ’s just who she is as a person .
So far , the shortly - to - be Thunder ’s been one of the few forces knock-down enough to stop Black Lightning in his tracks . If he ’s smart , he ’ll see this encounter with his daughter as an opportunity to learn a thing or two about what he can do to better protect his community .
Assorted Musings:
• The production value on those kids ’ cellphone video where they were speak trash about Jennifer were very , very eminent .
• Multiple parts of this episode , like Jeff bail Anissa out of jailhouse and Anissa and Jennifer bonding in Anissa ’s room , seemed to be unmediated callbacks to Black Lightning ’s premiere .
• That wordless white female child at long last spoke !
• Peter Gambi can not be swear .
• Can everyone get wind Anissa contain deep intimation every time she uses her powers ? Because if they can , it ’s a pretty obvious tell that a smart criminal would use to their vantage . It ’s also really corking to see that Black Lightning is lean into the mind that Anissa ’s meta factor is piss her super - obtuse and not just strong .
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