Black Lightning 1×11: “Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion,” Recap & Review

For a recap of the last episode, “Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption,” click here

This post contains major spoilers for this weeks episode of Black Lightning, “Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion.”

This weeks episode starts off with Thunder & Lightning breaking into an ASA facility looking for the missing meta-humans. Thunder breaks down a door with her foot stomp power but they find out the meta-human pods were moved. However, they do find anti-Black Lightning weapons which Black Lightning ultimately destroys.

Kara, Jefferson’s assistant finds out about the break-in of the ASA facility. She’s known Jefferson for many years and doesn’t believe he’s Black Lightning, she’s also surprised when she hears that the armoire was blown up. The 2 crooked cops then meet up with Kara, in the shadows. She gives them a package and tells them its for Jefferson Pierce.

After meeting with Gambi, Anissa goes to her fathers to chat. She finds out how Gambi was injured by being tortured by the ASA. Anissa thinks the relationship between him and Gambi is weird and wants them to get along with all this stuff going on between them and the ASA.

Back at the meta-human facility, one of the pods is cracked leading to the death of one of the meta-humans.

The next day at school, Jefferson is holding a class, when the Freeland Police come to his school and search his car. The 2 crooked cops that Kara met with plant the green light drug in his car and in his desk leading to Jefferson’s arrest. While Jefferson is being taken out of the school, Jennifer almost loses control of her powers, but Jefferson gets her to calm down and inform her mother of what happened.

When Jefferson is brought into the station, Detective Henderson is extremely pissed that his cops brought him in. Detective Henderson knows that there’s something off about this whole situation and Cayman warns Henderson that he wouldn’t like to see anything happen to him, meaning if Henderson keeps looking into this, the ASA may take him out.

Meanwhile at school, Kara updates the students (over the loudspeaker) and the ASA (through an encrypted link) over the status of Jefferson Pierce.

Jefferson is put in custody at the station and searched which makes his eyes crackle. Lynn heads to the station to talk to her ex-husband but isn’t allowed to come in until Detective Henderson gets her. Lynn speaks with him but doesn’t trust him but she knows Jefferson trusts him.

Gambi, a former agent for the ASA knows exactly what they are going to do with Jefferson once he is put away, which is to send him to a black-site and kill him. Gambi comes up with a plan along with Anissa’s help.

Detective Henderson finally gets to talk to Jefferson to find out his point of view. Henderson asks Jefferson about LaLa and why he took his kids at school. Jefferson tells him how he made a deal with LaLa to keep the 100 out of his school. Jefferson also tells Henderson he is being set-up. Cayman interrupts the conversation and tells them someone from higher up has called the meeting. Henderson definitely knows something is up.

Henderson calls Lynn to tell her they’re moving Jefferson which means its time for Anissa and Gambi to carry out their plan. Meanwhile, Henderson meets up with Jefferson to give him one more chance to tell him what is really going on, which Jefferson once again defers to tell him.

Henderson calls in Glennon (one of the crooked cops) to tell him he has him dead to rights, he knows he’s been taking bribes. He tells him he doesn’t want him however, he wants Cayman instead.

Anissa and Gambi finally put their plan into place. Gambi builds a 3D hologram of Jefferson that runs along side Anissa as she chases down a van in a crowded street to give the impression that Black Lightning is still out there. The news gets out to Kara, who asks the ASA to release Jefferson now that she see’s the false Black Lightning. They tell her that’s not her job, her job is to facilitate.

However in the next scene Henderson comes to Jefferson in prison to release him as Glennon admitted to planting the evidence on him. Cayman is none too pleased and eventually Henderson asks the on duty cop to cuff him, putting Cayman hopefully away for good.

Jefferson comes home to his family and Gambi drops by to apologize to Jefferson. They make up somewhat and Jefferson tells him he wants to find a new balance in his life. Jefferson’s mission is now to find those missing kids. The Pierce’s and Gambi sit down for dinner as Gambi says grace.

Thoughts:

As Black Lightning has grown over the course of its first season, it’s done a great job of setting itself apart from other comic-book shows by taking on serious political and social issues, straying away from too many formulaic episodes (think of The Flash), and subtly crafting a world that seems undoubtedly real with all the super-heroics going on. While the references earlier in the season of characters like Supergirl and Vixen give us a better understanding of the world around Black Lightning, it’s the focus on the smaller characters every week such as Detective Henderson, LaLa, Kara and Lawanda that make the city of Freeland feel like a real place with real stakes rather than a place like Star-City on Arrow that feels barren as if the city has no real personality.

While at first I thought this episode had a little more filler than were used to on Black Lightning, I thought it did a great job of focusing where the show will go from here with 2 episodes left. Now that Jefferson is out of prison and back to relying on Gambi once more, team Black Lightning is more whole than it’s ever been, and there going to need all that and more to stop the 100, the ASA, LaLa, and Tobias Whale (who ***spoiler alert*** finally comes back next week).

I really applaud the cast of Black Lightning, while some main characters do get pushed to the back each week, when it’s their turn to shine however, they usually put in their best performance. I like how unafraid Black Lightning is to sit their top-players out when they are not needed. While fluff is good on a sandwich with peanut butter, it’s sometimes too messy with all the dangling threads of a tv show. Props to the cast and the writers!

Only 2 episodes left!