Black Lightning 3×3: “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent O’Dells Pipe-Dream,” Recap & Review

For a recap of last weeks episode, “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam’s Tasbih,” click here

***This post contains major spoilers for episode 3×3: “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent O’Dells Pipe-Dream.***

Jennifer & Anissa

Jennifer is worried about Anissa after she failed to check in with her all night after another meet-up with her reporter friend Jamilla. Usually its Anissa who’s the worried one but as a family the Pierce’s are always concerned about each other. When she’s not with Jamilla, Anissa is still going out as Blackbird who’s by wanted now for freeing all the captured metas. Jamilla watches as Blackbird throws a tank at a helicopter.

At school a new kid named Brandon asks Jennifer for a tour of Garfield. Jennifer asks Brandon where he came from with $1,000 kicks as they bond over Martin Luther King quotes. During the tour, Jennifer shows him where Khalil attacked the school and where Tobias ripped the spine out of her boyfriend.

Later, O’Dell manipulates Jennifer into using her abilities for him to take out a Markovian base by lying to her saying that they killed Khalil’s mother.

Anissa finally find’s Grace Choi who is sitting on a bench alone. Anissa tells her she wants to be with her. Grace shape shifts into an older Chinese man, and tells Anissa she isn’t sure who she is. Grace admits she came to the clinic to steal drugs for her abilities before hugging it out. Anissa heads to the bar to meet up with Jamilla to tell her she found her ex. Anissa doesn’t want Jamilla to feel blind-sided about it because she doesn’t want to leave a trail of hurt.

Henderson

Henderson goes to see his co-worker who was arrested by Commander Williams, she gives him a mission to find a safety deposit box with money in it to give to her husband. While in the cell, the meta starts collapsing due to a deadly meta virus. Henderson goes to Anissas clinic where he’s asked to get tested to see if he’s a meta.

Later, with his wife in Freeland, he is assaulted by an older woman, who doesn’t believe he’s stuck to his word and done a good job as Deputy Detective. After getting the money from the lock-box, Henderson brings the money to her husband.

Lynn & Jefferson

Agent O’Dell comes to Lynn and Jefferson offering them anything they want if they can find a cure for this virus thats been affecting the metas. Jefferson like usual, doesn’t trust anything Agent O’Dell says but of course Lynn is there to help all those that are affected.

Later, O’Dell comes to Jefferson with a gift, a watch that has an insane amount of technology in it which also has a new Black Lightning suit in there when Jefferson puts some voltage in it. O’Dell wants Jefferson to test it out and also help him deal with Dr.Jace and the Markovians who have set up a base right outside the wall in Freeland. Also, he will let Jefferson go back to his family if he succeeds. In his new suit, Black Lightning flies to the base and meets an ASA woman who asks him if he’s here for Dr.Jace. After rescuing the ASA member and flying back to the ASA headquarters, he unknowingly passes Jennifer who’s on her way to blow up the data center with instructions from O’Dell.

After helping O’Dell, Jefferson along with Lynn are finally allowed to go home. The Pierce’s for the first time this season are all finally back together under one roof, in what was supposed to be a happy moment for Jefferson, the family all splits up leaving Jefferson solo. Anissa immediately leaves to meet with Grace and Lynn heads to bed leaving Jefferson along in his dark house.

Tobias

In his cell, an aging and deteriorating Tobias rejects his meds. Tobias wants to know what he did with the boy Issa and suggests that he probably killed him himself. O’Dell wants to know where the briefcase is but Tobias won’t tell. In order to get Tobias to talk, O’Dell shines some intense sun-ray light onto Tobias that gives him burns all over his body. O’Dell comes back later to tell him he’s gone to far and that he’ll give him his territory back if he gives him the intel of the briefcase. Tobias is smart though and doesn’t accept the offer even know O’Dell tells him it’s in his best interest. O’Dell burns him again with the sunlight. At the end of the episode, in either a dream sequence or a ploy from O’Dell, Tobias see’s a vision of Black Lightning (in his old suit). Black Lightning tells him that this is exactly what was supposed to happen and Tobias tells him he’s going to get out and kill him.

Painkiller

With the neural enhancements in his brain, Painkiller (Khalil) has learned over 23 types of different fighting styles. No longer with the strain of being hunted by Tobias, and having to protect Jennifer, Painkiller seems very much at ease with his new position at the ASA. O’Dell gives him a new mission to hunt down some Markovians. O’Dell tells him to bring all the weapons he can carry. After the data center is shut down, Painkiller heads to the previously unknown address and swiftly takes down a small army of Markovian agents.

Thoughts:

“Agent O’Dell’s Pipe-Dream,” was more than a satisfactory way to end The Book of Occupation. Were so used to seeing these big moments of the Pierce’s being re-united together after battles with Tobias, but this time it feels different with everyone dealing with their own stuff. The Pierce’s have been apart for so long, they aren’t really connected right now. It’s definitely going to take some time for the Pierce family to get back to the family dinners and talks of old. Pipe-Dream was definitely the best episode of the first 3 episodes of the season, wrapping up the first arc of the new season. Now, that Jefferson is back home and with his cool new suit, the Markovian conflict can finally take flight in new and interesting ways.

Anissa who has been on a journey to find Grace finally does, although it’s short and feels a little easy. I like how Anissa is trying to change her ways and not leave her past relationships in a bad place like how she did with Grace a long long time ago, Anissa is definitely growing.

Was was going on at the end there with Tobias? Was that a dream or was that O’Dell making him see things? We know it wasn’t real because Jefferson has a new suit and the way it’s played out makes it seem like this is all being imagined from Tobias? Will these dreams make him change his mind and work for O’Dell?

Jennifer hasn’t had a lot to do in these first couple episodes, but she’s given a little more here in this episode. I don’t think they are giving her a new love interest, they are merely just showing that she has a lot of pain she hasn’t dealt with yet and pain that she has to see on a daily basis. It’s only a matter of time she’s going to find Khalil and notice that theres something up with her old boyfriend and that O’Dell has done some really morally grey things.

How did you feel about this episode? Let us know in the comments