Black Lightning 3×14: “The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming,” Recap & Review

For a recap of the last episode, “The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab The Strap,” click here

***This post contains major spoilers for episode 3×14:”The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming.” ***

After saving Lynn and capturing Dr.Jace, Gambi has a gun to her head, about to pull the trigger which he said he should have done 40 years ago. Gambi asks her about their leader, Gravedigger, she tells him he wants stable metas.

Back at the ASA headquarters, Jefferson is briefing Agent O’Dell on the success of the retrieval of Lynn Stewart. Its not before long, Major Grey adds that they botched it and that the Markovian’s are outside the perimeter of Freeland.

Anissa and Jen have a talk about Khalil. Anissa doesn’t think Jenn should be able to trust Khalil anymore and tells her that Grace has never attacked her in all of her forms, and if she can say the same thing about Khalil? Khalil is a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

Devonte is at Lady Eve’s picking up his 30% for LaLa, when Lady Eve manipulates him into taking one of her girls so she can drug him and get answers out of him about what LaLa wants. Lady Eve finds out about Tobias’ briefcase and sets up a meeting with LaLa. Lady Eve asks LaLa about the briefcase but LaLa isn’t giving it up because of Tobias. Lady Eve lets him on a little secret that he will never be able to kill Tobias because he has him programmed. Lady Eve whispers “E Pluribus Unum” and LaLa starts shaking. Lady Eve tells him that she was the one that developed the technology and that he has always worked for her.

In the Sanctum, Gambi wants to help Khalil get through his ptsd. He gives him a pad of paper and some pencils and tells him to express himself. Back at the Pierce residence, Lynn is dealing with withdrawal from the green light she was addicted to. Lynn finally understands what Jefferson has been going through all these years with his powers. Lynn keeps having these mental lapses and freaks out on Anissa, later Lynn pulls out her last glimmer pill.

One thing we haven’t seen in a while, the Pierce’s having a family dinner. The family decides that O’Dell has to go, even though Jefferson sticks up for him. Lynn suggests a fresh start for the family. Each member tells one secret: Lynn says she almost took glimmer and gives her last one to Jenn who destroys it, Anissa thinks Grace is the one, Jennifer tells everyone she accidentally killed people for O’Dell, and Jefferson humbly brags bout saving the world in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Earlier in the episode we found out that the Markovian’s were outside the border, but now the Markovian’s have found the Perdi farm and massacred a lot of the people. Anaya calls Anissa to inform her and meet her at the ASA checkpoint. Black Lightning, Thunder and Grace head to South Freeland save the refugees from the Markovian’s.

Jennifer takes Brandon to Dr.Jace. Dr.Jace knows who Brandon is knows his mother too. Brandon starts shaking the place with his earth powers but Jenn makes him stop. Brandon, who wears his mother’s crystalized ashes on his necklace, uses his powers to throw them at Dr.Jace and hits her causing her to bleed. Dr.Jace tells him his father, who had the same powers also tried to kill her in a similar fashion. Brandon thought his father was dead but she tells him he’ll never know if they kill her.

Peter Gambi doesn’t like people trying to kill him and captures and tortures one of Lady Eve’s men, cutting out his eye and telling him to to her he’s still alive. Lady Eve comes to Gambi’s to talk. Lady Eve wants bygone’s to be bygone’s, and wants help opening the briefcase since they both technically worked for the ASA and Gambi even helped train her. She gives him the briefcase and tells him her quarrel with the tailor is over.

TC is running some brain scans on Khalil, while Khalil has finally started drawing and finding some peace. Khalil however starts glitching as the assassin in his brain finally comes loose. In his brain Khalil and Painkiller start fighting for control of Khalil’s mind and body. In real life Painkiller choked out Brandon and is choking out Jennifer, Khalil can hear her calls for help and finally kicks Painkiller back inside his prison.

Jennifer is sitting on top of the roof when Khalil shows up to apologize. Jenn tells him she should have listened to her sister. Khalil says he still has a soul but he has to live with Painkiller in his head but he needs Jenn. Khalil leaves and says he won’t see her again.

Back at the Sanctum, TC has something to share with Gambi but Gambi says it has to wait. TC opens up the briefcase and they finally see whats in the briefcase. Gambi calls Lynn and Jefferson in to keep them up to date. Basically the briefcase has every genome of every meta that the ASA has ever had and self updates when a new meta is put in the system. The briefcase also shows that the USA is responsible for the program that created meta’s, with Tyson Sykes (Gravedigger) becoming the worlds first meta during world war 2. Gravedigger is the only subject to survive and the US government has been trying to find the serum for 70 years.

Markovia was close to Russia during the arms race and Gambi worked for the ASA when he was sent to capture Dr.Jace to have her come up with the serum. Lynn lets them all know that she left the serum in Markovia, meanwhile scientists in Markovia have found it and are injecting Gravedigger with it at the moment, which will grant him any power. Gravedigger kills General Mosin as the episode fades out.

Thoughts:

“Homecoming,” was another really good episode that kept the Markovian-ASA conflict going strong while our characters took to time to reflect and grieve over the things they have gone through over the course of the season. “Homecoming,” also connected a lot of the lose threads that have been hanging since last season with the the briefcase and Gambi’s death and finally made sense of why the ASA and the Markovian’s are fighting. While O’Dell and Mosin were looked to be some of the big villains this season, Gravedigger has finally cemented himself as the big bad of the season now that he can have any ability he wants.

While the PTSD and addiction stuff was a little “after school special-ish,” its important in that it makes us care about these characters. The characters are real and even super heroes need to deal with trauma in a healthy way. Gambi who has really made leaps this season caring for TC, has shown us that even know he’s done a lot of bad in his past, he really wants to help these meta’s out. The slow build of the season has actually worked really well, i’m excited to see whats in store for the remaining 3 episodes.