Season 1, Episode 1
Air Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 9/8c on The CW
Rating:
“Everything is a choice.” – Jefferson Pierce
Long before Jefferson helped shape young minds, he was a different type of hero who was known as Black Lightning, a masked vigilante who could harness and control electricity. It’s been nine years since Jefferson last wore the mask and with his crime-fighting days long behind him, he now focuses his attention on his family and students. But as the organized crime group known as the 100, which is lead by Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III), reigns terror upon the neighborhood, Jefferson is forced to wrestle with the idea the community might need Black Lightning to protect the streets once again.
Part of the problem Black Lightning faces is this hero has existed for years in the fictional world by the time the pilot begins. This isn’t like Tom Holland being cast and becoming the third Spiderman since 2002. With Holland, even casual fans were already well aware of Peter Parker’s origin story, allowing the writers to jump right into the action. When it comes to Black Lightning, not only is the story new to most, but the audience doesn’t get to learn about the character and experience the journey as the protagonist discovers his abilities and takes on the responsibility of being a hero. At times, “The Resurrection” feels more like a midseason episode rather than a pilot, which leads to some confusing moments and a lot of unanswered questions. Unless you’re familiar with the comics, you can’t help but feel something’s missing.
Picking up several years into a story comes at a cost. Scenes like Jefferson debating whether to put the metaphoric cape back on after nine years doesn’t carry the emotional weight it should. That’s because the audience is introduced to him only minutes earlier. It’s not just Jefferson, though; characters like tailor Peter Gambi (James Remar) show up and rather than being introduced are treated like they’ve been around for many seasons. It’s like audience is supposed to know them well, except we don’t. The questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how of the story are ignored as the writers focus on the future, not the past.
The strongest thing Black Lightning has going for it is Williams, who is perfectly cast and gives an outstanding performance. Even with all of “The Resurrection’s” unanswered questions, Williams’ portrayal of Jefferson is inspiring, not only as a superhero but as a mentor and parent. Jefferson’s passion for his students reminds me of Morgan Freeman’s character, Principal Joe Clark, in the 1989 film Lean on Me. Both men are willing to do whatever it takes to improve their students’ lives even at great personal peril. Despite Jefferson’s tough exterior, Williams does a wonderful job showing the many nuanced layers to Jefferson’s personality, and I found myself wanting to learn more about the character and the talented actor’s previous work.
While I don’t want to say I was let down by the Black Lightning pilot, it fails to match the emotions created by the trailer. I kept feeling like I was missing important elements of the story. We see glimpses of relationships that have great potential; for instance, the one between Jefferson and veteran detective Henderson (Damon Gupton), but with so much context missing, it’s hard to get a real feel. Many of the unanswered questions could have easily been handled during a 10-minute flashback type recap with a younger Black Lightning explaining how he got his powers, what drove him to become a superhero, how how he met Gambi, and more.
For viewers, it’s not always necessary to have everything perfectly laid out in a pilot episode but “The Resurrection” leaves too much up in the air. I wanted to care more about Jefferson’s struggle with his inner demons but the way the episode is written, I wasn’t able to become fully invested. As the series progresses and we learn more about each character and their pasts, I’m hopeful my concerns will dissipate. It’ll be interesting to go back and re-watch “The Resurrection” after getting to know the major players and having several of the blanks filled in. That said, for casual comic or superhero fans, Black Lighting is worth checking out.
Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about “The Resurrection.”
Tune in to Black Lightning Tuesdays at 9/8c, only on The CW.
For more information on Black Lightning, visit the official website.
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Photos: ©2017 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Greg Staffa
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