In Review: Black Lightning (S4 – Ep3)The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three – Despite all My Rage

Synopsis: This week on ‘Black Lightning’. Jefferson is even feeling even more lost after a frustrating therapy session. Anissa continues to care for a still comatose Grace. Lynn has a breakthrough.

The Story

Jefferson is still feeling guilty for the death of his friend. Furthermore, he continues to refuse to go out as Black Lightning. When a fellow teacher takes part in illegal cage fights to raise money so he can get his kids back. Jefferson sees it as a chance to help someone without having to be Black Lightning.

Meanwhile, a news report on a talk show discredits Lightning by using fake altered footage to imply that she did loads of property damage. Jennifer sets out to put the record straight and asks TC to help her get the actual footage so she can tell the real story on social media.

Elsewhere, Gambi gets hold of one of the new TEG weapons and runs a few tests on it to learn that it is far more deadly than he’d anticipated.

The Acting

Cress Williams continues to dig deep to get at the trauma and PTSD that his character of Jefferson is going through. The therapy session at the start of the episode is pretty much indicative of where this season is going insofar as the reconstruction of Black Lightning. As with all Therapy. You have to deconstruct the issue and face it. Before rebuilding your sense of self. However in this case we are dealing with both Jefferson and his Superhero persona.

Far more interesting and fun was Jennifer’s mission to put the record straight about Lightning on social media. China Anne McClain does a great job of channeling Jennifer’s frustration about how Lightning has been misrepresented. Also, we see some signs that Lightning’s little visits to the ionosphere could be pretty harmful to her.

Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III once again illustrates just how dangerous of a villain Tobias Whale is. We see him trying to get the Mayor of Freeman to close the local school. But worse still is how he tricks Lynn into meeting him for dinner. Something that is definitely going to come up next week. As Jefferson saw Lynn and Tobias together.

Overall

Aside from the obvious psychodrama that we are getting insofar as Jefferson and the family dealing with the aftermath of things. This wasn’t a bad episode, but like every episode thus far. It’s felt pretty much a by the numbers affair. We need a new and deadlier villain or something worth tuning in for other than what we are getting given.

Overall. It was alright, but nowhere near the standard of storytelling, we have had in the previous series. We may just drop this series from our review schedule given that Disney + seems to be doing a much better job of exploring the superhero genre right now. And in a far less Soap Operish way.

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