Black Lightning Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Black Jesus
Paul Dailly
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Not everyone can be saved.
That sentiment echoed through Black Lightning Season 1 Episode 4 as Jefferson continued to try and come to terms with fighting crime on the mean streets of Freeland after a prolonged absence.
Freeland is so deeply rooted in crime that it was inevitable drugs would make their way into the narrative.
What happens when you have the most addictive drug around, and you have a group of adolescent teenagers?
You get results. These dealers were using the "try before you buy" shtick to get the kids hooked on the drugs and that means dollars for Lady Eve's bottom line.
Black Lightning’s death was your calling card, and now people are beginning to feel like they’ve been deceived and it’s affecting my bottom line.
Lady Eve
I had to do some research because of what Lady Eve said about albinism in Africa. It broke my heart to think that people are being murdered because of the condition.
Lady Eve and her band of villains have been calling the shots in the town for too long, but it looks like Tobias could be iced out of the group.
Lady Eve was under the impression Black Lightning was dead, and that's why Tobias was given The 100 in the first place. He was supposed to be the man who got things done.
That's why it made sense that everyone would begin to question Tobias' authority. The man he was supposed to have murdered brutally is back and causing a whole lot of problems.
Lady Eve: If I were you, I would use some of that albino magic to get it done. Because if you don’t, my partners are going to turn you into dust. Do you understand?
Tobias: Yes.
Lady Eve: Good.
Tobias needed to find other ways of proving he is up to the challenge of leading The 100. With Tori back in the mix, it's evident things are going to get worse in town.
Surprisingly, Tobias seemed like the lesser of the two evils with the introduction of his sister. While Tobias lacks the brains, he most definitely has the manpower to carry out attacks.
Tori's idea to turn Khalil against Black Lightning was a stroke of genius. That said, I'm not entirely sold on Khalil never walking again.
It seemed too convenient for the doctor to conclude right after Tobias and Tori discussed the plan.
The doctor could have been threatened with mass violence, or even paid off to doctor the results. Anything is possible when you have some of the most ruthless killers around pulling strings.
Khalil is impressionable right now. He's at a low point in his life, and Tobias will use that to his advantage.
It's unclear what, exactly, Tobias will do, but turning Khalil against all of the good people seems like a good place to start.
Jennifer was great throughout everything with Khalil during "Black Jesus." She wanted to keep some shred of hope that something good could come out of such a bad situation.
Quitting track and blaming it on Jefferson for pushing her into doing it in the first place was a preemptive measure. She could tell that it would hurt Khalil to be reminded of running if he could never recover.
Jefferson going up against the school board to give Bernard another chance continued to drive home the fact that he wanted the best for these kids.
He wanted everyone to have the best chance in life, and expelling the kid was not the best way to get his point across. However, it might have been better to expel him in the first instance.
Either that or have him put in a treatment facility before he had the chance to try and get his hands on the drugs again. The visuals of Jefferson going into the building and attacking The 100 to get Bernard back were excellent.
Man: Before you go, can I get a pic? And, make sure you light up.
Black Lightning: What? No!
[Black Lightning punches man].
If this show has proven anything, it's that nobody is safe, and that's why Bernard was poised to die. I was pleasantly surprised that he was sent to rehab in one piece.
That's got to be a small victory.
Drug Dealer: I got that Green Light.
Anissa: Oh, I got your Green Light. Who’s the bitch now?
Did anybody else cheer for Anissa during that awkward run-in with Henderson at dinner? Her points were valid. What was Henderson doing for the residents of Freeland aside from trying to ostracize Black Lightning?
The more significant purpose of that encounter was making Lynn realize that her ex-husband was doing a good thing for the community.
If only Anissa knew the true extent of the secrets from her family. She would be relieved to know that her father has been suiting up to save people for a long time.
Then again, watching Anissa come into her own has been fun. Her instincts kicking in just in time to lay waste to the members of The 100 who ambushed her and Grace made for an exciting scene.
Anissa is not struggling to come to terms with her abilities. She's grappled with them quickly and is determined to get justice for all of the innocent lives harmed as a result of The 100's grip on Freeland.
Hey, oh this dude right here, he could turn off a light and be in bed before the room got dark.
Man
I'm beginning to think that Gambi knows the powers run in the family. There was something off about the way he ushered Jefferson back home and made his way to inspect the scene.
I'm unsure whether the gun was meant for the gang members or if it was meant for Anissa, assuming of course that he thought she was an out of control metahuman.
"Black Jesus" was another exciting episode that continued to raise the stakes for the characters. Not very many shows find their footing quickly, but Black Lighting is firing from all cylinders, and it's fast becoming The CW's best drama.
What did you think? Did you agree with Anissa's thoughts on the way the law enforcement is treating the city? Has Tobias worked his magic to mess with Khalil's prognosis?
Hit the comments below!
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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
