Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 10 Review: Angelitos Negros
Justin Carreiro
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Jennifer and Khalil closed the book on their runaway adventure once and for all.
The pair decided to return home on Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 10 to face the firing squad and take a stand against their enemies (i.e., Tobias, their families). Unfortunately, their brave decision was their downfall.
If only they had come home sooner or handled the situation differently, Tobias wouldn't have won. But would any decision have made a difference?
Jennifer and Khalil's time on the run made it perfectly clear they were in over their heads.
The romantic couple, while resourceful and fueled by their desire to be free, kept making decisions at the edge of their seats. They never truly had a sustainable plan or even a pathway to get to their goals. All they had were ideas and abilities.
Sure, their flirtatious chat about leaving the United States and learning new languages fueled all the romantic dreams, but it was only just that ... a dream.
How would they leave the country without passports? Did they have enough money to survive? When would they stop running?
The best thing that could've happened to them was spending alone time in the train car. The "apartment" allowed them to reach their relationship milestone while also discussing their plans with clear heads.
While it took three chapters to get to this moment, Jennifer and Khalil finally got to the decision they should've made from the start. Running away was a bad idea in general.
Khalil: Hey, do you remember that time I asked you to be my girl?
Jennifer: Yeah, how could I forget? You said that if anyone had happened to me, the thought of not being able to ask me out messed with you. Yeah, I remember. You was all shy and cute.
Khalil: Wait ... “was”?!
Jennifer: Don’t worry, you still cute now that we cut off those promoter dreads.
The one positive thing that emerged from their adventure came in the form of Jennifer and Khalil's new-ish relationship.
The pair admitted their feelings for each other during Black Lighting Season 2 Episode 9. And while they got hot and heavy then, it was more about their past and pre-existing connection. Here, they faced the realities of the real world when their relationship got involved.
I liked that the plot didn't stick to the obvious cliche story of Jennifer and Khalil hooking up while on the run.
It would've been so easy for the story to dive into that territory and for Jennifer to lose her virginity to Khalil in the apartment. That plot has been done to death, albeit without the teenage runaway angle involved.
(An example that comes to mind is like when Buffy and Angel hooked up for the first time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)
Jennifer: I can’t. I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I’m not ready. I didn’t leave home to lose my virginity in a train car like this.
Khalil: Yeah.
Jennifer: I left home to keep you safe, to keep you alive. And I don’t regret that because you are alive. But, I don’t want it to be like this. We’re on the run in a train car, you know? I’m worried. I’m worried about what’s going to happen to you. I’m worried about what’s going to happen to me. I’m worried about what my family’s thinking about.
Khalil: Hey, it’s okay. I will wait.
As a result of this deviation, Jennifer delivered a very emotional and thoughtful monologue about her desires. A moment like that would be special to her. Thankfully, the development allowed them to move at their own pace instead of going for a romantic plot twist.
The pair finally seemed like they were growing up. And when they decided to go home for the betterment of each other, I couldn't help but feel proud of them.
Their development has been inconsistent on many occasions. So, let's hope they're on an upward swing.
Jefferson's reaction to seeing Khalil elicited a major eyeroll and a head shake.
Don't get me wrong; he had every reason to be mad at the boy who ran away with his daughter. Those two kids caused a lot of hell for the family members involved. However, his frustration during the entire dining room conversation was neither the time nor the place.
Related: Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Gift of the Magi
Jennifer and Khalil took a huge gamble to come back home and seek help against Tobias. They went against their initial judgment to finally listen to reason to bring Jennifer home.
They didn't need Jefferson's moral superiority or grandstanding to remind them of how much worse they made the situation.
We gotta give Lynn major amounts of respect here! She suffered through an emotional tailspin while her daughter was missing, and she had a shotgun loaded ready to pop off enemies. But, she assessed the situation and approached the kids with a level head.
Jefferson could learn a thing or two from his wife about mediation.
Please come home, baby. I know it may seem like running is the right idea, but it isn’t. There's no finish line for you or Khalil if you keep moving. You’ll get hurt ... or worse. Let us help you! Please come back, we’ll help you. I promise! We’re not a family with you, Jenn. Home is not home. We just need you to come back; no one’s mad at you. We just want you home and safe. I love you, Jennifer! I love you.
Lynn
When Jefferson brought up the idea of handing Khalil over to Deputy Chief Henderson and the Witness Protection Program, I knew that it would blow up in their faces.
There's no way Tobias would let Khalil slip through his fingers. And, similar to the hookup plot above, the transport is the type of plot that could deliver on a familiar development.
The van would be the opportune time for a villain to get their one last chance to strike against Khalil before it was too late.
Enter Cutter and her mastery of knives.
It's a shame that we didn't get to see the assassin decimate the security guards. Her fighting choreography would've been skillful with one devastating attack after the next. From the looks of the crime scene, she tore through the police force and left a bloody mess in her wake.
We can only imagine what her next big fight on Black Lightning will look like next. (Maybe it will be a rematch between her and Thunder?)
Tobias: Give her what she needs.
Todd: Woah, woah, woah. Hey now, is that a good idea? When I looked up Khalil’s three most visited locations, I did a little bit of extra research. And Cutter has some holes in her resume.
Cutter: I’ll slit your throat you little b****!
Tobias: Give her the list.
Todd: Okay, just ... trying to look out for you.
Tobias: I know. And I do really appreciate the initiative, Todd. But you might want to tread lightly around natural-born killers.
As frustrating as Khalil acted at times, he did not deserve Tobias' punishment. The criminal kingpin's revenge hit a serious low point; one that sunk even lower than anything he had done before.
Ripping out Khalil's mechanical spine crossed so many cruel and uncomfortable lines.
Tobias is a petty villain. He didn't just want Khalil to pay for his betrayal like any other inconvenience who got in his way. This retribution was all about making Khalil suffer and live with his choices.
Even though Tobias has been failing with his villainous duties as of late, he always delivers on the grand gestures. Hindering Khalil sent a big message: one to the people of Freeland saying that he delivered on his threats, and one to the fans that Tobias meant business.
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Though, if I had to put money on this, Tobias' decision not to kill Khalil will come back to haunt him.
Whether Khalil rises from the ashes with a new Painkiller spine or Jennifer as Lightning delivers the blast, Tobias will look back on that moment as his mistake. And I can't wait or the karmic retribution plot to deliver on its inevitable promise.
All of Tobias' wining and dining of Todd finally made sense. We knew he wanted something from the brilliant scientist, but what that purpose entailed didn't make its presence known until now: the briefcase.
How could we forget THE briefcase?
The mysterious prop from Black Lightning Season 1 Episode 13 faded into the background as bigger plots like Looker and Khalil's defection took center stage. However, Tobias' ace in the hole waited in the wings -- its power growing by the day.
Now that Todd bypassed the firewall, Tobias's power will be unmatched. He'll have leverage against the A.S.A. and a pathway toward the remaining metahumans getting tracked on the serves. We can only deduce that Jefferson is one of the M.O.D.s on the screen.
Could this be how Tobias finally discovers the truth of Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning once and for all?
Lightning Round:
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Lynn looked ready to fight when she brought out the shotgun in front of Gambi and Jefferson. Both had equal expressions of fear and being blown away.
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If Khalil put the pieces together of Jefferson's secret identity, why didn't he ask for help sooner?
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Todd's ego has blown way out of proportion. His mouth is going to get him in more trouble than anything else.
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The pastor: the next big villain or minor antagonist?
- When Khalil gave Jennifer the necklace, I thought it was Black Lightning's way of hinting that the character was going to die. I'm shocked that he survived Tobias' attack!
Now, over to you, Black Lightning fans!
What did you think of "Angelitos Negros"?
Will Khalil survive being separated from the mechanical spine? Do Khalil and Jennifer still have a future together? Who could be the four M.O.D.s from the briefcase?
If you missed the latest episode of Black Lightning, you can watch Black Lightning online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
