Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 14 Review: Original Sin
Justin Carreiro
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The secrets of the past won't stay dead and buried. Jefferson nearly died because someone was that desperate enough to learn the truth.
Based on Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 14, someone is making sure they get all the answers to get their sweet revenge.
However, the truth wasn't exactly what they wanted to hear. And we can agree with that sentiment.
Latavius Johnson, better known by his nickname "Lala," came back from the dead to spin us a tale that had no common sense.
You would think that his untimely death during Black Lightning Season 1 would've cleared his head. However, his touch of amnesia pulled us into a mystery that didn't have much bang for its buck. That's saying a lot since Lala was typically a menacing villain.
Before his confrontation with Jefferson, his surprise resurrection caused a whole mess of tension.
Jefferson: I didn’t mean to disrespect. It’s just ... you caught me off guard. I thought you were dead!
Lala: I was dead. Twice.
The last we saw of Lala was him being suffocated by Tobias on Black Lightning Season 1 Episode 13. The ghost-stricken metahuman got murdered; there was no questioning that. Now, he had a gun and was alive again with a target in mind.
When he first appeared at Garfield, my first concern was a shooter at the school. Black Lightning had villains attack Garfield before, so the idea wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.
But, his attack against Jefferson suited his typical pettiness. Lala wanted something, and he wouldn't stop until he got his answers.
During the hostage scenario, Lala's internal conflict with the spirits of LaWanda and Will offered a great case study of dueling forces.
His arguments with his inner voices felt reminiscent of the "good angel vs. evil devil on the shoulder" trope. Here, you had Will trying to drive Lala to commit murder while LaWanda pushed him to do good. Both forces wouldn't stop until they won.
As the hour progressed, you could follow Lala's progression with good vs. evil as he handled his conversation with Jefferson.
Sometimes he would be coherent and more docile/understanding, but other times, his temper would take over. He nearly killed Jefferson on a few occasions until his good side (LaWanda) stepped in or spoke up.
With LaWanda winning more times, it proved that Lala changed his inner motivations. Before, all he wanted to do was make money and hurt people, but now he's accepted more of his good qualities. Sure, he shot Jefferson, but he didn't kill him in the end.
If you can believe it, that's growth.
Though, the downside of this entire main plot came down to the resolution. Let's face it: nothing happened!
With the exception of Lala reaffirming that he wanted to kill his murderer (Tobias), the needle didn't move forward. Nothing was revealed that changed Jefferson's future or his character development. And Lala came to a conclusion that he already knew deep down.
For all the time spent discussing who killed Earl, the answer arrived via a pointless twist that brought it back to the beginning. With a little time, Lala would've realized this fact already in his third resurrection.
Neither Lala nor Jefferson were greatly impacted by this event. This encounter came across as complete filler.
Anissa finally put her heart on the line and did a deep creep to find Grace. Just like anyone on Instagram, if you put a little effort in the small details, you'll find the dating profile in no time.
Say what you will about Grace's mystery, but if she truly wanted to hide from Anissa, she wouldn't have made it so easy to send out all the red warning signs.
Anissa: Hi, I’m Anissa Pierce. I’m a friend of Grace ... Grace Choi.
[Awkward silence]
Anissa: Like I said, I’m really not here for any trouble. I just want to make sure she’s okay.
Man: Trouble will find you if you do not leave this place.
Anissa: Excuse me?
[His eyes flash a different color]
Anissa: Wow, is everything alright in here?
Man: Leave while you can.
[The door slams and Anissa bangs on it]
Has she never seen an in-disguise scene before in a movie?
You never creep out the person doing the search! Grace should've made up a little lie to send Anissa on a wild goose chase instead of threatening her. Her desperation gave it all away.
It's no wonder Anissa came right back to investigate the scene.
What could Grace's power mean for the grand scheme?
Her shapeshifting ability answered a lot of questions we had when the powers first emerged, like why her skin crawled and why her eyes glowed. But, her fear of being near Anissa leaves a few plot threads still in limbo, as well as the dead deer in the apartment.
If she were a metahuman, her powers could've easily been explained. And she had a lot of fight training for someone who pretended to be an innocent bartender/server.
Grace most likely is involved in something dangerous that happened before she met Anissa. Hopefully, the couple reunites soon and she can explain what caused the transformation.
With Anissa and Lynn's help, the issue could be solved if it's a life-threatening one.
We're so close to a reality where Jennifer has taken the mantle of Lightning!
I'm happy that Black Lightning jumped right into the plot without any hesitation from the family. Lynn, Jefferson, Gambi, and Anissa all showed their support in getting Jennifer a superhero suit. We couldn't waste any more time in getting to the next step with her growth.
After everything that happened to her, Jennifer truly needs a suit. Her powers are growing at a faster rate, and with a suit, she can control her abilities and get her revenge in a safe way.
Related: Black Lightning Season 2 Episode 13 Review: Pillar of Fire
Plus, her character development can now head in the direction of being a hero instead of her self-involved stories. This development was a major blessing for the progression.
All that's left is for her to get a completed suit. When that's done, she can dance and show-off to her heart's content, with none of the static electricity.
Jennifer: Okay, lower.
Gambi: [Drawing design] Like this?
Jennifer: Nhmmm ... lower. Lower.
Lynn: Hey, hey, hey! It’s not a swimsuit.
Jennifer: Okay, thank you, Mom. I know it’s not a swimsuit. Because if it was, it’d be a tiny bikini!
[They all laugh]
Jennifer: Alright, let me show you something. Could you make it a little bit more like this? You know what I’m saying?
Gambi: Jenn, you’re not supposed to look like a pop star. The suit is supposed to protect you.
Jennifer: Okay, first off, a “pop star”? Really?! And second, that’s dope!
Agent Odell is one of the most frustrating villains on Black Lightning.
His low energy, unexpressive, and no-nonsense presence makes him a vacant wall. For someone who gives us nothing back with his charisma, he incites so much anger! All of it stems from his cold and detached mannerisms.
He should be listening to Lynn and her medical expertise; her knowledge in the field of metahumans saved countless lives when the outlook looked hopeless. But, he continued to refuse all of her recommendations again. This stubbornness will be his downfall.
Wendy could've died from his experiments if her powers overreacted. And it's not like he had any other metahumans left in case the experiment failed.
It's a miracle that Lynn has put up with his unrelenting control for this long. I can't wait for his fall from grace.
The reveal of the hidden cameras in the Pierces' home was a jaw-dropping twist.
For a second, the figure behind the screen looked like Gambi, but the revelation wouldn't have been that simple. Of course, it had to be Agent Odell and his mysterious plan.
In hindsight, all of his conversations with Lynn foreshadowed this moment. He kept saying that he didn't trust her and that he knew she was keeping secrets from her. His words seemed like idle threats, but we shouldn't have ignored his determination.
Related: Arrow Season 7 Episode 14 Review: Brothers & Sisters
Could he already know about their metahuman abilities? What will he do when he finds out?
Agent Odell wants a powerful army, and what better soldiers than Black Lightning, Thunder, and Lightning by his side.
We should be worried about the Pierce family.
Agent Odell: I’m not here to waste my sentiments on Wendy.
Lynn: Waste?
Agent Odell: She can’t sniff out landmines, but she can do other things for her government and country to keep its citizens safe. That’s why she’s here.
Lynn: She’s here to get strong, healthier.
Agent Odell: She’s here to realize her full potential for the benefit of all of us. Wendy could prove to be more revolutionary than the tank or the machine gun.
Last Thoughts Lightning Round:
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Agent Odell's cameras must be off-the-record. His killing of his team confirmed that he's working on this alone.
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Poor Wendy! She doesn't deserve to be treated like a lab rat. Hopefully, she didn't hear Agent Odell's insulting words.
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Jennifer doesn't need to sacrifice safety and function for fashion. Her suit will look amazing; just look at Thunder and Black Lightning's amazing outfits.
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The creepy doctor must be up to something. He didn't bring back Lala without a purpose in mind.
- Deputy Chief Henderson looked disappointed when he found out Todd died. He really wanted to investigate the photo.
Now, over to you, Black Lightning fans!
What did you think of "Original Sin"?
What will Agent Odell discover from the hidden footage? Will Anissa find Grace again? Might Lala finally be able to kill Tobias?
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 below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
