Black Lightning: A Powerful Family

Family was front and center this week on Black Lightning, which is a good opportunity for me to focus on something I love about this show: family. I’ve written before about how the show is about community, but at the heart of that community, and the show, is Jefferson Pierce’s family. It was the threat to his daughter’s that brought Black Lightning back, and the return of his father’s killer that has been driving Jefferson recently. The show has always revolved around Jefferson Pierce’s family, but we’ve finally reached a point where the show is no longer about how he manages to be both a father and Black Lightning. From here forward, Black Lightning is family business.

Photo by the CW

We finally saw Thunder in costume and fighting alongside her father. She went through her training, but I love the way that she now seems to be moving into an equal partnership with her father. The scene where they went Obama-incognito was pretty entertaining, and the two superheros are a good team.

Jennifer and Anissa have both recently discovered their powers, and to its credit, the show has portrayed them as having completely different responses to the experience. Anissa embraced her powers somewhat immaturely at first. She made some amateur moves and messed up her love life. Now she’s becoming the feminist superhero I have been waiting for, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be perfect. It looks like she’ll struggle with her father’s addictive personality when it comes to having so much power. She was in costume as Thunder for the first time, with a great soundtrack to back her up (I loved the riff on Black Magic Woman as she arrives at the lab).

Jennifer is having more trouble dealing with the knowledge that she has superpowers, and Anissa’s bombshell revelation of the truth didn’t help things. This gave us a chance to see something that Lynn and Jefferson do best, and that is be good parents. Anissa is grown, so it’s usually Jennifer that lets us see most of the parenting challenges they face, and parenting is Lynn and Jefferson’s real superpower. They are supportive and caring without being overly indulgent. They manage to keep their daughters in check while also respecting their children’s autonomy. This family is my second-place #familygoals (after the Weasley’s, of course). It’s gotta be a lot of pressure growing up with parents who are so measured and who have such high expectations, but so far Jennifer and Anissa have been given enough room to mess up that it doesn’t seem overly controlling. I’ll save my gripe about the parents romantic relationship for another day.

I think Gambi was intentionally linked in as adopted family this week too, and I think he’ll be back in the family soon now that his secret is out. But, after coming clean with Jefferson, Gambi’s needs to redeem himself and do right by his past, and it looks like he’s got a lot of damage to make amends for, especially after finding the bodies of those kids in the lab. The show regularly reflects on current events and the recent storyline about past (and present) medical experimentation in Freeland remind us of moments from our own recent history. I’m thinking of the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, among other things. The ability to draw on current events and very real issues related to race, crime, and politics is one of the show’s best qualities, at least for me.

Back to family, though, even Tobias Whale had strong family ties. Tobias turned to Tori when he was in trouble, and they clearly had a close relationship. It seems important that Jefferson’s family has had to regain its strength right after Black Lightning unintentionally tore Tobias’ family apart. Tobias is lying low right now, but you can guarantee he’s going to be back with a vengeance and out for blood. Maybe we’ll get to see the brother that was hinted at earlier.

When even the bad guys give you #familygoals, you know that a show is doing something right.

Black Lightning airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on the CW.