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Black Lightning episode 4 ‘Black Jesus’ review

Contain Spoilers!

In this weeks episode of Black Lightning, a new drug coined Green Light comes to Garfield High, seemingly giving users superhuman strength, leading Jeff to investigate who the source behind the substance is. Meanwhile Anissa also uses her powers to try and do something about Freeland’s new drug problem, Jennifer’s boyfriend Khalil receives an update on his diagnosis and Tobias hatches a plan to turn the community against Black Lightning.

‘Black Jesus’ kicks off with a student at Garfield High freaking out in the bathroom, Jeff enters to try and calm him down but he literally hulks out and rips a urinal from the wall. Jeff has to shock him twice to bring him down before he hurts anyone else, he then finds some drugs in his pocket and instantly suspects The One Hundred. The school board want to expel the student because of this offense (which is his first), but this will jeopardise the college admissions he’s received, so Jeff goes on the hunt for the source of the drug Batman style, targeting street dealers to find out information and a location. This leads him to an old friend named 2 Bits and a hilarious bar brawl ensues in which his childhood friend asks him for a selfie! We also see the lenient side of Black Lightning, as 2 Bits was about to face his third drug related offence, which would see him go down for thirty years, so Black Lightning agrees not to call the cops if he provides him with some intel on where and when he picks up his product.

Meanwhile Anissa also wants to combat the local drug dealers as she sees two of them trying to sell Green Light to some of her (very young!) students. She confronts them, asking how they sleep at night selling that junk to their own people, they simply laugh and show her their gun as a warning. Funnily enough Anissa gets the last laugh as she returns later that night in her hoodie and takes out both of the dealers in a pretty impressive scene! Later in the episode Anissa is leaving the Ruby Red Lipstick Bar with Grace, when a group of homophobic males start threatening the two women. She rightly gives them an ass whooping, but her father, who’s investigating the warehouse Two Bits told him about, hears the showdown and goes to investigate, narrowly missing out on discovering his daughter’s new powers. Gambi hacks the nearby camera footage and sees Anissa using her powers, but suspiciously lies to Jeff about what he saw and goes to investigate the scene on his own…

Cut to Tobias Whale and he’s been summoned by the super creepy Lady Eve; she tells him the whole reason she gave him his crime boss status was because of his claim to fame – killing Black Lightning. But now that the hero has resurfaced, people are starting to doubt his leadership skills, so she wants him to be true to his word and finally take out the superhero. Oh and did I mention this whole conversation is happening while Lady Eve is what looks like embalming a corpse in a funeral parlor?! And the ‘corpse’ opens their eyes as Tobias leaves! I nearly spat my cereal out while watching this part – seriously what’s going on with this lady? Tobias then recruits his sister Tori to help him bring down Jeff and the two hatch a plan to turn the community against their hero, starting with Khalil.

Back to the hospital and Jennifer is trying to support Khalil by quitting track and helping with his rehabilitation, but he receives the worst news possible. An anonymous donor starts sending the teen gifts as well paying for his medical bills, but we all know who’s behind the bribe right? Yup, Tobias Whale! In the closing scene, the villain appears sitting in the shadows next to the teens bed and snears: “If you’d like, I can show you how to kill your pain.”

All in all ‘Black Jesus’ is another bold episode from Black Lightning that features strong social commentary on the effects of drugs in a community and the American health system, as well as a fab soundtrack! I do hope we get a little more answers about why Gambi’s hiding vital information from Jeff though, as it seems a little off – I really hope he’s not secretly working for the One Hundred. We also learn a little more about Tobias’ past – how he was originally a failed politician that climbed to the top of the One Hundred by supposedly killing Black Lightning nine years ago. The superhero was reported to fall into a river following their final battle, with an unrecognisable body being pulled out of the river shortly after. I can’t wait for their reunion!