I don't have a witty thread title, I'm sorry, I'm too excited and also the show hasn't even properly premiered yet but-- "As a younger man, Jefferson Pierce donned the suit of a vigilante and protected the streets of his city, but he believed he'd left those days in the past. He learns that life doesn't always work out as planned when his daughter, Jennifer -- a star student who is determined to achieve justice at any cost -- gets recruited by a street gang. In order to protect his family, Jefferson sees no choice but to once again become Black Lightning." the premiere of the show is tonight on The CW!!! the site is finally working for me, and I think the premiere should air on there too sooner or later, The CW also does The Flash and they always seem to put up the episodes of that after the fact. there's a few like, previews and stuff on the site right now--and the first preview I watched deals with police profiling and racism, it's a scene where Jefferson Pierce gets pulled over while driving his car in a suit and tie, and his two daughters are with him, and he's told to get out of the car, and one of the cops aims a gun at his daughter--and the cop shows Jefferson to an older woman in the cop car and says "is this him?" and she shakes her head and he lets Jefferson go, clearly intending to not explain anything. Jefferson pushes, and the cop finally says that the woman's liquor store just got robbed. Jefferson says something to the effect of "and was the suspect a black man in a SUIT AND TIE, driving a VOLVO?" and the cop just. laughs. so I'm excited, y'all. PLEASE BE EXCITED WITH ME?
So I love all the superhero shows, but this one might be the best? And that's a pretty high bar with some of the stuff that's come out recently. I just love having a superhero who's a grownup and not a teenager, and having actual for real queer representation, and the acting! I have a lot of thoughts about some of the acting choices and they all boil down to "I love it".
also everybody who's interested in this it's up for free on the cw website the day after it airs, there are two episodes up so far and they're both great
I'm watching episode 2 on their website and I'm really enjoying it! Spoiler: episode 2 spoilers Do my eyes deceive me? Am I seeing a black lady character with superpowers who's dating a woman and also she's a med student????? Please let it be true. <333333333333
I'm really appreciating how much I can believe that his daughters are in serious danger, but they don't feel like pawns that just need rescuing for the sake of his character arc. They're fucking badass people in their own right. It's good.
Spoiler: more incoherent happy episode 2 yelling His... ex-wife? Not sure if they're divorced or separated... But she's a neuroscientist?! Aaaaa I didn't realize how much I wanted more women and minority neuroscientist representation in media until it happened.
I also appreciate the subtle acting going on with Lala's characterization, because he manages to come off as gentle even when he's being horrible. Like he could have a gun in somebody's face and his eyes would say he's not mad, he's dissapointed.
Spoiler: episode 2 spoilers, and also spoilers from comic/casting stuff so first off, I wanna say I....really like the take on Jefferson's use of his powers as an addiction. like, I'm not sure if it's accurate or ever was accurate, or if that'll be taken somewhere, but--it's an interesting idea, to me. I mean....crime-fighting as a person with superpowers, there are....a lot of outlets for an addiction there that don't fall under what a person might usually expect. addiction to using powers, addiction to the adrenaline rush of fighting, addiction even maybe to the dopamine rush of getting hurt, like there's a lot of ways to go with that and it would be especially hard, I think, to convince someone they're addicted if, in the process of their addiction, they're helping people, saving lives, as far as they're concerned basically doing the most good they possibly can. it's a very potentially interesting dynamic. I ALSO really like how Anissa's powers have come on almost in a....panic-attack styled way. like, the way she looks and acts and the way the filming changes when her powers are about to flip 'on' for her--it reads so heavily as a panic attack and honestly, given how her powers were sort of activated, it makes sense, but it's also really interesting, imo. the take of 'powers can be traumatic or unhealthy for the person using them' is a really good angle that I don't see much. also, holy SHIT I want to know what Tobias's deal is. he's a scary-ass character?? like. dude chokes Lala to death so fast. he is strong, and creepy, and I hope he has a backstory of some kind, but also I hate him. now. Anissa's girlfriend: love her. Chenoa is an AWESOME character. that said, in the comics, Anissa's canon girlfriend is a woman of Amazonian descent called Grace Choi, and she had powers, and she IS cast as an upcoming character. I'm not sure how that's going to go, but....I don't know. there are some good ways they could take that, some bad ways, and some great ways, and I'm hoping the show will continue to live up to the expectations it's setting for me and at least do well with this, but I just can't help having a small bit of fear in my heart.
I have seen one episode so far. We get new episodes on Netflix every Tuesday after it airs in the states and it looks really good so far :D
Episode 3 is up! Spoiler: ep 3 Anissaaaaaaa! I love how she goes about figuring out her powers. It makes sense with her coming from a medical background and having a neuroscientist mom, systematically trying to figure out what the trigger is. Also! New scary villain! What's her deal?
Spoiler: finally watched ep 3 oh my god the way Anissa does the figuring is AMAZING. also the moment of--"it's my breathing." SHE GOT IT!! but also, I can't get over how....how does she focus in that state? I'd find it damn near impossible. and LADY E, oh man. she's like....everything I could want in a lady villain. she's pretty and scary and smart and SCARY. I love her. also IS THAT GRACE CHOI. OH MY GOD THAT WAS GRACE CHOI ANISSA MET IN THE LIBRARY. Y'ALL. Y ' A L L. and man, I can't....imagine what it must be like to be the superhero and....be hearing about what people think of you to your face without them knowing it's you. casually in daily life, they tell you things like Black Lightning inspired a woman to try and then she died, or that Black Lightning is going to get everyone killed--and you just have to stand there and hear it and hope they're wrong and that you don't get everyone killed, but you can't help feeling bad for that woman, and....damn. also....if Lynn can't accept the choice that Jefferson's made to go back to being Black Lightning, why is she still at their home and all? is she hoping to convince him to stop? JENNIFER WOAH. I. this is a level of trust and openness I cannot conceptualize in a family. but also, I'm a little :/ about them trying to sway her decision. like....you gotta let your kid do what she's gonna do, and just be happy she shared it with you. although it is fair that Jennifer was hoping Anissa would be there to help her. hmmm. Anissa doesn't want to march....is it because she's afraid her powers will show while there, or--oh, no, there's my answer. she wants to stop marching in exchange for using her powers....but Jennifer makes a good point. she doesn't know at all about the powers Anissa or her father have, and both of them are doing things that aren't marching, and at least for Anissa, it's because she thinks marching isn't enough anymore and maybe it's not enough for her now that she's got these powers, but for her sister, that's all she's got and I want Anissa to support her. and now their mom thinks Jennifer should move in with them but y'all you should consult Jennifer on this I think. even if she doesn't know the real reason behind the thing, you will destroy part of her trust in you if you just suddenly make her move. and Jefferson, your dad might've said or done whatever but times change move with them okay .....Jefferson why are you doing this to your daughter's boyfriend. please. please stop. p l e a s e. STOP. oh my fucking god don't smile. you fucked up, dude. you fucking fucked up. that was not acceptable. oh. OH. Anissa your girlfriend is here and she is pissed and I get why but also, she is saying some things that are NOT cool. at all. what the fuck, yo. W O W. OKAY oh. damn. a breakup that fast. I mean....it makes sense because Anissa ends up with Grace in canon, and her relationship with the other girl didn't seem like it was working that well anyway, but...damn. oh god please man you gotta save the protesters okay?? okay he did good ....and then he got distracted by the singing and now two people might die and one of them is Jennifer's boyfriend. HEY CONGRATS DAD AND MOM YOU GOT YOUR WISH YOUR KID IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE HAVING SEX ANYTIME SOON! yall better fucking hope it's not cause her boyfriend dies. but SHIT dude this is. fucked up. I'm sorry I'm having a hard time for a sec now I feel so....no. this is pain. oh no he's gonna die. he's gonna die isn't he! NO!!! c'mon no he was--he's so good.... "whether he is the cause or the target he is not making things better" OH SHUT YOUR FUCK, MAN. THOSE PROTESTERS WOULD ALL BE DEAD WITHOUT HIM. like yeah maybe he shouldn't have come back in the first place but--what's done is done and you should be glad most of them survived thanks to Black Lightning. oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo no. he's not dead but he might never walk again and that's gotta hurt....oh god oh god that was his ticket to college and now....fuck. I AM NOT OKAY.
Spoiler: episode 4 I....am Uncomfortable with that parent/Jennifer interaction that happened. like, nurses are not the same as having someone close to you who CARES about you there for you during a stay in the hospital and physical therapy while you're trying to learn to walk again, I get why this is important to Jennifer as someone who cares about Khalil. and I'm not thrilled with Jennifer's parents going "you need to focus more on track and school!" and when she says she wants to quit, "you love running!" like...it's NOT uncommon for kids to do something to make their parents happy for years even, but even then, even if they DID love that thing before, if they tell you they want to quit, that's....not your decision to argue. I get the worry about like, college and stuff, but....please respect her desire to be there for a person she cares about, stop dismissing their relationship, they were friends even long before they dated and she has a valid reason to want to e there for him. I wanna know who the heck's body was pulled out of the river. Anissa. Anissa what did you think would happen if you punched someone with the force required to send like, a clothes washer flying. of course they're dying. like....I get she wants to do good but...people get hurt by vigilantes. that's how that GOES. also the way she fired back at her mom and everyone else at the table, not even knowing her dad is Black Lightning. just. how would she feel if she knew, I have to wonder. mmmmm. I get that Jefferson has reason to want Bernard not expelled--he's on his way to college, he seems to be going good places, but....Bernard already had what I'd consider a major infraction. he was high as fuck at school and as far as I can glean may have been a danger to himself and others?? that's. not a case where I'd let that go, imo. wh. what. our villain....is black and an albino. damn. didn't see that coming. also that sister of his--I like her. good villain start. oh. oh SHIT. I feel like Grace is going to have to know about Anissa's powers now. also....do her powers make a shockwave noise? .....that would explain her eventual name of Thunder. but I'm curious how she didn't notice that noise herself. it's kinda odd to me that Grace was hurt so easily though. in canon, she's descended from Amazons and kinda hard to take down. ohhhhhh this girl is so good. I love her. good villain. 11/10. oh god no Khalil D: THIS IS NOT OKAY. how did that happen even?? .....Lynn, I get that you're upset he won't listen to you, but people have to make decisions on their own and you either need to agree to support him through that or tell him to stop talking to you about it and find someone else to talk about it with. ....oh wow I was right about the whole 'Bernard's high on this new drug is not something to be dismissed'. I mean, good that Jefferson saved him and I guess put him in treatment, but even so...damn. ohhhhhhh noooooooooooooooooooooo. NOOOOOOOOOO KHALIL DON'T TRUST HIM NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Spoiler: episode 5 ....okay, I realize Lynn is struggling, but your daughter was dealing with two girls who were VERY not interested in being nice or talking things out. they were horrible her, Jennifer was horrible back, one of them tried to hit her, she defended herself. I'm VERY NOT OKAY with you punishing her for that. yeah, she didn't tell you, but like--you responded excessively regardless. stop taking your anger at your ex-husband's taking up the mantle of Black Lightning again out on Jennifer and others, please. ....that is roughly all I have to comment on here outside of 'Anissa wyd' and 'Jefferson please. Jefferson you idiot'.
Spoiler: episode 6 Oooooh my god I was wondering how they were going to do the reveal of anissa's powers and now I'm not wondering anymore because I'm dead also gambi what the heck I'm pretty sure lady eve's hair is going to keep getting more fabulous every time we see her until it collapses into some kind of singularity. I love it.
Spoiler: Episode 7 Gambi what the HELL Good on Lynn for her good parenting and realizing Anissa was going to go back out there anyway. She's so great and I love her. Lala what the what
I just want to talk for a minute about thunder's new costume and how great it is Spoiler: minor spoilers It's cut high on the sides and back of her neck to protect her, with just enough cut out of the front to give her range of motion. She's got support on her wrists, pads on her shoulders, elbows, hips, and knees. It's cut well but not overly form fitting and it's got just enough bulk that you can believe it'll give her protection. She's got sturdy, sensible boots. And she looks amazing! I don't think I've ever seen a female superhero with a design like this and I love it.
