I'm so happy Black Lightning is a TV show

General Discussion Movies & TV
,
1

Black Lightning is just such a good show. I just finished the season 3 finale and it left me so content and happy that this show exists. The Flash is my OG Arrowverse love, but Black Lightning is just on another level. I know Crisis brought him and his into the fold, but I still feel like the show operates in a completely different way. It’s such a unique show we get to watch, and I don’t just mean because the cast predominantly black (but yes, that is absolutely part of it).

Firstly, since we’re talking superheros, I think Black Lightning has some of, if not the best fight choreography on broadcast TV. And it’s up there in general as well. I’d especially point you to every fight Blackbird ever gets into. Or really any time Anissa fights not as Thunder. These scenes are incredible. This show’s fight and stunt team (according to IMBD lead up by David Conk and Danny Le Boyer, respectively) is some of the best in the business. I’ve been convinced. This is especially impressive to me because these characters have superpowers. That’s usually an easy way to just lean on CGI and intense starting. They do not.

Secondly, I absolutely love Pierce family unit. Their love and respect for each can seem corny sometimes sure, but it always feel real. Perhaps not in the superhero arena, but the CW is known for killing off parents or making them distant or unlikeable in order to “free” up the younger protagonists to do things no average teenager in their situation would be able to do. The Pierce family is blended (adopted father in Gambi) and broken (Jefferson and Lynn being divorced), but it is still so strong. “Heartfelt family drama” is a genre I always joke about wanting to barf when being exposed to it, but when it’s mixed in with some great action and fine commentary, I find it more than palatable. It’s uplifting.

Thirdly, now this is something kind of ridiculous, especially if you haven’t experienced it, but I’m black and I was raised in a rural town where my sister and I were two of only 4 black students in the school system. My parents divorced when I was a baby and I was predominantly raised by white mother and stepfather. I loved being black, I was weirdly obsessed with it to be honest, but I didn’t get a lot of exposure to black people, so when I was little, whenever any black character was on TV, they were instantly my favorite character. To an absurd degree. Didn’t matter what their backstory or current story was. I liked them. I didn’t have a lot of characters to choose from. I didn’t expect more black people, I rarely saw them in my real life so why would they be on screen, but whenever they popped up I would just get so happy. I couldn’t get enough of Static Shock. Cyborg was the coolest guy on Teen Titans – until Bumblebee turned up. Then I was just waiting and waiting for a Titans East spin-off (still waiting).

I’m a little more critically minded now, I know companies like to throw in diversity to appease people like me, but I still get excited when it’s done right. When I first saw the promo for Black Lightning, I was worried it was gonna be too “in-you-face black”, that it would be preachy and alienating. Not just to white people, but to black people like me who grew up around white people and being told by their white peers that they weren’t black enough. But no. Black Lightning is definitely in your face (the opening scene involves a respected member of the community being pulled over and humiliated by a white police officer) and sure, it might make some people uncomfortable, but it’s not too much. It’s just the right amount mixed in with some great action and world building.

I could go on and on about this. I actually planned to go on about the world building and how great a setting Freeland is and how I hope next season it can go back to being a normal city, but I went on a bit long already, so I’ll tie this up: I love that Jefferson is a superhero that came out of retirement, I love the whole arc Khalil has been going through (even though those dreads were a hot mess), I love love LOVE that sign language was thrown in there, I love the understanding the leads eventually come to whenever one of their own makes a mistake. I love that it deals with blackness in a way I unfortunately don’t really see in DC comics (no matter how many times I try to read new Cyborg stories…) Finally, I love the choreography (honestly it’s probably one of my favorite things about the show, thus being #1 on this list).

So how about anybody else? I don’t see much chatter about Black Lightning or the Pierces on DCUniverse. Any fans out there? Anybody who’s been meaning to give it a watch? Anybody tried it and decided it wasn’t for them? Let me know! I don’t know anybody IRL who watches it so it’d be nice to have chat :grin: Or hey, even if you got some comic recommendations this post or the show made you think of, I’m always looking for more to read – especially in this COVID-19 world where I’m stuck working remote and all city events have been cancelled. I’ve got plenty of time (and maybe so do you to binge Black Lightning on Netflix!)

8 Likes
2

I also like Black Lightning for many of the same reasons. I’d like to see Jordan Calloway in more things because of his fights on BL.

I find Black Lightning hard to discuss in relationship to the arrowverse shows because it’s so much heavier.

I’m tired of Tobias Whale, loved it when he was on the shelf. Hopefully the tattooed man catches up to him.

I’m going to stop before I take away everyone’s talking points.

1 Like
3

Black Lightning is one of my favorites among the CWverse. it’s been very soapy when it comes to their relationships, which i really like as much as it is about their abilities.

Do you mean La La?

2 Likes
4

Yes, I blanked on his name

1 Like
5

I would like to see a version of Halo and/or Metamorpho if there is another season. They can even copout by copying YJ’s Halo.

2 Likes
6

I agree, I’m far more interested in La La as a character, though he’s become such a different person since his introduction (for obvious reasons). I like the connection he has to Jefferson as a former student, even if now he seems like he’s almost transcended that. I like Tobias more when we root him down as a person. Like when we saw that flashback to his childhood.

And yes! Jordan Calloway is killing it!

2 Likes
7

Another season has already been confirmed! I’m not super familiar with Young Justice, but I just did a quick search on Halo in the show and I think that’d be a great addition down the line. The show seems to handle adding superpowered characters without diluting it’s core group fairly well.

2 Likes
8

I agree with so much of what everybody’s been saying! I’ve been such a fan of BL’s since the original comic in the 70s, his time as one of the outsiders in the 80s, his comic in the 90s, and I was so excited when I heard the CW was adding him and the whole fam to the arrowverse! The show has so lived up to my hopes for it, especially with the latest plot pt involving gravedigger! I am such a big fan of well done increased representation in the genre, and I look forward to seeing as much as they want to throw at us…

4 Likes
9

Ditto on the comments expressed, so far. Been lovin’ this show since day one! It often feels like an ole’ Shaft movie, except with super-powers. Definitely darker in overall tone than the other shows. And even though it’s a combined universe now, I hope they keep the crossovers to a minimum. Still, this would be the series (if anywhere), to give VIXEN a place to show her stuff. I’d like that.

And, if all this proves successful enough, maybe one day, when the legal dust has settled, stars from the MILESTONE/DC universe might also have a chance to shine!

2 Likes
10

We all would like to see that, but DC owns all of Wildstorm. How is that going?

11

Vixen definitely exists in the Black Lightning universe! At least she did pre-crisis. When Jennifer found out her dad was BL, She asked her mom if she was Vixen. It was a fun little shout out and I’ve wondered if it would go anywhere as the universe expands. Though it does mess with the specialness of the Pierces being the only “stable” metas. But then, so does the existence of all the metas now in the shared universe of Earth Prime :woman_shrugging:

2 Likes
12

I was hoping to see brion markov, but brandon has been the geoforce thus far. Also Markovia was less kingdom, so i can run with it.

Diggle with his newfound present would be a welcome edition. Although, I suspect they will keep it closer to home, with their street level approach developing Freeland (sp?).

I don’t think Gravedigger will be looking for revenge, but an uneasy alliance wouldn’t be too shabby. I still like Tobias and his switch to metahuman trafficking et al.

2 Likes
13

I enjoyed the show a lot. It’s my second favorite of the Arrowverse after Legends (history and time travel I like a lot). I haven’t watched the season that just was uploaded in Netflix but I will since it seems that soon I will have plenty of time.

2 Likes
14

I absolutely love Black Lightning, for all of the reasons stated above. But also because it has the best soundtrack on TV.

My favourite thing to come out of Crisis (besides the fun cameos) was the dynamic between Barry and Jefferson. I really hope to see those characters interact down the line (and I’m dying to see Joe West and Jefferson Pierce meet) and I hope at least a few people who watched Crisis liked the stuff with Black Lightning enough to check out the show.

I really hope S4 starts to develop The Outsiders. Having Jefferson train the next generation of heroes would be a great direction to take the story next. We have Thunder, Grace and Geo Force (plus Lightning who was never an Outsider but did join the JSA). Katana already exists in the Arrowverse, and Metamorpho would be a great addition (although I think he’d fit in better on Legends of Tomorrow with it’s wacky outcasts vibe).

3 Likes
15

The producers really need to bring back Megalyn Echikunwoke as Vixen. She got like one appearance on Arrow before Legends started using her grandmother as the JSA era Vixen and Megalyn never came back. :weary:

2 Likes
16

(Spoilers for season 3 since some of you might be keeping up on Netflix)

I don’t know why I didn’t connect this before, I literally own Teen Titans #28 where Brion first is first mentioned with Terra, but maybe Brion is Brandon’s father?? They totally were hinting at that in the new season. Doctor Jace mentioned his father and Jennifer and Brandon talked about how it was likely that’s where he got his powers and that he shares the same powers with his father like Jennifer does with Jefferson.

1 Like
17

I need to watch more Arrow. I watched the last season for Crisis and I think got halfway through season 2 when it started. I’ve also been meaning to watch that Vixen animated series. Megalyn Echikunwoke still does the voice for her in the show.

I would also LOVE to see more of these interactions. Joe West is, to me, the heart of the show, and he and Jefferson share many values. I think they’d make great friends and Joe could use a friend he’s not a parent figure for to just decompress and have a couple beers with!

1 Like
18

sorry for any spoilers! i got caught up in talking about this show since this is the first BL dedicated thread i have seen.

I forgot about Brandon’s dad. if that is the case, will it be more in name only or will their be some sort of fallen monarchy?

They made mention of Gotham City twice. edited to say “just sayin’…”

2 Likes
19

Yeah I didn’t even think about spoilers until someone mentioned Netflix lol