Black Lightning – Sparks Fly in a Promising Pilot

It’s not surprising that many of us have been feeling a little superhero-fatigue after being barraged by comic book heroes in all forms of media for nearly a decade. This is especially reflected in last year’s particular successes, as Thor: Ragnarok and Spiderman: Homecoming both gained worldwide acclaim for verging through the established mould of their franchises and claiming new identities. A similar expectation has been put on arguably over-saturated television adaptations, as Netflix and various networks like the CW battle to make the next series that will add something new to the genre. While it may still be too early to be confirmed just yet, Black Lightning’s pilot episode indicates that it may very well be a contender for the new breakthrough vigilante.

Anyone will immediately recognise how Black Lightning is different from his various counterparts in that our hero is black. While not entirely new, as this show follows the wake of works such as Luke Cage and Black Panther, this show expresses from its opening that it will have a strong focus on current race issues rather than merely portraying a protagonist who happens to be black. Within the episode’s first few minutes our protagonist, Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), finds his daughter arrested after participating in a peaceful protest that turned violent, and himself experiences racial profiling as he is pulled over by the police. Because of this, unlike many other characters who simply wish to protect their city, Pierce’s motivations to assume his alter-ego become those that the audience can strongly relate to. In this episode, we see a man who is tired in the same way many of us are, being faced by constant reminders that the world around us holds corruption and prejudice that we can’t always actively prevent. 

If the writers continue in painting its established tone then Black Lightning looks to be an impressive contender

Another way in which this hero stands out is his age and relationships. Jefferson Pierce is older than the average superhero, a father of two young adult girls. This adds another refreshing perspective as our hero is not receiving and discovering his abilities for the first time, but picking up the position he had cast aside years ago for the sake of his family.

This leads us to what could be particularly effective within this series; Pierce’s family has already been well established and all appear to have strong chemistry. The show depicts a family unit that struggles against one another’s contrasting ideals, but still holds a strong emotional core. This is especially evident with the two daughters, Jennifer and Anissa (China Anne Maclain and Nafessa Williams), who differ greatly but are still able to depict a genuine sibling relationship, and it appears they have some interesting arcs already forged for them in future episodes.

What would be the highlight of Black Lightning so far is its tone, which is always something that teeters in the balance for many superhero shows. This world has already been set in a place with a constant state of tension, as the city appears to be set on a powder keg ready to blow depending on the actions of a few individuals, so not very different from real life. As for the trajectory of the show, it appears we won’t be getting any of the particularly goofy criminal masterminds that you might see in The Flash (which isn’t a criticism – what works for one show doesn’t always translate to another) but instead, a hierarchical crime syndicate, a member of which already has the foundations of interesting parallels with the protagonist in how they both try to maintain peace and order in their respective worlds. Another hopeful sign is that this season is expected to contain 13 episodes, indicating a more streamlined plot without too much fluff getting it the way of its grit.

All in all, this is a very promising first episode, and if the writers continue painting its established tone then Black Lightning looks to be an impressive contender on CW’s superhero roster.

But on one final note, even I have to admit Black Lightning‘s costume is rather silly. Maybe it could get revamped some point mid-season?