Original subtitles

Previously on Black Lightning...

Black Lightning's the reason you're lying here paralyzed.

If you'd like, I can show you how to kill your pain.

- Maybe we should take a break. - Until what?

I walk?

You slippin', Lala.

You walking around here talking to yourself.

Man, we all see you.

Anybody else think I ain't built for this?

Uncle Gambi discovered the bodies of a bunch of kids

who disappeared 30 years ago.

He thought they were dead, but they're alive,

and they're kept in some kind of suspended state.

No, they were here.

Some large objects were dragged out the door.

Are they all stable after the move?

Thank you for my latest addition.

I don't wanna have powers. I don't wanna save the world.

You're just like Dad.

You gotta be kidding me.

Tobias!

Tori!

Stay with me.

We're glad to have you back, Mr. Whale.

How are you feeling?

Recovered from your injuries, I see. They were pretty bad.

Black Lightning really tried to barbecue you, huh?

You people.

I appreciate the excellent medical care you provided.

You're important to us, especially now that Lady Eve is gone.

Her death is a tragedy to everyone.

Yes.

And now there's a vacancy.

How much do you know about her operations?

Well, let's just say she helped the citizens of Freeland

find happiness by muting the pain of their deprivation.

Is that what drug dealers tell themselves?

You and I have never worked together directly,

so being cautious with my words seemed wise.

Years ago, in a very

racially and politically-charged environment,

we developed a chemical we hoped would make

the citizens of Freeland docile,

so we could, for lack of a better word, control them.

It didn't work.

Instead, it gave some of them meta-human abilities.

- A side effect with strategic implications. - Hmm.

Yeah. Meaning in a dangerous situation,

a few local folks fight and die,

saving the lives of some fancy white boys.

Only, it turns out,

all our subjects began dying before they were fully operational.

Some flaw in the syrup.

We kept working at it and...

You created Green Light.

The users I saw had super strength, high pain tolerance,

no flight instinct.

And if that doesn't say Marine...

O ur yields are higher now than they were with the vaccine,

but the survival rate is no better.

So I need you to find Black Lightning.

Excuse me?

I have come to believe he is a product of the vaccine.

And yet, he lives,

has lived.

I need him for research purposes,

before all of my subjects die and the experiment fails.

So bring him to me.

- Alive. - Hmm.

And you're going to need some help.

I finished the project you were working on before you got hurt.

Hello, Khalil.

Mr. Whale.

Alive, Mr. Whale!

I need Black Lightning alive!

- Hey. Yeah. - Jeff?

I need your help.

Everything okay?

- Yeah. Just come over, please. - Okay.

Hello?

Everything... okay?

Yeah.

I just came out of the shower, and there was a spider.

Ah.

A spider?

Yeah. Somewhere.

Mmm.

Damn.

I like it when you do that.

Yeah?

Yeah.

What happened?

After everything we've been through these last few months,

you returning to the suit,

Anissa's powers, Jennifer's powers,

Gambi's confession...

Is this supposed to be sexy?

'Cause, if so, I have some notes.

No. I... I realized that if my issue

with Black Lightning was the stress,

everything that's happened should have sent me running

as far away from you as possible.

I feel closer to you than ever.

Hmm.

Who'd have thought I just needed to make things worse to get you back?

I love you.

I've loved you a long time.

Ignoring that seems stupid.

I love you, too.

- But... - Oh.

No, uh...

I don't think we should say anything to the girls.

They're dealing with so much.

I want us to be sure before we tell them.

We just keep it a secret.

Like we're having an affair.

I'm in.

Dwayne.

Mr. Whale.

I just wanted to thank you for savin' my life.

Mmm.

In the chaos of the night,

you were brave enough to pull me to safety.

And I can appreciate that.

You're welcome, sir.

But you left my sister.

And left Tori to die.

If I went back, they would've gotten you, too.

Look, and...

You left her to die.

You're so impulsive.

It feels good to be back.

Khalil?

You're...

Walking.

Yeah, I know.

It's amazing.

A miracle, actually.

- Really happy for you. - Ah.

It seems like you have yourself a new look.

So, uh, I guess this means you'll be coming back to school soon, right?

Nah, man.

Nah, snakes treated me like dirt when I was in that chair, so...

I don't think so.

Okay, look. I know you've had a hard time,

but that doesn't mean you should abandon your education.

Man, are you, uh...

You're really gonna do the whole education pitch right now?

Really?

Good talk, Mr. P.

- I hope you change your mind. - I won't.

Look, let me ask you something.

Um...

What kind of procedure got you back on your feet?

Why you wanna know?

Well, because while I'm very happy that you're walking,

we both know that someone pulled the strings to make that happen.

And I wanna make sure you're not being taken advantage of.

Man, you really are in your own little world, huh?

I'm walking, bruh.

How is that takin' advantage of me?

And you know what? Stop.

Stop with that surrogate daddy act.

You don't care about me.

I was just another little, poor kid from Freeland

for you to parade around in front of everybody

to make you and Garfield look good.

- That is so not true. - Yes, it is!

As soon as my black ass couldn't run no more,

where were you?

You wouldn't even let your daughter near me.

Where is the future, Mr. P?

It's right here.

- Walking? - Yes.

With no kind of assistance. No cane, no braces.

I've read about implants in rats with severed spines,

but I thought we were a long way from putting those in a human being,

let alone a poor teenager from Freeland.

It's a billion-dollar technology, right?

At least.

It stinks of Proctor and the ASA.

Just another experiment being run on some young black kid.

I found one more in the newspaper archive.

Okay, that's a total of 42 kids missing.

Plus Neema.

Wait, you only saw three dozen pods, right?

Does that mean seven are dead?

I have no way to know that, Jefferson.

It can't be easy keeping them stable,

especially if they have to move them.

We need to find these kids before the ASA

- decides to relocate them again. - Yeah.

Catching Proctor is the best way for us to shut this down.

Well, if we're right about Khalil,

he might lead me to Proctor.

- I mean, he might not know enough not to. - Hmm.

And I've got one more lead to follow up on.

Hidalgo, the weapons maker.

What? The guy who lied to you?

My mistake. I won't make it again.

Now, Proctor won't have given up on finding Black Lightning.

And even if he thinks you're not him, I bet he thinks you know him.

He'll be watching.

And he'll be looking for Thunder, too, Anissa, so be careful.

Oh, Gambi?

- Proctor'll be looking for you, too. - Yeah.

But this old man's not gonna save the world,

so if he catches me, it's not as big a deal.

Having enhanced abilities doesn't have to change anything.

Oh, really?

So I should join a team but not try too hard,

because the competition might set me on fire.

Okay, maybe not a team.

Well, what about Debate?

'Cause nothing is more calming than alternative views

on abortion and social services.

Well, there's always needlepoint.

Hey, you're right. I can make a pillow that says, "My parents had sex,

and all I got was superpowers."

- It's not funny. - It's a little bit funny.

Look, we just need to figure out how to help you to control them.

And if it makes you feel any better, I have made a little progress

in isolating the gene that I think is responsible for your enhanced abilities.

Suppressing it is the first step.

Thank God I was born to such a smart woman

and not some slacker who would just...

try and make me feel better by making me a cake.

Do you want me to bake you a cake?

Yes, please. Chocolate with cream cheese frosting.

Chocolate it is.

Mrs. Payne.

- Mr. Jefferson. How are you? - I'm good.

I'm good. Is Khalil home?

No. He's in California.

What?

I saw him this morning.

Oh.

I didn't know.

How was he?

Walking.

Come in.

I'm sorry.

Uh, do you mind me asking how it happened?

The spinal implant?

Uh, yeah. Yes.

A hospital administrator came by.

He said Khalil was chosen, uh, for a pilot program.

Do you remember his name?

A Mr. Martin.

He said there was a risk of infection,

and I couldn't be with Khalil while he was being treated.

And that I should stay in Freeland.

I didn't want my boy to go by himself,

but our doctor signed off and I...

- Khalil wanted to. - Yeah.

He hasn't talked to me since he's been there.

And now he's back?

Well, I think the injury was a lot for him to deal with.

But he never would've gotten through it without you.

Can I have Mr. Martin's number?

Of course. I'll get it.

Hey, Tommy. Come on in.

That's far enough.

I like this.

It's got a retro feel you don't usually get in a high-capacity weapon.

I'm impressed you got in.

I had to beef up the security system after our last meeting.

All right, so you're smart enough to know I'd be back,

but you're not smart enough to know how to stop me.

Look, I didn't lie to you last time.

True. But you didn't tell me what I wanted to know.

I still can't.

So, if you want to kill me, just kill me.

Talking about it doesn't make it easier.

I'm not gonna kill you, Tommy.

But I am gonna put a target on your back,

so every person you've ever double-crossed can find you.

I'll let one of them torture you in ways

I just don't have the stomach for anymore.

Come on, Gambi.

Honestly, I don't know who bought the weapon that killed Lady Eve.

I want Proctor.

Don't play dumb.

You work for the government all the time. I wanna know how to find him.

You want to get to him before he gets to you?

I heard you were on the outs.

You got 48 hours.

Move.

The music helps me study, I swear.

I saw Khalil today.

And he's walking again.

What?

Dad, the doctors said it wasn't possible.

Yeah, I know.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, I gotta find him and talk to him.

No. No, no, no.

No. You need to stay away.

From Khalil? Why?

He is not the same person.

Dad, look. I understand you're mad because of the way he treated me.

No, no, no. He looks different.

He acts different.

And I think he's gotten himself involved with...

With people who are looking for kids like you.

Why do you think that?

The medical technology he's gotten,

it's not easy to come by.

- Does it matter? - Yes. It matters.

Dad, I get what you're sayin', but Khalil wouldn't hurt me.

Okay, look. This is not just about Khalil.

It's about the decisions he's made

and the people he is possibly involved with.

Stay away.

I can't wait until Mom figures out how to fix me.

I'm sick of this powers' drama.

Your mother... what?

She's isolating this meta-gene so she can stop it.

I can finally be me again.

Khalil?

Are you trying to isolate Jennifer's meta-gene?

I've done some preliminary research to understand what's happening.

So you could suppress the mutation?

She's conflicted about her powers.

I don't see any reason not to explore all the options.

It's who she is!

Jeff, I'm not the enemy.

You're trying to change her

and treating her like she's sick.

Okay, so is Anissa sick?

Am I?

No. That's not what I...

I mean, how could you do this without talking to me?

You know, I think it's really good

that we didn't tell the girls that we're getting back together.

You know, I've been waiting about an hour...

thinking that you'd come home.

Girl, where've you been?

We've actually been staying someplace else.

Vermin.

Gross.

Well, look. I wanted you to be first...

to see that I'm finally walking again.

Oh, my God!

This is crazy.

I'm... I'm happy for you.

Look. I've been feelin' really bad

about the way things ended between us.

Yeah. Me, too.

J, I know it's not an excuse,

but when I couldn't walk or run no more, I didn't know who I was.

But look...

Cool, isn't it?

I mean... And look, I'm the first person to ever get this.

Wow.

- Really the first? - Yeah.

You know, it hurt like hell in the beginning.

I mean, it felt like my legs were, like, electrified.

You weren't scared?

Like, yeah. I mean, at the beginning.

I mean, I had doctors poking at me,

making all these scrunched up faces.

Hell, I didn't know if it was working or not. But...

But it worked.

It worked, man. It really did.

And the dreads, was this part of the deal?

Oh. Nah. Nah, they gave me some pills

uh, to help with the regeneration.

And, uh, it just made my hair grow really fast.

I figured I'd just do something new.

Well, um...

it looks very mature.

Um...

So, how'd they pick you for the procedure?

Uh...

Does that really matter?

Oh, I don't know.

It might.

Oh.

Okay.

I get it.

Now this is coming from your pops, huh?

Oh. No. Hey, Khalil.

Damn it, man.

J, I came here first to see if we could get back together

now that I got everything straight.

But all I'm getting is shade from you

about who did what and why.

Forget it.

You know what?

I'm better without your ass anyway.

Khalil.

O kay, look, why the hell would I wanna go back to Garfield High?

I know you got a lot of feelings about Garfield, but this is business,

and you need to put your feelings aside for the moment.

Our job is to catch Black Lightning.

Not kill him, catch him.

Okay, but why Garfield?

Think, Khalil.

What does Black Lightning do?

- Beats people's asses. - Hmm.

Whose asses?

Bad guys' asses.

Okay, and why?

To stop them...

To stop them from hurting people.

Exactly.

So danger at Garfield,

the crown jewel of Freeland, is like catnip.

You're gonna go in there and draw Black Lightning out. Got it?

Got it.

There's a part of you, I know, that wants his old life back.

I even heard you tried to get your old girlfriend back.

But you made a deal, son.

Legs for loyalty.

So, Garfield,

that girl...

They belong to the past now.

I want you to remember what they did to you.

Hold on to that anger, then go do what I need.

All right, yeah.

What was that?

Yes, sir.

Screw up...

and I'll rip that spinal implant out and shove it down your throat.

Would you buy drugs from him?

No.

Me either,

which means you can't put him on the corner,

which means you one man down.

No disrespect, Lala, but he should've kept his damn mouth shut.

Okay.

Maybe moving him to a less lucrative spot would have delivered the message.

I get to beat people up.

But when you do it,

it destroys the morale.

And it endangers loyalty.

And that's...

What?

The Devil deals the cards.

Endangers loyal what?

Hey, Lala, you all right?

Endangers loyalty, how?

Peter, it's Thomas. I've got what we discussed.

Use the door this time.

And when we're done, I'd like to never see you again.

Does the force of the closure indicate that you're ready for your exam?

No. That's just enough precalc.

I swear, I hate to sound like a cliche, but it's useless.

So tell me about this procedure you're developing.

Did you tell your father I was tryin' to fix you?

- Isn't that what you're tryin' to do? - No.

Because there's nothing wrong with you.

I just wanna understand what's happening and give you the options.

The procedures and the treatments I've been talking about,

they're all theory and hypothesis.

There's no telling how long it would take to develop them or even if they'd be safe.

Mom, you can stop frosting.

Could you please just cut me a piece?

'Cause all my options are horrible.

Okay.

So, our conversation earlier got me thinking.

These pods need a lot of electricity.

And if this isn't the first time the ASA's tried to move them,

we might be able to track the electrical spikes in the facilities

where they'd been and then left,

which means we might be able to find them.

So it turns out, Marcus Roberts,

who graduated at Garfield a year ahead of me, works at FGE.

I called him up, said I was into energy efficiency

and new economic development, and he...

Didn't he have a crush on you?

Dad! I did not flirt with him, okay?

Look, he's just interested in helping the community, guys.

Okay.

Anyway. So he found these up and down spikes

at various locations until about three years ago.

And then, nothing.

That coincides with the development of high-output mobile solar power.

Could be they realized that being on the grid was a vulnerability.

I got a call from Hidalgo. He must know Proctor's location.

I'll show you guys how to search the satellites for rooftop solar panels.

- Attention all units... - And then

- I'll go find that guy. - An unidentified male at Garfield High...

Wait, uh, turn that up.

All units in the vicinity, the facility is under assault.

This is a tactical operation, and SWAT is en route.

Do not attempt to enter the building. Repeat, do not.

Exams are starting.

Everyone will be in their classrooms. I need to go.

Black Lightning hasn't been totally cleared in Lady Eve's murder yet.

You'll still be a police target.

But I'm not gonna lay in the shadows and watch my students get attacked.

Anissa, if you want...

Gambi, tap into the cameras, see what you can find.

I never could stand your ass.

What're you doing, Khalil?

Hey, hey, stop! Stop.

- I'm just getting started. - This is not you.

This is not the Khalil I was friends with.

Please, you don't have to do this.

Jennifer, this is me.

And, yes, I do have to do this.

Now, look. I won't hurt her, but you need to get out of here.

Girl, did I stutter? I said go!

Come on, slow down. Let's go, let's go.

Exit the classroom. Slow down.

Come on. I know, I know. Just go.

Get these kids outta here.

- Hey. - That way.

- Wait. - Go.

I'm blind inside the school, but I'm working on it.

And SWAT's about five minutes from coming in.

We should split up.

Come on. Go, go, go.

Slow down.

Go.

Oh, yeah.

I thought you'd run off after I kicked your ass at the club.

It's gonna take more than a clown in a shiny suit to take me down.

Is that all you've got?

You think I'd come unprepared?

I've waited a long time for this.

Looks like he's wearing some kind of undersuit.

You gonna have to fight me like a man. Not a little lightning bug.

Don't do it, Jeff.

Tactically, hand-to-hand combat makes no sense.

Anissa, your dad needs your help. Get over there, quick.

Like I said,

I didn't come unprepared.

Zap the kid hard.

It'll short-out his implant. He'll be paralyzed again.

Look, Jeff, I know how you feel about the kid, but this is not the time.

SWAT's about to come in, the bullets are gonna start flying.

What was that?

What was that?

Now! Move. Now!

I'm not looking to go backwards.

I pray that's true.

'Cause I don't ever wanna see you like that again, ever.

What happened, Dad?

Jeff?

We took this super-negro out.

Oh, no!

He's dead, you idiot.

What about "alive" didn't you understand?

Not so hot, now, huh?

At least I can finally see who this clown is.

Go, go.

All right, come on, Dad. We gotta get up.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad. Dad, wake up.

No, Dad, wake up!

Dad, wake up.

Do something! Dad, wake up!

What was that?

It was Jennifer.

Whatever Jennifer did, tell her to do it again.

Hard.

Come on, Jen. One more time.

Shock him. Shock him one more time.

Oh, thank God.

You did it, Jen. He's back.

Anissa, take your dad through there to the back room.

Lynn, let me have your phone. Jen, you too.

- Watch out, watch out. - Listen.

There's a hammer under the sink in there

I want you to use it to smash these phones

and then run them under the water. Okay?

The ASA can track us through those phones.

Put him down gently.

Where are the medical supplies?

- They're in the closet. - Okay.

I'm gonna cloak this place against all surveillance, satellite, you name it.

We're safe inside the house for now. We just need to stay inside.

- All right, phones are toast. - All right, cool. What's next?

Just help me get your father out of this suit, right now.

Dead?

Some of the students heard someone say he was dead.

Another student claimed to have seen the other meta,

Thunder, carrying his body from the school.

Find Black Lightning's body.

Bring me Thunder, dead or alive.

I don't care if you have to burn down Freeland to do it.

This experiment...

cannot fail!

Latavious.

Now do you believe in the Resurrection?

I will blow your head off, you mother...

The Devil deals the cards.

Sit your ass down.

I really hate loose ends,

so I wanna thank you for taking care of the weapons maker.

You're welcome.

We killed Lady Eve to get a seat.

Now we just have to take care of Proctor and we'll own the whole damn table.

So, Latavious...

shall we begin?

Yes, sir.