Shocking! Black Lightning in the News

[Trini]

Jordan Calloway did some interviews to promote his episode;

 

TV Line:

Quote

Calloway says he’s excited for fans to see all the ways a Painkiller series would differ from Black Lightning, not just aesthetically but tonally and stylistically.

“It’s a completely different tone from Black Lightning, which is what made me extremely excited about it too,” he says. “We’re showcasing other cultures and other types of people, which I think is a blast. It feels good to showcase that for other audience members and to be that draw for them as well. In the pilot, Philky tells Khalil he’s not an Asian tech sidekick and that was right on time. But the ladies will also love seeing Asian Bae. Even my sister was like, ‘Slip me his number.’ And I was like, ‘You’re married. What is going on?'”

 

Shadow and Act:

Quote

Calloway also delved into his character on the show and his experience with balancing two polarizing personalities on set that both capture Khalil's sincere outlook and Painkiller's gruesome attitude. "It's really fun being able to play two sides. Part of that has to do with the fact that neither one of them are completely right or wrong," he shares. "Both of them view each other as one in the same, and eventually in their journey they're going to have to realize that 'I do need you for certain things,' and it's okay to ask for help."

In terms of why a spinoff like this is needed, Calloway believes it does more than speak about his fictional character. To him, the series also calls attention to issues within the Black community that require more awareness like mental health. "I love [playing Painkiller] because it's challenging but also because [my character] continues to speak to me in just my daily life, my decisions, what I do, and wanting to be a man of integrity. It's one of those things that, especially as young Black men, I definitely want them to have this and see this [series]. Given all your faults it's [still] not done – you still have a whole lot of life to live."

 

EW:

Quote

How did [Black Lightning showrunner] Salim Akil pitch the spin-off to you?

JORDAN CALLOWAY: He didn't really pitch it. He said, "Hey man, you going to work." Okay. Maybe it wasn't something like that. Maybe there was a little bit more finesse to it. He called me during 2020 during the whole lockdown. I was building a deck and he simply told me, "Hey man, so I pitched the idea to a Warner Bros. and they got behind it. And so yeah, we're going to go ahead and do a backdoor pilot for a possible spin-off." I was a little speechless. It's one of those things that just hits you out of nowhere. I honestly have to say this now that I'm thinking about it: I'm so grateful it came the way it did, because for me it makes me feel as if it was my work preceding me that provided this opportunity, along with God obviously. But it's my work that preceded me and that's what I'm all about.

Quote

I would also say that, it's dealing with different characters [who are also] technically damaged goods. You have that with Philky and you have that with Cousin Donald and those two are my family, but that's a brotherhood. So, that's what we're also seeing as well is a brotherhood in "Painkiller" as well. So you're dealing with different characters that are all coming from some sort of troubled past that all have to deal with their own [baggage] and get over it and not just get over it, but have one another's back in order to get through this process.

DC TV Podcasts:

Quote

“When I was talking with Salim [Akil, Black Lightning and Painkiller showrunner/director], and he told me it was like Afro-punk meets sort of Ghost in the Shell, because I’m also an anime nerd, too. You know, Jay Vetter, our production designer, I saw some of the pictures that they had for creating, just to be able to get into the world because they did a lot of that. They built this whole world off of green screens that we have on the stages. So being able to get that visual in my head and being able to see that thing. I immediately jumped back to when I was a little kid sitting on my dad’s lap, and immediately what comes to mind is Blade Runner, right? So you’re looking at all of it, you’re seeing the beautiful neon lights, you’re getting the feel of the griminess of the streets, but also that’s the futuristic aspect of it. But then you have Salim throw his touch on it with the Afro-centric vibe as well, which I was so excited about to find because I only saw the trailer. I haven’t seen the whole episode yet. So I’m still waiting in suspense.”

 

[Trini]

Last episode filming 😞 :

 

 

 

[Trini]

I find it really odd that CW/WB/Berlanti prod. are promoting the *potential* spinoff but can't promote Black Lightning itself for its final season.

Painkiller promo with Jordan Calloway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJQWFKrhqp4

[Primal Slayer]

36 minutes ago, Trini said:

I find it really odd that CW/WB/Berlanti prod. are promoting the *potential* spinoff but can't promote Black Lightning itself for its final season.

Painkiller promo with Jordan Calloway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJQWFKrhqp4

The treatment of BL this season has been atrocious. 

[Trini]

*gasp* - An actual new promo:

 

[Trini]

At DC: 'How Black Lightning Brings Positive Masculinity to Primetime TV'

Quote

What is positive masculinity and how does it differ from toxic masculinity? If you need an example, then look no further than Cress Williams’ portrayal of Jefferson Pierce on The CW’s Black Lightning. Jefferson is a great example of what happens when a man uses their power to improve their community.

For starters Jefferson Pierce is a hero, and I’m not just talking about when he fights crime as Black Lightning. As principal of Garfield High, Jefferson Pierce uses his position to advocate for at risk children. The pilot episode of Black Lightning states that Garfield High has a graduation rate of over 90 percent and that there had been no violent incidents at the school for seven years. That’s strong leadership and throughout the series we see it in action.

 

[DanaK]

Season finale May 24 according to TVLine

[Trini]

TV Line got some quotes from Christine Adams about the Lynn's jail scenes from the last episode; excerpt:

Quote

“Every day in America, particularly these last two weeks, have forced us to find a whole new set of words to explain the insanity of systemic racism,” she adds. “And the phrase ‘Black trauma porn’ has emerged a lot. It’s bubbled up because Black people are so tired of seeing themselves being beaten, denigrated and assaulted, and so I actually understand why people were triggered by it.”

But, the London native adds, Black Lightning has always fearlessly addressed topical issues affecting the Black community, and this includes police brutality.

<...>

“It would be wrong for us at this juncture, even though everything in the outside world is absolutely crazy, to suddenly censor what we do because that’s not what we’ve done,” Adams continues. “We have stayed true and honest, and there’s a reason that scene was so graphic and hard to watch and raw and we all agreed that it needed to be that way.

“I think it was necessary,” she elaborates. “We don’t have to look for storylines at all because these kinds of things happen and they keep happening. To have a show with a Black family and not explore that would be a disservice.”

 

[Primal Slayer]

2 hours ago, Trini said:

TV Line got some quotes from Christine Adams about the Lynn's jail scenes from the last episode; excerpt:

 

Wow took majority of the season before some type of interview was given by someone on the cast. We got a recast.....silence. Thunder gets a new outfit...silence. It's the last season...silence.

[Trini]

1 hour ago, Primal Slayer said:

Wow took majority of the season before some type of interview was given by someone on the cast. We got a recast.....silence. Thunder gets a new outfit...silence. It's the last season...silence.

They had Jordan promoting his backdoor pilot; but yeah. No statements about them recasting a series regular in the middle of the season is especially confusing.

[Trini]

A couple of things, though:

Jordan and Krondon in the Superhero Day promo:

 

And another interview with Jordan Calloway at Girls United: 'Jordan Calloway Talks ‘Painkiller,’ Proverbs and Representation'

Quote

“The thing that I think works well with Khalil and the audience tracking is that you’re seeing his continual journey,” he said. “You’re seeing this odyssey, if you will, that he’s gone on with the elements outside of the world but also him dealing with his own internal issues, which now has come to a physical manifestation in Painkiller.”

By delving into Khalil’s mental health, Black Lightning addresses the vulnerability of Black men and boys head-on. “If you remove the pillars of the foundation that helped build somebody or built this young man, then he’s now susceptible to so much influence,” Calloway said. Khalil slowly loses all of the people that mean the most to him, which leaves him with lots of fear and trauma to unpack.

 

[Trini]

Wow, an actual final season promo:

 

[Trini]

I personally feel this entire series of videos is kind of cringe-y, but just wanted to acknowledge CW did one for Black Lightning:

 

[Trini]

Some quotes from Krondon at EW, about Tobias:

Quote

"I don't want to give away too much, but I will say Khalil has just as much revenge in his spirit for Tobias as Jefferson does at the this point. Tobias has kind of made a real enemy of everyone, really, especially the poor people [in Freeland]. So it's going to be very interesting to see who's going to get Tobias in the end." says Jones. "I don't think [any] viewer would be disappointed in how we're wrapping this up."

In fact, Jones himself is very pleased with how Tobias' journey ends in the series finale. "I was very satisfied," he says. "It's funny that I'm saying that because I've been going back and forth for the last six months on how this could end. I am satisfied and happy with the conclusion."

 

[Trini]

Finale promo:

 

[Primal Slayer]

Of course could mean nothing but looks like CW has created a placeholder Twitter account for Painkiller

[Trini]

Comments on the finale from showrunner Salim Akil at TVLine:

Quote

“It was fun to shoot,” Akil tells TVLine of the finale, which he directed and EP Charles Holland penned. “Black Lightning has been such a blessing for me to be able to tell stories that I want to tell and to allow others to tell stories they want to tell.”

Without giving too much away, Akil teases a series closer that welcomes back some characters and waves goodbye to others. It’s also a chance to restore justice to Freeland by opening a boxing ring of sorts for baddies such as Tobias (played by Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) to battle Black Lightning, if he’s still alive, or maybe even Painkiller.

 

[Trini]

The show's PR sent out some gift packages:

 

 

 

[Trini]

Cress Williams interview with Blerds N The Hood:

Quote

On the heels of the finale to the superhero drama, BLACK LIGHTNING on The CW, the resident super villain, Jay Washington and the swaggy blerd, Winston A. Marshall are honored to sit and chat with Black Lightning aka Jefferson Pierce himself, Cress Williams.

Join Cress as he talks with Jay and Winston about the impact the show has had on black culture as a whole as well as himself. The portrayal of black fatherhood and his personal connection to it as well as addressing the topic of mental health and therapy within the black community. They also go into roles in which Cress would like to step into in the future and much more.

 

 

[Trini]

A few 'goodbye' and finale tweets from the cast and crew:

 

 

Nafessa's more into instagram:

 

Akil did posts for most of the cast... except Cress. (I'm not posting all of them, but they're on Salim Akil's twitter and Instagram accounts.)

 

 

[Primal Slayer]

1 hour ago, Trini said:

The show's PR sent out some gift packages:

 

 

 

They havea PR person? What they been doing all season? Nice of them to promote Nafessas Yfear though.

[DanaK]

Why did Black Lightning get canceled after only 4 seasons? Was it ratings (which isn't a big factor with the CW) or something else?

[Trini]

Post-finale interview with Cress Williams at EW:

Quote

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The final season put Jefferson through the wringer. How did it feel to take Jefferson to such a dark place this season?

CRESS WILLIAMS: The biggest thing is that it just felt appropriate, you know? When we started the season, we didn't know for sure that it was our last season. So I was just happy that we didn't gloss over [Henderson's death] because I thought that was a huge thing for Jefferson. Then you know, by the time we got to the kind of new Jennifer, I think we knew that it was our last season. And so I knew that we were just going to go through some things and that we were going to end big. But yeah, I just felt like it's a fitting end.

Quote

Looking back on the past four seasons, what do you think you'll take away from this show and miss the most?

The biggest takeaway I think will be this is now a part of history. And I think one of the things I'm most proud of is that there's now a mainstream — or at least, there's more than one now, but Black Lightning definitely contributes to that — Black superhero that's now part of the pantheon. I'm most proud of that. ...

A few quotes from Salim Akil about crossovers that didn't happen, also at EW:

Quote

"In our minds, it seemed like the Flash and Black Lightning had really connected [in 'Crisis'] and we certainly wanted to have something with the Flash," Akil told EW in a recent interview about the series finale. "We also thought it would be interesting to, in some way, have Flash and his wife, Iris [Candice Patton], come to dinner and Barry reveals he was raised by a Black family. To finally see some of that come out, we wanted to have someone say like, 'Hey, Barry, go put on some music,' and Barry puts on some of the deepest soul you can find and they think, 'Oh, maybe he's trying to impress us.' So fun things like that and then we [would find] out some deeper things about who he really is. Of course, crime-fighting and that sort of thing."

Beyond that, Akil also saw some possibilities with Batwoman too. "We even thought about Thunder and Grace having a crossover with Batwoman," he said. "We thought that could be interesting. At that time, we really throwing out a lot of stuff."

It's really disappointing these didn't happen; but I hope we can see a few Black Lightning characters show up in the other shows next season.

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

Salim Akil interview at Deadline:

Quote

DEADLINE: How did you arrive at your ending for Black Lightning?

SALIM AKIL: It was a combination of events, I think. With Covid and the rules and regulations around that, we had written about 11 scripts, and then had to go back and rewrite them for several reasons. So, we found ourselves in a beautiful creative space, and we actually found the ending. We had one ending set up, but we had to find another one. But I’m pretty pleased with the ending that we have.

DEADLINE: Did the pandemic inform the decision to end the show at Season 4? Or did it simply shape the way you told stories this season?

AKIL: No, I think it was [already] going to end at Season 4. But of course, actor availability, stunt availability—it was always in flux because of Covid.

DEADLINE: You mentioned weighing multiple endings for the show. Could you elaborate on the differences between them?

AKIL: Well, it would be a different seasonal arc without Covid, and of course we had a cast member [China Anne McClain] exit, so it would have been a different, more family-oriented arc. We wanted to deal with trauma in the Black community, and how people deal with trauma in certain communities. I think we still managed to do that, but we had to sort of readjust the approach, and it’s a very subtle thing. But subtle things in writing and television series sometimes can be like an earthquake.

 

[Trini]

BTS photo:

 

[falltime]

Anyone know when S4 will be on Netflix? I thought it would be there by now, like previous years.

[Trini]

DCTV Pride Profile: Thunder:

Quote

Is there a moment from Thunder’s appearances in comics that inspired an aspect of your character?

I remember reading the comics and seeing Thunder’s hair. It was just very natural and authentic to how Black women wear their hair. Salim Akil and I were always on the same page as to wanting to make sure that Thunder represented how Black girls really wear their hair, so it’s been fun going through Thunder’s hair journey on the show! And I get really cool feedback from Black women who see themselves in her—who see their hairstyle, their personality and their attitude.

Do you find you identify with Anissa Pierce in some ways?

She really doesn’t take no for an answer and I have that in me. When I want to do something and I have my mind set on it, nothing or no one can really deter me from getting it done. That determination, that drive that Thunder has, is a quality that I have within myself. Another thing is—I’m an older sister! And China McClain and I had an instant connection. Our chemistry has been really, really beautiful. I knew what that overprotective-big-sister energy was like, so Thunder and I also share that in common as well. It was pretty effortless to step into that space.

 

 

On 6/2/2021 at 2:19 PM, falltime said:

Anyone know when S4 will be on Netflix? I thought it would be there by now, like previous years.

It's on there now.

[Trini]

Happy birthday, Cress!

https://twitter.com/blacklightning/status/1419674148503236613

 

[Trini]

Cress Williams will suit up as Black Lightning again on The Flash.

[tv echo]

Cress Williams has apparently

Spoiler

wrapped filming his part in the Flash's "Armageddon" crossover...

 

Edited September 12, 2021 by tv echo

[Trini]

Funko Pop figures for the show!

 

[Trini]

Black Lightning and the Flash meet again in The Flash Season 8 trailer:

 

[Trini]

Black Lightning on the Armageddon poster:

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Trini
changed link

[Trini]

Some of the episode listings are out, and Cress/Black Lightning will be in at least two of the 'Armageddon' episodes of The Flash; episodes 8.02 (Nov. 23), and 8.03 (Nov. 30).

[Trini]

There are a few promo photos of Jefferson/Black Lightning for episode 2 of 'Armageddon', airing this coming Tuesday: https://flashtvnews.com/flash-armageddon-part-2-photos-are-coming-in/45437

[Trini]

Jefferson was only in one very short scene in The Flash 8.02, it looks like most of his scenes will be in the next episode.

 

 

[Trini]

Some promo photos of Jefferson/Black Lightning in Part 3 of 'Armageddon' here: https://flashtvnews.com/flash-armageddon-part-3-photos-released/45494

And he's in the episode promo:

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

So Jefferson had a significant role in the A-plot in Part 3 with Barry/The Flash. He got to mention a few things/people from his own show; and had a few actions scenes also.

 

 

[Trini]

TV Line's Performer of the Week:

Quote

HONORABLE MENTION | When Cress Williams was announced as part of The Flash‘s “Armageddon” event, we looked forward to a reunion of electrified superfriends. What we didn’t count on was one of Williams’ best performances as Jefferson Pierce. As Barry begged his ally to power him down, we felt the conflict within Jefferson. And when Jefferson related how “best friend, brother” Bill Henderson gave his life so that the Pierces wouldn’t lose their patriarch, wow, that Black Lightning death rocked us anew. Then, when it became clear Barry downplayed the Despero of it all? Williams showed us how irked Jefferson was, lightly growling, “You’re keeping something important from me. I suggest you remedy that.” Triggered, Barry fought his friend, but Jefferson managed to calm the speedster with a mantra from his own childhood: “Whose life is this? Mine. What are you gonna do with it? Live it by any means necessary.” With that, Barry was motivated to solve his future, not abort it.

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

Short clip of Cress/Jefferson in 'Armageddon':

 

[Trini]

At io9: 'The Fictional Characters and TV Shows We Lost in 2021'

Quote

Black Lightning

Unlike many of the CW’s superhero shows set in its shared Arrowverse which have spent a fair amount of time following their titular heroes in the awkward, exploratory phases of their lives as vigilantes, Black Lighting and its take on Jefferson Pierce hit the ground running with a self-assured, distinct voice that was all its own. Black Lightning used the curious distance the CW kept between it and its other DC cape shows to its advantage—committing ample time to giving nuance and complexity to the inner lives of its characters, and building out a wider world outside of Freeland, the city where its heroes were based. Rather than treating race, police brutality, and the criminal justice system as things only meant to be touched upon in Very Special Episodes, Black Lightning treated those topics as important elements of reality necessary to tell a compelling story about people who dress up to fight crime.

 

[Trini]

 

[Trini]

The TV show version is mentioned in this profile of the Pierce family at DC: 'House of Heroes: Meet the Pierce Family'

Quote

DC’s celebration of Black History Month continues, and today we’re going to spotlight one of my favorite families in the DC Universe—the Pierces. They’re more than a dynasty of superheroes, they are a family filled with accomplished individuals who have broken barriers, survived adversity and led inspiring lives. Jefferson Pierce, his ex-wife Lynn, and their daughters Anissa and Jennifer may not be a traditional family unit, but their legacy in the DC Universe is extraordinary.

 

[Trini]

This profile is from February 2021, but it wasn't shared here before; at Teen Vogue: 'China Anne McClain Unpacks "Black Lightning" End, Loss, and Finding Herself'

There's a little bit about her leaving the show:

Quote

... She shares that one of the most ultimate tests of her faith came when God told her it was time to step away from Black Lightning just before shooting what is now its fourth and final season. China says she got the message before anyone knew the show was going into its last season. Shortly after she made peace with trusting the divine revelation that it was time to leave, it was announced that Black Lightning was ending as we know it, giving way to spinoffs featuring certain characters.

“It was time for me to go and focus on some of these other projects that have been in my back pocket for a long time, but I've always focused on other people's projects first — things that I was cast in, but things that didn't belong to me,” she says. ...

Quote

... But in case anyone is wondering — particularly after an Instagram video she posted explaining her thoughts on the show ending — China’s time on Black Lightning has been a positive experience. She names Nafessa Williams, who plays Thunder, her stunt double, Cassie, and Chantal Thuy, who plays Grace Choi, in addition to the crew as entities she will miss the most. ...