S02.E15: The Book of the Apocalypse, Chapter One: The Alpha

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Lynn counsels former pod kid, Wendy, in how to live in a world that's new to her but the fate of the other pod kids remains in doubt. Meanwhile, Anissa figures out Grace's secret. Lastly, Jefferson tries to install a superhero code for his metahuman offspring, but Jennifer insists on taking revenge on Tobias for her boyfriend's death.

Airing Monday, March 11, 2019

[Trini]

52 minutes ago, saoirse said:

her boyfriend's death.

Wow. Khalil wasn't my favorite character, but at least he had a name! They really need to replace whoever is in charge of writing and releasing the synopses for this show; it's really been terrible this season.

[Lantern7]

ORANGE LIGHTNING TO THE RESCUE! Or maybe Jenn will get sponsored and call herself "Sunny D."

Next week is the finale? Cool. I like the show, but I figure Legends of Tomorrow will feel better for me than Tobias slamming my head into an anvil every episode.

Anyone else notice one of Gambi's screens said "Freeland, GA"? Os is that not new information?

[Trini]

Okay, so more background on Resurrection Guy (is there an official name for him yet?), but still a weird character to introduce at the end of the season. Anyway, this tells me that they can kill and bring back LaLa whenever they want. (Whenever the actor is available.) ... Even though that's pretty ridiculous - even for this comic book show.

So now Anissa knows about Grace -- but will we even see her again? There's only one more episode. And did Gambi suggest that she might be an animal? Or part animal?

Jen, I like you, and I get that your a stupid teen, but please listen to your father who has been in this superhero business for a while now. Or if your not going to him, at least be smarter about breaking the rules!

Lynn got a small win with Wendy in this one; but I'm sure that won't last.

I guess Cape Guy was there to remind us that there's still some Green Light 'kids' out there?

I don't know, Tobias. Metahuman trafficking seems more trouble than it's worth.

There are just so many loose threads; I know a bunch of stuff won't get resolved in the finale next week. And then they're probably going to start some new arcs for next season. (What happened to that teleporting guy we saw 6 episodes ago?)

[PhoneCop]

Current me: Hey, 12YO me, in 35 years there'll be such a glut of superheroes on TV and film that a Black Lightning show will actually go so far as to include Looker and the Masters of Disaster. Except Looker will be evil and racist, and Heatstroke will be randomly gender-flipped for no apparent reason.

12YO me: WTF? Think I'll stay here in the '80s, TYVM.

This season's been so very weird. As much as the central throughline is still fairly strong, I feel like all these odd sideplots like Lala's return and the Perdi have been jumping in and out of the bushes with no real sense of pacing or order, and...well, I still adore the cast and don't feel the wheels have come off the show like they have with Riverdale. But man, I hope Season 3 is more like Season 1.

[thuganomics85]

Ah, family dinner nights that end with dad having to tell his daughters not to go off and start killing people with their powers.  Such a relatable topic!  Who hasn't been there before, am I right, guys?!

The way Gambi gets excited any time he gets to work on the outfits is delightful.  Or it could be just James Remar being happy he doesn't have to keep looking at computer monitors like he normally does!

Anissa puts the pieces together and figures out Grace is actually the shape-shifter.  I wonder what she'll do now?

Lynn getting Odell to "back down" probably means he has something even worse in store.  Way to keep making things creepy, Bill Duke!

Jen going off half-cocked was so predictable.

Can't believe Tobias has gotten himself into some kind of bizarre love triangle with Cutter and Jace.  That's a whole lot of crazy going on there!

As glad as I am that Lala is back, it does feel weird this all happening right when the season is about the end.  Hopefully that means he'll be sticking around next season.

[AnimeMania]

39 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

The way Gambi gets excited any time he gets to work on the outfits is delightful.  Or it could be just James Remar being happy he doesn't have to keep looking at computer monitors like he normally does!

Well Gambi is a tailor, these are probably the only suits he has made since he opened up his tailor shop 20+ years ago in Freeland. 

[Trini]

9 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Can't believe Tobias has gotten himself into some kind of bizarre love triangle with Cutter and Jace.  That's a whole lot of crazy going on there!

Well Tobias is just so awful (not necessarily bad since he's The Villain) I get dry heaves just thinking of him being with anyone. And then I don't know why Jace even tried it, she knows he's only keeping her around for her metahuman knowledge.

[possibilities]

On 3/12/2019 at 2:55 AM, PhoneCop said:

This season's been so very weird. As much as the central throughline is still fairly strong, I feel like all these odd sideplots like Lala's return and the Perdi have been jumping in and out of the bushes with no real sense of pacing or order, and...well, I still adore the cast and don't feel the wheels have come off the show like they have with Riverdale. But man, I hope Season 3 is more like Season 1.

I agree. I feel like they don't really have any kind of plan here. It's very badly paced, and I'm actually bored most of the time. Season 1 was exciting, thoughtful, and interesting. Lately the show is just kind of random and chaotic, and not in a stimulating way.

[rab01]

It feels like there was a plan for the first season but not much of one for this season.  I still like the show but it's being carried by the acting along with the fight choreography and music cues.

I hope that next season can get back some of the interactions with ordinary people - the danger in the first episode came from Jefferson being in a traffic stop and Jen going to a gang-run club - situations that felt like they had real peril.   This last episode I can't think of anyone they spoke with who wasn't powered or part of some conspiracy so I wasn't really worried for anybody's safety.

Also I have a pet peeve -- Can the villains please stop killing their competent underlings?  Agent-guy killing a roomful of useful surveillance people; Tobias killing his computer hacker, etc.  Have the villains go back to threatening and killing innocent people so I can be scared of them again.

[ketose]

On 3/15/2019 at 1:06 PM, rab01 said:

It feels like there was a plan for the first season but not much of one for this season.  I still like the show but it's being carried by the acting along with the fight choreography and music cues.

I hope that next season can get back some of the interactions with ordinary people - the danger in the first episode came from Jefferson being in a traffic stop and Jen going to a gang-run club - situations that felt like they had real peril.   This last episode I can't think of anyone they spoke with who wasn't powered or part of some conspiracy so I wasn't really worried for anybody's safety.

Also I have a pet peeve -- Can the villains please stop killing their competent underlings?  Agent-guy killing a roomful of useful surveillance people; Tobias killing his computer hacker, etc.  Have the villains go back to threatening and killing innocent people so I can be scared of them again.

I bet those surveillance people saw some footage of the Pierce family revealing Black Lightning's identity and though "Oh, shit, we're dead."

When Jace tells Tobias she's smarter than he is, but he has a better instinct for self-preservation, I'd say he has better access to luck. How does Lala not shoot Cutter at that range? Why didn't Jen blow up the car before it took off?

[rab01]

On 3/16/2019 at 6:42 PM, ketose said:

I bet those surveillance people saw some footage of the Pierce family revealing Black Lightning's identity and though "Oh, shit, we're dead."

When Jace tells Tobias she's smarter than he is, but he has a better instinct for self-preservation, I'd say he has better access to luck. How does Lala not shoot Cutter at that range? Why didn't Jen blow up the car before it took off?

They work for a secret spy agency.  Keeping the Pierces' secrets probably doesn't rate in the top-10 of shady stuff they had been keeping quiet in their careers up till now.  Also, the ASA may want to keep it secret so they can blackmail the Pierces but I don't think that option is really mission critical for the ASA.  You are absolutely right within the framework of the show but it still doesn't make any freaking sense to me.  (Just like I didn't understand and couldn't accept the same scene in Suicide Squad.)

As for your questions, Tobias' plot-armor is darn near impenetrable.  Sigh. I think Tobias is a decent enough villain but the lady he killed in Season 1 was such a better one.

[Trini]

You're right. Good minions are hard to find!

[tennisgurl]

Oh yeah, that family dinner when dad has to go through the rules about using your superpowers. Oh the memories! 

Jenn the Orange Avenger goes off half cocked and it goes badly. Yeah, not that surprising. She is an angsty teen with superpowers and her boyfriend was just murdered. Thats going to pretty much be how it goes. 

Gambi is so excited about making suites! And they said going undercover as a tailor was a silly idea!

What is with the pacing this season? All of the plots seems so random, and I feel like we have gone through about forty different things, with a million weird little diversions like the Perdi and the redneck stuff. Just...what?

Edited March 21, 2019 by tennisgurl

[jhlipton]

On 3/16/2019 at 3:42 PM, ketose said:

How does Lala not shoot Cutter at that range?

Especially since it looks like he shot her in the back and she went down.  I expected the next thing to be a "POW! POW!" and that would be the end of her.  Talk about THICK Plot Armor!!!