Black Lightning | Season 2 | Episode 6 : “The Perdi”
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KBear Recap [Read time: 5-7 min]
“You didn’t help us. You made us slaves.” Jake
A group of scraggly looking white men meet with their boss, a freaky looking woman named Looker (Sofia Vassilieva). She reminds them that they were drug-addicted losers until she gave them the element and made them strong. One of her men, Jake (Cabot Basden) tells her, “You didn’t help us. You made us slaves.” Putting her long nails over his face, she begins pulling the silver substance out of him. He shrivels up and dies.
Peter Gambi (James Remar) [He’s Alive!!] tortures a man who was sent to kill him. He has chopped off two of the man’s digits in front of his family, two little dogs. Gambi asks him who paid him for the hit. The man doesn’t know, his employer contacted him online and paid him in Bitcoins. Gambi shoots the man and says to the dogs, “Sorry ladies.”
Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning (Cress Williams) walks in and sees Lynn (Christine Adams) sitting in the dark crying. She tells him how Dr. Jace tricked her into trying out a procedure that ended up killing fourteen of the pod kids. Jefferson holds her as she continues to cry.
“You can tell Tobias to keep his money and kiss my holy ass!” Rev. Jeremiah Holt
Councilman Kwame Parker (Eric Lynch) is at the Freeland United Methodist Church presenting an offer to Rev. Jeremiah Holt (Clifton Powell) for the free clinic. To the councilman’s surprise, Rev. Holt knows that the offer comes from Tobias Whale (Marvin ‘Krondon’ Jones III). The community knew that Tobias was running the 100 and that he ordered the hit on him. Rev. Holt: “I don’t know what he’s got on you young brother, but I am gonna pray for you because you’re gonna need all the help you can get messing with Tobias.” He gives Councilman Parker one more thing to tell his boss, “You can tell Tobias to keep his money and kiss my holy ass!” Councilman Parker reports his failure to acquire the free clinic. He advises Tobias to move on. He isn’t interested in the advice, he wants the free clinic building, he’s had someone buy up the rest of the neighborhood, but he still doesn’t have the free clinic. Tobias orders Khalil Payne/Painkiller (Jordan Calloway) to kill Rev. Holt. Khalil tries to talk him out of it. Tobias tells him to kill him and some of the congregation if he has too. Khalil tells him that his mother attends the church. Tobias lets it slip that he was the one who tried to have Rev. Holt killed at the march. Khalil realizes Tobias was the cause of his paralysis. Tobias: “Bottom line I don’t care how you kill his ass, just get it done.”
Lynn is at the Garfield High auditorium to inform the families of the pod kids that fourteen of them died. The families ask who died, but Lynn is unable to tell them. The families understandably don’t take it well. One father Terrence Long (Nakia Dillard) who pleaded with Lynn to tell him if his daughter is alive gets mad when Lynn says they can speak to some councilors. Mr. Long: “I don’t want no white people telling me nothin’ about my daughter. I’m asking you….sister.” The families start rushing to Lynn and Jefferson and some ASA agents get her out of the room. Jefferson wants to take her home but Lynn has some more work to do.
Gambi washes his face while the news is on reporting about a revolt in an African country. It causes Gambi to have a flashback to the night of the attack. Gambi had a trap door in his car, which he slid out of. He used a remote to blowup his car.
Anissa/Thunder (Nafessa Williams) drives back to South Freeland. She turns on her tracker so that Jefferson can find her. Gambi picks up the signal. Black people with shotguns surround her when she gets out of her car. More armed people arrive; Anissa tells them she is looking for Anaya (Birgundi Baker). They take her to a deaf and mute man (Warren Snipe) and his wife and interrupter Batina (Charmin Lee). They turn out to be Anaya’s parents. Anissa tells them that she treated Anaya at the clinic and that their daughter is in danger. Anaya walks out. Anissa informs her that Deacon is dead. Anaya becomes hysterical and goes into labor.
While Lynn drives alone alone, Terrence Long rams her from behind. He gets out of his car and begs her for some information about his daughter. Jennifer (China Anne McClain) sits in her favorite spot with Khalil. He is quiet so she asks him what is wrong. He tells her that Tobias was behind the incident that got him shot and that he now wants him to kill Rev. Holt. Jennifer asks him why he is still working for Tobias. Khalil replies that he doesn’t have anywhere else to go. Jennifer: “I’m sorry you have to deal with all this alone. Hey, we’ll figure it out.” Khalil: “Yo, why you even giving me the time of day?” Jennifer: “This whole Painkiller thing is not you. We’ve all been through a lot. Plus, I don’t want you to make any more mistakes cause you made some bad decisions this year. Like, really bad.” Looking at her tenderly, Khalil responds, “I also made some good ones.” He kisses her hand.
Anissa is delivering the baby. She delivers a healthy black baby. Batina takes the baby to her husband. Anaya’s contractions continue; she is having twins. Jefferson is in the Black Lightning secret headquarters in Gambi’s shop. He sees Anissa’s signal. He checks the display case and sees that her Thunder suit is still there. He wonders what Anissa is doing now. There is trouble with the second delivery because of a breach. Anissa delivers a healthy white baby this time. Batina looks troubled this time. Anaya can see her mother’s displeasure. When her father sees the white baby, he becomes upset. Batina turns to a young brother named Joshua (DJ McCall) and he walks away in disgust. Batina follows him outside. Batina: “Joshua. What did you do? Did you kill Deacon?” Joshua: “She chose his pale ass over me.” Batina: “You just started a war.”
“I could never let half of those kids die, even if I knew it would save the other half. When I look at them all I see is you and Anissa….Every single life mattered, everyone.” Lynn Pierce
Jennifer walks back into the house and sees Lynn drinking. She jokily asks if that is apple juice and Lynn tells her she isn’t in the mood for her smart mouth. Lynn tells her that everyone thinks she is a government sellout. Jennifer tells her that everyone at school thought she was a sellout and called her the Queen of Garfield. She knew she wasn’t, and she didn’t let it bother her. Lynn should do the same. Jennifer can’t leave it at that though. She has to continue. Jennifer: “Okay, if we’re being honest, it wasn’t your fault those kids died. But technically, as the person in charge of the facility, it was your responsibility to keep them safe. So once again, even though it was not your fault that they died, they kinda were your responsibility. You get what I’m saying?” Lynn: “Wow …” [Lynn gets up to leave] Lynn: “Thank you for your honesty.” Jennifer later finds her mother hugging the porcelain throne. Jennifer gets a wet washcloth to wipe her mother’s brow. Lynn sadly says, “I could never let half of those kids die, even if I knew it would save the other half. When I look at them all I see is you and Anissa….Every single life mattered, everyone.”
Rev. Holt gets out of his car and Khalil sneaks up behind him. He grabs the good reverend and orders him to leave Freeland. Holt tells Khalil that he thinks he’s a gangster now and that he knew his mother when she was pregnant with him. Khalil begins to choke Rev. Holt but stops himself. Rev. Holt tells Khalil he is walking down the wrong path. Khalil: “It’s too late for me.” Rev. Holt: “It’s never too late. Not for Jesus. God will forgive you Khalil. You know he will.”
Tobias sits in his lair; Khalil walks in and tells him he didn’t kill Rev. Holt because too many people were around. Tobias gets up from his chair and tells Khalil about the military using tactical and social cohesion. He feels like he has failed Khalil and he is going to teach him a lesson so that Khalil won’t fail him again. Khalil knows that Tobias plans to administer a beating but he’s ready for him. Khalil: “I’ve been waiting to beat your pasty ass.” The two men begin to fight but eventually Tobias overpowers the younger man and slams him against his expensive fish tank. Tobias: “You will kill Rev. Holt and your mama or I’m going to kill you.” As the fish tank breaks and spills water all over Khalil and his floor, Tobias sneers, “You broke my damn fish tank.”
Anissa talks to Anaya while she holds one of her babies. Anaya explains the situation in South Freeland. The Sange are the white folks in South Freeland. The black folks called the Perdi live in the woods. It’s been that way since after the civil war and the two groups remain separate. The silver element comes from Looker, who appeared in the community 30 years ago. The element makes them stronger and faster than normal humans. The Sange run guns, while the Perdi are farmers who grow organic food and a little weed. Her father hates white people, especially the Sange. The worst thing she could do in her father’s eyes is have children with a Sange. Anaya thinks Looker will come after the babies. Anissa leaves to talk to Anaya’s parents. Anissa: “I know you’re in your feelings right now.” She doesn’t care because Anaya and the babies need to be taken somewhere safe now. Batina interpreting for her husband: “Why do you care what happens to this family?” Anissa: “Because I was raised that way.” Unbeknownst to them, the Sange are hiding in the woods.
“Well, no, I wouldn’t say just like me, but, yeah. Wow. Sounds like I may not be the only vaccine kid out and about.” Jefferson Pierce
The parents gather the rest of the Perdi to help them take the babies to Freeland. They split up into two groups, with each group with a baby. The Sange have them surrounded and are ready to attack. Black Lightning drops in to the party. Gambi sees this on a monitor and sends a drone to assist them. Looker is back in her home using one of the Sange to coordinate the fight and know what is happening. [I guess] The Sange are quick, but Black Lightning and Thunder are taking care of business. Gambi’s drone is firing upon the Sange, until one of the Sange takes it out. Anissa finds out that Anaya is safe with the white baby, but her parents and the black baby aren’t with her group.
Anissa contacts Jefferson that Anaya’s parents and the other baby is missing. Jefferson is trying to track them but finds a lot of dead Perdi and Sange. Jefferson: “There’s something here. A silver liquid. It’s moving on its own.” Anissa: “I think it’s from Looker.” Jefferson: “Wait, what is that?” Anissa: “This woman, Dad, the babies’ mother told me about. Now, Anaya says that this silver liquid is like a part of Looker, and she can put it inside of people and make them ‘Sange’.” Jefferson: “Make them what?” Anissa: “Sange. Like her slaves, basically. She also said that this element … it gives the Sange more speed and strength than regular folks.” Jefferson: “It sounds like a meta.” Anissa: “Anaya said she showed up in South Freeland about 30 years ago.” Jefferson: “Thirty years ago? So she might be one of the original kids infected by the vaccine.” Anissa: “So, she’s just like you?” Jefferson: “Well, no, I wouldn’t say just like me, but, yeah. Wow. Sounds like I may not be the only vaccine kid out and about.” Jefferson continues to follow the silver liquid because it will take him to Looker where he’ll find the Anaya’s parents and her baby. He says to himself, “This is some weird stuff.”
Khalil is in the bushes outside Jennifer’s house. She orders him up to the landing so she can see him. She is shocked to see his beat up face. She hugs him when she realizes he plans to leave for good.
The Sange present the black baby to Looker, “What the hell am I supposed to do with this thing?” She is upset that a Sange slept with a Perdi. The sheriff (Robert Walker Branchaud) admits it was Deacon. She tries to take the element from the baby but can’t. She screams there is another baby and orders it found.
KBear Review [Read time: 1-3 minutes]
Lynn is deeply upset about the fourteen dead pod kids. She has to inform their families, but can’t tell them who is dead and who is alive. As you can guess, the families don’t take this well. Jennifer increases her guilt when she says that though it wasn’t Lynn’s fault, the kids were her responsibility and she failed. Lynn turns to the bottle for comfort, like Jefferson the episode before. I hope we aren’t headed for an alcoholism storyline. Jennifer eventually comforts her mother and allows her to express her regret. After Rev. Holt won’t accept his ‘anonymous’ offer for the clinic, Tobias orders a reluctant Khalil to kill him. Khalil finds out Tobias tried to kill Rev. Holt before, resulting in Khalil’s shooting and paralysis. Khalil tries to threaten Rev. Holt to leave town, but he isn’t afraid of Khalil or Tobias. He warns Khalil he is walking down the wrong path, and inwardly, Khalil agrees. He tells Tobias he couldn’t kill him because people were around, but Tobias doesn’t care. He decides to teach his young henchman a lesson and the two fight. Tobias wins and orders him to kill Holt and his own mother or he’ll kill Khalil. Anissa goes back to South Freeland and meets Anaya’s parents. The black people in South Freeland, the Perdi and the white people, the Sange are longtime residents of the community. Looker, who might be a vaccine kid like Jefferson, leads the Sange. Anissa delivers twins, one black and the other white. This disturbs her parents and Looker since the Sange and Perdi hate each other. Anissa and Black Lightning fight the Sange to try to get the twins to safety, but Looker ends up with the black twin. She orders the Sange to bring her the other twin. Oh one more thing, Gambi is alive! He had a trap door in his car and escaped, but no one but two little dogs know he is alive.
It appears that Khalil is finally going to break from Tobias, who has to be the worst boss besides Harvey Weinstein, in history. The final straw, he wants him to kill Rev. Holt. Khalil finds out his boss caused his paralysis. Khalil of course can’t kill Rev. Holt, so after beating him in a well-choreographed fight, he orders him to kill Holt and his mom. Khalil is through, but I don’t know how you hand in your resignation letter to a man like Tobias. I’m sure he won’t give Khalil a good recommendation for his next job. The ASA forces Lynn to work with Dr. Jace, who kills half of the pod kids. Lynn has to inform the families, but they won’t let her tell the families who is alive and who is dead. I’m beginning to think the ASA aren’t a great organization. Seriously, though, I should mention that I thought Christine Adams did a great job expressing Lynn’s guilt over what happened to the kids. They crafted her storyline well as her guilt kept escalating until Lynn broke. I didn’t think that Gambi was dead, I’ve watched enough TV and movies to know, no body, no dead person. I was surprised they revealed he was alive this quick. I thought it would be at least until the mid-season finale. The Perdi/Sange storyline was the weakest one. Using them as a symbolic representation of race issues in this country was unnecessary. They are already divided by race, adding the whole Perdi/Sange story to it didn’t add anything to the story. I was more interested in what was happening with Lynn and Khalil than with what these backwoods people were doing. I hope they step up this storyline and add some twists. I did enjoy Jefferson’s reactions to hearing Anissa explain the situation, and lighting up some of those Sange. Black Lightning lighting up fools never gets tired.
“Maggot Brain” by Funkadelic plays over the animated titles and the montage that begins the episode.
During the big fight scene between the Perdi and Sange, with an assist from Black Lightning, Thunder and a drone from a ‘deceased’ Gambi; “Apache” by the Incredible Bongo Band.
While Jennifer is on the phone with Khalil, “High Tide” by Rothstein played.
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