The CW's Black Lightning - Episode 2.10 "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros"
Still on the run, Jennifer and Khalil succumb to their feelings for one another and begin planning their future together. Jefferson approaches Henderson with a favor.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of The CW's Black Lightning.
"The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros" was written by Jan Nash & J. Allen Brown and directed by Salim Akil
There was always going to be a tragic ending to Khalil and Jennifer running off together. It would either conclude with Khalil being killed or the Pierce family being compromised in some way. That's what makes it surprising when neither of those outcomes occur here. Jennifer is allowed to just return to the family with everyone quickly falling back into the same rhythm. Of course, that doesn't change the pressure on the situation whatsoever. Jennifer and Khalil had their fun of dreaming where they could possibly run off to. Jennifer understands the importance of leaving the country and learning another language. She is also very wise for telling Khalil that she isn't ready to have sex with him especially in a moment like this when the emotions are already running so high. Anissa even asks her sister what happened in that regard too because she understands that things would have been very freeing and personal out there on the run. Nothing happened despite those passionate feelings being abundantly clear. Khalil returns Jennifer to the family and apologizes for his actions. He never wanted her to be hurt because of his own problems. He also doesn't want her to blame herself for how his life has turned out. He doesn't see this as the end of their story together. He will step up and do the right thing. Everyone believes that the police can protect him until he testifies against Tobias. That was a foolish decision the moment that it was suggested. It became even more foolish when Khalil wanted to see his mother beforehand. Henderson knew that could jeopardize the integrity of this mission. That's exactly what happens too. Tobias was growing more frustrated with Cutter. And yet, she absolutely proves her worth as a deadly assassin here. Even though she is vastly outnumbered, she kills all of the highly trained officers tasked with protecting Khalil. That means that Khalil is once again standing before Tobias. This is what Tobias has wanted. Cutter has finally delivered it to him. But it also becomes clear that Tobias wants Khalil to suffer. Sure, keeping him alive will always represent a threat to his security in the community. Any plan of Tobias' could be compromised by Khalil testifying against him. That's what made killing him seem like the smart move for the criminal mastermind. Instead, it's absolutely painful and chilling to watch as Tobias rips out the state-of-the-art spine from Khalil's back. The device that allowed him to walk again and have superhuman healing abilities is now the source of his agonizing pain. Releasing him to the mercy of his community will keep Khalil as an intriguing wild card though. The Pierce family is absolutely devastated after learning what has happened. Of course, they are still living in the uncertainty of the situation. They don't know what Tobias did to Khalil. They just know that he was abducted once more. All of this will be game-changing information for the season. So will the reveal that Todd has cracked the mysteries of the case Tobias stole from the ASA. It's finally revealed to be a super-computer that has access to top-secret government information. That includes some nefarious plans for the pod kids Lynn has been working to save. So, the season is still just inching its overall story forward just a little bit. The connective tissues are forming that will hopefully make all of this worth it in the end. It's just a lot to keep track of. That's not even mentioning the fact that the mysterious metahuman with teleportation powers doesn't appear here at all despite that initial tease in the previous episode.
