Black Lightning season finale review: Shadow of Death: The Book of War

While the ASA closes in on Black Lightning’s location, the family springs into action to help save him — and Freeland. Here’s our Black Lightning recap!

While Black Lightning lays unconscious at the cabin, we revisit his youth. Back when his father was alive, we see the moment Gambi warned Alvin that he was in danger. He responds with how much he wants to see Tobias indicted. We also see the moment Jefferson used his powers on someone else when he tried to evade the police. Young Jefferson accidentally electrocuted himself on a fence, and Gambi was the one who found him.

It’s through this dream sequence, as Jefferson’s nervous system deteriorates, that we see Jefferson come to terms with his father’s death. At his current age, Jefferson wanders through his childhood home until he apologies to his father and his father sends him home.

Of course, “home” is back in reality at the cabin with his family, who soon will be under attack.

Gambi does his best to prepare the family ahead of that. First, he engages in a heart to heart with Jennifer. He calls both girls “sweetheart,” and explains how Tobias came to power. Unlike metahumans, whose powers are organic and come from within, Tobias takes a special serum. Likewise, he saved Syonide from an orphanage and put a layer of carbon fiber under her skin. (Gambi guesses this made her crazy.) When Jennifer asks of Khalil, Gambi makes it clear that he made a choice and the old Khalil is gone. In his place, we now have “Painkiller.” Thanks to the binding that reinforces his spine, he also produces a neurotoxin that paralyzes its targets.

Meanwhile, Painkiller tries to apologize to Tobias for accidentally killing Black Lightning. Obviously, that was Tobias’ goal all along and he knows that the ASA will eventually become a problem for him as well. So, Tobias retrieves Lala (now known as Tattoo Man) and sends him to the ASA for a meeting with Proctor. However, Tobias really sent him as a suicide bomber, with Proctor escaping just in time.

Black Lightning — ” Shadow of Death: The Book of War” — Image BLK113A_0240b.jpg Ð Pictured (L-R): Charlbi Dean Kriek as Syonide, and Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias and Jordan Calloway as Khalil/Painkiller — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW — © 2018 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved

Eventually, Jefferson wakes up and realizes he doesn’t have his powers anymore.

The ASA tracks a power surge to Gambi’s location. Though they are cloaked from satellites, Proctor sends out a tactical team to check it out. With just a powerless suit, Black Lightning plans to draw their fire while Gambi escorts the family to safety. Jennifer quickly devolves into a panic. She pushes her powers even farther and gives Black Lightning a boost enough to give him his power back.

A commotion begins both in and outside the house when the ASA closes in. Even the police hear about it and send a SWAT team to follow up. To really set the mood, “Timmy Turner” starts playing.

The situation becomes more desperate as more forces close in. They capture Thunder briefly and make it into the house, but Gambi, Lynn and Jennifer clear them out. At the ASA headquarters, Proctor orders all the pods to be relocated while Tobias arrives to kill anyone left. Since he’s an absolute scumbag, Proctor leaves everyone to die and escapes.

By the time the police arrive at the scene, the Pierce family have escaped.

They meet up with Proctor where the pods are being stored. Gambi confronts him and guesses that he’s really operating independently of the ASA. The more Proctor explains himself, the angrier Jennifer becomes. Gambi loses his patience and shoots Proctor several times in the chest.

Instead of opening the pods, Lynn decides to expose everything to the police and news breaks all over Freeland.

Although, that doesn’t explain what happened to these experiments? Were they hospitalized? Reunited with their families?

To close the episode, it seems that Jennifer is happy to start using her powers to support her family and protect Freeland. Which is good, since Tobias was able to access Proctor’s files and still plans to destroy Black Lightning.

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So, that wraps the season finale of Black Lightning. “Shadow of Death: The Book of War” delivered a very solid hour and even ended on a happy note for the Pierce family. It’s too bad we’ll have to wait a while to see what happens next in season 2.

Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know in the comments below!