Things are getting complicated on Black Lightning. Gambi is being shady, Jefferson is about to compromise his heroic beliefs, and Anissa’s secret is out…along with her dad’s. Here’s our recap for “Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder”!
We open with Henderson and the rest of the police force getting ready for some type of armed conflict. They’re in vests and have guns.
It turns out they have an idea of where Black Lightning is, and they’re on the way to get him. Meanwhile, he’s still trying to get up, but his head is swimming and ears are ringing.
His suit continues to malfunction and police alarms sound in the distance. Instead of the police getting to him first, Gambi does. It’s a good thing, but it’s also not too great because Gambi has been keeping it secret that he knows Tobias is out and about.
Gambi calls Lynn because Jefferson is in a really bad spot and they drive away from the police cars.
—
Joey limps his way into Tobias’ office and tells him that he fought Black Lightning. He tells Tobias that he almost killed Black Lightning and something is totally off with him.
“So why didn’t you finish him?”
“I tried. But I, but I was all on my own. And he trashed my gun and I couldn’t take him. I tipped our guy in the department.”
“There was a time you could depend on white folks to be professional. Nowadays white boys just as lazy and shiftless as the brothas.”
Tobias then explains that Lady Eve sent him dust from ground up albino bones, and Joey says that it could be a threat. Before the scene ends, Tobias vows that Black Lightning won’t live through the night.
—
Henderson tells the lead cop that Black Lightning got away, and that the people at the scene don’t remember what the van looked like that took him away. He says they have “willful amnesia.”
It’s clear who the rat is in the police precinct, though, because when Henderson asks who told him where Black Lightning was, he says he never said his source.
Then he gets a phone call and when see it’s from JT. (OBVIOUS Joey Toledo)
This cop isn’t going to have good news for him at all..
Over at Gambi’s, Lynn is giving Jefferson an exam since he’s having some awful side effects while using his suit. He apologizes, but says he couldn’t miss the chance to go after Tobias’ right hand mine.
Lynn tells him that his body healed him way much faster than it would a normal person, so if he did have a brain bleed, it’s gone by now.
He tries to touch her hand, but she pulls it back quickly.
“Stop it, Jefferson! You’re pulling me back into this mess, and I don’t like it. I hate this. I hate having to stitch you back together, living in fear of turning on the news and somebody finding your body dead in the gutter.”
“I watched Tobias murder my father. He’s here in Freeland, so what do you expect me to do?”
“I don’t give a damn, Jefferson. Your father is dead, and nothing you can do is gonna bring him back.”
“Wow.”
“You have no idea what this does to me every time I see you like this. It’s too much. It’s It’s just too much.”
—
Anissa is part of a protest at what looks to be a Confederate statue. They all take out water guns (that look like real guns) and beginning shoot red paint up at it. Almost immediately, they’re taken by the cops. While she’s on the ground, Anissa doesn’t fight back, but allows herself to be arrested.
—
At Lynn’s work, someone bringings in a scan of someone on Green Light. Their brain looks almost exactly like Jefferson’s. Whatever’s happening to him is a direct result of Green Light.
—
Jefferson and Jennifer go and get Anissa from jail. When he stands up, he holds his ribs and Jennifer jokes that he should stop working out so hard.
Anissa thanks her dad for coming to get her, but he’s pissed and walks away while Jennifer makes another joke about her getting arrested AGAIN.
“You know, let me ask you a question. Should I have you committed? Because you have obviously lost your damn mind.”
“That statue, Dad, is an insult to black people. Glorifying a national traitor.”
“You broke the law, Anissa. That gives the police an excuse to hurt you, and on top of that, you used guns. Guns.”
“They were water guns.”
“They looked enough like real guns to be the end of you. All it takes is for one cop, one cop to see your color instead of your humanity and decide, “better dead than sorry.” Look, you are a black woman. You don’t have the luxury of being naive.”
“I know, I know. You have said that like a thousand times.”
“Okay, then hear it.”
Jefferson is saying the exact thing that Lynn feels when dealing with him and Black Lightning.
—
Later that night, Anissa is doing more research into DNA and her grandfather’s research. She’s interrupted by Jennifer who asks what she’s up and asks if she’ll check her pre-cal homework.
They talk and Jennifer admits that she’s very sad about what happened to Khalil, and she does make it a little about her, saying she always wanted to do certain things, like dance or be active, but it makes her feel bad because that means
—
Gambi has Jefferson testing out the suit, and it seems like the suit is working again. Jefferson wonders if Lynn is right, and his powers are like a drug, but Gambi waves him off, tell him it’s endorphins.
His brain can pick up and use electricity like someone else can pick up and use a pencil.
All of this seems like Gambi is using Jefferson for his own desires and not taking into consideration what it’s doing to him I wouldn’t put it past him to have put some Green Light in Jefferson’s suit just to see what it would do.
Gambi explains that there was too much tension in suit that caused the feedback that messed him up. Then he confronts Jefferson about his desire to kill Tobias.
“Now, we got work to do. Tobias is not on the run, he’s right here in Freeland and I’m going to put his albino ass right in his grave.”
“Hey, slow down, Jefferson. You’re talking about cold-blooded murder. You’re Black Lightning, man. A vengeful son is a far cry from a hero seeking justice for Freeland.”
“Freeland is in crisis because of Green Light. Toledo is behind that. Tobias is behind him. So ridding Freeland of Tobias is justice.”
“Maybe Toledo is behind Green Light. Maybe Tobias is, too.”
“What do you mean “maybe?” If Toledo is around, Tobias is holding his leash. I feel like every time I bring up Tobias to you, I get resistance.”
Jefferson finally says that Gambi acts like he doesn’t want him to catch Tobias, and Gambi brushes it off by saying that he needs to focus on The One-Hundred. Jefferson says that he doesn’t need a history lesson, but he’s going to kill Tobias.
Gambi is shady af.
—
The next morning, Lynn arrives at work, but she turns on the light to find Gambi waiting on her. She asks what he wants and he tells her its a bit harsh.
Gambi wants to talk to Lynn about how Jefferson is about cross a line he can’t come back from…killing the man that killed his father. Gambi pleads with her to try and save Jefferson from himself, but she says that they chose this path, and he needs to leave her out of it.
—
At Garfield, Jefferson looks up medical issues that albinos face and learn they have a higher rate of skin cancer and other ailments.
In another part of the school, Jennifer shows a friend a video that Khalil posted. Under the video, the text says that Jennifer dances like she’s white and that she thinks she’s better than everyone else.
Jennifer says she’s done, but it doesn’t feel like she means to ignore her drama.
—
Anissa shows up at her mom’s work with all research that her grandfather did. She asks her if she’s not coming to family dinners anymore. Then she admits to hearing them fight when she was little.
“I used to hear you and dad arguing when I was a kid.”
“You did?”
“I couldn’t hear that well. I just know you didn’t like being the mistress.”
“Your father never cheated on me, Anissa.”
“Mom, Dad is married to saving the world. You didn’t like coming in second. I get it. I feel the same calling.”
“You don’t know how right you are.”
She shows her the box of research, and asks her to help figure out what the meaning of it is. When Lynn asks Anissa what’s wrong, Anissa doesn’t say anything. Lynn tells her that when she’s ready, she can talk to her about anything.
—
Across town, Jefferson is in his suit, going to the doctor that might treat Tobias. Gambi sees the alert and tells him that there’s a difference between him and Tobias and to keep it that way, but Jefferson cuts the transmission.
He asks the doctor if he has a patient named Tobias Whale, and after a moment, the doctor admits he has a patient like he described, but he has his home address and knows where his kids go to school.
Black Lightning tells him that he’s not going to hurt him, but he’s going to help him get rid of his problem in Tobias. All he has to do is tell him when the next appointment is. The doctor says there’s not schedule of appointments. A scary lady calls him and tells him to stay after hours.
This isn’t what he wants to hear, so Black Lightning tells the doctor to call them and tell them that they need to come in and be seen tonight. The doctor tells him that that’s not how that works.
He hands the doctor a cell phone and tells him to call him if he changes his mind.
—
At school the next day, Kara chases after Jefferson and shows him the video that Khalil has posted about Jennifer. It her head on a white girl’s body with a hateful status under it.
He immediately goes looking for Jennifer but she’s not in class. Instead, she’s in weight room, hiding. Her dad tells her that the pain could be making Khalil lash out in ways that he wouldn’t, or maybe this event is just showing who he truly was all along.
Jefferson says that maybe she needs to give him space, but Jennifer says that she needs speak to him.
—
On a television in the teacher’s lounge, we see that the protest that Anissa has been a part of took a turn for the worst. In the vein of Charlottesville, a white nationalist drove his car into a group of students, killing one girl.
Kara asks if Anissa knew the girl, and she says that she knew her but not well. Kara makes the statement that it makes a person wish they could do something to stop it.
You can see a light bulb go off in Anissa brain.
—
Jennifer goes to see Khalil and confronts him for being shady after he’s been ignoring her texts and calls. It becomes clear that he blames her for his condition when he says that he wouldn’t have gone to that march if it wasn’t for her, and she’s the reason he’s paralyzed.
“You’re blaming me now?”
“It’s your fault, Becky!”
He says he played by all the rules, and he still this still happened to him.
“Khalil, I’ll pray for you.”
“Keep your damn prayers.”
Outside the room, Jefferson gets a call from the doctor telling him that Tobias is coming in that night. He tells the doctor he’ll be there and hangs up as Jennifer walks out of the room.
He asks how it went and she tells him that he was right. She should have waited.
—
At the memorial for the student who was killed, Anissa shows up in her hero gear. She takes one deep breath and uses her powers to break that statue with one stomp of her foot.
When she gets to her car, she calls her mom. Lynn tells her that she’s found something with the research, but she needs to cross-reference it with something before she can tell her anything. That’s when Anissa tells her that she called because she needs to tell her–show her–what’s going on.
Lynn tells her to come to lab since she’s still at work.
Gambi calls again and tells her that Jefferson is about to kill someone and she has to do something.
—
Jefferson waits on a rooftop near the doctor’s office, and his mind flashes back to when his father was killed in front of him. Tobias ripped up his work and shoved it into his mouth before knocking him across the head.
He comes back to the present and we see Joey, Tobias right hand lady, and Tobias step out of the car. In that moment, Gambi patches Lynn through to Jeff and she begins to talk.
She tells him their daughter’s birthdays and says that they’re anchored in this world, but he can’t be if he does this. If he compromises his soul, he’ll lose who he is. Lynn also tells him that she loves him and that includes loving Black Lightning.
He hears that someone is breaking into Lynn’s lab and stops going after Tobias and runs for Lynn.
Check out the emotional scene below!
NEW EPISODE AVAILABLE NOW! Stream #BlackLightning for free on The CW App: https://t.co/wgtDYBv2Lw pic.twitter.com/ZKrpjZldjp
— Black Lightning (@blacklightning) February 28, 2018
—
At the lab, Anissa shows up and beats up the two guys who tied up Lynn. Just as she’s untying her mom, Black Lightning shows up. Since Lynn is gagged, she can’t tell them to stop, so they start fighting, and Anissa kicks her dad’s ass..for a bit.
Then he uses his powers to throw her up against the ceiling. When she lands, he turns her over and realizes who she is. He hold her close to him as he sits in shock.
It’s a freaking incredible scene.
—
They call Gambi to come get them, and as they’re driving to his place, Lynn says that Anissa has some bruises and a concussion. Jefferson, who still hasn’t full realized what’s happening asks:
“What the Hell was she doing?”
“What you do! She has powers, Jeff. She has powers.”
—
In another part of Freeland, Tobias is in the car with Khalil. He tells him he made the right decision. He tells Tobias he’s not sure what he can do since he can’t even walk, and they promise him that he’ll walk again. He’ll know strength he hasn’t known before.
—
At Lady Eve’s, Gambi shows up! Further making us think he’s some double agent.
“Evelyn, I taught you everything I know about everything you know.”
WELP.
She tells him that if he had gone into business with her when he left the agency, he would be wealthy and retired.
SO THEY BOTH WORKED FOR THE SAME AGENCY. GAH.
When Gambi reminds her that the Pierce family is off limits, she tells him that Lynn has been doing some research that is off limits and they needed to intervene. They only wanted the files.
Lady Eve asks him if he knows anything about the woman metahuman that was there and attacked her men.
When he tells her no, she says they had a deal.
Gambi tells her that he hasn’t outed Tobias.
“Good because if his dirty laundry comes out, so does yours.”
What has he gotten himself into with this woman?! Watch the scene here!
Who's really in charge? Stream the latest #BlackLightning now on The CW App: https://t.co/wgtDYBv2Lw pic.twitter.com/ReRz2U9QSa
— Black Lightning (@blacklightning) March 2, 2018
—
At their house, Anissa wakes up in her own bed and sees that her father is Black Lightning for the first time. Needless to say, they’re going to need to talk after that fight.
