[Jefferson] Previously on Black Lightning...
[Agent Odell] The Markovians are on the outskirts of Freeland,
and they are marshalling their forces.
If you help me with this...
Whoa.
...you can go home.
[in Russian]
How close are you to finding a cure?
I'm making progress.
These people are depending upon you to save their lives.
You need to fix this.
I know.
[Williams] What is your function?
[Khalil] I'm a biological weapon system.
I picked this up a few moments ago.
[Anissa] That's Grace.
So, if you're trying to find somebody who doesn't want to be found,
how do you go about that?
Depends on the person.
Grace?
I missed you.
I missed you, too.
Damn.
I'm Jamillah Olsen, and I'm here at the perimeter
where ASA commandos have Blackbird cornered
in response to reports that she freed several suspected metas
from the ASA.
[Agent Odell] The Markovians want to capture
or kill as many metas as possible.
What do you want me to do?
Your target is the data farm up ahead.
- I found it. - Now take it out.
Lab log, day six.
Fatalities from the meta virus
with Ebola properties continue to grow.
As the foremost medical expert on meta-humans,
people are counting on me, and I'm failing.
I'm failing,
and I'm so tired.
All I know is, the chemical structure of the meta virus
is similar to a chemical compound found in both
Green Light and the meta vaccine.
Call it fatigue, but I find myself staring
at the Green Light, wanting to ask it questions.
Then something occurred to me.
Without exception, Green Light patients have shown a notable boost
in brain activity.
So in theory, if I was able
to remove the drug's psychoactive addictive properties,
rendering it safe for consumption,
I could literally make myself smarter.
I used a technique on Green Light
similar to what's used to extract THC from marijuana.
I tested it on myself
in microdoses, but the results left no doubt,
a significant increase in focus, plus exponential gains
in my ability to process information.
It's working.
So I am working around the clock
because if I can't contain this outbreak,
every single meta, including my entire family,
could die.
What's all this?
Checkpoint.
Not a big deal.
Lots of changes while you were away.
Looks like a war zone.
Pretty much.
Here you go.
And don't worry, Odell has us registered as non-metas.
[man yelling indistinctly]
- Dad. - Move. Find cover.
- Put the gun down. - Get down!
Either of you move, and I will end you.
[men yelling indistinctly]
Hey, hey, hey. You're overreacting.
On the ground now.
[man] Get off me, man!
You okay?
Yeah. You?
Welcome to the occupation.
Last night I saw a superhero He was black
He said "This is for the street Black Lightning's back"
- Good morning. - Good morning.
Ready?
[cloaked Gambi] On three, two, one...
Assuming Odell has a tracking device embedded in the new suit,
that will duplicate the signal, buy me some time to disable it.
This is a mobile Faraday cage.
It will block any signal coming from the watch.
I gotta tell you, this cloaking thing
- is gonna take some getting used to. - Yeah.
It's not easy being dead.
I gotta stay that way until I know who tried to kill me.
How about you? How are you feeling?
Any residual effects from the ASA testing?
No, actually, I'm good.
Wish I could say the same for my marriage.
Butting heads over how to deal with the ASA.
You know, I couldn't wait to leave The Pit.
Lynn is going voluntarily,
even though they're blindfolding her and driving her in and out.
That's painful,
not being on the same page with your wife.
Is that what happened with you and your ex?
Job got in the way?
That's ancient history. Let's...
Let's not turn those pages.
I'll check out your suit,
set up a tracking system to find The Pit.
You figure out how to get back on the same page with Lynn.
Got your text.
Still checking in on me, huh?
In a manner of speaking, yes. Now that your father has returned home,
especially under such trying circumstances,
it's important that
we keep this line of communication open.
Can I ask you a question, like for real?
As the head honcho in charge around here,
why don't you just put an end to this occupation?
Because the Markovians killed my people.
That's not a reason to start snatching
people up and locking them in camps.
We put people with the meta gene in camps
to keep them alive.
The Markovians put people in camps
to watch them die.
How do I even know that's true?
Every search engine gets blocked by
all your stupid Internet restrictions.
I could send you a link, Ms. Pierce,
encrypted, of course.
Then you can see exactly what it is we're up against.
I still don't understand why you have to lock the city down.
Ever heard of Rwanda?
The former Yugoslavia?
Liberia?
Things can go to chaos real quick with the wrong push,
and chaos is deadly.
Good day, Ms. Pierce.
Let's open this bitch up and see what y'all brought me now.
Damn!
Shut that and pick this fool's dumb ass up.
Leave the dude in there.
He'll bleed out when we roll.
This is Jamillah Olsen reporting from inside occupied Freeland.
Today, I'm at Garfield High School,
where students are being tested
for ASA-mandated registration cards.
Only those who test negative for the meta gene
can move freely about the city.
Those who test positive will be taken to an ASA detainment facility
and forced to submit to medical procedures.
Yo.
'Sup, man?
- You're getting in line, right? - Nah.
I already got mine.
I'll catch up with you later though, all right?
Yeah, all right.
All right.
- What's good? - Hey.
Another one of my trucks has been hijacked.
Find the vermin who keeps stealing from me
and exterminate them.
To think, once upon a time, I was worried about metal detectors.
It's not about corner boys now.
If a war breaks out, we're gonna be really happy
- the ASA is here. - Wait, what? Jen.
Jen, you saw what happened at that checkpoint.
They pointed guns at us.
Didn't you just let the ASA experiment on you?
'Cause I'm pretty sure you did.
Why would you do that if you thought the ASA was no good, Dad?
To protect you.
That's always the reason, isn't it?
Morning, gentlemen.
Mr. Pierce.
Mind if I have a look?
Yeah, just looking at a video of...
- Here you go. - Thank you.
I'm sorry. It's pretty cool, though.
- Yeah. - [woman grunts in video]
Yeah.
- Thank you. - [school bell rings]
Have a good class.
Mr. Pierce, a word?
Yeah, actually, I have to get to class.
Yes, about that.
During your ASA-approved medical leave,
Mrs. Wellen was permanently assigned your classes.
You can't do that.
I didn't. The ASA did.
After 30 days of being poked and prodded
and taking every test under the sun,
- this is the thanks I get? - I'm not finished.
You've been made our new guidance counselor.
Congrats.
Now what I find most puzzling, as part of this demotion,
the ASA also gave you a raise, a nicer office,
and a lot less work.
Based on that, I'm gonna assume you must have done...
really well on those tests.
That's all you can tell me?
At some point, death comes for us all.
And when that time comes,
though we yearn for love, all we're left with is pain.
A person will do more to avoid pain
than to achieve anything else in this world.
Knowing this, the greatest gift that anyone could ever give
is to take that pain away.
Lucky for you,
they call me Painkiller.
[energy pulsating]
I assume this is important.
You told me measures were being taken
to ensure Freeland's safety, okay.
You never said anything about martial law.
Markovians attacked an ASA operation
and killed my personnel.
You'd rather I sent a strongly worded email?
When I see military walking around the hallways of my high school...
Things have to change.
I have done everything you've asked of me.
Keep troops in Freeland, fine.
But this occupation is overkill.
In my experience, Mr. Pierce, there's no such thing.
Now you continue to do as instructed,
or I'll put your daughters in The Pit.
Run tests on them,
just like all the others.
I spent my whole life trying to make these damn streets safe,
and they got me out there talking like I'm some...
Talking as the chief of police.
Yes.
I know you're frustrated, but when all this ends,
you'll be the man who got Freeland through this.
You'll have the clout to fix the department,
be mayor someday.
- I don't know, Veretta. - I do.
You be who you gotta be today,
so you can be who you want to be tomorrow.
- Mmm. - [chuckles]
- Major. - The ASA is commandeering this station.
Escort these prisoners to lockup.
Agent Odell assured me
this station will remain under my command.
- Now I have orders that say otherwise. - [sighs]
Until further notice, this location is a clean camp
to keep suspected metas
as far away from the meta virus as possible.
How the hell we supposed to do our job, huh?
What...
What you expect us to do?
You can start by clearing out your office.
I'll be using it for the duration. And...
as always, Chief Henderson,
we appreciate your cooperation.
[officer] All right, stop that vehicle.
[reporter] The Markovian government continues
their reign of terror with their strategic assault on Sudan,
stripping them of resources, killing with extreme prejudice,
women, children, and non-military personnel.
While the United Nations condemned their actions,
currently no aid has been allowed entry.
This is a very violent and incendiary situation.
Closest thing I ever had to powers was driving the city bus.
That was the job I started one month before I got married,
38 years ago.
38 years of marriage?
Now that is a superpower.
Well, hopefully, this will slow the virus down,
giving us enough time to come up with a vaccine.
Get you home to your wife.
You have any kids?
Three of them.
Two boys and a girl.
Plus grandkids.
My youngest one, my daughter Olivia,
she's set to get married in a few months.
I even like the fella, not that I'll ever admit it.
Sorry.
None of this seems real.
I still can't believe I'm dying.
Hey, don't give up on me, okay?
'Cause I'm not giving up on you.
[woman] I'll pay the three stacks this time.
But when we're talking the same weapons at twice the price,
that mess ain't gonna fly.
It's supply and demand,
and I got the supply.
[distorted] If you don't drive off, you won't have anything.
I ain't got no beef with you.
Then I suggest you leave.
[crowd clamoring]
You can't be using my name
and symbol, and then you go off shooting up ASA checkpoints.
I don't take orders from you.
Your boss did not approve of that.
Now you lucky the result was just getting locked up.
They could've been killed.
By any means necessary.
Don't go quoting Malcolm to me.
You don't like the way we doing things, talk to the boss.
Oh, I plan to.
I'm sorry...
I thought this was Anissa Pierce's place.
It is, Mr. Pierce, I'm Grace.
I recognize you from her photos.
Nice to finally meet you.
Please come in.
Thank you.
I am not really sure when she'll be back,
but shouldn't be too long.
Can I get you something to drink?
No.
I'm fine, thank you.
What, Dad?
Hey, what's up?
Wait, she knows?
About Blackbird?
A person I've never met?
Look, she only knows about me, I swear.
Thunder too?
Yeah.
You have put our entire family in danger.
Dad, I trust Grace with my life.
Until you throw her out of your bed and find someone else.
Okay, I don't know where any of this is coming from,
but I'm not gonna stand here
and be yelled at by you or anyone else.
Why, 'cause you're Blackbird now?
Running around, showing off?
Throwing tanks? [scoffs] Oh!
Helping people has never been enough for you.
No. No, you, you gotta be famous,
live in a fancy loft.
Paid with drug money, I take it.
Running around spraying that ridiculous logo all over town.
So, what, are you jealous?
And that logo? That's not even me.
That's the insurgents using me to inspire hope.
You know, something Black Lightning used to do.
Do you have any idea, any idea what I've been through for the city?
[screaming intensely]
Don't hurt us.
- Hey. Hey, Grace. - Please don't.
It's okay. He's not gonna hurt you or me.
I promise.
What the hell was that?
You need to leave.
Now.
- Anissa... - Dad, no, listen to me.
This is my house.
And right now, you're not welcome in it.
Leave.
Can I sit down?
I need you to know that my dad would never hurt me.
He's overbearing,
and he has had a hard time seeing me as an adult.
But he's no threat
to me or to you.
Okay?
I never wanted you to see this.
Not ever.
Not this piece of me.
There's still so much you don't know.
Maybe less than you think.
Shay Li Wylde.
How do you know that name?
My Uncle Gambi.
He has access to things that most people don't.
I know about you losing your parents...
and you living on the streets.
How you were kidnapped...
And sold for sex against my will.
I told you I was broken.
I can't believe you'd want to be with me knowing all that.
Well...
Believe it.
Anissa, this would be a lot for anybody.
Grace, I told you, we're in this.
Me, you, the leopard,
that old guy, all of us.
It's one big party up in here.
It is not your beautiful face
or this fine-ass body that I'm in love with.
Now, don't get me wrong, if we taking votes,
this form is by far my favorite.
But it's not even about that.
It's you, Grace.
Your heart.
Your soul.
Your essence.
That's what I'm in love with.
Just you.
It's okay.
Hey.
Wow, I haven't seen you look this bad since med school.
That's exactly the warm welcome I was hoping for.
No, sweetheart, that's not what I meant, you just...
You look really, really tired.
You want me to run you a bath?
No, no, I'm just here for a few minutes to grab some things.
I have to get back. I'm synthesizing a vaccine.
What?
[distorted] Wait, what?
You're gonna stay there again tonight?
But, babe, we need to talk.
I have to get back.
[in normal voice] Okay, look, I...
I just think that...
[distorted] we need to get on the same page.
Look, our girls need us.
[in normal voice] Anissa is trippin' big time,
and Jennifer seems to think that the ASA occupation
is actually a good thing.
Lynn?
Jeff, are the girls safe?
Wait, what?
Yeah, for now, I guess.
Anything that comes up, you can take care of it.
I need to get back.
Again with the tuna breath.
Like your salami's any better.
Of the six ASA trucks that were taken,
four of them link back to the two of you.
No...
When I want you to speak, I'll ask you a question.
That pain that you're feeling?
It's neurotoxins
that I can administer at varying levels of intensity.
This was a small dose.
Now, the longer that this process takes,
the higher that dosage will become.
Until you fall into paralysis
and ultimately death.
So, shall we begin?
It's this drug dealer, Sinzell.
He pays us for the supply routes.
He's got a warehouse somewhere north of here,
- we're not sure where. - That's all we know.
I swear.
Listen, if any of this information isn't good,
I'll find you two weak-minded cowards,
and I will torture you
every day for a year before I kill you.
It's good, I promise.
Did I ask you a question?
People always talk about Nazi Germany...
And for good reason.
Obviously, but look at us.
In World War Il, we put anyone who even looked Japanese
in a prison camp.
Not to mention occupying the Philippines, Haiti...
Dominican Republic, Iraq.
There's more to the world than the US.
What about the Russian occupation of Ukraine?
Or Turkey being in Syria?
These are all happening right now.
- Today. - Yes, but unless it's on TMZ,
or a Kardashian tattoos it on their ass,
nobody seems to care.
What none of you are talking about is genocide.
The government coming in as peacekeepers trying to help.
I mean, Rwanda, Darfur.
Peacekeeping in Rwanda failed. Like seriously, it failed...
- Look... - Done.
My point is, maybe this occupation isn't all bad.
Maybe the ASA's here trying to protect the people of Freeland.
All right, all right.
Hold up, excuse me. You have no right to do this,
do you hear me? You have no right.
Tavon Singley, I'm gonna need you to come with us.
What'd I do?
- I ain't do nothing. - No, Tavon, you stay right there,
you are not going anywhere.
Sir, you need to step aside.
There's been a report of meta-human powers being displayed.
What? No, that's not true.
- That's not true! - Listen, you get your hands...
- [grunts] - [students exclaim]
Let's go.
Wait, Tavon.
Wait...
What do you think of your peacekeepers now?
So they're just gonna lock him up and wait till the results come in?
There's no way in hell Tavon's a meta.
I heard someone dropped
a "see something, say something" dime on him.
Got some beef over a girl.
You really believe that peacekeeping stuff
- about the ASA helping? - Look, I don't know.
Okay?
But what I do know is, Markovia's dangerous.
[Lisa] I've been hearing some crazy stuff about them,
like war-crime stuff.
That's dumb as hell.
How could you judge an entire country based off of rumors?
Y'all don't even know what the hell y'all talking about, man.
- Oh, and you do? - I'm just saying.
History is written by whoever wins.
So unless we experience things firsthand,
how do we know it's true?
Well, if it was up to my mom, I would never experience anything.
I really hate how they say
that they want us to be better than them.
'Cause in reality, they never do.
That's real.
It's okay, Doc.
You did what you could.
- [gasping] - [EKG beeping rapidly]
Richard, stay with me, okay?
Richard...
[EKG flatlining]
[gasps]
It looks like you're gonna be
able to walk your daughter down the aisle after all.
Hey, hey, where's the watch?
Come here for a sec, I wanna show you this.
I was able to put a radioactive resin
on the tires of several ASA vehicles.
This will allow us to track their frequently traveled routes,
narrowing down the list of locations
until they lead us to The Pit.
That's great.
The watch.
What's the urgency?
The ASA snatched a student, Tavon,
right out of Jennifer's classroom,
then beat down the principal when he tried to stop them.
I heard from Henderson,
the ASA is holding Tavon at the police station.
Did you try the tracking device?
I did, disabled it.
Great.
I wish I could say otherwise, but that suit's far better
than anything I've ever built.
I could've done the same with $30 billion
and ten guys working around the clock, but...
It's got next-gen nanotech,
and with its increased conductivity threshold,
you can generate 20 to 30% more electricity without any risk
of damaging your nervous system.
The thing's amazing.
Good.
Jeff.
What about your family?
Odell was very clear,
you go out on the street, they go in The Pit.
Wait...
Maybe there's a better way.
But I'm gonna need a little help.
Dad, not right now. I need to get to work.
Whatever you have to say to me can wait until later.
Look, just hear me out.
Now, I know I'm not your favorite person at the moment,
and I'm not saying I agree with all your choices.
I'm not asking you to.
Whoa, look, look.
Just, look...
You and I, we disagree, okay?
On a lot of things.
But I know that you care about the people of Freeland.
You don't even know the half of it.
Okay, look...
me, Reverend Holt, and a handful of other people,
we started up our own underground railroad.
We've been sneaking metas and suspected metas
outside the perimeter.
How did you get them...
With an assist from Uncle Gambi.
[chuckles]
All these years calling you Harriet Tubman
were prophetic.
- Okay, Dad, stop, please. - No...
I'm proud of you.
Thank you.
Okay, now I need your help.
The ASA snatched Tavon, accused him of being a meta.
Now they have him locked up at the police station.
All right.
What do you need me to do?
Hey, you hangin' in there?
Huh?
All right.
Yo, Chief.
Any chance we can get some food up in here?
What, you hungry?
Why do you think I'm askin'?
Well, you should've thought about that before you shot up a checkpoint.
How it feels to be a Uncle Tom.
How's it feels to be in jail?
Hey...
It's been a while since cell two ate anything,
it's about time for a meal.
Anything dealing with that rebel scum,
including their dietary needs, is an ASA matter
- and well beyond your current mandates. - Hmm.
All right, Joe, let's play some cards.
Okay, I'm in.
Been waiting on you.
Can you see what we're up against?
Okay, we got about a dozen ASA commandos,
maybe ten cops, including Henderson.
The holding cell's on your left.
The Major's in the back.
Mind getting the lights?
My pleasure.
There, follow that around to your left.
Three o'clock.
The cells are on your right.
...the locks...
Now.
Come on, follow me.
On your six.
Hey, them too, get them out of there.
[Thunder] Got it. Y'all heard the man, let's go.
- Go on. - Come on, let's go.
Let's go, let's go.
Say good night.
[man over radio] Sinzell. Some dude's heading this way, coming up to the gate.
Tell him we appointment only.
[glass shattering]
Yo, get those trucks gone. Go!
[man groans]
[grunts]
[all grunting and yelling]
Hi.
You must be Sinzell.
What you gonna do?
Arrest me?
They don't call me when they want someone arrested.
They call me when they want someone gone.
All right, straight through these trees about a quarter-mile.
The Perdi, they'll have a truck there waiting for you.
But I'm not even a meta.
Until we can prove otherwise, this is the safer way.
Could you at least tell my parents that I love 'em?
I got you.
Come on, y'all, let's go.
Come on.
[Thunder] Listen...
Now that they know who you are, it's safer you leave too.
Yeah, it would. But we gotta fight the good fight, you know?
[Jefferson] No.
No, I was here all night.
I mean, you are tracking me, right?
Isn't that what it says?
Let's not play games, Mr. Pierce,
we both know that you helped attack that station.
I'll say this...
Everybody gets one. This was yours.
Be certain it never happens again.
[Gambi] Well...
looks like we've arrived.
[Lynn over laptop] The results have been nothing short of remarkable.
Every person who was infected
is on their way to making a full recovery.
A job well done, Dr. Stewart.
You certainly earned a good night's sleep
and apologies it can't be longer, but you're needed here.
What, did something happen?
While your focus has been on the meta virus,
several Green Light and vaccine kids have grown unstable.
Why wasn't I informed?
Get some rest, Dr. Stewart.
No, not while people's lives are at risk.
Send a car, bring me in.
Very well, Dr. Stewart.
I applaud and appreciate your commitment to the greater good.
Goodbye.
She's hooked.
She doesn't realize yet, but... yes.
Better yet, she thinks it's her idea.
You're a genius.
Not really.
I only saw to it that she got a taste
of the most addictive substance on Earth.
Every time she looks at her tablet,
Odell wants the phrase "Take Green Light"
flashing too fast for her to be conscious of it,
but powerful enough to plant the idea.
This is good.
[receptionist] Sir, it's Jennifer Pierce.
[Jennifer] If I couldn't light your ass up,
this place might creep me out.
[Agent Odell] You saw the encrypted link, I presume?
Yeah, and I kind of wish I hadn't.
Can all that stuff really happen here?
Not if I can help, and I can.
Ideally with your assistance.
You have the ability to do things
your father could never do, Ms. Pierce.
Things like what?
I asked you to meet me here
because I thought it'd be easier to show you.
In that bag, you'll find a perfect copy of your suit,
and I want you to put this in your ear.
And then what?
Fly straight up until it beeps.
Wait, what about the perimeter?
Already accounted for.
Now...
Let's get you changed.
[device beeping]
[laughs]
[closing theme music playing]