Black Lightning hits a breaking point and retirement is over

Jefferson Pierce hits a breaking point and realizes Black Lightning needs to return if he wants to save his family and his community.

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Even though Jefferson Pierce has promised Black Lightning is not back, there’s no way he can avoid it. He brought the superhero out of retirement when his daughters were kidnapped and now they are continually threatened due their involvement of a crime as victims.

While Jeff can somewhat control his powers, he has to let Black Lightning loose. Because it’s not just his daughters that are in trouble, but the community of Freeland.

When Lawanda, a former student and mother of one of Jeff’s students tells him that her daughter is caught up with The 100, he says he can’t help. Yet, her words hit Jeff deep. First, she hijacks his assembly telling him, “Unless all of us are free, none of us are free.”

While Jeff doesn’t want to admit that Lawanda’s words hit him hard, you can see the inner turmoil of the guilt from only saving his daughters.

Even after all that, he still fights as Black Lightning for his family, but denying Black Lightning might bring his ex-wife Lynn back. It seems their reconciliation is close as the two share an intimate moment followed by a kiss.

The problem is that the police can only do so much while Black Lightning works outside of the law. And for the gang The 100, who couldn’t care less about the law, it’s going to take something… super to take them down.

Even though Jeff is close to getting back with his ex-wife, the breaking point happens when Lawanda is shot dead by Lala. She confronts Lala over her daughter and he wastes no time shooting her twice in the chest. However, he doesn’t know she had her phone recording the entire encounter.

“I saved more lives as the principal of Garfield than I ever did as Black Lightning,” Jeff growled. “It’s a lie.”

Lawanda was his student. So was her daughter. One is dead and the other is turning tricks for a gang. He imagines what their lives could have been like if Black Lightning was there to save them.

Lynn tries to talk to him out of it, evoking their relationship, but Jeff knows that’s not enough. It’s not enough for their lives to seem perfect while the people in their community suffer. They will never truly be happy.

“It’s time everyone knows that Black Lightning is back.”

Black Lightning headed to Lala’s apartment to stop the man who continued to threaten his daughters. On the way, he was welcomed by people on the streets and the occupants of the building. Well, most of them, except for Lala’s men. Who knows how far Black Lightning would have went before the police showed up to arrest Lala who found the recording of him killing Lawanda.

Next: Black Lightning episode 2 answers why no one recognizes the hero’s secret identity

Jeff still had another chance to walk away and potentially fix things with Lynn, who thinks he is addicted to his powers. Instead, Jeff is staying the course of being Black Lightning. Freeland is broken even with Lala behind bars – who is eventually killed by the big boss Tobias Whale.

Lynn and Jeff had choices. Jeff picked Black Lightning and protecting his family and community. While it seems for now that Lynn chose to walk away from that life again.

She’s in a tough position because she wants her family safe, which means Jeff should only use Black Lightning under extreme circumstances such as their daughters getting kidnapped. But, right now, Jeff feels the weight of the community squarely on his shoulders.

Tune into Black Lightning on The CW Tuesdays at 9/8c.