Black Lightning (Cress Williams) suits up to fight off the 100 Gang after his daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) are kidnapped.
Credit: @blacklightning
The 70s superhero Black Lightning lights up the silver screen on the new CW Network series starring Cress Williams, Nafessa Williams, and Disney star China Anne Mcclain. Black Lightning is a fictional superhero from the DC Universe that was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden in the late 1970s. The character of the comic focused on Jefferson Pierce, an African-American superhero with the ability to manipulate and generate electricity. He uses his power to fight crime in the suburbs of Metropolis.
“Black Lightning” begins with Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), a retired superhero working as the Principal of Georgia High. Jefferson is flashed back into the world he once knew when his daughters are kidnapped by the 100 Gang after his daughter Jennifer snuck out one night to party at a club known as Club 100.
One of the many things that the CW Network has done very well over the past couple of years is create a solid foundation for their shows. In “Black Lightning,” viewers are given a little background on Jefferson Pierce’s past that enables the audience to connect with the characters. Cress Williams presents his character Jefferson Pierce as a man who is struggling to hide a part of himself in the hopes of rekindling a relationship he dearly cherishes, which makes his character easily relatable and engages viewers.
However, it felt like the show started in the middle of the story because the producers assumed that the viewers had background knowledge of some parts. There are also some conflicting subplots. For example, Jefferson’s eldest daughter Anissa (Nafessa Williams) is developing powers at the beginning of the show, which makes it feel as if is pushed a bunch of things together at once without any adequate support; the show differed from the comic regarding Anissa’s backstory.
Overall, the story is good, but the details need a bit more polishing. The smart remarks and comebacks between the characters are excellent, and the hilarious dialogue makes up for some of the issues with the plot. “Black Lightning” shows fantastic potential.
Rating: 4 out of 5 paws
