document_title: The Phantom of the Opera

question_text: when did phantom of the opera take place

text: The Phantom of the Opera

text: Plot summary[edit]

text: In Paris in the 1890s, the Palais Garnier opera house is believed to be haunted by an entity known as the Phantom of the Opera, or simply the Opera Ghost. A stagehand named Joseph Buquet is found hanged and the rope around his neck goes missing. At a gala performance for the retirement of the opera house's two managers, a young little-known Swedish soprano, Christine Daaé, is called upon to sing in the place of the Opera's leading soprano, Carlotta, who is ill, and her performance is an astonishing success. The Vicomte Raoul de Chagny, who was present at the performance, recognises her as his childhood playmate, and recalls his love for her. He attempts to visit her backstage, where he hears a man complimenting her from inside her dressing room. He investigates the room once Christine leaves, only to find it empty.

text: At Perros-Guirec, Christine meets with Raoul, who confronts her about the voice he heard in her room. Christine tells him she has been tutored by the Angel of Music, whom her father used to tell them about. When Raoul suggests that she might be the victim of a prank, she storms off. Christine visits her father's grave one night, where a mysterious figure appears and plays the violin for her. Raoul attempts to confront it but is attacked and knocked out in the process.

text: Back at the Palais Garnier, the new managers receive a letter from the Phantom demanding that they allow Christine to perform the lead role of Marguerite in Faust, and that box 5 be left empty for his use, lest they perform in a house with a curse on it. The managers ignore his demands as a prank, resulting in disastrous consequences: Carlotta ends up croaking like a toad, and the chandelier suddenly drops into the audience, killing a spectator. The Phantom, having abducted Christine from her dressing room, reveals himself as a deformed man called Erik. Erik intends to keep her in his lair with him for a few days, but she causes him to change his plans when she unmasks him and, to the horror of both, beholds his noseless, lipless, sunken-eyed face, which resembles a skull dried up by the centuries, covered in yellowed dead flesh.

text: Fearing that she will leave him, he decides to keep her with him forever, but when Christine requests release after two weeks, he agrees on condition that she wear his ring and be faithful to him. On the roof of the opera house, Christine tells Raoul about her abduction, and makes Raoul promise to take her away to a place where Erik can never find her, even if she resists. Raoul tells Christine he will act on his promise the next day, to which she agrees. However, Christine sympathises with Erik, and decides to sing for him one last time as a means of saying good-bye. Unbeknownst to Christine and Raoul, Erik has been watching them and overheard their whole conversation.

text: The following night, the enraged and jealous Erik abducts Christine during a production of Faust, and tries to force her to marry him. Raoul is led by a mysterious opera regular known as "The Persian" into Erik's secret lair deep in the bowels of the opera house, but they end up trapped into a mirrored room by Erik, who threatens that unless Christine agrees to marry him, he will kill them and everyone in the Opera House by using explosives. Christine agrees to marry Erik. Erik initially tries to drown Raoul and the Persian, using the water which would have been used to douse the explosives, but Christine begs and offers to be his "living bride", promising him not to kill herself after becoming his bride, as she had both contemplated and attempted earlier in the novel. Erik eventually releases Raoul and the Persian from his torture chamber.

text: When Erik is alone with Christine, he lifts his mask to kiss her on her forehead, and is given a kiss back. Erik reveals that he has never received a kiss, not even from his own mother, nor has been allowed to give one and is overcome with emotion. He and Christine then cry together and their tears "mingle". Erik later says that he has never felt so close to another human being. He allows the Persian and Raoul to escape, though not before making Christine promise that she will visit him on his death day, and return the gold ring he gave her. He also makes the Persian promise that afterwards he will go to the newspaper and report his death, as he will die soon and will die "of love". Indeed, some time later Christine returns to Erik's lair, buries him somewhere he will never be found (by Erik's request) and returns the gold ring. Afterwards, a local newspaper runs the simple note: "Erik is dead". Christine and Raoul (who finds out that Erik has killed his older brother) elope together, never to return.

text: Passages narrated directly by the Persian and the final chapter piece together Erik's life: the son of a construction business owner deformed from birth, he ran away from his native Normandy to work in fairs and in caravans, schooling himself in the arts of the circus across Europe and Asia, and eventually building trick palaces in Persia and Turkey. Eventually, he returned to France and, wearing a mask, started his own construction business. After being subcontracted to work on the foundations of the Palais Garnier, Erik had discreetly built himself a lair to disappear in, complete with hidden passages and other tricks that allowed him to spy on the managers.

text: Characters[edit]

text:
Erik: The Phantom of the Opera, a deformed former conjuror also referred to as the Angel of Music and the Opera Ghost. He tutors and eventually becomes obsessed with Christine Daaé.
Christine Daaé: A young Swedish soprano at the Paris Opera House with whom the Phantom falls in love.
Vicomte Raoul de Chagny: Christine's childhood friend and love interest.
The Persian: A mysterious man from Erik's past.
Comte Phillipe de Chagny: Raoul's older brother.
Armand Moncharmin and Firmin Richard: The new managers of the opera house.
Madame Giry: The opera's box keeper.
Meg Giry: Often referred to as "Little Meg", Madame Giry's only daughter, a ballet girl.
Debienne and Poligny: The previous managers of the opera house
Carlotta: A spoiled prima donna; the lead soprano of the Paris Opera House.
Madame Valérius: Christine's elderly guardian.

text: Adaptations[edit]

text: There have been many literary and other dramatic works based on Leroux's novel, ranging from stage musicals to films to children's books. Some well known stage and screen adaptations of the novel are the 1925 film and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.


document_title: Doctrine of lapse

question_text: the doctrine of lapse was causes of which rebellion

root

text: Doctrine of lapse

text: History[edit]

text: At the time of its adoption, the British East India Company had imperial administrative jurisdiction over wide regions of the subcontinent. The company took over the princely states of Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambalpur (1849), Nagpur and Jhansi (1854), Tanjore and Arcot (1855) and Udaipur (Chhattisgarh) under the terms of the doctrine of lapse. Oudh (1856) is widely believed to have been annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. However it was annexed by Lord Dalhousie under the pretext of mis-governance. Mostly claiming that the ruler was not ruling properly, the Company added about four million pounds sterling to its annual revenue by virtue of this doctrine.[2] Udaipur State, however, would have local rule reinstated by the British in 1860.[3]

tag: p

text: With the increasing power of the East India Company, discontent simmered among many sections of Indian society and the largely indigenous armed forces; these rallied behind the deposed dynasties during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. Following the rebellion, in 1858, the new British Viceroy of India, whose rule replaced that of the British East India Company, renounced the doctrine.[4]

text: The princely state of Kittur was taken over by the East India Company in 1824 by imposing a 'doctrine of lapse'. So it is debatable whether it was devised by Lord Dalhousie in 1848, though he arguably made it official by documenting it. Dalhousie's annexations and the doctrine of lapse had caused suspicion and uneasiness among most ruling princes in India.

text: Doctrine of lapse before Dalhousie[edit]

text: Dalhousie applied the doctrine of lapse vigorously for annexing Indian princely states, but the policy was not solely of his invention. The Court of Directors of the East India Company had articulated this early in 1834.[5] As per this policy, the Company annexed Mandvi in 1839, Kolaba and Jalaun in 1840 and Surat in 1842.

text: Princely states annexed under the doctrine[edit]

text:
Angul (1848)
Arcot (1855)
Banda (1858)
Guler (1813)
Jaintia (1835)
Jaitpur (1849)
Jalaun (1840)
Jaswan (1849)
Jhansi (1854)
Kachari (1830)
Kangra (1846)
Kannanur (1819)
Kittur (1824)
Kodagu (1834)
Kolaba (1840)
Kozhikode (1806)
Kullu (1846)
Kurnool (1839)
Kutlehar (1825)
Makrai (1890); local rule reinstated by the British in 1893
Nagpur (1854)
Nargund (1858)
Oudh (1854)
Punjab (1849)
Ramgarh (1858)
Sambalpur (1849)
Satara (1848)
Surat (1842)
Siba (1849)
Tanjore (1855)
Tulsipur (1854)
Udaipur, Chhattisgarh (1854); local rule reinstated by the British in 1860

tag: ul


document_title: Effects of alcohol on memory

question_text: what part of the brain is memory affected by alcohol

text: Effects of alcohol on memory

text: Mode of action[edit]

text: Effects on hippocampus[edit]

text: Alcohol acts as a general central nervous system depressant, but it also affects specific areas of the brain to a greater extent than others. Memory impairment due to alcohol has been linked to disruption of hippocampal function—in particular affecting gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) neurotransmission which negatively impacts long-term potentiation (LTP).[2] The molecular basis of LTP is associated with learning and memory.[3] Particularly, damage to hippocampal CA1 cells adversely affects memory formation,[4] and this disruption has been linked to dose-dependent levels of alcohol consumption.[5] At higher doses, alcohol significantly inhibits neuronal activity in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell layers of the hippocampus.[6][7][8] This impairs memory encoding[9] since the hippocampus plays an important role in the formation of new memories.

text: Molecular effects on GABA and NMDA receptors[edit]

text: Alcohol acts as a positive allosteric modulator of GABA receptors, specifically type GABAA.[10] Upon activation, these GABA receptors conduct Cl-, resulting in neuronal hyperpolarization. This hyperpolarization decreases the chance of an action potential occurring and, thus, has an inhibitory effect on neurotransmission in the central nervous system. GABAA receptor subtypes vary in their sensitivity to dosage of alcohol consumed. Furthermore, acute alcohol intake promotes GABAergic neurotransmission via presynaptic release of GABA, dephosphorylation of GABAA receptors (increasing GABA sensitivity), and elevation of endogenous GABAergic neuroactive steroids.[11] Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in differentially modulating the response of the GABAA receptor to alcohol, with effects depending on the PKC isozyme.[12] Alcohol effects have also implicated protein kinase A in affecting GABAA receptor function, such as promoting sensitivity.[13] Enhancement of GABAergic transmission due to alcohol consumption can also be brought about by neuroactive steroids, such as allopregnanolone, which act as GABAA receptor agonists.[11][14] Chronic alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence are correlated with altered expression, properties, and functions of the GABAA receptor that may contribute to alcohol tolerance.[11] There is still much to be discovered about alcohol’s specific and varying effects on the GABAA receptor and its subtypes.

text: At higher doses, ethanol also affects NMDA receptors (NMDARs) by inhibiting the ion current induced by NMDA, a glutamate receptor agonist.[15] This inhibition of synaptic excitation by alcohol has been shown to be dose-dependent (up to a certain point, after which it did not differ by much).[16] Alcohol appears to produce this inhibition by using a site of the NMDAR that is accessible from the extracellular environment.[17] Thusly, this inhibition of an ion current usually produced by NMDAR activation leads to decreased LTP in hippocampal areas.[18] Alcohol negatively affects LTP to a greater degree in immature versus mature animals.[19] In adolescents, alcohol decreases the expression of the NMDAR NR2A subunit in the hippocampus and the NR1 subunit in the prefrontal cortex.[20] Studies have also found a decrease in phosphorylation of 2B subunit in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and striatum.[21] NMDARS may be affected by PKA regulation due to the actions of alcohol.[22] Alcohol’s effects on GABAA neurotransmission may indirectly inhibit the activity of the NMDAR and contribute to its blockade of LTP induction; however, alcohol’s direct effects on NMDAR alone are sufficient for the inhibition of LTP.[23] The varying dose-dependent response to alcohol relies on the combined interactions and responses of the GABAA receptors, NMDARs, and metabotropic glutamate receptors subtype 5 (mGluR5).[24][25][26] These changes prevent excitatory synaptic transmissions from occurring, affecting synaptic plasticity and, in turn, memory and learning. However, there is still much to be elucidated concerning specific molecular mechanisms of how alcohol affects memory formation.

text: Effects on other brain regions[edit]

text: Alcohol also impairs and alters functioning in the cerebellum, which affects motor function and coordination.[27] It has a notable inhibitory effect on neurons of the cerebral cortex, affecting and altering thought processes, decreasing inhibition, and increasing the pain threshold. It also decreases sexual performance by depressing nerve centers in the hypothalamus.[28][29] Alcohol also has an effect on urine excretion via inhibition of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) secretion of the pituitary gland. Lastly, it depresses breathing and heart rate by inhibiting neuronal functioning of the medulla.[30]

text: Long-term memory[edit]

text: Long-term memory (LTM) has a long duration and large capacity.[31] Memories stored in LTM can last from a few days to a lifetime.[31] LTM consists of explicit memory (requiring conscious awareness) and implicit memory (unconscious awareness).[31] Information selected for LTM goes through three processes. First, in the encoding stage, information from the senses is incorporated into mental activity in the form of a memory.[31] Secondly, storage involves taking this information and holding it indefinitely in memory.[31] Lastly, retrieval is the ability to recall information from the long-term memory storage. Each of these processes can be affected by alcohol.[31]

text: Explicit memory[edit]

text: Explicit memory requires conscious and intentional effort for recall.[31] It includes both episodic memory (for specific events, such as a party) and semantic memory (for general information, such as one's name).[31]

text: Alcohol impairs episodic encoding, specifically for cued recall, recognition of completed word fragments, and free recall.[32] A blackout is an example of a difficulty in encoding episodic memories due to alcohol. Blackouts are caused by a rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration (BAC) which in turn distorts the neurons in the hippocampus.[33] This distortion impairs a person's ability to form new episodic memories.[33]

text: High doses of alcohol severely disrupt the storage process of semantic memories.[34] Alcohol was found to impair the storage of novel stimuli but not that of previously learned information.[34] Since alcohol affects the central nervous system, it hinders semantic storage functioning by restricting the consolidation of the information from encoding.[34]

text: Retrieval of explicit memory is significantly impaired by alcohol. When compared to sober participants, intoxicated participants performed quite poorly on a recall task for everyday events (episodic memory).[35] Intoxicated participants are also slower to respond in reaction time tasks.[36] Alcohol also impairs retrieval in word recognition tasks.[32] When both encoding and retrieval take place during intoxication, there are surprisingly more impairments for cued recall than for free recall.[32] In terms of gender differences in retrieval processes, females tend to score lower than males on recall tasks when intoxicated.[36]

text: Implicit memory[edit]

text: Implicit memory does not require conscious effort or intention for recall.[31] It occurs when previous experience influences performance on a certain task.[31] This is evident in priming experiments. Implicit memory includes procedural memory, which influences our everyday behaviours, such as riding a bike or tying shoes.[31] People can perform these abilities without thinking about them, which means procedural memory functions automatically. While retrieval of explicit memory is severely impaired by alcohol, retrieval of implicit memory is not.[35] Intoxicated subjects score higher on recognition tasks (involving implicit memory) than on recall tasks (involving explicit memory).[35]

text: Short-term memory[edit]

text: Short-term memory refers to temporary storage of small amounts of information over short delays.[31] Digit span refers to the proposed number of pieces of information (5-9) that can be held in short-term memory. This is also referred to as the magic number seven – plus or minus two. Any more pieces of information than this, and newer items replace previous items.[37] Alcohol intoxication has been found to have dissociative effects on short-term memory and cognitive functioning.[38][39]

text: Brain areas affected by alcohol[edit]

text: Alcohol affects brain functioning. Neurochemical changes occurring in the anterior cingulate are correlated with altered short-term memory functions in the brains of young alcoholic men.[40] fMRIs of alcohol-dependent women displayed significantly less blood oxygen in the frontal and parietal regions, especially in the right hemisphere.[41] This is supported by findings of short-term memory impairment by lesions of the parietal lobe[42] and prefrontal cortex.[43] Associations between Third ventricle volume and cognitive performance on memory tests have been found in alcoholics.[44] Specifically, increases in third ventricular volume correlate with a decline in memory performance.[44]

text: Tasks and intoxication findings[edit]

text: Short-term memory is commonly tested with visual tasks. Short-term memory, especially for non-verbal and spatial material, are impaired by intoxication.[44] Alcohol decreases iconic memory (a type of visual short-term memory).[45] With BACs between 80–84 mg/dl, more intrusion errors occur in a delayed recall task compared to a control group.[46] Intrusion errors, which represent reflective cognitive functioning, occur when irrelevant information is produced. Alcoholics have less control of inhibiting intrusions.[46] Acute alcohol intoxication in social drinkers caused more intrusion errors in delayed recall tasks than in immediate free recall tasks.[46] Acute alcohol intoxication increases susceptibility to interference, which allows for more intrusion errors when there is a short delay.[46] Free recall (given list of words then asked to recall list) is significantly lower and therefore impaired by alcohol intoxication.[47][48] Encoding deficits were found in verbal free recall and recognition tasks under the influence of alcohol.[49] A discrimination task found significant alcohol-related impairments in depth perception and in visual short-term memory.[50] State-dependent learning and relearning studies in male heavy drinkers demonstrate that the condition of intoxication while learning and sobriety when tested caused a performance deficit in free recall tasks.[51] These findings are supportive of alcohol-induced storage deficits (not retrieval deficits).[51] The effects of acute alcohol consumption on visual short-term memory, stereoscopic depth perception, and attention were studied. A 33% alcohol condition showed significant impairments in depth perception and in visual short-term memory (assessed by the vernier discrimination task).[52]

text: Effects on working memory[edit]

text: Working memory allows one to keep things in mind while simultaneously performing complex tasks.[31] It involves a system for the temporary storage and manipulation of information, forming a crucial link between perception and controlled action.[53] Evidence suggests that working memory involves three components: the central executive which controls attention, the visuo-spatial sketchpad which holds and manipulates spatial information, and the phonological loop which performs a similar function for auditory and speech-based information.[53]

text: In the short term[edit]

text: Alcohol consumption has substantial, measurable effects on working memory, though these effects vary greatly between individual responses. Little is known about the neural mechanisms that underlie these individual differences.[54] It is also found that alcohol impairs working memory by affecting mnemonic strategies and executive processes rather than by shrinking the basic holding capacity of working memory. Isolated acute-moderate levels of alcohol intoxication do not profoundly physically alter the structures which are critical for working memory function, such as the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, anterior cingulate, and parts of the basal ganglia.[38] One finding regarding the effects of alcohol on working memory points out that alcohol reduces working memory only in individuals with a high baseline working memory capacity,[55] which suggests that alcohol might not uniformly affect working memory in different individuals. Alcohol appears to impair the capacity of working memory to modulate response inhibition.[55] Alcohol disinhibits behaviour, but only in individuals with a low baseline working memory capacity.[55] An interesting finding is that incentive to perform well with working memory measurement tasks while under the influence of alcohol 'does in fact have some effect on working memory, in that it boosts scores in rate of mental scanning and reaction time to stimulus, but did not reduce number of errors compared to subjects with no incentive to perform well.[56] Even acute alcohol intoxication (a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08-0.09%) produces a substantial impairment of working memory processes that require mnemonic rehearsal strategies.[38] Alcohol is less likely to impair a working memory task that does not rely on memory rehearsal or associated mnemonic strategies.[38] Because of this, working memory is very susceptible to falter when a person is participating in tasks involving retention concerning auditory and visual sequences.[38] A real world and interesting example of this is failure of guitarists or other musicians performing concerts to cue in on auditory patterns and make it known that their performance is hindered by intoxication, whereas professional basketball (a less sequence-heavy activity for working memory) standout Ron Artest recently admitted in an interview with Sporting News to drinking heavily during half-time in the early days of his career and it having little if any recognizable effect on his working memory. His former coach Fran Fraschilla has gone on record saying:[citation needed]

text: "It's a surprise because every day at practice, he came out in a mood to play. He came out in a basketball rage. He was fully committed; he wanted to let our upperclassmen know that he was the alpha male. It never came up that he had any sort of a problem with alcohol. This is the first I've heard of it."

text: In the long term[edit]

text: This article needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources, specifically: primary sources should be replaced; consider using PMID 23905882 and PMID 28470828. Please review the contents of the article and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2017)

tag: table

text: Alcohol has shown to have some long-term effect on working memory. Findings have shown that for working memory to be substantially affected, long-term, heavy drinking must be sustained over a long period of time as up to one drink per day does not impair cognitive function and may actually decrease the risk of cognitive decline.[57] Furthermore, chronic alcoholism is associated with impairment in sustained attention and visual working memory. Thus, alcoholics have reduced ability, but not necessarily inability, to perform these executive tasks, assumed to be subserved by regions of prefrontal cortex.[58] While it may not serve as a surprise that chronic alcoholism has been linked to decreased cognitive function including working memory, one surprising finding is not only that even moderate levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy were shown to have an adverse effect on the child's working memory when tested at 7.5 years of age, but that working memory may be the most important aspect of attention that is adversely affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.[59]

text: Prospective memory[edit]

text: Prospective memory involves remembering to carry out an intended action in the future without an explicit reminder.[31] Alcohol has been found to impair this ability. Chronic heavy alcohol users report significantly more prospective forgetting compared to low-dose and alcohol-free controls.[60] The Prospective Memory Questionnaire assesses short-term habitual prospective memory, long-term episodic prospective memory, and internally cued prospective memory.[60] Chronic heavy alcohol users reported significantly greater deficits for all three aspects of prospective memory.[60] Individuals that report heavy alcohol use report 24% more difficulties with prospective memory than those who report that they are light drinkers and 30% more difficulties than those who report that they never drink.[61] The effects of alcohol on prospective memory can also be assessed in the laboratory by simulating prospective memory tasks that individuals face in everyday life. Individuals who are given 0.6 g/kg alcohol prior to performing prospective memory tasks do significantly poorer than a placebo group.[62] Alcohol can damage the prefrontal and frontal areas of the brain, and this may be responsible for prospective memory impairments since prospective memory performance is highly correlated with frontal executive functions.[60]

text: In popular culture[edit]

text: The memory inhibiting effects of alcohol are often a prominent topic in popular culture. It appears in movies, books, and television shows. Several movies show characters drinking alcohol to the point of memory loss and awakening the next morning with a host of problems due to actions they performed while intoxicated.

text: One example is The Hangover, where three groomsmen lose the groom during a bachelor party in Las Vegas, so they retrace their steps to find him.[63] The characters still had functioning implicit/procedural memory, which allowed them to carry out the many acts they performed that night, but their episodic memory was impaired and thus they had no recollection of the events occurring. In addition to alcohol the characters were also under the influence of flunitrazepam.

text: Another movie is What Happens in Vegas. After an intoxicated night in "Sin City," two people wake-up to find they got married.[64]

text: Songs such as Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry[65] and Last Name by Carrie Underwood[66] also depict characters waking up and not remembering the night before due to alcohol consumption.

text: By some accounts, popular culture makes light of the memory problems that can result from alcohol consumption.

text: The court case R. v. Daviault [1994] concerned the viability of a legal defense based on intoxication.

text: Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; in season 11 episode 4, Hammered, a recovering alcoholic was coersed to drink by a business partner and later wakes up to a dead woman in his bed.


document_title: Black Lightning (TV series)

question_text: where does black lightning tv show take place

text: Black Lightning (TV series)

text: Premise[edit]

text: High school principal Jefferson Pierce, who retired from his superhero persona Black Lightning nine years ago after seeing the effects it had on his family, is forced to become a vigilante again when the rise of the local gang called the 100 leads to increased crime and corruption in his community of Freeland.[3]

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text:
Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning: A retired superhero with the ability to harness and manipulate electricity who works as a principal at Garfield High School. He returns to fighting crime after his daughters are kidnapped by a local gang.[4][3] Kaden Washington Lewis portrays as teenage Jefferson Pierce.
China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce: Jefferson's younger daughter, who is "an independent, outspoken scholar-athlete with a wild streak of her own",[5] who also possesses powers where her cells start generating energy; her electric power is more powerful than that of her father's.[6]
Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce / Thunder: Jefferson's elder daughter who is in medical school and teaches part-time at Jefferson's school.[5] Anissa is a metahuman like her father, having an ability to manipulate her density, endowing herself with superhuman strength and near invulnerablity. She can also create powerful shockwaves against opponents with this power during combat. In addition, she has a rapid healing factor. She eventually fights crime as Thunder,[6]  and later becomes her father's protégée and partner.  Describing her character as a positive role model, Williams said "I'm just really grateful to tell the story for young lesbians — and black lesbians in particular ... My hope is that when you watch Anissa, a young lesbian is inspired to walk boldly as who she is and to love herself and to love herself exactly how she looks."[7]
Christine Adams as Lynn Stewart: A neuroscientist at Bowman College and Jefferson's ex-wife.[8]
Marvin "Krondon" Jones III as Tobias Whale: A former politician who rose through the ranks of local government through corruption but was brought down by Jefferson's father, Alvin. After killing Alvin, Tobias was exiled and became the leader of the 100.[9] He also becomes involved with the A.S.A.'s efforts to capture and study Black Lightning.
Damon Gupton as Billy Henderson: A veteran detective inspector with the police, who becomes an unlikely ally to Jefferson, despite his role in the community. After exposing the dirty Deputy Chief, Cayman, he is appointed to replace him.[10]
James Remar as Peter Gambi: Jefferson's oldest friend who became a father figure and mentor to him and works as his "tailor" while having connections with Lady Eve. His real name is Peter Esposito and was a former member of the A.S.A. until he turned against the organization and gave information to Alvin Pierce, resulting in his murder.[10]

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Kyanna Simone Simpson as Kiesha Henderson: Jennifer Pierce's best friend and the daughter of Billy Henderson, who encourages Jennifer to challenge her perfect image.[11]
Skye P. Marshall as Kara Fowdy: Garfield High's vice-principal. She is later revealed to be a spotter for the A.S.A. who reports on metahuman sightings at the school to them.[12]
William Catlett as Latavius "Lala" Johnson / Tattoo Man: A member of the 100 who is in charge of the Seahorse Motel that the 100 use as a front for their prostitution ring. He is killed by Tobias Whale for his repeated failures to dispose of Black Lightning, but is later resurrected by Lady Eve's magic dust and starts seeing Lawanda's ghost and Will's ghost where their tattoos appear on his body. In addition, he starts to demonstrate super-strength. After regaining control of Lala and mentioning the ghosts being a side effect of the reanimation project he was put through, Tobias uses him as a bomb mule in an attempt to kill Marton Proctor.
Dabier as Will: A member of the 100 and cousin of Lala who kidnaps Anissa and Jennifer. He is later killed by Lala, and later appears as a ghost that only Lala can see.
Charlbi Dean as Syonide: Tobias Whale's henchwoman, hit person, and mob enforcer. At the age of an infant, she was found in the dumpster with her umbilical cord wrapped around her. After finding her in an orphanage abused and malnourished, Tobias Whale took her in and trained her in the art of assassination while also having her put through a painful procedure that involved placing fiber armor beneath her skin.
Eric Mendenhall as Joey Toledo: Tobias Whale's right-hand man and mob enforcer. He is killed by Gambi.
Tracey Bonner as Lawanda White: One of Jefferson's former students whose daughter was taken by the 100 under Lala's supervision. After Jefferson fails to help her as promised, Lawanda confronts Lala, who shoots and kills her mercilessly. Unknown to him, she recorded the entire exchange, which leads to his arrest and eventual death. Lawanda later turns up as a ghost that only Lala can see.[13]
Anthony Reynolds as Deputy Chief Zeke Cayman: A corrupt officer of the Freeland Police Department who has connections with the A.S.A and Tobias Whale. He is tasked by Kara with framing Jefferson for drug dealing, but is subsequently arrested and removed from the force thanks to an investigation by Henderson.
Jordan Calloway as Khalil Payne / Painkiller: A track star at Garfield High and Jennifer's ex boyfriend. After a bullet from Syonide's gun paralyzes him from the waist down, he becomes involved with Tobias Whale where he undergoes an experimental treatment involving a spinal implant that gives him enhanced abilities. Tobias Whale is the one who names Khalil's new form of Painkiller.[14]
Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi: A bartender who becomes Anissa's girlfriend.[15]
Jill Scott as Evelyn Stillwater-Ferguson / Lady Eve: The owner of a funeral parlor who connects Tobias Whale with a secret group of corrupt leaders that gave him leadership over the 100.[16] She is later murdered by Tobias as part of a plan to frame Black Lightning.
Edwina Findley as Tori Whale: Tobias Whale's younger sister who assists in his plot to destroy Black Lightning.[17] She is accidentally killed by a stray bullet while trying to escape from Black Lightning.
Gregg Henry as Martin Proctor: The leader of the A.S.A., who initially wants to kill Black Lightning, but changes his mind when he realizes that his DNA can be used to create metahuman soldiers. Peter Gambi is associated with him. During a confrontation at one of the warehouses storing the metahuman stasis pods, Martin is briefly attacked by Jennifer and shot by Gambi. Tobias Whale had his thumbs salvaged by an ally at the coroner's office in order to access the contents of his briefcase.

text: Guest[edit]

text:
Clifton Powell as Jeremiah Holt: A reverend looking to challenge the 100.
Jason Louder as Frank "Two-Bits" Banner: Jefferson's childhood friend who sells drugs and bootleg DVDs on the streets, and an occasional informant for Black Lightning.
Antonio Fargas as David Poe: The editor of the "Freeland Gazette", who gives Anissa files that once belonged to her grandfather, Alvin. He is subsequently killed offscreen in a staged hit-and-run.
Keith Arthur Bolden as Alvin Pierce: The father of Jefferson and friend of Peter Gambi who worked as a reporter. He was killed by Tobias Whale after exposing him for corruption.
Josh Henry as Man in Lab Coat: An unnamed scientist working for the A.S.A. who oversees the stasis pods that the captured metahumans are in.

text: Roland S. Martin and Nina Turner appeared as themselves in the pilot. Journalist Amanda Davis has a posthumous cameo appearance in the debut episode.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.codeU.S. viewers(millions)1"The Resurrection"Salim AkilSalim AkilJanuary 16, 2018 (2018-01-16)T43.100012.31[18]
After his older daughter Anissa is arrested for protesting, high school principal and former superhero Jefferson Pierce is again pulled over for a crime he did not commit. The last straw comes when his youngest daughter, Jennifer, gets in trouble at a club owned by a gang called the "100" and he is forced to use his powers to rescue her. Peter Gambi, his mentor and friend, urges him to become Black Lightning again, but Jefferson refuses to break the promise he made to his ex-wife, Lynn, to give up heroics in hopes of reconciling with her. A 100 gangbanger named Will and his friends abduct Jennifer and Anissa despite an agreement between Jefferson and the gang. Lynn temporarily frees him from his promise in order to save their daughters. With Gambi's help, he rescues the girls from the 100 at the Seahorse Motel. However, he is unable to find Will's boss Lala. After being brought to the head of the 100, Tobias Whale, by his two underlings Syonide and Joey Toledo, Lala is instructed to kill Black Lightning. Anissa's trauma activates her own powers, causing her to break a sink in half.
2"LaWanda: The Book of Hope"Oz ScottSalim AkilJanuary 23, 2018 (2018-01-23)T43.100021.94[19]
Jefferson assures Lynn that he is giving up his Black Lightning identity for good. However, he learns that the 100 are still running prostitutes at the Seahorse Motel and that his daughters are being targeted as witnesses. Jefferson asks Gambi to help him find Lala by hacking the police's database. Anissa's girlfriend offers to get her a therapist. Will escapes police custody, but is captured and executed by Lala. LaWanda, a former student of Jefferson's, tries to free her daughter from the grip of the 100 and he promises to help her. LaWanda is killed when she confronts Lala at the Seahorse Motel. Blaming himself for her death, Jefferson throws aside his concerns and prepares to go after the 100. Lynn visits Gambi and asks him to convince her husband otherwise, but he refuses. Using information from Will's recovered phone, Jefferson suits up and storms the hotel where Lala is hiding, beating him severely just before the police arrive to arrest him. While out shopping, Anissa subdues a robber with her powers. Using his connections with Deputy Chief Cayman after the Seahorse Motel was shut down, Tobias gets access to Lala's cell and strangles him with only one hand.
3"LaWanda: The Book of Burial"Mark TonderaiJan NashJanuary 30, 2018 (2018-01-30)T43.100032.21[20]
Following LaWanda's death, Reverend Holt plans to orchestrate a peace march in light of the 100's crime waves, much to the dismay of Jefferson and Inspector Henderson. Anissa meets Grace Choi and experiments with her new abilities. Tobias has an talk with Lady Eve and instructs his minions to massacre the peace march in exchange for Lala's place in the ranks. Though Black Lightning succeeds in stopping the assailant, Tobias is nearby as Syonide shoots Reverend Holt. The bullet goes through Reverend Holt and hits Khalil, Jennifer’s boyfriend. At the hospital, Jefferson sees the mixed news about the opinions of Black Lightning from the peace marchers and Inspector Henderson. At the tailor shop, Gambi deletes evidence that Tobias was the one responsible for the reverend and Khalil being shot. Back at the hospital, Lynn assures Anissa that she will be there for her. Jefferson and Jennifer tell them that Reverend Holt is doing well but Khalil won't walk again. As Jefferson embraces his family, he continues to see the news about Black Lightning as other peace marchers praise his heroic actions.
4"Black Jesus"Michael SchultzPat CharlesFebruary 6, 2018 (2018-02-06)T43.100041.88[21]
One of Jefferson's students, Bernard, almost overdoses on a new strength-enhancing street drug, Green Light. Jefferson is forced to use his powers to knock him out. The school board wants Bernard expelled but lets him stay when Jefferson cedes final authority over student matters to the board. Gambi and Jefferson track Green Light to a mid-level dealer named Two Bits, an old friend of Jefferson's. When he dismisses Jefferson, Black Lightning gets him to reveal the location of a warehouse. Anissa and Grace are confronted outside a bar and Anissa uses her strength on the two thugs. Gambi erases the security footage, but keeps a photo of Anissa's footprint. Black Lightning saves Bernard from a drug den and Jefferson puts him in rehab. Jennifer quits track to focus on supporting Khalil. Lady Eve gets impatient with Tobias, who entered the criminal world after being forced out of city council for supposedly killing Black Lightning. Tobias has Joey Toledo murder the morgue doctor who told him Black Lighting was dead. Tobias' sister Tori arrives and proposes turning the people against Black Lightning. Tobias visits Khalil where he pays his medical bills and tells him it's Black Lightning's fault that he'll never walk again.
5"And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light"Rose TrocheAdam GiaudroneFebruary 13, 2018 (2018-02-13)T43.100051.81[22]
Gambi alters Black Lightning's suit for flight. Jefferson experiences severe headaches. Tobias pays Gambi a visit, looking for the identity of Black Lightning but Gambi says he doesn't know; and that Tobias is breaking their deal by coming to him. Tracking Green Light, Black Lightning finds out it is coming from Joey Toledo. Jennifer defends herself against two girls at a skating rink. One girl's family is furious. While Jefferson and Lynn take responsibility upon being confronted by the family, they are impressed. Tori says Tobias needs to finally deal with their abusive father, Eldridge. Now an old man, Tobias breaks his father's back and convinces Tori to let him die. Anissa discovers that, decades ago, her grandfather, reporter Alvin Pierce, had a story on the disappearance of nine enhanced teenagers. The newspaper wouldn't print the story and Alvin was murdered a week later. Anissa visits the paper's editor who says "they" are still watching. Nevertheless, he gives her some files and Anissa suits up to explore a storage unit after putting together a costume from different clothes she purchases. On a tip from Inspector Henderson, Black Lightning confronts Toledo, but his headaches incapacitate him. This allows Toledo to escape as he vows to Black Lightning that Tobias Whale will kill him.
6"Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"Benny BoomCharles HollandFebruary 27, 2018 (2018-02-27)T43.100061.64[23]
After Joey Toledo contacts Deputy Chief Cayman about Black Lightning's sighting, Peter picks up Black Lightning before the police can find him and informs Lynn. The next day, Jefferson deals with Anissa getting in trouble with the police in relation to vandalism of a Confederate general's statue, as well as Fowdy showing cyber-bullying videos about Jennifer. Meanwhile, Lynn compares the brain scans of those on Green Light and Black Lightning. While Black Lightning prepares for a confrontation with Tobias, Anissa uses her powers to destroy the Confederate general's statue after she learns that someone was killed over it. Afterwards, Anissa contacts Lynn to reveal her powers. Due to an attack at the hospital, Black Lightning cancels his planned attack on Tobias. Anissa shows up and fights off the thieves; Black Lightning battles and injures her, thinking that she was a metahuman who attacked Lynn. After realizing who she is, Lynn and Jefferson call Peter for help. Peter visits Lady Eve, having trained her, and makes a deal to keep the Pierce family off-limits to The 100, who want to stop Lynn's research. Meanwhile, Khalil takes up Tobias's offer to walk again. Anissa awakes and finally discovers that her father is Black Lightning.
7"Equinox: The Book of Fate"Bille WoodruffLamont MageeMarch 6, 2018 (2018-03-06)T43.100071.46[24]
Since the discovery of Anissa having developed metahuman powers, Lynn examines Anissa while Peter Gambi comes clean to Jefferson about not telling him that Tobias Whale is back in town. Investigating the break-in at the hospital, Inspector Henderson gets the description of the criminals responsible and thinks the 100 is behind this though the two thieves are killed. After visiting Lady Eve about Tobias Whale, a disguised Gambi enters Tobias's club and kills Toledo to make Tobias fall in line. Lynn asks Gambi to make a suit for Anissa. At a club that Tobias is attending, Black Lightning fights him and his henchmen which results in Tobias getting wounded and Tori accidentally getting killed by a stray bullet. During this time, Tobias Whale's henchmen use special electrical guns to kill Lady Eve and her minions. After a talk with Anissa, Black Lightning gets a call from Henderson believing he killed Lady Eve. In the final scene, Lala is in a hotel room as he is brought back to life with Lawanda's head tattooed on his chest.
8"The Book of Revelations"Tanya HamiltonJan NashMarch 13, 2018 (2018-03-13)T43.100081.45[25]
Two henchmen  are surprised to see Lala back from the dead; while Lawanda talks to him encouraging violence and seducing him. Peter Gambi meets with A.S.A. member Martin Proctor who wants Black Lightning dead as a threat to the Freeland experiment. Examining Lady Eve's body, Jefferson and Anissa trace the weapon's radiation; finding it and the body of Lady Eve's killer. Meanwhile, Jennifer is startled at school, causing her to unlock her own electrical powers. After calling Henderson, Jefferson and Anissa hide nearby when they see someone coming close. While Jefferson sneaks up on the person, Anissa sees that it is about to explode and activates her powers to shield her father. Jefferson suspects The 100 intercepted his call to Henderson. Lynn finds that Greenlight was similar to a vaccine that was found in Alvin Pierce's locker from 30 years ago. Gambi admits that his real name is Peter Esposito and that he withheld some things to protect Jefferson and his family from the A.S.A. who made the vaccine and hunt metahumans. Jefferson warns Peter to stay away from his family. In the final scene, Jennifer confides in Anissa about her electrical powers.
9"The Book of Little Black Lies"Tawnia McKernanKeli GoffMarch 20, 2018 (2018-03-20)T43.100091.55[26]
Anissa reveals her own powers and the fact their father is Black Lightning to Jennifer; and she feels lied to by her parents all her life. Three separate investigations of Inspector Henderson into the corrupt police officers, Peter into the electrical weapons, and Jefferson and Anissa into Green Light from Alvin's research all lead to the same lab where the drug is currently being manufactured. Peter gives Anissa her costume as Thunder and says he made a mistake in keeping secrets, but he was just trying to protect the ones he loves. With help from her mother, Jennifer is able to see why her parents lied but doesn't want to save the world, mourning her loss of her chance at a normal life. Black Lightning and Thunder attack the Green Light lab together and Inspector Henderson is able to make a few arrests before they blow it up. A.S.A. agents attack with weapons to disable Black Lightning's powers, but Thunder saves him. At home, Jennifer is able to forgive her father who promises to be honest with her from now on.
10"Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption"Eric LaneuvillePat CharlesMarch 27, 2018 (2018-03-27)T43.100101.55[27]
Thunder investigates Peter's tip about the kids from 30 years ago and finds they are still alive. When she brings Black Lightning to the lab, it's empty and they fight off ASA agents again. Two Bits sees one of Jefferson's students display powers and get kidnapped, telling Jefferson. Meanwhile, Lala begins seeing Will, now also tattooed on his chest, as a ghost while taking over The 100 to sell traditional drugs again while planning revenge on Tobias Whale. He even displayed increased strength on anyone who disagrees with the plan. Anissa and Jennifer argue about powers again causing Jennifer's whole body to flare up with electricity. Lynn finds that while their father is like a battery manipulating electricity, Jennifer can generate it. Martin Proctor and the A.S.A. kidnap and torture Peter, demanding Black Lightning's identity. Under orders of Martin, two A.S.A. agents take Jefferson away while he mentors a child to get Peter to talk. Jefferson uses his powers, allowing Peter to kill two A.S.A. agents. Peter begins healing in his basement base and the Pierce family hides in Alvin's old house. Peter tells Jefferson to find the new A.S.A. spotter in the community that finds kids with powers. At the new location of the stasis pods holding the kids, Martin has realized that Jefferson is Black Lightning after putting two and two together and informs Vice-Principal Fowdy about it as she is revealed to be the A.S.A.'s new spotter.
11"Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion"Michael SchultzMelora RiveraApril 3, 2018 (2018-04-03)T43.100111.50[28]
Black Lightning and Thunder raid another location and find that the bodies have been moved again. Vice-Principal Kara Fowdy tells a scientist to keep an eye on the stasis pods stable, but one teenager from 30 years ago dies. From the shadows, Fowdy instructs Deputy Chief Cayman to have Jefferson framed for possession of Greenlight. In an online discussion with her bosses, Fowdy is told that the federal agents will take Jefferson to the black site to determine if he is Black Lightning. While Lynn tries to find a lawyer that can defend Jefferson, Henderson visits Jefferson's cell, as he acts out an interrogation with Jefferson by talking about why his daughters were kidnapped by Lala. Thanks to Peter, Thunder runs after his remote-controlled car using a hologram of Black Lightning; to fool everyone into believing Jefferson cannot be Black Lightning. Henderson is able to catch one of the corrupt officers and convinces him to snitch on the rest. Henderson has Jefferson released and Cayman is arrested for his corruption. Jefferson has been exonerated and Henderson has been sworn in as the new Deputy Chief of Police. Peter joins the Pierce family for dinner to celebrate Jefferson's exoneration.
12"The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain"Oz ScottJan Nash & Adam GiaudroneApril 10, 2018 (2018-04-10)T13.100121.54[29]
Khalil resurfaces where he now has a spinal implant that makes him walk again. Peter Gambi confronts a weapon maker for information about Martin Proctor. While the weapon maker finds the information, he is confronted by Lala, who acted strange after hearing the phrase "The devil deals the cards." Meanwhile, Lynn works to help Jennifer with her condition. Under orders of Tobias Whale, Khalil as Painkiller, attacks Jefferson High using paralysis needles based from a toxin his implant now creates; to draw out Black Lightning so that they can find out who he is. When Black Lightning confronts Khalil, Tobias joins the fight. As Jennifer works to get control of her abilities, Thunder faces off against Syonide where she manages to get a cut in Syonide's left arm under her internal body armor. As Tobias restrains Black Lightning, Khalil does a strike that accidentally stops Black Lightning's heart. Tobias reprimands Khalil for that action. When Thunder appears, Syonide covers their escape as Jennifer builds up enough energy to resuscitate Black Lightning. Falling back to a cabin in the woods at North Freeland, Peter cloaks them from tracking. Following the incident at the school, Martin Proctor tells Kara Fowdy to find Black Lightning even if she has to burn Freeland to do it. Meanwhile, Lala is brought to Tobias Whale by Syonide, who is unsurprised to see Lala alive. Using the phrase, Tobias is able to control Lala and plans on taking out Martin Proctor next.
13"Shadow of Death: The Book of War"Salim AkilCharles D. HollandApril 17, 2018 (2018-04-17)T43.100131.68[30]
Near death in New Freeland, Jefferson remembers and speaks with his father Alvin, who motivates him to wake up, though his powers are gone. With the pods from thirty years ago dying, Martin Proctor demands Lala be brought to him for information on Tobias. Tobias had Lala revived and placed under his control. The tattoos are a side effect of the reanimation process to remind Lala of the ones he's killed. Tobias nicknames him Tattoo Man. He sends him with a bomb inside his stomach to the A.S.A. which kills a few agents. Tattoo Man's fate is unclear. As Proctor sends agents to the cabin, Inspector Henderson gets word and the police pursue. Jennifer is able to use her powers to restore her father's. The entire Pierce family and Peter are able to defeat the A.S.A. agents and avoid the police. Meanwhile, Tobias, Syonide and Painkiller attack the ASA headquarters and only Martin is able to escape. He goes to the pods where the Pierce family confronts him and Peter realizes he is running a rogue operation as Gambi kills him while the scientist watching them states their current condition. Lynn has the pods exposed to the media and the public recognizes Black lightning and Thunder as having stopped the A.S.A.'s experiments. As the Pierce family vows to protect Freeland, Tobias opens Martin's briefcase using Martin's thumbs that Syonide obtains from Tobias' ally at the coroner's office. This gives him something he needs to be Freeland's king and to take out Black Lightning.

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text: In September 2016, after being in various stages of development, Warner Bros. Television began pitching Black Lightning to networks.[31] The project was being developed by Mara Brock Akil and her husband, Salim Akil. They were partnered with Greg Berlanti, who was behind several DC Comics properties for the studio, eventually landing at Fox with a pilot production commitment.[32] In February 2017, Fox opted not to go forward with the project, deciding that it was "not a good fit into its already crowded genre drama space".[33] Warner Bros. Television presented the project to other networks, with The CW officially ordering a pilot for Black Lightning.[34] The CW also opted to discard the original pilot script, as it had been written for Fox, and shoot a short presentation instead.[35] The CW officially ordered Black Lightning to series on May 10, 2017.[36]

text: Writing[edit]

text: Salim Akil stated that Black Lightning would not follow the villain of the week format or be a procedural, because he wanted to "explore the characters, even the villains".[37]

text: Casting[edit]

text: In late February 2017, Cress Williams was cast as Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning,[4] followed a month later by the casting of China Anne McClain and Nafessa Williams as his daughters, Jennifer Pierce and Anissa Pierce, respectively,[5] and Christine Adams was cast as Lynn Pierce, Jefferson's ex-wife.[8] At the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International, it was announced that James Remar and Damon Gupton had joined the cast as Pierce's friend Peter Gambi and detective inspector Henderson, respectively.[10] The following month, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III of the hip hop group Strong Arm Steady was cast as Tobias Whale.[9]

text: At the end of September 2017, Kyanna Simone Simpson was cast as the recurring role Kiesha.[11] The following month, Edwina Findley joined the cast as Tori Whale,[17] while Chantal Thuy was cast as Grace Choi.[15] In January 2018, it was revealed that Skye Marshall had been cast as Mrs. Frowdy.[12]

text: Design[edit]

text: Black Lightning's costume was designed by Laura Jean Shannon.[38]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Filming for the series takes place in Atlanta.[3][39]

text: Release[edit]

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: Black Lightning began airing on The CW on January 16, 2018,[40] and is set to run for 13 episodes.[41] Each episode airs a week later on Netflix across Western Europe.[42]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The first season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in Region 1 on June 26, 2018.[43]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
No.

Title

Air date
Rating/share(18–49)
Viewers(millions)
DVR(18–49)
DVR viewers(millions)
Total(18–49)
Total viewers(millions)

1

"The Resurrection"

January 16, 2018
0.8/3
2.31[18]
N/A
1.32
N/A
3.63[44]

2

"LaWanda: The Book of Hope"

January 23, 2018
0.6/2
1.94[19]
0.7
1.54
1.3
3.48[45]

3

"LaWanda: The Book of Burial"

January 30, 2018
0.8/3
2.21[20]
0.6
1.54
1.4
3.77[46]

4

"Black Jesus"

February 6, 2018
0.6/2
1.88[21]
0.6
1.39
1.2
3.27[47]

5

"And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light"

February 13, 2018
0.5/2
1.81[22]
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

6

"Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder"

February 27, 2018
0.5/2
1.64[23]
0.5
1.17
1.0
2.80[48]

7

"Equinox: The Book of Fate"

March 6, 2018
0.5/2
1.46[24]
0.4
1.03
0.9
2.48[49]

8

"The Book of Revelations"

March 13, 2018
0.5/2
1.45[25]
0.4
0.96
0.9
2.41[50]

9

"The Book of Little Black Lies"

March 20, 2018
0.5/2
1.55[26]
0.4
0.91
0.9
2.47[51]

10

"Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption"

March 27, 2018
0.5/2
1.55[27]
0.4
0.92
0.9
2.47[52]

11

"Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion"

April 3, 2018
0.5/2
1.50[28]
N/A
0.83
N/A
2.33[53]

12

"The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain"

April 10, 2018
0.5/2
1.54[29]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

13

"Shadow of Death: The Book of War"

April 17, 2018
0.5/2
1.68[30]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has received a 97% approval rating, with an average rating of 8.3/10, based on 43 reviews.[54] The website's critical consensus reads, "Black Lightning doesn't reinvent superhero TV, but it does give the genre a necessary jolt with real-world plots, scary new villains, and a star-making performance from Cress Williams."[54] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[55]

text: Daniel Fienberg, in a review for The Hollywood Reporter, praised the series for being "smart and relevant and full of an attitude that's all its own."[56] The portrayal of Anissa Pierce as Thunder has received praise for making television history as the first black lesbian superhero.[57][58][59]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year

Award

Category

Recipient(s) and nominee(s)

Result

Ref.

2018

Saturn Awards

Best Superhero Television Series

Black Lightning

Pending

[60]

text: Connection to the Arrowverse[edit]

text: Despite airing on The CW and being created by Berlanti, Mark Pedowitz, president of The CW said in May 2017 that the series "at this time, is not part of the Arrowverse. It is a separate situation."[3] Berlanti had previously stated when the series was in development at Fox that it would not crossover with his other DC Comics television properties on The CW nor would it exist in the Arrowverse.[61] However, Akil later stated that they were not ruling out eventual crossovers.[37] In August 2017, Pedowitz added, "If [the showrunners] wish to bring it in, that is their call. We had a long discussion with the studio, Mara, Salim, and myself. We were fine with them making it separate from the Arrowverse, they have a different point of view. If they end up wanting to go that way, that will be their decision."[62] Salim Akil noted references in the first season to the Arrowverse heroes Vixen and Supergirl were a "fun" way "to tease the fans". He also further reiterated that the series existed on a separate Earth from the other Arrowverse series, and was hopeful that any future crossover would involve the heroes of the other series visiting the world of Black Lighting.[63]