document_title: The Smurfs 2

question_text: who plays the bad guy in smurfs 2

question_tokens: who plays the bad guy in smurfs 2

text: The Smurfs 2

text: Plot[edit]

text: In preparation for her birthday celebration, the Smurfs read the story of Smurfette, how she was created by Gargamel to destroy them, only for Papa Smurf to rescue her and turn her fully into a Smurf. Meanwhile, she is having nightmares about reverting to her original form and betraying her fellow Smurfs by turning them over to Gargamel. The Smurfs are preparing a surprise party, but as Smurfette tries to find out what her fellow Smurfs are planning, none of them are saying a word. She takes this to mean that everyone has forgotten her birthday.

text: In France, Gargamel is now a celebrity, amazing people with his sorcery, but he sees that he is running low on the Smurf essence that gives him his magic powers. With his new creations, evil Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties, named Vexy and Hackus, Gargamel plans on opening a portal to the Smurf village by using the Eiffel Tower as a conduit so that he can kidnap Smurfette and, through her, get Papa Smurf's secret formula for creating Smurfs. However, as the portal he created is not big enough for him to go through, Gargamel sends Vexy through to the portal to grab Smurfette and bring her to Paris.

text: The Smurfs witness the abduction of Smurfette and inform Papa Smurf, who uses his magic to create crystals that allow several of his Smurfs to travel directly to Patrick Winslow's residence in New York City in order to get his help to rescue Smurfette. Papa originally intends for Brainy, Hefty, and Gutsy to use the crystals, but through an accident, Clumsy, Grouchy and Vanity use them instead. Papa and the three Smurfs arrive in the apartment right after the celebration of Blue's fourth birthday where they meet both the Winslows' young boy and Patrick's stepfather Victor Doyle, a man who is a constant embarrassment to Patrick. The Smurfs soon discover where Gargamel is, and so they and the Winslows set off for Paris in order to find him.

text: After their arrival in Paris, Patrick and his wife Grace work together with Victor to distract Gargamel during one of his performances while the Smurfs sneak backstage in order to find Smurfette, only to discover what Gargamel is planning. At the same time, Smurfette escapes from her prison, and Vexy and Hackus chase after her. Upon her return to Gargamel's hotel suite with the Naughties, Gargamel presents her with a tiny dragon wand as a feigned act of kindness. Smurfette still refuses to give Gargamel the formula until she sees that the Naughties are dying due to a lack of Smurf essence. Faced without an alternative to save them, Smurfette writes the formula down and Gargamel uses it to turn the Naughties into real Smurfs. Immediately after they become Smurfs, Gargamel puts them into his Smurf-a-lator so he can carry out the rest of his plan.

text: Meanwhile, Patrick, Victor, and the Smurfs work together to rescue Smurfette. The Smurfs are soon captured and put into the Smurf-a-lator, powering Gargamel's large-sized dragon wand. Patrick and Victor arrive just in time to destroy the Smurf-a-lator, causing the formula to be destroyed in blue pixie dust that in turn vanquishes the secret formula. Gargamel has gained enough power to use his new wand against the Smurfs and their allies. Vexy and Hackus team up with the Smurfs against their former master and use the new wand to blast him away. He then falls onto the Notre Dame Cathedral, where he accidentally brings a stone vulture to life, which then throws him to the top of the Eiffel Tower where fireworks then set off, sending him in the air. Vexy and Hackus bid farewell to the Winslows and return home with the rest of the Smurfs.

text: In two post-credit sequences, Gargamel and Azrael are pulled into the portal, sending them back to their castle, and they later have a fight.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Live action actors[edit]

text:
Hank Azaria as Gargamel
Neil Patrick Harris as Patrick Winslow
Brendan Gleeson as Victor Doyle, Patrick's stepfather[1]
Jayma Mays as Grace Winslow, Patrick's wife[1]
Jacob Tremblay as Blue Winslow, Patrick and Grace's son
Nancy O'Dell as herself, a television interviewer[9]

text: Voice actors[edit]

text:
Katy Perry as Smurfette[1]
Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf[1]
Christina Ricci as Vexy, a smart and mischievous Smurf-like creature called a "Naughty" created by Gargamel [1][10]
J. B. Smoove as Hackus, a funny and physical Smurf-like creature called a "Naughty" created by Gargamel[1][10]
Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf[1]
Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf[1]
Anton Yelchin as Clumsy Smurf[1]
George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf[1]
John Oliver as Vanity Smurf[1]
Mario Lopez as Social Smurf[11]
Jimmy Kimmel as Passive Aggressive Smurf[12]
Frank Welker as Azrael
Tom Kane as Narrator Smurf
Paul Reubens as Jokey Smurf
B. J. Novak as Baker Smurf
Shaquille O'Neal as Smooth Smurf
Shaun White as Clueless Smurf
Jeff Foxworthy as Handy Smurf
Gary Basaraba as Hefty Smurf
Adam Wylie as Panicky Smurf
Joel McCrary as Farmer Smurf
Kenan Thompson as Greedy Smurf
John Kassir as Crazy Smurf
Kevin Lee as Party Planner Smurf

text: Production[edit]

text: On August 9, 2011, Sony Pictures Animation announced a sequel to be released on Friday, August 2, 2013, which was later rescheduled to Wednesday, July 31, 2013 (two years and two days after the release of its predecessor).[13] Director Raja Gosnell[1] and producer Jordan Kerner returned for the film.[14] Katy Perry confirmed at the 2012 Kids' Choice Awards that she would be reprising her role as Smurfette. Sony began working on the sequel in early 2011 with writers J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, Jay Scherick and David Ronn. By early August 2011, the first draft of the script was completed.[15] On April 26, 2012, Sony announced that the film went into production.[1] Filming took place in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[16] The film also marked the last appearance of Jonathan Winters, who voiced Grandpa Smurf on the 1980s TV series and Papa Smurf in The Smurfs (2011). Winters died on April 11, 2013 (by then, work had already ended on this film).[17]

text: On July 11, 2013, it was announced that Sofía Vergara's role was cut from the film. Gosnell, the director of the film, explained: "She came to Paris and did a tiny little cameo for us, but ultimately for story clarity we had to omit that scene. ... It just muddied things up a bit. So it was a sad day for us, but she'll always be part of our Smurfy family."[18] Several scenes were filmed in the new film studios Cité du Cinéma founded by Luc Besson in Saint-Denis in France.[19]

text: Release[edit]

text: The film was theatrically released in the United States on July 31, 2013.[20] Sony teamed up with marketing partners in the United States and Canada to promote the film through McDonald's Happy Meals with a set of 16 toys during the summer of 2013.[21] Sony also teamed up with Build-A-Bear Workshop to release three customized limited edition stuffed animals of Vexy, Hackus and Smurfette.[22]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Smurfs 2 was released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and Blu-ray 3D on December 3, 2013. The 3D and Blu-ray combo packs also included a hand-drawn/computer-animated short film The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow.[23] The film was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on March 1, 2016.[24]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 14% approval rating with an average rating of 4/10 based on 91 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Like its predecessor, Smurfs 2 may amuse small children, but it's largely an unambitious, charm-free collection of slapstick gags and one-liners."[25] The rating put the film as the 16th on the list of worst reviewed films of 2013.[26] Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 34 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[27] The film earned an "A-" from audiences polled by CinemaScore.[28] The Smurfs 2 was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.[29]

text: Justin Lowe of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a negative review, saying "Beyond a few chuckle-worthy one-liners and some amusing visual comedy, there's not much to engage adults, although the wee ones should be distracted enough."[30] Matt Patches of Time Out New York gave the film two out of five stars, saying "Patient Adult Smurfs will be checking their watches as Excitable Child Smurfs lose themselves in the high jinks."[31] Frank Lovece of Newsday gave the film two out of four stars, saying "Not Smurftastic, but not Smurfawful, either."[32] Loren King of The Boston Globe gave the film two out of four stars, saying "That the mushroom- dwelling blue creatures still manage to be endearing even in their second big-screen extravaganza (in 3-D, no less) is about the best that can be said of "Smurfs 2."[33] Kyle Smith of the New York Post gave the film one out of four stars, saying "They're as lethally uninteresting as Barney the Purple Dinosaur, though a Godzilla-style "Barney vs. Smurfs" is a movie I would pay to see, provided maximum destruction were promised."[34] Mark Olsen of the Los Angeles Times gave the film two and a half stars out of five, saying "Right down to the brute functionality of its title, "The Smurfs 2" may be the platonic ideal of a major studio sequel - no markedly better or worse than the first and with just enough difference to lay claim to being something new."[35]

text: Joe Williams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film a positive review, saying "It's not exactly "Ratatouille," but this quasi-animated movie makes an amusing late-summer vacation from superheroes and shoot-'em-ups."[36] Claudia Puig of USA Today gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "This insipid, and sometimes awkward, blend of animation, computer generation and live action wastes a ton of talent and lacks a true sense of whimsy."[37] Jordan Hoffman of the New York Daily News gave the film two out of five stars, saying "Voicing Papa Smurf here turned out, alas, to be comedian Jonathan Winters' final role. (A crueler fate than Orson Welles signing off with 1986's animated "The Transformers: The Movie"? You be the judge.)"[38] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap gave the film a negative review, saying "The Smurfs 2 will keep a child reasonably entertained for 105 minutes—but so will a large, empty cardboard box. The box is more likely to stimulate a child's imagination and less likely to contain jokes about testicles."[39] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying "The Smurfs 2 has everything you hated about the first movie, and more."[40]

text: Sean O'Connell of The Washington Post gave the film two out of five stars, saying "I found "The Smurfs 2" to be more enjoyable and far less obnoxious than [the original]. This, of course, is like saying having a cavity filled is preferable to a root canal, but in the dog days of the summer blockbuster season, beggars can't be smurfers."[41] Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle gave the film zero stars out of four, saying "There's a dark and gratuitously negative vibe to "The Smurfs 2" that makes it unfit even for the undiscriminating young moviegoers that made the first one a hit."[42] Bill Goodykoontz of The Arizona Republic gave the film two out of five stars, saying "There are a few laughs here and there, along with a couple of jokes for grown-ups uncomfortably squeezed in. But this is a movie made for two groups: small children and people who have fond memories of the TV show. For them, it’ll be fun, and the assurance of a third “Smurfs” scheduled for 2015 will be welcome news."[43] Nick Schager of The Village Voice gave the film a negative review, saying "Its tolerant messages remain buried beneath lame pop-culture references, hectic slapstick, fart jokes, and endless Smurf-puns that (Azaria's funny, over-the-top cartoon villainy aside) make one pine for the Smurfpocalypse."[44]

text: Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times gave the film two out of five stars, saying "The movie doesn't have the wit of the first installment and seems as if it might be hard for young children to follow, though who knows with young children?"[45] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C, saying "The trouble with this stunted sequel is that the doughy, blobby-hatted Smurfs are mostly window dressing for an abrasive slapstick bash built around a tiresome kidnap plot."[46] Bruce Ingram of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film two out of five stars, saying "The Smurfs 2 probably isn’t any worse than you might expect. On the other hand, it’s almost certainly not any better. It’s just a matter of figuring out how much punishment you’re willing to endure for the sake of the small child you’re taking to the movies."[47] Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club gave the film a D+, saying "The film undermines its rudimentary plot points at every turn with base humor. By marginally addressing the Smurfette Problem, Smurfs 2 is at least slightly superior to the absolutely dire first film, but it remains a series for kids whose parents can’t just pop in a DVD of something better."[48]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Smurfs 2 grossed $71,017,784 in North America, and $276,527,576 in other countries, for a worldwide total of $347,545,360.[5][28] Box Office Mojo values the film's budget at $105 million,[5] while Deadline.com reported that the film's negative cost was $146 million, with $21 million gained from the production benefits.[28] In addition, Sony spent $46.3 million on the film's marketing in the United States, and $45.3 million in other countries (excluding Japan).[49] Earning $200 million less than its predecessor,[50] the film did not meet Sony's expectation,[7] which was generally attributed to the original's negative reception and competition from Despicable Me 2.[8]

text: In North America, the film debuted at #1 on its opening day, earning $5.2 million. The film opened to #3 in its first weekend, behind 2 Guns and The Wolverine, earning $18.2 million. Over its extended five-day weekend, it earned $27.8 million, below the original's three-day weekend ($35.6 million), and below Sony's projection of $35 million, which blamed too many PG-rated films in theatres.[28]

text: Outside North America, the film debuted with $52.5 million from 43 countries. In Russia and Latin America, it performed better than the first film, while in Europe, it under-performed.[28]

text: Music[edit]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Music from and Inspired by The Smurfs 2

Soundtrack album by Various Artists

Released
July 23, 2013

Recorded
2013

Genre
Film soundtrack

Length
33:55

Label
Kemosabe Records

Singles from Music from and Inspired by The Smurfs 2

"Ooh La La"
Released: June 12, 2013
"Vacation"
Released: June 18, 2013

text: Music from and Inspired by The Smurfs 2, the soundtrack of the film, was released on July 23, 2013.[51][52] Britney Spears contributed an original song titled "Ooh La La", which is played at the film's credits.[53]

text:
No.
Title
Music
Length

1.
"Ooh La La"
Britney Spears
4:14

2.
"Vacation"
G.R.L.
3:36

3.
"Magik 2.0"
Becky G featuring Austin Mahone
3:05

4.
"Live It Up"
Owl City
2:57

5.
"Everything Breaks"
Sophia Black
3:26

6.
"Forget You"
Cady Groves
3:46

7.
"Hey Chica"
Kiana Brown
3:17

8.
"High Life"
Nelly Furtado featuring Ace Primo
4:19

9.
"Tutti Frutti"
Buckwheat Zydeco
2:29

10.
"I'm Too Smurfy"
Right Said Fred
2:46

Total length:
33:55

text: Score[edit]

text:
The Smurfs 2

Film score by Heitor Pereira

Released
August 6, 2013

Recorded
2013

Genre
Score

Length
47:05

Label
Varese Sarabande

Heitor Pereira film scores chronology

Despicable Me 2
(2013)Despicable Me 22013
The Smurfs 2
(2013)
Minions
(2015)Minions2015

text: The Smurfs 2 is the score of the film. Heitor Pereira composed the original score for the film, which was released on August 6, 2013 by Varese Sarabande Records.[54]

text: All music composed by Heitor Pereira.[55].

text:
No.
Title
Length

1.
"Smurfette's Creation"
1:23

2.
"Smurfette, Are You OK?"
1:00

3.
"You Belong to Gargamel"
0:37

4.
"Gargamel Suite"
1:44

5.
"Azrael's Trap"
0:50

6.
"Code Blue"
1:25

7.
"Victor's Corndogs"
1:33

8.
"We Must Review My Plan"
1:22

9.
"Adoring Public Desires Me"
0:40

10.
"Smurf Portation Crystals"
2:01

11.
"Attack on Winslow House"
1:36

12.
"Madame Doolittle"
0:50

13.
"Paris Opera House"
0:34

14.
"Scoping Out the Kitchen"
1:00

15.
"Smurfette Escapes"
0:51

16.
"Hand Over the Smurfette"
1:29

17.
"Portrait of Perfection"
1:52

18.
"Smurfette on the Run"
0:57

19.
"Gargamel and Azrael in Carriage"
1:07

20.
"Naughties Crash the Cart"
1:03

21.
"Naughties Take Flight"
0:31

22.
"He's Not My Father"
2:04

23.
"The Napoleon Suite"
1:15

24.
"Like Twins"
0:38

25.
"Tiny Magical Wand"
2:08

26.
"The Flying V"
0:29

27.
"Papa to Papa"
1:49

28.
"Let's Get Smurfin'"
1:02

29.
"They Cannot Live"
1:14

30.
"The Formula"
0:46

31.
"Naughties Transformation"
1:11

32.
"You Sacrificed Everything"
0:44

33.
"The Happiest Moment of My Life"
0:50

34.
"Papa and Vanity Find Smurfette"
0:45

35.
"Harnessing the Power"
0:28

36.
"Life Is the Most Precious"
1:20

37.
"I Don't Think So, Gargamel"
0:32

38.
"Essence in Paris"
1:00

39.
"Is This What Happy Feels Like?"
1:34

40.
"No Smurf Left Behind"
1:50

41.
"Welcome Home, Smurfette"
1:01

Total length:
47:05

text: Video game[edit]

text: A video game based on the film, titled The Smurfs 2, was published by Ubisoft on July 23, 2013. Developed by Ubisoft and WayForward Technologies, it was released as an action-adventure platformer to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Wii U, and as an interactive storytelling book and collection of mini-games to Nintendo DS.[56]

text: Canceled sequel and reboot of the franchise[edit]

text: By May 2012, just a few weeks after production of The Smurfs 2 was announced, Sony Pictures Animation and Columbia Pictures had been already developing a script for The Smurfs 3, with writers Karey Kirkpatrick and Chris Poche.[57] Initially set for a release in summer 2015,[58][59] Sony announced in March 2014 that it will reboot the series with a completely computer-animated film.[60] Directed by Kelly Asbury, the reboot, titled Smurfs: The Lost Village, was released on April 7, 2017.[61]


document_title: Black Lightning (TV series)

question_text: who plays jennifer's boyfriend in black lightning

question_tokens: who plays jennifer 's boyfriend in black lightning

root

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]

tag: p

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]
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 electricity; her electric power is more powerful than 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 Gang.[9]
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.[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.[10]

tag: ul

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Kyanna Simone Simpson as Kiesha Henderson: Jennifer Pierce's best friend and the daughter of 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: 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.
Dabier as Will: a member of the 100 kidnaps Anissa. 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 and enforcer.
Eric Mendenhall as Joey Toledo: Tobias Whale's right-hand man and enforcer.
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 Cayman: The deputy chief of police of the Freeland Police Department who has connections with Tobias Whale.
Jordan Calloway as Khalil Payne: A track star at Garfield High and Jennifer's ex boyfriend.[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]
Edwina Findley as Tori Whale: Tobias Whale's younger sister who assists in his plot to destroy Black Lightning.[17]
Gregg Henry as Martin Proctor: The leader of A.S.A., who wants to kill Black Lightning. Peter Gambi is associated with him.

text: Guest[edit]

text:
Clifton Powell as Jeremiah Holt: A reverend.
Jason Louder as Frank "Two-Bits" Banner: Jefferson's childhood friend who sells drugs and bootleg DVDs on the streets.
Antonio Fargas as David Poe: The editor of the "Freeland Gazette".

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.
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original air date
Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)

1
"The Resurrection"
Salim Akil
Salim Akil
January 16, 2018 (2018-01-16)
T43.10001
2.31[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 Scott
Salim Akil
January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23)
T43.10002
1.94[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 Tonderai
Jan Nash
January 30, 2018 (2018-01-30)
T43.10003
2.21[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 Schultz
Pat Charles
February 6, 2018 (2018-02-06)
T43.10004
1.88[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 Troche
Adam Giaudrone
February 13, 2018 (2018-02-13)
T43.10005
1.81[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 Boom
Charles Holland
February 27, 2018 (2018-02-27)
T43.10006
1.64[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 Woodruff
Lamont Magee
March 6, 2018 (2018-03-06)
T43.10007
1.46[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 Hamilton
Jan Nash
March 13, 2018 (2018-03-13)
T43.10008
1.45[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 McKernan
Keli Goff
March 20, 2018 (2018-03-20)
T43.10009
1.55[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. ASA 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 Laneuville
Pat Charles
March 27, 2018 (2018-03-27)
T43.10010
1.55[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 ASA kidnap and torture Peter, demanding Black Lightning's identity. Under orders of Martin, two ASA agents take Jefferson away while he mentors a child to get Peter to talk. Jefferson uses his powers, allowing Peter to kill two ASA 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 ASA 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 ASA's new spotter.

11
"Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion"
Michael Schultz
Melora Rivera
April 3, 2018 (2018-04-03)
T43.10011
1.50[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 Black Lightning 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"[29]
Oz Scott
Jan Nash & Adam Giaudrone
April 10, 2018 (2018-04-10)
T13.10012
TBD

13
"Shadow of Death: The Book of War"[30]
Salim Akil
Charles D. Holland
April 17, 2018 (2018-04-17)
TBA
TBD

tag: table

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: 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: 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[43]

2
"LaWanda: The Book of Hope"
January 23, 2018
0.6/2
1.94[19]
0.7
1.54
1.3
3.48[44]

3
"LaWanda: The Book of Burial"
January 30, 2018
0.8/3
2.21[20]
0.6
1.54
1.4
3.77[45]

4
"Black Jesus"
February 6, 2018
0.6/2
1.88[21]
0.6
1.39
1.2
3.27[46]

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[47]

7
"Equinox: The Book of Fate"
March 6, 2018
0.5/2
1.46[24]
0.4
1.03
0.9
2.48[48]

8
"The Book of Revelations"
March 13, 2018
0.5/2
1.45[25]
0.4
0.96
0.9
2.41[49]

9
"The Book of Little Black Lies"
March 20, 2018
0.5/2
1.55[26]
0.4
0.91
0.9
2.47[50]

10
"Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption"
March 27, 2018
0.5/2
1.55[27]
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD

11
"Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion"
April 3, 2018
0.5/2
1.50[28]
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 8.25/10, based on 43 reviews.[51] 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."[51] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[52]

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."[53] The portrayal of Anissa Pierce as Thunder has received praise for making television history as the first black lesbian superhero.[54][55][56]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Year
Award
Category
Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
Result
Ref.

2018
Saturn Awards
Best Superhero Television Series
Black Lightning
Pending
[57]

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.[58] 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."[59]