Thirty years ago, Gambi worked for a clandestine government agency, called the A.S.A.
With that secret room of his, it had to be something like that.
And after all the political uprisings around the country, the A.S.A. put Gambi here, to report on their illegal experiment that was supposed to make black folks in neighborhoods like Freeland, docile, so they could control them. They put something in the water supply and in the vaccines.
And they called us paranoid.
But the vaccines inadvertently gave a few kids powers. Gambi reported kids who displayed abilities, and those kids were kidnapped.
Look, Dad, I know. He told me. And he also told me that he was extremely naive. He thought he was being a good soldier, but when he realized what was actually happening, he leveraged his knowledge of the program to make them stop.
So that makes everything he did okay?
No, it doesn't make it okay, but Dad, he saved you and he's protected you all those years. He cares! C'mon, you know he does. And he did everything he could to make things right.
Yeah, well there are some things you can't make right.
This is all just too much, being like this has already ruined my life!
Woah, you need to calm down, seriously.
Why's nobody listening to me? I don't want to have powers, I don't want to save the world, okay?
Okay, I hear you. But you're rejecting something you don't fully understand, Jen. Like I told you, this is a gift, a blessing from God.
In your opinion. It doesn't make it the truth. What if this is a curse from the devil?
You don't even know what you can do. I mean you could be–
You know what? I don't want to know. I don't want to know.
Oh, so you're just gonna walk away?
That's what you do when things get tough, you walk away. Go ahead, quit.
Jennifer, look at me. This is real. It's real. People are out there dying. And we have powers, powers that we have a responsibility to help save people.
No! You have a responsibility to help save people! I don't have a responsibility to do anything.
Okay, yup, you're right, you don't. And you know what? It's probably best that you don't find out what you can do because you just might quit. Just like you quit track, you'll probably quit on me, Mom, and Dad when we need you the most, and let's not forget that you quit on Khalil too. [off Jennifer's look] Yup, I said it.
[Jennifer's powers activate]
Anissa told me what happened. Are you okay?
Look, I promise you, you will be, okay? You will live the life that you want to live. Not the one Anissa, or me, or... or your mother, or anyone else wants you to live. The life you want. But you have to learn to control your powers. Someone could get hurt.
I know. Believe me, I know. But you still have to deal with it.
So, he says the A.S.A. is gonna be looking to kill us.
So then, I don't know, shouldn't we all just get along?
Can we all just get along.
Rodney King asked "can we all get along". It's an existential question, rather than a directive.
[police officers are searching Jefferson's office]
Deputy Chief Cayman, I would be happy to follow you to the police station to straighten out whatever misunderstanding there seems to be.
CCayman
We're almost done.
Look, if you could tell me what you're looking for...
CCayman
We found Green Lightning in your car.
What? No, that's impossible!
GDetective Glennon
[finds a packet of Green Lightning] Oh! You got that Green Light, cuz?
CCayman
Mr. Pierce, you're under arrest. Turn around, put your hands behind your back.
CCayman
Are you resisting?
You can't come in here and– [Glennon pulls out his pistol and after a pause Jefferson raises his hands] I am not resisting, I am complying. [an officer handcuffs him]
The order came to move Jefferson. We're out of time.
Okay, we go with your plan.
Anissa, I want to save your dad as much as you, but you need to understand: the tech we're using is a prototype, put together in half a day with parts I cannibalized from the sanctum.
It's untested, it may not work.
But it might. Look, I can't lose my dad, and at this point, we're the only hope he's got.
You have to do exactly as I tell you. One misstep–
There ain't gonna be no missteps. Just walk me through it. I got this.
[regarding Jefferson's arrest] Why can't he just Black Lightning his way out?
You know, you're gonna have to learn that you can't punch or superpower your way out of every problem. I know you're scared. It's okay to be scared.
I'm not. Dad told me to be strong for you.
It's okay to be strong and scared at the same time. It's called "having sense".
I don't know how things are gonna be, moving forward.
I don't expect you to forgive me.
Well, I might not be able to. But I still can't forget what you've done for me, for my family. I want to find a new balance, somehow.
Okay. Just let me know what you need from me.
I need you to help me save those children.
I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. [hugs him] In the chaos of the night you were brave enough to pull me to safety and I can appreciate that.
DDwayne
You're welcome, sir.
But you left my sister. And left Tory to die.
DDwayne
If I went back, they would've gotten you to.
[holds Dwayne up in a choke-hold] And left her to die. [pushes him off and Syonide shoots him dead on the floor]
Having enhanced abilities doesn't have to change anything.
Oh really? So I should join a team, but not try to hard because the competition might light me on fire.
Well, what about debate? There's nothing more calming than alternative views on abortion and social services.
Well, there's always needlepoint.
Hey, right. I can make a pillow that says "my parents had sex and all I got was superpowers" [Lynn chuckles] It's not funny.
It's a little bit funny. Look, we just need to figure out how to help you to control them. And if it makes you feel any better, I have made a little progress in isolating the gene that I think is responsible for your enhanced abilities. Suppressing it is the first step.
Thank God I was born to such a smart woman, and not some slacker who would just try and make me feel better by making me a cake.
Do you want me to bake you a cake?
Yes, please. Chocolate, with cream frost.
Are you trying to isolate Jennifer's meta-gene?
I've done some preliminary research to understand what's happening.
So you could suppress the mutation.
She's conflicted about her powers. I don't see any reason not to explore the options.
You're trying to change her! And treating her like she's sick! Ok, so is Anissa sick? Am I?
How could you this without talking to me? [pause] You know, I think it's really good that we didn't tell the girls we're getting back together.
There's part of you, I know, that wants his old life back. I even heard you tried to get your old girlfriend back. [laughs] You made a deal, son. Legs for loyalty. So Garfield, that girl, they belong to the past now. I want you to remember what they did to you, hold onto that anger, then go do what I need.
Screw up, and I'll rip that spinal implant out and shove it down your throat.
So tell me about this procedure you're developing.
Did you tell your father I was trying to fix you?
Isn't that what you're trying to do?
No! Because there's nothing wrong with you. I just want to understand what's happening and give you the options. The procedures and the treatments I've been talking about, they're all theory and hypothesis. [starts frosting the cake] There's no telling how long it'll take to develop them or even if they'd be safe.
Mum, you can stop frosting. Could you please just cut me a piece? Because all my options are horrible.
