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Black Lightning

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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79

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Ratings

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4.8

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4.8	Your Score
4.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Ratings

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Black Lightning

Series Details & Credits

The CW | CW | Release Date: January 16, 2018

Summary: Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) had retired from his secret identity of Black Lightning many years ago, but when danger threatens his twenty-something daughter, Jennifer (Nafessa Williams), and a student at her school is being lured by a gang, he returns to the fight.

Creator: Greg Berlanti

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Recent Episodes

tbd
S5:E17. The Book of War: Chapter Two: Freedom Ain't Free
Air Date: November 24, 2023
tbd
S5:E16. The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab the Strap
Air Date: November 22, 2023
tbd
S5:E15. The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three: Motherless Id
Air Date: November 21, 2023

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

79

Positive:

26

Mixed:

1

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

Collider Allison Keene

Jan 4, 2018

Season 1 Review: It’s positive, it’s victorious, it’s complicated, and it’s badass. Read full review

83

Boston Herald

Mark A. Perigard

Jan 16, 2018

Season 1 Review: Not nearly as bright as “Supergirl,” as angst-ridden as “Arrow” or as campy as “The Flash,” “Black Lightning” lights its own path--by being a story about the debt we owe to our community and the importance of inspiration. Read full review

80

The New York Times

James Poniewozik

Jan 16, 2018

Season 1 Review: This show’s race-forward sensibility and its older protagonist, conflicted about getting back into the game, give Black Lightning its spark. Read full review

80

New York Magazine (Vulture)

Jen Chaney

Jan 16, 2018

Season 1 Review: Like every superhero show, Black Lightning delivers energizing fight sequences and intriguing nemeses that our protagonist must confront. But as developed by husband-and-wife producing team Salim Akil and Mara Brock Akil (Being Mary Jane), alongside co-producers and Arrow-verse veterans Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, it is more organically substantive than much film and TV comic-book fare. It’s also deeply aware of its black popular-culture roots, with a soundtrack that swings from hip-hop to Nina Simone to ’70s soul. Read full review

80

Salon

Melanie McFarland

Oct 10, 2018

Season 2 Review: In the second season, the continuing adventures of Jefferson Pierce, the show’s eponymous hero, may not be as interesting as the development of his daughters’ separate journeys as they mature into their powers. ... The new season also puts [Nafessa Williams’ Anissa Pierce] in a role enabling her to balance the scales in ways that her lawful father cannot, which should prove interesting as the season develops. Read full review

75

IndieWire Steve Greene

Jan 16, 2018

Season 1 Review: As Black Lightning gradually veers away from flashbacks and dwelling in these characters’ pasts to filling in what we never got to see, the present offers some exciting opportunities. Read full review

60

TV Guide Magazine Matt Roush

Jan 4, 2018

Season 1 Review: While Lightning may sound like campy blaxploitation, it's no joke. [8-21 Jan 2018, p.13]

SEE ALL 27 REVIEWS

Write a Review

4.8

User Reviews

10

Lucas565

Nov 16, 2020

Uma das melhores séries que eu já assisti eu recomendo ela é ótima mesmo.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

10

DunyG

Mar 6, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I really love the show despite its perceived flaws. I think the acting is very good and the plots in season 2 really entertained me. I think the visual effects work well enough even though they may not look as appealing as other visuals. I love the main characters so much and the fleshed out villains very much as well. I supremely don't like that Kara Fowdy killed Syonide even though Syonide had many instances of her being skilled in combat yet Kara Fowdy had no prior scenes of her being in combat to show us if she was good at combat before the fight with Syonide began; I very much believe that Syonide should have won the fight and lived longer, but I understand what the writers wanted from from the death and it did work well for me after some time (still mad about it though). Overall I like the show very much and I really like how each major character is very flawed but still has the potential to be likable (that's how I feel at least). I know the show is not perfect but I like it nonetheless.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

10

elysee

Jun 20, 2019

Love how the 1st season shows what’s going in america with black people. But I love season 2 better because they have actual storyline now.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

5

InsidiousRebel

Apr 30, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a great show I've just recently got into it.. however the show is incredibly racist. Towards both whites and blacks but it's mostly towards whites.. now I am fully aware that there's a lot of those kinds of people but this show depicts almost every single white person as racist and that's incredibly disrespectful.. there are multiple scenes where both Black lightning and thunder hit a random person just for being white or having a Confederate flag shirt... A superhero is supposed to protect everyone but in this show it seems like if you're white you're on your own.. I've seen Luke cage which is similar in the racial aspect but the show still wasn't as far out as this. It was much more realistic and mature in Luke Cage but this show just seems childish with the amount of racism in it.. this is clearly a political show more than a superhero one.. the overall story is great and of course racism would be a part of a show like this but y'all go above and beyond to **** on white people and it's not right.. shows like this are the exact reason racism is still an issue.. I'm white and grew up around black folks. Predominantly black church's, poor culdesacs and neighborhoods, the whole 9. But I am also southern. I have never ONCE met an African American that treated white folks like that. They NEVER act a fool like the characters in this show, and they don't disrespect someone just cuz of how they were brought up and neither do white people.. in reality 9 out of 10 people will judge you on your character but in these shows and on the news and social media it's shows the opposite.. you political ****heads are why racism is an issue. if everyone quit listening to everything the media tells us maybe we'd actually get along. But until we do that this will always be an issue.. racism is not nearly as bad as you rich **** make it out to be.. all y'all see is dollar signs. You see a marketing strategy and you sell it to the younger generation in hopes to make the lies a reality and it's working.. pathetic.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

5

MonHomme

Sep 5, 2020

Nice plot and visual effects. The series speaks and uses a real life social issue, the discrimination and violence against African Americans. Unfortunately, this turns into white racism. Throughout the whole story, except one, all white are the bad guys.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

4

Giozzzz

Feb 25, 2021

Pretty racist series. White people always portrait as the bad people, songs about racism, stopped watching at episode 5. Also storyline is amusing but special effects are primitive. Stick to other hero shows

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

0

Marytrini

Nov 22, 2020

**** trama, doesn't try to turn around or shouw anything unexpected. All CW shows are the same linear thing.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

SEE ALL 12 REVIEWS

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Seasons & Episodes

79

Series Overview
Season 5

tbd
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: January 16, 2018
- tbd
  S5:E17. The Book of War: Chapter Two: Freedom Ain't Free
  Air Date: November 24, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E16. The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab the Strap
  Air Date: November 22, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E15. The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three: Motherless Id
  Air Date: November 21, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E14. The Book of Markovia: Chapter Two: Lynn's Addiction
  Air Date: November 20, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E13. The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two Henderson's Opus
  Air Date: November 16, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E12. The Book of Resistance: Chapter One Knocking on Heaven's ...
  Air Date: November 15, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E11. The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five Requiem for Tavon
  Air Date: November 14, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E10. The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four Lynn's Ouroboros
  Air Date: November 13, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E9. The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three Agent Odell's Pipe-...
  Air Date: November 12, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E8. The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two Maryam's Tasbih
  Air Date: November 11, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E7. Freedom Ain't Free
  Air Date: September 7, 2023
- tbd
  S5:E4. Knocking on Heaven's Door
  Air Date: August 29, 2023
Season 4

tbd
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: February 8, 2021
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: October 7, 2019
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: October 9, 2018
Season 1

79
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: January 16, 2018