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CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION | ||
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Positive:
26
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews
Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The Pierce family dynamic is so compelling that even if Jefferson Pierce had no powers beyond great motivational speeches, this show would be a worthwhile watch. Black Lightning balances humor with all-too-necessary social commentary (why are white masked crime-fighters “heroes” when Black Lightning is called a vigilante?) to make a refreshing addition to the superhero TV pantheon.
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Uncle BarkyJan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
[Cress Williams] delivers the goods in Black Lightning as a title character of steely intent whose vulnerabilities are also a major part of his makeup. Are his powers a curse or, as he prefers to see them, a “blessing from God?” However things turn out, it’s already quite electrifying.
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Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The Akils have added an exciting new entry to the superhero genre, one that quickly strikes a balance between its light and heavy storytelling. And they’ve found a truly compelling lead in Williams, while keeping an eye on the future (and franchising) with its younger stars.
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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.
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The Daily BeastJan 17, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The series juggles police brutality, systemic racism, black youth culture, gang violence, and black parenting with aplomb, and all topics feel entirely new to The CW but also necessary for the network, where it can be paired with an equally pulpy series like Riverdale.
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Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
Ultimately, though, “Black Lightning” fulfills its most important role of providing fun escapism that stands out in a genre flirting with the upper limit of saturation. Part of the credit for that is due to Williams’ charisma and the winning dynamic displayed between his character and Adams’ Lynn, in addition to the strong familial chemistry they have with Williams and McClain as their daughters.
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Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
Black Lightning, based on yet another DC Comics property, is smart and relevant and full of an attitude that's all its own. It takes its characters and their world seriously, but thus far doesn't take itself too seriously. And, best of all, it's ostensibly entirely separate from Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl, so the risk of time-consuming crossovers or key plot points delivered on a different show is currently nil.
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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.
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Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The show is a fine example of what television might look like once we move past the more ceremonial aspects of diversity. This is a black show on a network filled with white superheroes, and it displays no insecurity or self-consciousness about that. It feels strong and confident, at least in the first two episodes.
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UPROXXJan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The series doesn’t always tackle these ideas gracefully--or, at least, subtly: its fictional city is called Freeland. But the canvas the Akils are painting on feels much richer for looking beyond basic good vs evil, time travel, doppelgangers, and all the other tropes of the genre. ... But it’s a promising start, and a long-overdue showcase for Williams.
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Jan 8, 2018
Season 1 Review:
To its credit, this young series has done a phenomenal job of finding its footing with the first two episodes, and trust me, it’s the second that’ll really hook you. Capable of warming hearts just as The Flash does while being more similar in tone to Arrow, Black Lightning stands as one of the more sophisticated additions to the DC TV landscape.
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Jan 29, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The main storyline involves a nefarious crime lord, played by Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, whose gang, The 100, is terrifying the city, but it's Black Lightning’s journey into social issues--the character quotes Martin Luther King Jr. at one point in the premiere--that separates him from the rest of the superhero pack.
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Jan 16, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The series' tone ably walks a fine line between being relevant and pedantic. Its themes are a bit heavy for a superhero show, but it still features fun, dazzling action sequences. The show makes great use of light and dark visuals and vividly brings Jefferson's powers to life.
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Mar 30, 2018
Season 1 Review:
The violence does not rank as gratuitous because, as an action show, Black Lightning very much needs it. The hero’s own fight scenes can feel restrained, even cramped, perhaps because he devotes a lot of energy to anguishing about violence begetting further violence, and also to fretting that his return to duty will jeopardize a chance to reconcile with his ex-wife.
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TV Guide MagazineJan 4, 2018
Season 1 Review:
While Lightning may sound like campy blaxploitation, it's no joke. [8-21 Jan 2018, p.13]
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