Black Lightning (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 12 - The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain - full transcript

Previously on
Black Lightning...

Black Lightning's
the reason you're lying
here paralyzed.

If you'd like,
I can show you how
to kill your pain.

-Maybe we should
take a break.
-Until what?

I walk?

You slippin', Lala.

You walking around here
talking to yourself.

Man, we all see you.

Anybody else think
I ain't built for this?

Uncle Gambi
discovered the bodies
of a bunch of kids

who disappeared 30 years ago.



He thought they were dead,
but they're alive,

and they're kept
in some kind
of suspended state.

No, they were here.

Some large objects
were dragged out the door.

Are they all stable
after the move?

Thank you
for my latest addition.

I don't wanna have powers.
I don't wanna save the world.

You're just like Dad.

You gotta be kidding me.

Tobias!

Tori!

Stay with me.

We're glad to have
you back, Mr. Whale.

How are you feeling?



Recovered from
your injuries, I see.
They were pretty bad.

Black Lightning
really tried
to barbecue you, huh?

You people.

I appreciate the excellent
medical care you provided.

You're important to us,
especially now that
Lady Eve is gone.

Her death is a tragedy
to everyone.

Yes.

-And now there's a vacancy.
-[scoffs]

How much do you know
about her operations?

Well, let's just say
she helped the citizens
of Freeland

find happiness by muting
the pain of their deprivation.

-Is that what drug dealers
tell themselves?

You and I have never
worked together directly,

so being cautious with my words
seemed wise.

[chuckles]

Years ago, in a very

racially and
politically-charged
environment,

we developed a chemical
we hoped would make

the citizens
of Freeland docile,

so we could,
for lack of a better word,
control them.

It didn't work.

Instead,
it gave some of them
meta-human abilities.

-A side effect
with strategic implications.
-Hmm.

Yeah. Meaning
in a dangerous situation,

a few local folks
fight and die,

saving the lives
of some fancy white boys.

Only, it turns out,

all our subjects
began dying before
they were fully operational.

Some flaw in the syrup.

We kept working at it and--

You created Green Light.

The users I saw
had super strength,
high pain tolerance,

no flight instinct.

And if that doesn't
say Marine...

Our yields are higher now
than they were
with the vaccine,

but the survival rate
is no better.

So I need you
to find Black Lightning.

Excuse me?

I have come to believe
he is a product
of the vaccine.

And yet, he lives,

has lived.

I need him
for research purposes,

before all of my subjects die
and the experiment fails.

So bring him to me.

-Alive.
-Hmm.

-And you're going
to need some help.

I finished the project
you were working on
before you got hurt.

Hello, Khalil.

Mr. Whale.

Alive, Mr. Whale!

I need Black Lightning alive!

- Hey. Yeah.
-Jeff?

I need your help.

Everything okay?

-Yeah. Just come over, please.
-Okay.

Hello?

Everything... okay?

Yeah.

I just came out of the shower,
and there was a spider.

Ah.

A spider?

Yeah. Somewhere.

Mmm.

Damn.

I like it when you do that.

Yeah?

Yeah.

What happened?

After everything
we've been through
these last few months,

you returning to the suit,

Anissa's powers,
Jennifer's powers,

Gambi's confession...

Is this supposed to be sexy?

-'Cause, if so,
I have some notes.
-[both chuckle]

No. I...
I realized that if my issue

with Black Lightning
was the stress,

everything that's happened
should have sent me running

as far away from you
as possible.

I feel closer to you
than ever.

Hmm.

Who'd have thought I just
needed to make things worse
to get you back?

I love you.

I've loved you
a long time.

Ignoring that seems stupid.

I love you, too.

-But...
-Oh.

-No, uh...
-[sighs]

I don't think we should
say anything to the girls.

They're dealing
with so much.

I want us to be sure
before we tell them.

-We just keep it a secret.

Like we're having an affair.

-I'm in.

Dwayne.

Mr. Whale.

I just wanted to thank you
for savin' my life.

Mmm.

In the chaos of the night,

you were brave enough
to pull me to safety.

And I can appreciate that.

You're welcome, sir.

But you left my sister.

And left Tori to die.

If I went back,
they would've gotten you, too.

Look, and--

-You left her to die.
-[choking]

You're so impulsive.

It feels good
to be back.

Khalil?

You're...

Walking.

Yeah, I know.

It's amazing.

A miracle, actually.

-Really happy for you.
-Ah.

It seems like you have
yourself a new look.

So, uh, I guess this means
you'll be coming back
to school soon, right?

Nah, man.

Nah, snakes treated me
like dirt when I was
in that chair, so...

I don't think so.

Okay, look. I know
you've had a hard time,

but that doesn't mean
you should abandon
your education.

Man, are you, uh...

You're really gonna do
the whole education
pitch right now?

Really?

Good talk, Mr. P.

-I hope you change your mind.
-I won't.

Look, let me
ask you something.

Um...

What kind of procedure
got you back on your feet?

Why you wanna know?

Well, because
while I'm very happy
that you're walking,

we both know that
someone pulled the strings
to make that happen.

And I wanna make sure
you're not being
taken advantage of.

Man, you really are
in your own little world, huh?

I'm walking, bruh.

How is that takin'
advantage of me?

And you know what? Stop.

Stop with that
surrogate daddy act.

You don't care about me.

I was just another
little, poor kid
from Freeland

for you to parade around
in front of everybody

to make you and Garfield
look good.

-That is so not true.
-Yes, it is!

As soon as my black ass
couldn't run no more,

where were you?

You wouldn't even
let your daughter near me.

Where is the future, Mr. P?

It's right here.

-Walking?
- Yes.

With no kind of assistance.
No cane, no braces.

I've read about
implants in rats
with severed spines,

but I thought we were
a long way from putting
those in a human being,

let alone a poor teenager
from Freeland.

It's a billion-dollar
technology, right?

-At least.

It stinks of Proctor
and the ASA.

Just another experiment
being run on some
young black kid.

I found one more
in the newspaper archive.

Okay, that's a total
of 42 kids missing.

Plus Neema.

Wait, you only saw
three dozen pods, right?

Does that mean
seven are dead?

I have no way
to know that, Jefferson.

It can't be easy
keeping them stable,

especially if they have
to move them.

We need to find these kids
before the ASA

-decides to relocate
them again.
-[Anissa] Yeah.

Catching Proctor
is the best way for us
to shut this down.

Well,
if we're right about Khalil,

he might lead me to Proctor.

-I mean, he might not
know enough not to.
-[Anissa] Hmm.

And I've got one more lead
to follow up on.

Hidalgo, the weapons maker.

What? The guy
who lied to you?

My mistake. [sighs]
I won't make it again.

Now, Proctor won't have
given up on finding
Black Lightning.

And even if he thinks
you're not him,
I bet he thinks you know him.

-He'll be watching.
-[sighs]

And he'll be looking
for Thunder, too,
Anissa, so be careful.

Oh, Gambi?

-Proctor'll be looking
for you, too.
-[Gambi] Yeah.

But this old man's
not gonna save the world,

so if he catches me,
it's not as big a deal.

Having enhanced
abilities doesn't have
to change anything.

Oh, really?

So I should join a team
but not try too hard,

because the competition
might set me on fire.

Okay, maybe not a team.

Well, what about Debate?

'Cause nothing is more calming
than alternative views

on abortion
and social services.

Well, there's always
needlepoint.

Hey, you're right.
I can make a pillow that says,
"My parents had sex,

-and all I got
was superpowers."
-[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
cheese frosting.

Chocolate it is.

Mrs. Payne.

-Mr. Jefferson. How are you?
-I'm good.

I'm good. Is Khalil home?

No. He's in California.

What?

I saw him this morning.

Oh.

I didn't know.

How was he?

Walking.

Come in.

I'm sorry.

Uh, do you mind me asking
how it happened?

The spinal implant?

Uh, yeah. Yes.

A hospital administrator
came by.

He said Khalil was chosen,
uh, for a pilot program.

Do you remember his name?

A Mr. Martin.

He said there was a risk
of infection,

and I couldn't be with Khalil
while he was being treated.

And that I should
stay in Freeland.

I didn't want my boy
to go by himself,

but our doctor
signed off and I--

-Khalil wanted to.
-Yeah.

He hasn't talked to me
since he's been there.

And now he's back?

Well, I think the injury
was a lot for him to deal with.

But he never would've
gotten through it without you.

Can I have
Mr. Martin's number?

Of course. I'll get it.

Hey, Tommy.
Come on in.

That's far enough.

I like this.

It's got a retro feel
you don't usually get
in a high-capacity weapon.

I'm impressed you got in.

I had to beef up
the security system
after our last meeting.

All right,
so you're smart enough
to know I'd be back,

but you're not smart enough
to know how to stop me.

Look, I didn't
lie to you last time.

True. But you didn't
tell me what I wanted to know.

I still can't.

So, if you want to kill me,
just kill me.

Talking about it
doesn't make it easier.

I'm not gonna kill you, Tommy.

But I am gonna
put a target on your back,

so every person you've ever
double-crossed can find you.

I'll let one of them
torture you in ways

I just don't have
the stomach for anymore.

Come on, Gambi.

Honestly, I don't know
who bought the weapon
that killed Lady Eve.

I want Proctor.

Don't play dumb.

You work for the
government all the time.
I wanna know how to find him.

You want to get to him
before he gets to you?

I heard you were on the outs.

You got 48 hours.

Move.

The music helps me study,
I swear.

I saw Khalil today.

And he's walking again.

What?

Dad, the doctors
said it wasn't possible.

Yeah, I know.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God,
I gotta find him
and talk to him.

No. No, no, no.

No. You need to stay away.

From Khalil? Why?

He is not the same person.

Dad, look. I understand
you're mad because of the way
he treated me.

No, no, no.
He looks different.

He acts different.

And I think he's gotten
himself involved with...

With people who are looking
for kids like you.

Why do you think that?

The medical technology
he's gotten,

it's not easy to come by.

-Does it matter?
-Yes. It matters.

Dad, I get what you're sayin',
but Khalil wouldn't hurt me.

Okay, look.
This is not just about Khalil.

It's about the decisions
he's made

and the people
he is possibly involved with.

Stay away.

I can't wait until Mom
figures out how to fix me.

I'm sick of this powers' drama.

Your mother... what?

She's isolating this meta-gene
so she can stop it.

I can finally be me again.

Khalil?

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
all the options.

It's who she is!

Jeff, I'm not the enemy.

You're trying to change her

and treating her
like she's sick.

Okay, so is Anissa sick?

Am I?

No. That's not what I--

I mean, how could you do this
without talking to me?

You know,
I think it's really good

that we didn't tell the girls
that we're getting
back together.

-You know, I've been
waiting about an hour...
-[Jennifer laughing]

thinking that you'd come home.

Girl, where've you been?

We've actually
been staying someplace else.

Vermin.

-Gross.

Well, look.
I wanted you to be first...

to see that
I'm finally walking again.

Oh, my God!

This is crazy.

I'm... I'm happy for you.

Look. I've been
feelin' really bad

about the way
things ended between us.

Yeah. Me, too.

J, I know
it's not an excuse,

but when I couldn't
walk or run no more,
I didn't know who I was.

But look...

Cool, isn't it?

I mean... And look,
I'm the first person
to ever get this.

Wow.

-Really the first?
-Yeah.

You know, it hurt like hell
in the beginning.

I mean, it felt like my legs
were, like, electrified.

You weren't scared?

Like, yeah. I mean,
at the beginning.

I mean, I had doctors
poking at me,

making all these
scrunched up faces.

Hell, I didn't know
if it was working
or not. But...

But it worked.

It worked, man.
It really did.

And the dreads,
was this part of the deal?

Oh. Nah. Nah,
they gave me some pills

uh, to help
with the regeneration.

And, uh, it just made my hair
grow really fast.

I figured I'd just
do something new.

Well, um...

it looks very mature.

Um...

So, how'd they pick you
for the procedure?

Uh...

Does that really matter?

Oh, I don't know.

It might.

Oh.

Okay.

I get it.

Now this is coming
from your pops, huh?

Oh. No. Hey, Khalil.

Damn it, man.

J, I came here first
to see if we could
get back together

now that I got
everything straight.

But all I'm getting
is shade from you

about who did what and why.

Forget it.

You know what?

I'm better
without your ass anyway.

Khalil.

Okay, look, why the hell
would I wanna go back
to Garfield High?

I know you got a lot
of feelings about Garfield,
but this is business,

and you need to put
your feelings aside
for the moment.

Our job is to catch
Black Lightning.

Not kill him, catch him.

Okay, but why Garfield?

Think, Khalil.

What does Black Lightning do?

-Beats people's asses.
-[Tobias] Hmm.

Whose asses?

[Khalil] Bad guys' asses.

Okay, and why?

To stop them...

To stop them
from hurting people.

Exactly.

So danger at Garfield,

the crown jewel of Freeland,
is like catnip.

You're gonna go in there
and draw Black Lightning out.
Got it?

Got it.

There's a part of you, I know,
that wants his old life back.

I even heard
you tried to get your old
girlfriend back.

But 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 on to that anger,
then go do what I need.

[sniffles] All right, yeah.

What was that?

Yes, sir.

Screw up...

and I'll rip that spinal
implant out and shove it
down your throat.

Would you buy
drugs from him?

No.

Me either,

which means you can't
put him on the corner,

which means you one man down.

No disrespect, Lala,
but he should've kept
his damn mouth shut.

Okay.

Maybe moving him to a less
lucrative spot would have
delivered the message.

I get to beat people up.

But when you do it,

it destroys the morale.

And it endangers loyalty.

-And that's...

What?

The Devil
deals the cards.

Endangers loyal what?

Hey, Lala, you all right?

Endangers loyalty, how?

Peter, it's Thomas.
I've got what we discussed.

Use the door this time.

And when we're done,
I'd like to never
see you again.

Does the force of the closure
indicate that you're ready
for your exam?

No. That's just
enough precalc.

I swear, I hate
to sound like a cliche,
but it's useless.

So tell me about this procedure
you're developing.

Did you tell your father
I was tryin' to fix you?

-Isn't that what
you're tryin' to do?
-No.

Because there's nothing
wrong with you.

I just wanna 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.

There's no telling how long
it would take to develop them
or even if they'd be safe.

Mom, you can stop frosting.

Could you please
just cut me a piece?

'Cause all my options
are horrible.

Okay.

So, our conversation earlier
got me thinking.

These pods need
a lot of electricity.

And if this isn't
the first time the ASA's
tried to move them,

we might be able to track
the electrical spikes
in the facilities

where they'd been
and then left,

which means we might
be able to find them.

So it turns out,
Marcus Roberts,

who graduated at Garfield
a year ahead of me,
works at FGE.

I called him up, said I was
into energy efficiency

and new economic
development, and he--

Didn't he have
a crush on you?

Dad! I did not flirt
with him, okay?

Look, he's just
interested in helping
the community, guys.

Okay.

Anyway. So he found
these up and down spikes

at various locations
until about three years ago.

And then, nothing.

That coincides with
the development of high-output
mobile solar power.

Could be they realized
that being on the grid
was a vulnerability.

I got a call from Hidalgo.
He must know
Proctor's location.

I'll show you guys
how to search the satellites
for rooftop solar panels.

Attention all units--
-And then

-I'll go find that guy.
-[dispatcher] An unidentified
male at Garfield High--

Wait, uh, turn that up.

All units in the vicinity,
the facility is under assault.

This is a tactical operation,
and SWAT is en route.

Do not attempt
to enter the building.
Repeat, do not.

Exams are starting.

Everyone will be
in their classrooms.
I need to go.

Black Lightning hasn't
been totally cleared
in Lady Eve's murder yet.

You'll still be
a police target.

But I'm not gonna lay
in the shadows and watch
my students get attacked.

Anissa, if you want...

Gambi, tap into the cameras,
see what you can find.

I never could
stand your ass.

What're you doing, Khalil?

Hey, hey, stop! Stop.

-I'm just getting started.
-This is not you.

This is not the Khalil
I was friends with.

Please, you don't
have to do this.

Jennifer, this is me.

And, yes,
I do have to do this.

Now, look. I won't hurt her,
but you need to get
out of here.

Girl, did I stutter?
I said go!

Come on, slow down.
Let's go, let's go.

Exit the classroom.
Slow down.

Come on.
I know, I know. Just go.

Get these kids outta here.

-Hey.
-That way.

-Wait.
-Go.

I'm blind inside the school,
but I'm working on it.

And SWAT's about five minutes
from coming in.

We should split up.

Come on. Go, go, go.

-Slow down.

Oh, yeah.

I thought you'd run off
after I kicked your ass
at the club.

It's gonna take more
than a clown in a shiny suit
to take me down.

Is that all
you've got?

You think I'd come unprepared?

I've waited
a long time for this.

Looks like he's wearing
some kind of undersuit.

You gonna have
to fight me like a man.
Not a little lightning bug.

Don't do it, Jeff.

Tactically, hand-to-hand combat
makes no sense.

Anissa, your dad
needs your help.
Get over there, quick.

Like I said,

I didn't come unprepared.

Zap the kid hard.

It'll short-out his implant.
He'll be paralyzed again.

Look, Jeff, I know
how you feel about the kid,
but this is not the time.

SWAT's about to come in,
the bullets are gonna
start flying.

- What was that?

What was that?

Now! Move. Now!

I'm not looking
to go backwards.

[Lynn] I pray that's true.

'Cause I don't
ever wanna see you
like that again, ever.

What happened, Dad?

Jeff?

We took this super-negro out.

Oh, no!

He's dead, you idiot.

What about "alive"
didn't you understand?

Not so hot, now, huh?

At least I can finally see
who this clown is.

Go, go.

All right,
come on, Dad.
We gotta get up.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad.

Dad. Dad, wake up.

No, Dad, wake up!

Dad, wake up.

Do something!
Dad, wake up!

-What was that?

It was Jennifer.

Whatever Jennifer did,
tell her to do it again.

Hard.

Come on, Jen.
One more time.

Shock him.
Shock him one more time.

Oh, thank God.

You did it, Jen.
He's back.

Anissa, take your dad
through there to the back room.

Lynn, let me have your phone.
Jen, you too.

-Watch out, watch out.
-Listen.

There's a hammer
under the sink in there

I want you to use it
to smash these phones

and then run them
under the water. Okay?

The ASA can track us
through those phones.

Put him down gently.

Where are the
medical supplies?

-They're in the closet.
-Okay.

I'm gonna cloak this place
against all surveillance,
satellite, you name it.

We're safe inside
the house for now.
We just need to stay inside.

-All right, phones are toast.
-All right, cool. What's next?

Just help me get your father
out of this suit, right now.

Dead?

Some of the students
heard someone say
he was dead.

Another student
claimed to have seen
the other meta,

Thunder, carrying his body
from the school.

Find Black Lightning's body.

Bring me Thunder,
dead or alive.

I don't care
if you have to burn down
Freeland to do it.

This experiment...

cannot fail!

Latavious.

Now do you believe
in the Resurrection?

I will blow your head off,
you mother--

The Devil deals the cards.

Sit your ass down.

I really hate loose ends,

so I wanna thank you
for taking care
of the weapons maker.

You're welcome.

We killed Lady Eve
to get a seat.

Now we just have to take
care of Proctor and we'll own
the whole damn table.

So, Latavious...

shall we begin?

Yes, sir.