Black Lightning (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - LaWanda: The Book of Hope - full transcript

A glimmer of hope appears in the community that Black Lightning is back to combat the violence.

You have to stop.

I can't keep letting you put
yourself or me through this.

I promise, no more.

It has been nine years since

I've even come close to using my powers.

Do you remember why you
became Black Lightning?

You wanted to give the people hope.

Look, somebody has to do

something, because all of this policing

and marching and praying,
it hasn't changed anything.

It is time that people
know that Black Lightning...



is back.

Previously on Black Lightning...

Lynn and I are making room

for a possibility of a reconciliation.

All you guys want me to do
is go to school, run track,

and "set a good example
for the other girls."

When did that become a bad thing?

Don't think just 'cause
I'm a little stoned

that means you're gonna get some.

I think your girl should
start putting in some work

over at the Seahorse Motel.

- I'm not afraid of The One Hundred.
- Bitch, you should be!

Jeff, where are you going?

To get our girls.



Bring them home.

There's no doubt that
Black Lightning is back.

But the question is why? Why now?

If Brother Lightning is back because

he's committed to helping the people,

then I'm all for it.

But if he's back just for
some personal vendetta,

I can't condone that.

Giving the people of Freeland false hope

is selfish, and it's cruel.

The people of Freeland
have been victimized.

I believe he is the
answer to our prayers...

Jeff.

I got you. Okay?

I got you.

Black Lightning is getting
too old for these streets.

You're not lying about that.

You remember when we were young...

when I first saw your superpowers,
I thought you were so cool.

That my man was a superhero.

Not many girls could say that.

Then the reality hit.

And what I thought was
cool... almost destroyed us.

When I see you like this, I...

I feel really selfish.

Hold on.

I did this.

No, I know. I feel like a hypocrite.

I told you to go get the girls.
I put you back out there...

Lynn, Black Lightning is not back.

The girls are safe. I'm done.

I love you, Lynn.

I miss you.

I miss you, too.

I, um...

- I should go.
- Wait. Wait.

I think it's important for
you to be here for the girls.

So I will sleep on the
couch, you take the bed.

Okay.

Good night.

Good night.

Now they running up in
schools, taking girls?

What they gonna do next? Start
taking girls out of church?

If there's a war for the
streets, a war for the city,

The One Hundred is winning.

You know, I heard someone say

that if there's a war for
the streets of Freeland,

The One Hundred are winning.

But here at Garfield, we are
not fighting for the streets.

No, we are fighting for the minds, the

hopes and the dreams of our children.

Them some real pretty words, Mr. Pierce.

But pretty words ain't
gonna stop The One Hundred.

Dr. King said, "The arc of
the moral universe is long",

"but it bends toward
justice." And I believe...

And they shot Dr. King
in the head, Mr. Pierce!

Well, The One Hundred
got my little girl.

And the police say
they can't do anything

because supposedly,
there ain't no evidence

she's bein' held against her will.

- That's messed up, man.
- LaWanda. LaWanda White?

Yeah, it's me, Mr. Pierce.

It's good to see you, LaWanda.

First, I'm sorry to hear about
your daughter. I really am.

Well, maybe now since the
Seahorse Motel is shut down,

you can take that time to reconnect.

The Seahorse ain't shut down.

They opened back up for business the
day after all this mess went down.

And they gonna stay open as long
as they got those girls in there.

Is that true?

I'm sorry, I didn't know.

Clearly. But, Mr. Pierce,
what I wanna know is,

why Black Lightning rescued
your girls and nobody else's?

I don't know, LaWanda.

When I was a student here, you used
to like to use quotes to teach us.

Well, I got one.

"Unless all of us are free,
none of us will be free."

Somebody knows who this
bootleg Black Lightning is.

I want you to raise the protection

amount 50% on every church and business,

every crap game, massage parlor.

Even rib shack. Squeeze
these darkies till they crack.

Damn, boss. You really
do hate black people.

No, I love black people.

I hate incompetent, thicklipped,

scratchwhereitdon'titch
Negroes like you.

Y'all keep us acting
like newlyfreed slaves.

Boss, I got a plan for that.

Perception and fear, Lala.

If the people of
Freeland start to perceive

we are no longer in control,
then they won't fear us.

Maybe they'll start
to think that this fool

pretending to be Black Lightning
will actually protect them.

And I surely can't have that.

Yeah, I remember I'd have to tell you

to let go of each
other and get to class.

You were always holding hands.

Darnell was the love of my life.

When he was killed, all they
did was give us a folded flag,

thanked us for his service, and
shot some guns over his casket.

He deserved more.

Yeah, he did.

After that, our lives just fell apart.

Shaquandalyn loved her daddy
more than anything in this world.

I did everything I could
to try to keep her safe,

but she just got caught up in looking

for her daddy in all the wrong men.

What can I do to help?

You can go in there and get her.

Take her out of there.

- I can't do that.
- Yes, you can.

You just won't.

Man, everybody knows Mr. Pierce can
do whatever he wants in Freeland.

We used to call you Black Jesus,
thought you could walk on water.

- Yeah, look, LaWanda...
- No.

No, it's okay, Mr. Pierce.

Everybody say they praying for me, but

ain't nobody willing to fight for me.

You got your own girls to
worry about, to fight for.

Well, I got to find a
way to fight for mine.

But in less than 48 hours, Henderson?

Aw, come on, man. You guys
have to do better than that.

It's a crime scene, Jefferson.

Once we're through cleaning it
up, there's nothing else we can do.

No, no, no. My girls
were kidnapped. Kidnapped!

Lala's responsible, you know
this. They gave you the statement.

Your girls say he was
there. He says he wasn't.

And he has 15 people who
will swear he was at a party

when all of this was taking place.

Okay, well, you can at least bring
him in for pimping these girls out.

I mean, he at the Seahorse right
now, being forced to turn tricks.

Don't you think we
tried that, Jefferson?

You arrest these guys, the girls say
they weren't forced to do anything.

You arrest the girls, they get out
and run right back to these guys.

It's not only their bodies that are
slaves to these fools, it's their minds.

Okay, what about that
kid who came into school?

Can you get him to flip on Lala?

Yeah, maybe, if we can find him.

Wait, what?

What do you mean "if you can find him"?

Now you telling me he just got up
and walked away from a twostory fall?

How did you hear about that?

My girls. My girls told me.

While they were transporting him to the

hospital, he jumped out the ambulance,

all hyped up on
painkillers and adrenaline.

He ran like a jackrabbit.
My boys couldn't catch him.

You're telling me the two men
responsible for kidnapping my girls

- are still out there somewhere?
- Not for long.

No, my girls are witnesses, Henderson.

Now, you know what that
means on the streets.

I do. I got a patrol car
sitting outside your house.

The key is, we find
Will, then we get Lala.

I promise.

Okay.

Okay.

We're all worried about you. You good?

Yeah, I'm good.

Look, it's like Fort Knox at school.

There's security everywhere.

When you coming back?

I don't really know.

- Hey, there.
- Hey.

Look, I really want to see
you. Can I come by after?

Maybe tomorrow.

It's a little bit crazy right now.

All right.

Y'all want to buy some candy?

Yo, I gotta go.

Yo, what you got, little man?

Lala says hi!

My...

Are you okay?

Are you hurt?

Mr. Pierce, you came to watch
the ghetto Cirque du Soleil?

I hired the 12 O 'Clock Boys to
get the kids a little entertainment.

Man, you better stay
away from my family.

- Or what?
- "Or what?"

You lucky it was just a water gun.

All right, look here, we had a deal.

You stay away from the
school and my girls.

Things changed.

Your daughters been running
their mouths to the police.

Look, Mr. Pierce, I'm trying to be nice

'cause you was cool with me
when I went to your school,

but they better keep my
name out of their mouths.

Matter of fact, if I was you,

I'd send your daughters on
a long vacation before I do.

Don't mistake my patience
for weakness, boy.

"Boy"?

Hey, man, it's been a long
minute since I've been a boy, man.

Hey, man, fire the bikes back
up, man. You know what it is.

They went to my house!

I get it, I understand.

But if they had killed you,

then where is the hope for this city?

Gambi, I'm not trying to save the
city. I'm trying to protect my family.

Okay, so get back in the suit,
and let's take these guys down.

Jeff, I can access any
database, including Freeland PD.

Let's just see what
information they have.

If we help them find Will, he'll
tell them all he knows about Lala.

Then Lala is arrested, and he'll
flip on whoever his boss is,

and we can get closer to
the source of all of this.

"The source"?

Gambi, you're not hearing me.

After I take down Lala, I'm done.

Damn, I needed that.

Hey, what's up? You okay?

I'm fine.

Believe me, I know.

You so fine, you bring
sight to the blind, girl.

- That was so corny.
- Whatever.

You sound like an old man at the club.

"Hey, girl, you so fine,

- "you bring sight to the blind, girl."
- I did not sound like that.

Yes, you did.

You sure you okay?

I should be asking you that.
All that you've been through.

Now is not a good time.

It's never a good time.

Tell me.

Our sex is mindblowing, you know that.

But I need more, Anissa.

I feel like I'm just
a distraction for you.

We've been dating a year and
you haven't met my parents,

you don't know any of my friends.

I mean, babe, you know I'm busy,

between school and teaching, and

trying to help organize the community...

I'm not asking you to
give up any of that.

Well, that's what it sounds like.

Look, I'm sorry.

Like I said, now's not a good time,

and you've been through
a lot. So, sorry.

It's okay.

How are you coping with all this?

I don't know. It just feels weird.

It all feels like a
dream or a nightmare.

I don't know, I just want
everything to be back to normal,

but all this strange
stuff keeps happening.

Babe, you know I broke
the sink in my bathroom?

You what?

Yeah. The other night.

So I get up to pee,

and I have some kind of... panic attack.

So, I grabbed the sink to
brace myself, and it just...

I don't know, it just crumbled
in my hands, like it was nothing.

We'll get you a good therapist.

You know my mother. She's seen them all.

No, babe, but the sink...
I'm just trying to...

Probably just some oldass porcelain
sink that was gonna break anyway.

Look, the important thing is,

we find you someone that is
gonna help you get through this.

It'll be okay. Hey.

Evening, neighbor.

You're working late.

And it don't stop.

Yeah, said every hype
man ever stood on a stage.

Exactly. Besides, I was walking Monk,

and he suggested we check in
to make sure you guys are okay.

Yeah, well, Anissa's,
with her girlfriend...

Jennifer's upstairs, asleep.

They're more resilient than I thought.

People usually are.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

Hey...

Lynn still here?

Yes, Henderson, she is still here.

She's upstairs, asleep with Jennifer.

Negro, don't act all stoic on me.

I know you.

You probably in there tapdancing,
you so happy she's back.

Yeah, well, well, she's
not back completely...

but I think we're getting close.

Yeah, I'm happy to hear that, man.
You all deserve some happiness.

And we gonna get these guys, Jefferson.

Will, Lala, we'll get 'em.

Yeah, I know.

By the way, you might
wanna talk to your girl LaWanda.

She posted herself up outside
the Seahorse with a camera,

recording johns

and taking down license plate numbers.

I tried to talk to her, but
she just called me an Uncle Tom

and walked away. She
gonna get herself killed.

What are you gonna do about it?

There's nothing I can
do. She got rights.

Come on, boy.

This is why I don't like hiring family.

They never appreciate nothing
you try and do for 'em.

You got me in a world
of confusion, cuzo.

But at the end of the day...

I'll straighten it out.

Thanks for getting the word out.

- Sure. Okay, you're welcome.
- LaWanda.

- LaWanda, you gotta stop this.
- No, I don't.

This is suicide.

Now, as soon as all these reporters
leave, when this story gets old,

The One Hundred will kill you.

Would you die for your
daughters, Mr. Pierce?

Would you just walk away if
Black Lightning hadn't saved 'em?

That's what I thought.

LaWanda, no, don't do this.
Okay? Fortyeight hours.

Just give me 48 hours.

I promise you, I will
get your daughter back.

I have connections at
the police department.

No. Didn't you hear me?
They ain't trying to listen!

No, they will listen to me, I promise.

We will find a way.

But none of that is gonna matter

if your daughter comes home
safe and her mother's dead.

I love my daughter, Mr. Pierce.

She's all I got.

I know how you feel.

Believe me.

So, let me help you.

Okay. I'll stop.

But I ain't leaving.
I'll just sit in my car.

I ain't taking my eyes off this place,

just in case they try to take
her somewhere I can't find her.

Okay, fair enough. Thank you.

And I promise you, I won't let you down.

Thank you.

Ooh. I'm sorry.

Damn.

Well, it is good to see you, girl.

It's good to see you, too.

Thanks for coming.

Aight, so... so Black Lightning?

I mean, you saw Black Lightning?

Girl, that... Yo, that is pretty cool.

Yeah.

I was kind of scared

because when you try and
look at his face, it hurts.

I don't know, it's like
looking into a spotlight.

There's something that's out of focus.

J...

Look, when all this went
down, I realized something.

What's that?

I mean, you know that we've
been friends for a long time.

And...

Thought I'd maybe...

I've been wanting to
ask you to be my girl.

And, you know, I realized...

That if they had killed you, I mean,

I never would've had the chance and...

Well, now I'm doing it.

Do you, maybe, wanna...

You want to be my girlfriend?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

Yeah. Cool. I'd like that.

All right. Cool. Thanks.

Well, look, I
kinda got you something.

It's not fancy, but I saw it
and thought about you, so...

That looks good on you.

Thank you.

Hey. I didn't hear you come in.

You want me to make you something to eat?

No, no, I'm fine. Thank you.

So, how are the girls?

Good. Jennifer is on the roof in
her favorite place with Khalil.

So, she's happy.

And Anissa's still at
her girlfriend's house.

And I can never remember
that girl's name.

Cheena, I think.

What? Nothing like that. No.

Well, it feels good to have you here.

It feels good to be here.

Yeah.

That feels good.

Well, there's one,
fact that I lean on.

Yeah?

That I love you and those girls
more than anything in the world.

I need to take things slow, Jeff.

As a neuroscientist, I know everything

there is to know about the brain,

but not so much about the heart.

That's a smooth line, lady. Yeah.

Sorry, Mr. Pierce.

Lala.

You better take that
camera out of my face.

LaWanda, take your ass home now.
I'm not playing no games with you.

- I want my daughter.
- Hey!

I want my daughter. No,
get your hands off me!

Man! Come on, babe. I ain't
got time for this, man.

Hey, man, what's up?

Jeff, um...

I didn't want you to
hear it on the news.

LaWanda's dead.

I just got the call a few minutes ago.

Sorry, man.

A local woman was found dead...

What good did it do, Lynn?

She was my student.

I had a fantasy that when

they leave me, their lives are better.

That they could transcend

this neighborhood, this city, world.

Yeah, I saved more lives as
the principal of Garfield High

than I ever did as Black Lightning.

- It's true.
- It's a lie!

- LaWanda is dead.
- She is.

I know. I know.

And it hurts, and I
understand. I feel it, too...

But I could have saved her.

I could save so many.

I've been living a lie.

Living in the hopes that
you and me and the girls

could somehow live behind
a white picket fence,

a normal life!

I'm not normal. Never
have been. Never will be.

Jeff, listen to me. This
is the addiction talking...

What? There is no damn addiction!

Do you remember what you said

when we discovered my powers?

You said it was a gift.

A blessing from God.

It's still a gift.

It's still a blessing from God.

And I intend to use it.

Not just for the girls,

but for all the other
people out there who need me.

Jefferson, please, we are so close

to putting the pieces of
our lives back together.

Yeah, we are.

Maybe.

No more maybes for me, Lynn.

It is time that people know
that Black Lightning is back.

Morning.

Welcome back. I mean, let's be honest,

you never kept your eyes off this place,

but just making it official.

Thank you.

- How are the girls holding up?
- As best they can.

Yeah, I think getting back into
the school routine will help.

How are you holding up?

I'm good.

Look, I see you keeping
everything and everyone together.

I just hope someone is
doing the same for you.

I mean, if you need to
talk or whatever, I'm here.

Thank you, Kara. I appreciate it.

Yeah.

- Hey.
- Good news.

I found Will.

Bad news, he's dead.

I got here before the
police, and whoever

killed him didn't take his cell phone.

Mobile phones are the enemy of bad
guys. When are they gonna learn?

Lala's still out there on the loose,

and he's getting desperate,
Gambi. He killed LaWanda.

He's gonna come after my girls
next if we don't get to him first.

We will.

- Give me some more. Give me some more.
- Okay, okay, okay.

Hey, YOLO.

It's the truth, you only live once.

Yeah, 'cause one minute your ass
can be here, everything's cool,

and then the next minute,
your ass is kidnapped.

Yeah, but they should have different

terms for it. I'm not a kid anymore.

They should call it teennapped.

And Anissa would be adultnapped.

Okay, did they hit you hard
in the head or something,

because you tripping a little bit.

You trippin'.

- Really?
- Yeah, you need some more of that.

No. Right.

It's strong, it's good.

Hi.

What you doing here?

What?

You only live once.

What, so you drinking now?

At school?

It's not cool, J.

Khalil, calm down. I just
wanted to ask you something.

Look, I'm not gonna calm down.

Look, you saw and went through
some craziness. I get it.

But that is not the way to deal with it.

I've seen it all, J.

My brother shot and killed,

father in jail, Mama working
her damn ass off just to provide.

Yeah, I live the life
that rappers talk about,

and ain't none of it cute. None of it.

But you know what? God gave me a gift.

I can run fast.

So I'm gonna run my black
ass straight up out of here,

and I ain't looking back.

But I want you to come
with me, but not like this.

No, that is going backwards
and I can't do that.

I just see the world
completely different now.

I got you.

Really, I do.

It's just growing up.

Come here, J.

I forgot how warm and
beautiful this place is.

You know how this ends, right?

The same way it always
ends for everyone, Lynn.

None of us get out of here alive.

- He was happy.
- But what kind of happy?

Happy like a lion in a cage?

King of the zoo, not of the jungle?

Happy like a man who was at
peace just being Jefferson Pierce.

But he isn't just Jefferson Pierce,
he is so much more than that.

And you know that better than anyone.

I do, and that's why I want you to

stop him before he gets addicted again.

We have a difference of opinion on that.

I don't believe Jefferson was
ever addicted to his powers.

He was in a war to save
this city and its people,

and he was winning.

Then he suddenly stopped
because he was addicted to you.

And now look at the
condition of this city

and its people. It's...
it's complete chaos.

- Sounds like you're blaming me for the chaos.
- A little.

Just like you blame me, then and now.

But ultimately, it is Jefferson's
choice what he does with his powers.

Hey.

Will's phone had Lala's

address on it. I ve got him on my GPS.

Ooh, he is fine.

Black Lightning, my man.

- Lala, what floor?
- Penthouse.

Thanks, bro.

I got you.

No. I'm gonna take the stairs.

I'm just getting back into this.

A brother needs all
the exercise he can get.

Stop! Put your hands
high above your head!

It's been a while, Inspector.

I don't want to spend
a lot of time on this,

so I'll make it plain.

LaWanda is telling her
story from the dead, buddy.

Her cell phone was recording, so
we got you on tape shooting her.

Your boy is flipping on you.

How you think we found you?

Your world is falling apart, Lala.

It's over. The girls are safe.

And the Seahorse has been shut down.

And Black Lightning?

Look, things are different now.

The girls are older.

Maybe we can find a way to live with it.

On the counter! Hurry!
Come on! Come on, hurry up!

Put it on the counter! Come on, hurry!

Hurry up! On the ground, bitch!

You stay! You keep doing
what you were doing.

I said on the ground.
Are you deaf, bitch?

- Okay.
- I will shoot you!

Get down!

Yeah, we were close, Lynn.

What's up?

Have fun.

Lala.

You shot somebody's mama?

Any man that'd do that has no morals.

No principles to live by.

Which means there's nothing
you are not capable of,

including becoming a rat.