BLACK LIGHTNING 4.8

 

RECAP - BLACK LIGHTNING  4.8:  "The Book of Ruin - Chapter 4:  Things Fall Apart"

Lemme tell you....when things go BAD for the Pierce Family....they go BAD.  This week's episode let us bear witness to Tobias Whale's best laid plans to destroy the Pierces bit by bit.  This week, we also see Gambi make HIS moves to procure Promethium for the team to fight off the DEG guns.  And we finally see Jen having to adjust to her new self.  We also got the return of Ishmael....who's looking to complete the job Destiny set him out on:  destroy the Pierce Family.  

Jefferson got a HUGE wake up call this week, as the family was celebrating the marriage of Anissa and Grace.  Anissa HAD warned the family beforehand, hence the surprise party.  Grace is welcomed into the family, and then they get a knock at the door, as the FBI has come to investigate Jefferson.  It seems that...according to THEM...he's been embezzling money from Freeland High, and put it in trust funds for his daughters.  News of this travels fast, as the students of the school begin to question Jefferson's integrity...and right in front of Jennifer, who has gone BACK to school under the new guise of JJ Stewart--a cousin to the Pierce sisters, and Jen has decided to "study abroad".  On top of still having to adjust to NewJen, Jefferson also got hit with more bad news:  The house his father bought was being forclosed on in the name of Imminent Domain in order to make room for a hospital. And Marcel...his teacher that had been staying there until he gets back on his feet, got a new home thanks to Tobias, and even appeared at Tobias' press conference, where Tobias also took the time to drag Jefferson's name through the mud.  

Lynn had finished up testing Val's meta powers, and while Jefferson had wanted HER to test it, she's trying hard to stay sober, so Gambi offers himself up instead.  Turns out, he doesn't feel anything.  Later on, we discover that Val has power dampening abilities when Gambi walks into the Sanctum, and TC's powers fizzle out as he's trying to help Jefferson trace the money.  Jefferson and Gambi then discover through security footage of Red going into Montevista and threatening the CEO there to speed up the production of the DEG guns, and get Tobias the Emitter he asked for, that he's got magnetic powers.  The bullets Jefferson got were magnetized, and puts the clues together to find out that Red was the Mayor's assassin.  They need to figure out a way to catch him, as well as find a way to get to Val in order to stop Tobias.  

While Jen was getting cozy with the new kid who defended her father, Anissa and Grace get some test results for Montevista. with Gambi's help...not long after Gambi had done HIS bit of espionage earlier in the day, and got some promethium from the vault, as he faked an alarm at the lab at Montevista, ensuring that Lauren would be distracted long enough for him to complete his mission.  Anissa needed the records of her pregnant patient named Kiki, who had been assigned to Montevista for some new gene-splicing technique to help with her cystic fibrosis.  She had cause for concern.  Unfortunately for THEM, Ishmael showed up, and attacked Blackbird and Tigress, intent on completing the mission Destiny hired him for.  He had managed to locate her through the killing of one of Blackbird's resistance members.  The battle was a bit back and forth, and it looked like Ishmael would get the best of them both, but Tigress fully morphed, and began to viciously attack him, until he shook her off, and made his escape.  

In a shocking twist of events, we see TC communicating with Khalil, as he updates him on Jen.  He then informs Khalil about what's going down with the Pierce family and Tobias.  Khalil says he will look into it, as they prepare for more treatment for him, to see if he can get Painkiller and Khalil merged.  

This episode finally gave us some of the intricate plot Tobias had in mind when he planned on destroying the Pierce family.  And he plans on using Lynn's research against them in the process when the time comes.  But for now, ruining Jefferson's name is a good start for him.  And with Val dampening everyone's powers around her, it becomes crucial to the Pierces to get to her before Tobias destroys them.  On top of THAT misery, Anissa and Grace had to deal with Ishmael, who is looking to finish the contract Destiny hired him for...which  was to destroy ALL of them.  So things are compounding for the team.  

I wonder how much longer Gambi can play HIS little game against Lauren before she finds out he's stealing Promethium from her?  He's walking a VERY thin line, and I feel it will bite him in the ass before it's said and done.  And WHAT THE HELL?!!  TC is working with Khalil?!!  THAT was a huge twist this week!  I'll say one thing right here:  if Painkiller DOES get greenlit to series....TC HAS to become part of the cast...he'd be an EXCEPTIONAL fit!  

Not sure what the deal is with Anissa's patient, and this whole gene-splicing thing with Montevista...but it seems shady and dangerous, so we'll keep tabs on THAT little story.  And what of Jen?  While she feels fine, and she's googly-eyed at a boy, and trying to revive the music program at school with funds now cut, Lynn has discovered that her latest test proves that Jen is unstable...and who KNOWS that will lead to down the road.  Either way, I DON'T feel we've hit rock bottom YET---I think that comes NEXT episode...before we see the family bounce back.  

Do you agree with my thoughts?  Disagree?  How did YOU feel this episode was?  I enjoyed it, and thought it moved the story along...especially now that we have a pretty good idea as to how Tobias was getting his revenge.  But hey...let me know YOUR thoughts and theories by subscribing below, and leaving me a comment. 

Until next time....the Power is OFF!