From a Comics Geek... Episodes 1& 2 Individually as watched

bustedbrain16

I'm the type who bleeds comic ink the way sports fans do their team's colors, with an extensive collection dating back to the 1960's, so I'm well versed in the history; yet realize concessions must be made for decades of that history for current adaptations. (I like to say it's like stage magic: it's not "real", but is the ride enjoyable?)

EPISODE 1 - HEAVYHANDED
Now, I remember Black Lightning from the old Super Friends cartoon, and quite honestly wished they'd shown more of him. Seeing this show however, has me a bit torn. Being a family man and coming out of retirement after a dark incident in his past certainly sets him apart from the other CW's superheroes and more interesting as a character. They lost some ssserious points with an over-saturation of an "all African Americans are victims". There were times I felt as though I was clubbed over the head with it like a baby seal it was so pervasively perverse. If they tone that back, the series shows promise. The setting being in an African American community with high gang activity, there's no need for them to go to the extremes they did. (particularly the scene where he got pulled over)

EPISODE 2 - CANCEL THIS FARCE!
The racial slurs continuing to escalate was enough. But meanwhile, our "hero" in his alter ego of Jefferson Pierce, high so-called "community activist" and high school principal is seen walking the halls of the school in front of a banner reading: "IT'S YOUR LIFE live it any way necessary", and in another scene comes home to ask his wife where their daughters are, and she answers (the two scenes being shown right beforehand) "(the older one) is at her girlfriend's house"(where we'd just seen them having sex)"and (the younger) is on the roof, her favorite place with her boyfriend" (which we'd just seen as her boyfriend coming out of her bedroom window to her smoking).
It seems a bit off that such a "pillar of the community" would be that kind of father... then we see his younger daughter drinking at school!
This show needs to be swept under the rug and forgotten!! After a public apology for airing it.

score 1/10

bustedbrain16 17 January 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4035039/