List of Black Lightning episodes
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Black Lightning is an American superhero television drama series which ran for four seasons on The CW.[1] It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with other related television series.[2] The series was created by Salim Akil, based on the character of the same name from DC Comics.[1] Black Lightning follows retired superhero Jefferson Pierce / Black Lightning (Cress Williams) returning to his life as a superhero and the effects of his vigilante activity on his professional and family life.[3][4]
Alongside Williams, the series stars Christine Adams, Damon Gupton, Marvin Jones III, China Anne McClain, James Remar, and Nafessa Williams.[5] In season two, Jordan Calloway was promoted from recurring to series regular.[6] At the end of the third season, Gupton was written out; he later claimed it was not his decision to depart the series.[7][8] In the fourth season, Chantal Thuy joined the main cast after recurring in the first three seasons.[9][10] Prior to the release of season four, McClain, who portrayed Jennifer Pierce, stated that she would return past the expiration of her contract and only agreed to a limited number of season four episodes.[11] Starting with the fifth episode of the season, "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two", Jennifer was instead portrayed by Laura Kariuki.[12]
During the course of the series, 58 episodes of Black Lightning aired over four seasons.[13] The first season premiered on January 16, 2018, and concluded on April 17. The series was renewed in early April.[14] Season two aired from October 9 through March 18, 2019. The series was renewed for a third season which began airing on October 19 and concluded on March 9, 2020.[15] A fourth season was ordered in January 2020, which, in November of the same year, was confirmed to be the show's last.[1][16] The fourth and final season premiered on February 8, 2021, with the series finale airing May 24. A spinoff revolving around Calloway as Painkiller was in development but The CW opted against producing a full series.[17]
Series overview
Episodes
Season 1 (2018)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [22] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Resurrection" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | January 16, 2018 | 2.31[23] |
| 2 | 2 | "Lawanda: The Book of Hope" | Oz Scott | Salim Akil | January 23, 2018 | 1.94[24] |
| 3 | 3 | "Lawanda: The Book of Burial" | Mark Tonderai | Jan Nash | January 30, 2018 | 2.21[25] |
| 4 | 4 | "Black Jesus" | Michael Schultz | Pat Charles | February 6, 2018 | 1.88[26] |
| 5 | 5 | "And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light" | Rose Troche | Adam Giaudrone | February 13, 2018 | 1.81[27] |
| 6 | 6 | "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder" | Benny Boom | Charles Holland | February 27, 2018 | 1.64[28] |
| 7 | 7 | "Equinox: The Book of Fate" | Bille Woodruff | Lamont Magee | March 6, 2018 | 1.46[29] |
| 8 | 8 | "The Book of Revelations" | Tanya Hamilton | Jan Nash | March 13, 2018 | 1.45[30] |
| 9 | 9 | "The Book of Little Black Lies" | Tawnia McKiernan | Keli Goff | March 20, 2018 | 1.55[31] |
| 10 | 10 | "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" | Eric Laneuville | Pat Charles | March 27, 2018 | 1.55[32] |
| 11 | 11 | "Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion" | Michael Schultz | Melora Rivera | April 3, 2018 | 1.50[33] |
| 12 | 12 | "The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain" | Oz Scott | Jan Nash & Adam Giaudrone | April 10, 2018 | 1.54[34] |
| 13 | 13 | "Shadow of Death: The Book of War" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | April 17, 2018 | 1.68[35] |
Season 2 (2018–19)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [36] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | October 9, 2018 | 1.16[37] |
| 15 | 2 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Two: Black Jesus Blues" | Oz Scott | Charles D. Holland | October 16, 2018 | 1.02[38] |
| 16 | 3 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry" | Rose Troche | Jan Nash | October 23, 2018 | 1.18[39] |
| 17 | 4 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak" | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Adam Giaudrone | October 30, 2018 | 0.97[40] |
| 18 | 5 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem" | Michael Schultz | Lamont Magee | November 13, 2018 | 0.90[41] |
| 19 | 6 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter Two: The Perdi" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles | November 20, 2018 | 0.99[42] |
| 20 | 7 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter Three: The Sange" | Eric Laneuville | Keli Goff | November 27, 2018 | 1.06[43] |
| 21 | 8 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter One: Exodus" | Tawnia McKiernan | Jake Waller | December 4, 2018 | 0.96[44] |
| 22 | 9 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift of the Magi" | Benny Boom | Adam Giaudrone | December 11, 2018 | 1.13[45] |
| 23 | 10 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros" | Salim Akil | Jan Nash & J. Allen Brown | January 21, 2019 | 0.86[46] |
| 24 | 11 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter One: Prodigal Son" | Rob Hardy | Pat Charles | January 28, 2019 | 0.93[47] |
| 25 | 12 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Two: Just and Unjust" | Jeff Byrd | Charles D. Holland | February 4, 2019 | 0.95[48] |
| 26 | 13 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Three: Pillar of Fire" | Robert Townsend | Lamont Magee | February 11, 2019 | 0.94[49] |
| 27 | 14 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Four: Original Sin" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles & Keli Goff | March 4, 2019 | 0.77[50] |
| 28 | 15 | "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha" | Salim Akil | Jan Nash | March 11, 2019 | 0.75[51] |
| 29 | 16 | "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter Two: The Omega" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | March 18, 2019 | 0.85[52] |
Season 3 (2019–20)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [53] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 1 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of Blackbird" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | October 7, 2019 | 0.89[54] |
| 31 | 2 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih" | Oz Scott | Charles D. Holland | October 14, 2019 | 0.63[55] |
| 32 | 3 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent Odell's Pipe-Dream" | Benny Boom | Pat Charles | October 21, 2019 | 0.61[56] |
| 33 | 4 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four: Lynn's Ouroboros" | Mary Lou Belli | Adam Giaudrone | October 28, 2019 | 0.52[57] |
| 34 | 5 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five: Requiem for Tavon" | Robert Townsend | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | November 11, 2019 | 0.71[58] |
| 35 | 6 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter One: Knocking on Heaven's Door" | Jeff Byrd | Lamont Magee | November 18, 2019 | 0.62[59] |
| 36 | 7 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two: Henderson's Opus" | Oz Scott | Lynelle White | November 25, 2019 | 0.65[60] |
| 37 | 8 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace" | Neema Barnette | Jake Waller | December 2, 2019 | 0.60[61] |
| 38 | 9 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis"[a] | Tasha Smith | Lamont Magee | December 9, 2019 | 0.90[63] |
| 39 | 10 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Reborn" | Eric Laneuville | J. Allen Brown | January 20, 2020 | 0.54[64] |
| 40 | 11 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Two: Lynn's Addiction" | Michael Schultz | André Edmonds | January 27, 2020 | 0.66[65] |
| 41 | 12 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three: Motherless ID" | Bille Woodruff | Adam Giaudrone & Lynelle White | February 3, 2020 | 0.72[66] |
| 42 | 13 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab the Strap" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland & Asheleigh O. Conley | February 10, 2020 | 0.65[67] |
| 43 | 14 | "The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming" | Benny Boom | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | February 24, 2020 | 0.64[68] |
| 44 | 15 | "The Book of War: Chapter Two: Freedom Ain't Free" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles | March 2, 2020 | 0.62[69] |
| 45 | 16 | "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | March 9, 2020 | 0.55[70] |
Season 4 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [71] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 1 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One: Collateral Damage" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | February 8, 2021 | 0.52[72] |
| 47 | 2 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" | Bille Woodruff | Charles D. Holland | February 15, 2021 | 0.44[73] |
| 48 | 3 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three: Despite All My Rage..." | Salim Akil | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | February 22, 2021 | 0.37[74] |
| 49 | 4 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Four: A Light in the Darkness" | Mary Lou Belli | Lamont Magee | March 1, 2021 | 0.41[75] |
| 50 | 5 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces" | Bille Woodruff | Adam Giaudrone | March 8, 2021 | 0.46[76] |
| 51 | 6 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two: Theseus's Ship" | Mary Lou Belli | Jake Waller | March 15, 2021 | 0.48[77] |
| 52 | 7 | "Painkiller" | Bille Woodruff | Salim Akil | April 12, 2021 | 0.39[78] |
| 53 | 8 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Three: Things Fall Apart" | Bille Woodruff | André Edmonds | April 19, 2021 | 0.42[79] |
| 54 | 9 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding" | Keesha Sharp | J. Allen Brown | April 26, 2021 | 0.32[80] |
| 55 | 10 | "The Book of Reunification: Chapter One: Revelations" | Benny Boom | Jamila Daniel | May 3, 2021 | 0.32[81] |
| 56 | 11 | "The Book of Reunification: Chapter Two: Trial and Errors" | Bille Woodruff | Asheleigh O. Conley | May 10, 2021 | 0.30[82] |
| 57 | 12 | "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads" | Benny Boom | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | May 17, 2021 | 0.36[83] |
| 58 | 13 | "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter Two: Closure" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | May 24, 2021 | 0.50[84] |
Ratings
| Season | Episode number | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||
| 1 | 2.31 | 1.94 | 2.21 | 1.88 | 1.81 | 1.64 | 1.46 | 1.45 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.50 | 1.54 | 1.68 | – | |||
| 2 | 1.16 | 1.02 | 1.18 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 0.99 | 1.06 | 0.96 | 1.13 | 0.86 | 0.93 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.77 | 0.75 | 0.85 | |
| 3 | 0.89 | 0.63 | 0.61 | 0.52 | 0.71 | 0.62 | 0.65 | 0.60 | 0.90 | 0.54 | 0.66 | 0.72 | 0.65 | 0.64 | 0.62 | 0.55 | |
| 4 | 0.52 | 0.44 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.36 | 0.50 | – | |||