Black Lightning S3:EP11 / The Book of Markovia (Chapter Two) – Lynn’s Addiction
Directed By: Michael Schultz
Written By: Andre Edmonds
Hot off the momentum from last week’s stellar episode, Chapter Two of Book of Markovia shows no signs of slowing down. A lot of things are happening simultaneously, so it can be a bit hard to keep track of all the competing plots. Lynn’s Addiction’s greatest disadvantage is having so many players and events in one episode.
Compartmentalizing the episode, we first see Jennifer (China Anne McClain) confess to her father about Odell’s influence in her life since his absence, and as can be expected, he does not take it well. This careens into the super-powered father and daughters, and Gambi, out to get Odell once and for all; eventually leading to a very brief altercation with rescuing ASA agents and handsome terminator Painkiller (Jordan Calloway) making his return – much to Jennifer’s horror. This segment’s main point is how Jennifer is treated by her parents and older sister – and by extension, the writers. Cut to the sidelines, Jennifer is often left to her own devices, despite having an eagerness for heroics and genuine powers. If their relationship and family dynamic is going to remain intact, everyone needs to give Jennifer the support and leeway she desperately needs after three seasons of character development. Overall, it was still nice seeing everyone suit up and working (more or less) together.
Meanwhile, through what can only be described as plot convenience, the desperate and isolated Dr. Stewart finds herself teaming up with a defecting ASA agent, Sgt Grayle (Boone Platt) – introduced last episode – and their attempt to free Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) to crippled Odell’s hold over the green light proto-soldiers. Platt puts in a decent performance as the latest addition to the sadly bloated tertiary cast, which already includes Maj Grey, Grace Choi, Baron/TC and Brandon (who also all make an appearance here). The best parts of this portion were obviously the uncomfortable alliance between Lynn and Tobias, as these two reluctant partners must collaborate to achieve each other’s’ ends. Their begrudging dynamic is intriguing and I can’t wait to see it explored even more.
Another standout section of this week was the return of Lala/Tattooed Man (Will Catlett), who has been MIA for many a moon. Not only has he been busy with his lucrative hustle independent of the ASA/Agent Odell vs Pierce/Resistance feud, but he’s also run into an old friend, the devilishly voluptuous Lady Eve (Jill Scott) our pseudo-antagonist from season one. As much as I relish the return of these two characters and their entertainingly menacing interplay, I cannot help but bemoan the use of this “Lazarus pit” resurrection shtick to keep people around and bringing them back at a writer’s whim. Such an overused cliché’ cheapens any eventual death and ruins the realism and gravity of the show. It’s really a double-edged sword.
While Blessings and Curses Reborn managed and accomplished a balanced execution with a lot of elements, the fractured Lynn’s Addiction seems to be teetering on critical mass. It offers three different resolutions, each teasing a new branching sub-plot worth exploring. Hopefully, the third chapter in this arc will not sacrifice quality for quantity. Nevertheless, it has been an exciting ride thus far since the Book of Resistance.
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Hailing from the eastern-most Caribbean island of Barbados, Fabian Wood has long since been fascinated by the power of storytelling to inspire and invoke emotions – whether in film, comics or video games. No longer content to be just an avid comic book reader and video gamer, he’s eager to exercise his literary acumen as an aspiring writer and reviewer.
