Black Lightning - Season 1, Episode 13: Shadow of Death: The Book of War
Trailer
This series sees the retired Black Lightning return to the hero life after a decade hanging up his costume and devoting himself to the life of an educator, as well as its effects on his family life.
Finales can and should add baggage to a story between adversaries, especially in superhero shows and especially looking ahead to further seasons. But this felt, at worst, like an unnecessary add-on to a rivalry already teeming with mystique.
In many ways, Black Lightning played it safe when it came to its superhero drama, but its character work was top notch, as was its centering of real-world, racial issues.
It's Black Lightning underlining what's been there all along, which is that Jefferson's powers aren't just life-changing, they're life-saving, not just for him but for his community, and for black bodies.
If you're partial to a TV season that heavily references its pilot in its finale, then you should be pretty happy with "Shadow of Death: The Book of War" (as I am and was).
It wasn't perfect, but it definitely kept us invested in the characters and fascinated with the world they live in. Going forward, the show should eschew The CW standard and continue to do tight, complex 13 episode seasons.