"The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis" is the ninth and midseason finale episode of the third season of Black Lightning, and the thirty-eighth episode overall. It aired on December 9, 2019. This episode ties into the crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and leads into Black Lightning's appearance in "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three".
Synopsis[]
| The Pierce family fears for Jennifer's life.[src] |
Plot[]
We open in standard Black Lightning reality with Jennifer awakening at 3:33 for the third night straight and making a video for Anissa about it just as uncovers she's been working with Agent Odell in addition to other things and she chooses to simply go see Anissa. It likewise turns out that Jamila's message got out, yet that news didn't go over especially well and the data is as yet being distorted. Odell lives and calls Jennifer. He is as yet attempting to get her to stay on his side.
The obstruction attempts to concoct an arrangement. Anissa discloses to her dad that they may need to slaughter, and she additionally uncovers that the ASA has Khalil and he's the person who assaulted her. Executing might be their solitary choice since things have changed, and Jefferson doesn't care for it. At Anissa's home, Jennifer is in outfit and hangs tight for her sister while, outside, the skies turn red. The lightning plays with her forces and she crumples.
Jennifer winds up in some peculiar exchange measurement where she experiences two different renditions of herself: one who was in ASA authority, ordinary Jennifer, and afterward a dull Jennifer. That's right, various Earths. First up, we visit Gen from Earth-1. It's Christmas and this is where Jennifer is in the neckline and utilized the water of Freeland to fix metahumans. Anissa isn't out yet met a young lady and reveals to her sister about it. Khalil got a full ride to UCLA. The harmony is disturbed when troopers see up at out and take the Pierce family having been sold out by the reverend. Odell murders Jefferson before his family.
Back to "reality". Anissa discovers Jen oblivious and calls for Gambi. Jennifer awakens quickly to state that their father is dead and afterward we dive once more into Earth-1. Gen is in the pit, crying and accusing herself when Anissa shows up to visit with a message from their mother that she is en route to visit. This Freeland encountered the war with the Markovians, clearly. Truly, Gambi and Anissa attempt to make sense of what is happening. Jefferson is on his way, yet Lynn is cooking drugs in an in-home lab attempting due to her Green Light compulsion when she gets a call from Anissa.
Earth-1. Lynn visits Jennifer in the pit and reveals to her that her dad was glad for her and that all that she did was justified, despite all the trouble. In all actuality both Lynn and Jefferson appear and see what's going on with Jennifer. She's being affected by the counter issue and is, in this way in two places on the double. Henderson calls. The obstruction is in a tough situation and requirements help. Lynn reprimands Jefferson for things and discloses to him he needs to go.
Presently we visit Jinn of Earth-2. This is the dim Jennifer universe. Jefferson is an educator and Jennifer comes into his study hall. She works with the ASA and Jefferson attempts to disclose to her that she's being utilized. She can't help contradicting him and his techniques and leaves. She meets with Odell, having completely inclined toward his control. She likewise slaughtered all the metas and seems, by all accounts, to be this current universe's Painkiller simple.
In all actuality things decline. Jennifer continues staging and Anissa thinks the ASA is behind the red skies. Lynn and Anissa differ about Khalil. Gambi discovers that Odell is attempting to weaponize kids with Green Light. They need to deal with this circumstance.
In Jinn world, Jennifer faces Jefferson. Her entire family attempts to confront Jennifer. They need her to hand herself over. She's not intrigued, and Jennifer assaults her family. She battles Jefferson, overpowering him and executing him. She's executed her entire family.
In all actuality, Gambi still has no clue about what is happening and afterward abruptly Jennifer vanishes again and is back in the strange space and slaps Jinn. Jennifer and Jinn battle, Gen attempts to stop them. They quit battling for a second and them three understand that they are all from various universes and the tempest is arranging those universes with just one of them set to endure. Jennifer stands up to these two different renditions of herself - one too controlled and one without powers - and comes to harmony with herself. While they examine, a white wave hits them and they evaporate and afterward, in all actuality as we probably are aware, so does that whole world – put something aside for Black Lightning who is teleported away before all that he knows is no more. Freeland (Earth-TUD5) is vaporized along with the residents.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, Jefferson Pierce, and Jefferson Pierce's Earth-2 doppelgänger
- China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce/Lightning, Gen Pierce, and Jinn Pierce
- Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce/Blackbird/Thunder, Anissa Pierce, and Anissa Pierce's Earth-2 doppelgänger
- Christine Adams as Dr. Lynn Stewart, Lynn Stewart (Earth-1), and Lynn
- Marvin "Krondon" Jones III (credit only)
- Damon Gupton as Chief Bill Henderson
- Jordan Calloway (credit only)
- James Remar as Peter Gambi
Guest starring[]
- Bill Duke as Agent Odell, Agent Odell, and Agent Odell
- Clifton Powell as Reverend Jeremiah Holt and Jeremiah Holt (Earth-1)
Co-starring[]
- Adetinpo Thomas as Jamillah Olsen
- Katy O'Brian as Major Sara Grey and Sara Grey (Earth-1)
- Vernika Rowe as Auntie Gina
- Renell Gibbs as Kyrie
- Amanda Baker as Rebecca Larsen
- Sh'Kia Augustin as Shonda (voice)
Trivia[]
- The episode was originally titled "Third Stone from the Sun", but was changed to tie-in with Crisis on Infinite Earths.[1]
- [even without this aforementioned alteration, it is obvious how] This episode also tied into the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event itself as it dealt with things involving the Multiverse (i.e. doppelgängers, parallel earths and an antimatter wave sweeping across the multiverse which it was destroying them in the process).
- This is the last episode of Black Lightning to centrally take place on Earth-TUD5, as subsequent episodes happen post-Crisis, and are set on Earth-Prime. (It should be noted that this reality was destroyed as this universe, it's earth and all of it's inhabitants minus Jefferson Pierce and Jennifer Pierce were all killed and wiped out by a wave of antimatter at the end of the episode itself, when it swept over Freeland (Earth-TUD5) and disintegrated the Pierce house (Earth-TUD5)). The antimatter wave would continue to spread and destroy the rest of this universe afterwards; however, it would be unseen like all of the others (note that the Earth (Earth-TUD5) was actually seen in physical form only shortly before, during "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four", along with the Sun itself) once the timer expired at 00:00:00, and the TO BE CONTINUED title card appeared for Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- The song called "This Christmas" by Donny Hathaway is briefly heard in the middle of the episode; just as Jefferson Pierce (Earth-1) is setting up the Christmas dinner at the Pierce house (Earth-1), immediately before the sequence cuts to the upstairs rooms/in his daughters' (Gen & Anissa)'s shared bedroom.
- The song called "She" by Alice Smith is briefly heard at the end of the episode; immediately after Jefferson Pierce is teleported away to the Nexus/just as the antimatter wave hits and destroys Freeland including everyone and everything in the Pierce house (Earth-TUD5), before the universe of Earth-TUD5 is engulfed completely in the anti-material energy wave/the timer expires at 00:00:00, and the episode then ends and cuts to black/to continue with Crisis on Infinite Earths next.
Goofs[]
- This episode contains an inconsistency: it ignores the fact that Earth-2 was destroyed weeks prior to the beginning of the Anti-Monitor Crisis in "Starling City", with Earth-1 and Earth-2 versions of Jen (Gen and Jinn, respectively) join her in some kind of void, witnessing events that happened moments before.
- However, it's possible that each version of Jennifer was brought to Jennifer Pierce's safe place when each of their respective Earths came under attack.
- The two other Earths shown here aren't named as officially designated Earth-1 and Earth-2. They're just called "Earth 1" and "Earth 2" on the screen to distinguish them from one another. This could open up a discussion about each of their position in the multiverse as this could indicate that they were/or could have been two completely different universes whose designations sound the same but are actually spelled out differently. The various Earths in the DC comics multiverses each have similar designations; however the spellings that include numbers, symbols and letters for each of them are all different (Examples: Earth Two, Earth 2, Earth-2, Earth-Two, Earth -2/Earth One, Earth 1, Earth-1, Earth-One, Earth -1, etc) which helps to distinguish them all from one another. In any case, they were all destroyed along with every other earth in the multiverse by a wave of antimatter during the crisis regardless, before being merged into Earth-Prime, along with Earth-TUD5 itself with 1 and 38. Also, another reason on why this was most likely the case is that these characters (who were really just alternate version/doppelgangers of people from Earth-TUD5) as well as the events that they were involved in have never been shown or mentioned/referenced by the other shows and characters who were originally from these other two former earths. It is possible that this may apply to other earths throughout the multiverse (pre and post-crisis).
- Gen mentions that the last thing she remembers before being brought to the safe place was heading back to the Pit with Odell. However, when Jen goes through Gen's memories, Gen is seen at the pit speaking with both her sister and mother, which should have been the last thing Gen remembers.
- Gen's memories took place on Christmas (as mentioned by Earth-1 Odell and the decorations). However, it was previously established in "Into the Void" that Crisis occurred on December 10, which is two weeks before Christmas; but the Pierce house (Earth-1) had already prepared for the festive season before being broken into by the A.S.A. forces; Mr. Jefferson Pierce might have scheduled his Christmas feast for Dec. 10 before his untimely death at the hands of Odell, and Gen was seized by Sara Grey.
- It is however unknown if different universes can exist at different points in time, as projected further into Crisis on Infinite Earths. It could be possible for one defining event in history such as the dinosaurs demise or human evolution to happen at different times, whether by a couple thousands years, or just a week. This would in turn set the rest of the timeline forward or back by that amount of time.