never really got a chance to fully benefit from the kind of interconnected, multiversal-hopping madcaps that the CW’s other comic book shows enjoy, it spent four seasons carving out a distinct space on the network where Black superheroes could stand front and center as the focus of their own stories. Last night, it had its swan song in “The Book of Resurrection: Chapter Two: Closure.”
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From the very beginning,
Black Lightning used its heroes and the city of Freeland to tackle the kinds of stories about systemic, anti-Black racism that are every bit as much a part of American history as comic books themselves. In doing so, Salim Akil’s series brought its DC characters to life with a purpose beyond immediate entertainment. Though the series arrived in 2017 already comfortable in that mode of social justice-focused storytelling, it’s been interesting to watch other series like
Breaking Down the Black Lightning Series Finale With Showrunner Salim Akil
Tonight saw the end of
Black Lightning. The CW superhero family drama ran for four seasons and ended on its own terms, with the story playing out tonight just like it always seemed like it had to with a showdown between Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) and Tobias Whale (Marvin Jones III). With the heroes of Freeland getting their powers back, the series ended as the family story that it began as, and showrunner Salim Akil, who helped shepherd the character to the screen along with producer Mara Brock Akil and Berlanti Productions, has been there with Jefferson from start to finish.
Black Lightning Series Creator Reflects on the Personal Stories Ahead of Series Finale
Tonight,
Black Lightning ends after four seasons on The CW and as the series prepares to close the book on the story of the hero Black Lightning, the Pierce family, and the people of Freeland, series creator and showrunner Salim Akil is looking back on the groundbreaking series. While the stories Black Lightning told were set in a world of superheroes and superpowers, they very frequently were rooted in the real world and real events, including some very personal experiences of his own as well as others who worked on the series.