History Fridge / BlackLightning2018

* Whale's [[BoomerangBigot hatred of black people]] seems to only really apply to black men while he more or less gets along well with black women that he is close to and isn't really any more sadistic towards black women he's trying to kill. Consider that all or most of Whale's most sadistic moments are things he does to black me:

** While shooting Kara with a harpoon gun is very sadistic he only did that because a) she was trying to kill him and b) had killed [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes Syonide]].

** The first on-screen interaction between them has Whale [[BadBoos shooting Lala through the shoulder with a harpoon gun]]. Later he kills Lala for killing LaWanda, a black woman and getting caught. Then he resurrects him under his control.

** [[spoiler: Unfortunately, this working relationship might change as of "The Book of Fate", when Black Lighting was framed for killing Lady Eve.]]

* The aquatic imagery (the piranha tank, the harpoon gun) in Tobias's office clearly are meant as plays on his surname (which itself, combined with albinism and Jefferson's quest for vengeance, are almost certainly intended as Moby Dick references). However, Whale's aquatic motif, contempt for black people and using his piranha tank as method of disposing of minions who've failed him could also be meant as a reference to black people historically being denied chances to learn how to swim, public pools being paved over after getting desegregated, and possibly even those who jumped overboard during the passage across the Atlantic.

* Lady Eve is a particularly nasty sort of criminal boss: since her legal job is owner of a funeral parlor, not only does she exploit the people of Freeland, she can continue to exploit them even when they're ''dead'', having been killed due to the crime she herself is responsible for.

* The destruction of Robert E. Lee's statue would only aggravate the white supremacists and who knows how they would have reacted. In fact, [[RippedFromTheHeadlines months of far-left extremist violence against white supremacists in real life is what led to the violence in Charlottesville, including Heather Heyer's death.]] Maybe it's AnAesop.

* The destruction of Robert E. Lee's statue would only aggravate the white supremacists and who knows how they would have reacted. In fact, [[RippedFromTheHeadline months of far-left extremist violence against white supremacists in real life is what led to the violence in Charlottesville, including Heather Heyer's death.]] Maybe it's AnAesop.

* The destruction of Robert E. Lee's statue would only aggravate the white supremacists and who knows how they would have reacted.

* [[spoiler: Unfortunately, this working relationship might change as of "The Book of Fate", when Black Lighting was framed for killing Lady Eve.]]

* In the pilot, Jefferson seems a lot more skittish while he's being accused of a robbery by the police than you might expect for a man with lightning powers. Then you realize both his daughters are trying to complain and angry about their treatment. [[PoliceBrutality Jefferson's panic is because he's afraid his daughters will get up in the police's face and be KILLED as a result.]]

* Inspector Henderson, an ally of Superman in the comics, now an antagonist in the show. It makes sense when you remember that Superman works ''with'' the law, while Black Lightning in the show is a vigilante working ''outside'' the law.

* The destruction of Robert Lee's would only aggravate the white suprematists and who knows how they would have reacted.

* In the pilot, Jefferson seems a lot more skittish while he's being accused of a robbery by the police than you might expect for a man with lightning powers. Then you realize both his daughters are trying to complain and angry about their treatment. [[PoliceBrutality Jefferson's panic is because he's afraid his daughters will get up in the police's face and be KILLED as a result.]]

* Lady Eve is a particularly nasty sort of criminal boss: since her legal job is owner of a funeral parlor, not only does she exploit the people of Freeland, she can continue to exploit them even when they're ''dead'', having been killed due to the crime she herself is responsible for.

* Lady Eve is a particularly nasty sort of criminal boss: since her legal job is owner of a funeral parlor, not only does she exploit the people of Freeland, she can continue to exploit them even when they're ''dead', having been killed due to the crime she herself is responsible for.

* Inspector Henderson, an ally of Superman in the comics, now an antagonist in the show. It makes sense when you remember that Superman works ''with'' the law, while Black Lightning in the show is a vigilante working ''outside'' the law.

* Anissa being a skilled hand-to-hand combatant prior to expressing her powers fits in well with Thunder's power set. Being able to be NighInvulnerable by increasing her density is great for defense, but isn't as helpful for offense. On the other hand, a martial artist who can also become NighInvulnerable makes her an effective superheroine right from the start.

* Anissa being a skilled hand-to-hand combatant prior to expressing her powers fits in well with Thunder's power set. Being able to be NighInvulnerable by increasing her density is great for defense, but isn't as helpful for offense. On the other hand, a martial artist who can also become NighInvulnerable makes her an effective superheroine right from the start.