History YMMV / BlackLightning2018

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning -- she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess -- ''seems'' solid. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Mitigated during the pilot; when it hits her how bad things are (when their daughters are kidnapped) and she realizes he's going to suit up again, she gives him her blessing and support, and quietly accepts it when he decides to renew his quest against the 100.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning -- she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess -- ''seems'' solid. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Mitigated during the pilot, as when it hits her how bad things are (when their daughters are kidnapped), and she realizes he's going to suit up again, she gives him her blessing and support, and quietly accepts it when he decides to renew his quest against the 100.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning would be reasonable given she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Mitigated during the pilot, as when it hits her how bad things are (when their daughters are kidnapped), and she realises he's going to suit up again, she gives him her blessing and support, and quietly accepts when he decides to renew his quest against them.

* TearJerker: LaWanda's death in episode two was heartwrenching. After establishing herself as a DistaffCounterpart to Jefferson with a missing daughter in her hotel, her love for her daughter overrides her common sense as Lala shoots her dead. While her actions helped put her killer behind bars, that fact remains that she and her daughter will never reunite.

* TearJerker: Lawanda's death in episode two was heartwrenching. After establishing herself as a DistaffCounterpart to Jefferson with a missing daughter in her hotel, her love for her daughter overrides her common sense as Lala shoots her dead. While her actions helped put her killer behind bars, that fact remains that she and her daughter will never reunite.

* {{Anvilicious}}: The police brutality message is delivered with all the subtlety of a mallet to the temple. [[TropesAreTools This isn't a bad thing]].

* {{Anvilicious}}: The police brutality message is delivered with all the subtlety of a mallet to the temple.

* CounterpartComparison: A lot of it with ''Series/LukeCage'', another series about a black street-level superhero rooted in the culture of Black Americans.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The show makes no bones about the fact that many of the police are racist. In addition to mirroring real life problems that African-Americans deal with, it helps to further establish the need for Black Lightning: When the police are not interested in distinguishing the 100 from the rest of the city's black population, who's gonna do something about it?

* WTHCostumingDepartment: Black Lightning's [[MovieSuperheroesWearBlack modern suit]] has been derided by many, in large part because of the overly-armored and busy appearance. Ironically, the show ''does'' include a [[TruerToTheText comics-accurate suit]] as what Jefferson wore during his original tenure as Black Lightning, but it's passed over when he returns to action, with Gambi claiming the new suit is better[[note]]Somewhat addressed during the show, with the flashbacks showing how Jefferson was heavily injured in the past due to his activities, whereas the new suit offers greater protection, including handling bullets[[/note]].

* NarmCharm: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]]; however, it's justified because [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_(DC_Comics) the gang is actually called that in the comics.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning would be reasonable given she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Despite all of this, she still insists he not go back to the very heroics that kept the 100 from becoming what they are now.

* WTHCostumingDepartment: Black Lightning's [[MovieSuperheroesWearBlack modern suit]] has been derided by many, in large part because of the overly-armored and busy appearance. Ironically, the show ''does'' include a [[TruerToTheText comics-accurate suit]] as what Jefferson wore during his original tenure as Black Lightning, but it's passed over when he returns to action, with Gambi claiming the new suit is better.
** Somewhat addressed during the show, with the flashbacks showing how Jefferson was heavily injured in the past due to his activities, whereas the new suit offers greater protection, including handling bullets.

* NarmCharm: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]]; however, it's justified because the gang is actually called that in the comics.
* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The show makes no bones about the fact that many of the police are racist. In addition to mirroring real life problems that African-Americans deal with, it helps to further establish the need for Black Lightning: When the police are not interested in distinguishing The 100 from the rest of the city's black population, who's gonna do something about it?
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning would be reasonable given she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess. However, in the years since she made him quit, The 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Despite all of this, she still insists he not go back to the very heroics that kept The 100 from becoming what they are now.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: In another of his attempts to get Jefferson back into action, Gambi sends over a video of a news interview. The person being interviewed is a store owner who was saved from a robbery by Black Lightning, and he states he watches the video of that fateful night every year on his birthday.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning would be reasonable given she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freeland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Despite all of this, she still insists he not go back to the very heroics that kept the 100 from becoming what they are now.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: In another of his attempts to get Jefferson back into action, Gambi sends over a video of a news interview. The person being interviewed is a store owner who was saved by Black Lightning, and he states he watches the video of that fateful robbery every year on his birthday.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Lynn's reasoning for making Jefferson give up Black Lightning would be reasonable given she doesn't want their daughters to see him a bloody mess. However, in the years since she made him quit, the 100 have made Freedland a hellhole of criminals and corrupt cops. Despite all of this, she still insists he not go back to heroics, heroics that kept the 100 from becoming what they are now.
* WinTheCrowd: The series ended up being the highest rated series premiere on the CW in two years. Not bad considering the series stars a lower B-Tier hero in DC's history.
* WTHCostumingDepartment: Jefferson's modern look has been derided by many, in large part because of the overly-armoured and busy look. Ironically, the show ''does'' include a comic-accurate suit as supposedly what Jefferson wore during his original tenure as Black Lightning, but that's ditched for the new look when he returns to action.
** Somewhat addressed during the show with the flashbacks showing how Jefferson was heavily injured in the past do to his activities, whereas the new suit offers greater protection including handling bullets.

* {{Narm}}: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]]; the gang is actually called that in the comics however.

* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: In another of his attempts to get Jefferson back into action, he sends over a video of a news interview. The person being interviewed is a store owner who was saved by Black Lightning, and he states he watches the video of that fateful robbery every year on his birthday.

* CounterpartComparison: A lot of it with ''Series/LukeCage'', another series about a black street-level superhero rooted in the culture of Black American's.

* {{Narm}}: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]].

* WTHCostumingDepartment: Jefferson's modern look has been derided by many, in large part because of the overly-armoured and busy look. Ironically, the show ''does'' include a comic-accurate suit as supposedly what Jefferson wore during his original tenure as Black Lightning, but that's ditched for the new look when he returns to action.

* {{Narm}}: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]].

** SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Cause some people only really notice it with a mallet.

* {{Narm}}: The local gang being called The 100 often results in lines that sound like people just really hate [[Series/{{The 100}} another CW show]].
* WhatAnIdiot: A man accosts Jefferson's daughter outside the school. When she rebuffs him he gets aggressive. Her older sister steps in to protect her, and the man gets more aggressive, to the point where he's about to pull a gun ([[AdultFear in front of the school]]) before Jefferson stops him by grabbing the gun before he can fully draw it. Jefferson talks him into leaving, the man drops one last threatening remark, and Jefferson just... does nothing, apparently. To recap, this is man is currently on parole from prison. He's assaulted both of Jefferson's daughters (one of whom is a minor) and drawn a gun he almost ''certainly'' should not have on the grounds of a school, with a crowd of children not twenty feet away, and his last words as the altercation ends are a threat that he'll come back. You'd think this would merit an urgent call to the police and a major warrant for the guy's arrest. Jefferson is content to have a chat with the man's cousin (who ''also'' pulls a gun on him!) and apparently never tells the police anything more than this. [[SarcasmMode Shockingly]], he's kidnapping Jefferson's daughters at gunpoint 15 minutes later.
** Part of this could be due to the fact that Jefferson for the most part is a person who likes to give the people of his community the benefit of the doubt (no matter how far it seems they’ve fallen) also with the police still on their way there wasn’t much Jefferson could do at the moment without risking the lives of his daughters and student body.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Jefferson going ImplacableMan and attacking the motel where his daughters are being held hostage.