'Black Lightning' Season 3 Episode 14 Review: 'Homecoming' focuses on the Pierce family supporting each other
Spoiler alert for 'Black Lightning' Season 3 Episode 14 titled 'The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming'
It's either the calm before the storm, the quiet moment between the flash of lightning and the sound of thunder or the eye of the hurricane, but whatever the case, the Pierce family and the not-yet-officially-the-Outsiders are taking some time off for rest and recuperation. All of the show's characters have been through a lot and there are some much-needed heart-to-hearts that happen in this episode that reminds us that 'Black Lightning' may have upped the stakes, but it's never forgotten its heart.
The tone of the episode is set early, in a conversation between Peter Gambi (James Remar) and Khalil Payne (Jordan Calloway) about PTSD. Gambi is trying to help Khalil connect to his skills as an artist and for the first time, we're really told why Gambi spends so much of his free time as a tailor. He's always been passionate about his tailoring - it's more to him than just a cover. We learn that tailoring has been a way for Gambi to process his PTSD and he believes that Khalil drawing again might help deal with the trauma of dying and dealing with Painkiller. "...PTSD is not an enemy anyone should handle by themselves" he tells Khalil and as the episode unfurls, it becomes increasingly clear that not fighting against the enemy alone has been the theme of the entire season.
One of the episode's most iconic moments is the family dinner that the Pierces sit down to have. Superhero shows - the ones on the CW in particular - seem to have an infinite number of permutations in the ways its protagonists keep secrets from each other. Whether they're doing it out of shame, to protect their loved ones or because they believe that they can handle things themselves, we see that time and time again these secrets tear relationships apart. There have been so many moments in Arrowverse history where everything could have had a much happier ending if people just sat down and talked to each other. This episode is exactly that.
There's a real sense of catharsis in seeing the Pierces join hands, confess their secrets and bond in the love and support they have each other. In a genre obsessed with masks, secrets, twists and conspiracies, it's a heartwarming relief to see characters just put all their cards out on the dinner table.
Not that there aren't conspiracies and twists aplenty. In an episode filled with strong character moments, there is somehow still time to further the machinations of Lady Eve (Jill Scott) and giving her some truly delightful moments to shine. Lady Eve manages to both be a character you want to like and one you're terrified of trusting. It's a unique performance and Jill Scott pulls it off with style as she drops a truly game-changing bombshell on the Pierces.
The reveal of Gravedigger's (Wayne Brady) origin does more than just built up Gravedigger's story - it ties into the larger story that 'Black Lightning' has been telling from Season 1. The story of how African-Americans have been exploited by the US government is something that the show has always been at the forefront of the series and Gravedigger's Captain-America-gone-wrong origin story ties metahumans in with that. Given that 'Black Lightning' is now an official part of the single universe all of the Arrowverse shows share, this puts metahumans as a whole in a brand new context.
This episode is one of the series finest and shows great promise for Season 4. The war that 'Black Lightning' has been focusing on has been quite a ride but this episode serves as a solid reminder that 'Black Lightning' is much stronger when it focuses on a smaller scale and when it's focused on the support people give to each other.
The next episode of 'Black Lightning' airs March 2, on The CW.
