'Black Lightning' Season 3 Episode 2 features Lala's savage return to Freeland's streets and fans are digging it
‘Black Lightning’ Season 3’s first episode introduced us to a very different Freeland from the one we remember, with the A.S.A. having quarantined the city using the threat of the Markovian invasion as an excuse to declare martial law and detain people on the mere suspicion that they might be metahumans.
Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning (Cress Williams) and Dr. Lynn Stewart (Christine Adams) are basically living as prisoners under A.S.A. custody while their daughters Anissa Pierce (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) are working with Peter Gambi (James Remar) to try and sabotage the A.S.A.’s plans, with Anissa having adopted the new identity Blackbird in order to fight the A.S.A. without endangering the rest of the family.
Last week's season premiere revealed that Latavious "Lala" Johnson/the Tattooed Man (William Catlett) has once again returned from the dead, this time with the A.S.A.'s briefcase in his possession. In Episode 2, we finally get to see Lala back in action.
He approaches a number of former 100 gangsters who are now part of a black market ring trading in food and supplies, which are highly valuable commodities in Freeland because of the A.S.A.'s strict rationing. They're working for Sinzell Johnson (Mac Wells) a former Green Light dealer who owes Lala money and is basically exploiting his fellow members of the community for a quick buck, something Lala himself wouldn't have been too averse to back in the day when he was still a human mob boss.
Sinzell shoots Lala multiple times only to be scared witless when he sees the Tattooed Man rise up and regenerate from his wounds Wolverine-style. With their leader running away wetting his pants, Sinzell's gang swears fealty to Lala, who has finally become king of Freeland's streets once more.
Lala's return is sure to spell trouble for his enemies and especially for the A.S.A. who are already struggling to maintain their control over Freeland as is. But while he may be a terror to his foes, Lala continues to delight fans.
Here are a few of the reactions to his return from Twitter: "Lala getting up and the bullets dropping out of him scared everybody. #Blacklightning" said @misims2103. While @zepblackstar exclaimed, "My man Lala like we may be b****rds but we ain't these kind of b****rds ripping off people for food."
"Oh wow, so Lala is actually the one having common-sense, he actually is trying to stop this whole profiting off people who need food and crackers and that’s it. Oh wow, so instant regeneration but I am loving Lala so far," wrote @SecretErik.
‘Black Lightning’ Season 3 Episode 3 will air on The CW October 21.