Black Lightning

TV Series
2018–2021
13
43m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

29K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,300

Black Lightning premieres Monday, February 8. Stream next day free only on The CW!

Play trailer0:30

10 Videos

99+ Photos

Superhero Action Drama Sci-Fi

A crusading school principal gets back into action as the original African-American electrical superhero.A crusading school principal gets back into action as the original African-American electrical superhero.A crusading school principal gets back into action as the original African-American electrical superhero.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

29K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,300

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 17 nominations total

Episodes58

Browse episodes

TopTop-rated4 seasons4 years

• 2018–2021

Nafessa Williams

Anissa Pierce…

• 2018–2021

Christine Adams

Lynn Pierce…

• 2018–2021

Marvin Jones III

Tobias Whale

• 2018–2021

James Remar

Peter Gambi

• 2018–2021

China Anne McClain

Jennifer Pierce…

• 2018–2021

Jordan Calloway

Khalil Payne…

• 2018–2021

Damon Gupton

Bill Henderson

• 2018–2021

Chantal Thuy

Grace Choi…

• 2018–2021

William Catlett

Lala

• 2018–2021

Bill Duke

Agent Percy Odell

• 2018–2021

Christopher Ammanuel

TC…

• 2019–2021

Clifton Powell

Reverend Jeremiah Holt

• 2018–2019

Jennifer Riker

Dr. Helga Jace

• 2018–2020

Jahking Guillory

Brandon…

• 2019–2020

Katy O'Brian

Major Sara Grey

• 2019–2020

Skye P. Marshall

Kara Fowdy

• 2018

Wallace Smith

Detective Hassan Shakur

• 2021

User reviews431

6.128.5K

Summary

Reviewers say 'Black Lightning' is lauded for its representation of black culture and tackling social issues, showcasing black talent and family dynamics. It is appreciated for its nuanced portrayal of black superheroes and engaging fight scenes. However, criticisms include uneven acting, poor writing, and cheesy costumes. Some find it stereotypical or biased, while others value its reflection of urban black experiences and social commentary, despite mixed reviews.

AI-generated from the text of user reviews

Featured reviews

3john-marchant-769-374721

Bad Acting

Terrible acting, mess of a story.

Give me Luke Cage anyday.

jackpato-942-639550

A hard too watch...

Looked interesting and I love a lot of superhero tv shows/movies but this... this is just terrible. The acting feels forced and hard to ignore, a lot of the characters are stereotypical with next to nothing unique about them.

2paulflanagan24

Black Dynamite without the irony

Genuinely so bad that I can't stop watching it. All the cliches of blacksploitation era productions like Shaft that were satirised in Black Dynamite are back here as if it's something novel. It's actually shamefully addictive and has an evil albino villain who belongs in an Austin Powers movie. Watch it- it's so terrible you won't be able to look away!

4ReelRealms

I wanted to like this show - OMG it's terrible!

I don't usually write negative reviews but this honestly one of the worst shows I've ever watched...the only good things about it is Cress Williams who plays Black Lightning he is a great actor and he is the only reason I got through season one!

The other actors are awful, the fight choreography is terrible and the visual affects are abismal. How did this show get a second season!

4romey20115

Could be good but...

I liked the show for the first season and part of the second,but the writers are not so good,people who get killed are constantly brought back to life(typical CW nonsense) and the characters constantly make bad decisions,stupid even. The youngest daughter is the guiltiest of this annoying habit and she keeps getting worse.

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Jefferson adopts a more street-wise manner of speaking when disguised as Black Lightning. This is in keeping with the original comic books, where Black Lightning made use of 70's era slang to disguise his identity.

Goofs
The experiments that gave Black Lightning his powers, which he subsequently passed on to his daughters, apparently came by altering his mitochondria. Mitochondria are inherited exclusively from one's mother, so he shouldn't have been able to do so.