Black Lightning Recap With Spoilers: The Markovians Arrive in "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih"

Last week's season premiere of Black Lightning saw a lot of changes not just for Jefferson Pierce and his family, but for the entire city of Freeland as well. Jefferson and Lynn are locked down in an ASA facility due to the threat of the Markovians, there's a perimeter around Freeland keeping everyone in, and Agent Odell isn't exactly being honest about anything currently going in regarding metahumans and the real aim of the ASA. The stakes are pretty high for everyone on Black Lightning and in tonight's "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih" we get to see just how much so.

We open with the young Muslim woman from last week going through some horrible side effects from the "tests" being run on her in the ASA facility before moving to Lala in a hotel room trying to operate the briefcase. He's waiting for Tobias Whale to find him. At the police station, Henderson holds a press conference stating that the ASA now has to approve all media broadcasts and information, blaming the attack on the detention center on the Markovians discovering things due to the media -- except that attack wasn't the Markovians. Elsewhere, Agent Odell gets a communication about the Markovians and calls for Commander Williams.

Jefferson and Lynn chat while in detention. Lynn asks him if he wants to go through some data with her. Jefferson points out that Odell is playing her and pretty soon, Williams shows up to the room as they suddenly can't hear them. Jefferson wants to contact his kids, but Williams refuses. He asks them to follow him. They're scanned and then taken into a new living area that is much more luxurious. They want Lynn's help with the pod kids and Green Light babies. Jefferson is starting to question the validity of the Markovian threat. He and Lynn disagree on how to handle the situation. Elsewhere a bunch of young men arrive in a transport of sorts reporting for "duty" at Wolfsbane Mountain. Turns out, the Markovians are a real threat and they're coming for America.

Commander Williams shows up at the police station, declares martial law, and takes one of the officers claiming she uses Green Light and could be a meta. Outside the perimeter, Blackbird/Anissa is fine and trying to lead the metas to safety but the Perdi she saved from Looker last year is not happy. Jennifer is paid a visit by Agent Odell because the surveillance system in the house crashed. He's looking for Anissa but offers her a phone with a video from her parents and tells her she can call him on that phone. Out on the streets, Lala goes looking for information.

The Perdi wants to put limits on their help with the metas. Blackbird gets violent and aggressive when the Perdi attempt to stand their ground. In Freeland, Henderson secretly meets with Gambi. Gambi needs something from Henderson to save Anissa but Henderson resists. In the ASA facility, Lynn tries to help Maryam. Her body is breaking down from the use of her powers which is why she's having so many terrible symptoms.

In Freeland, Henderson confronts Williams about his taken officer and in the distraction, Gambi sneaks in and takes whatever it is he needs. Lala confronts people over the rations when a rival gangster shows up and shoots him. Of course, Lala doesn't stay dead and the other guy flees. The Perdi have a change of heart when one of the metas is revealed to be able to control plants. Gambi is able to contact Anissa and reveals that units are gathering potentially to invade the Perdi. Anissa takes them out, but it turns out those units are Markovian.

With Jefferson's help, Lynn tries to help Maryam, but she collapses. Elsewhere in the facility, it's revealed that Khalil is alive but being used as a weapon that Odell is literally programming -- called Painkiller -- that they plan to use on a target by having him kill her. The target? His mother. Khalil is the test of a brain wipe chip. Maryam reveals to Jefferson some of the details of what she's seen in the facility. Odell makes it clear he knows about Jefferson's power increase.

Later, Jefferson tells Lynn what Maryam told him and she's not happy he spoke with her. They fight. In Freeland Khalil as Painkiller shows up at his mother's home and murders her. At school, Jennifer attempts to break up a fight and ends up beating up those who try to attack her, briefly manifesting her powers.

Black Lightning airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.