Black Lightning Recap: Everything You Missed in “The Book of Ruin: Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces”

Last week on Black Lightning, there was a major change in the status quo for one member of the Pierce family when Jennifer/Lightning (China Anne McClain) flew up into the ionosphere but was soon overpowered by it. The episode ended with her exploding into light. Given everything else that the Pierce family and indeed Freeland is dealing with, it was a stunning moment that left fans wondering what was next for the series as its fourth and final season continues.

This week, the Pierce family finds out about Jen’s situation with the family coming together to deal with what might be a major tragedy. Meanwhile, Freeland is reeling from the assassination of the mayor last week while gang violence in the city continues to be a major threat. Of course, Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) is also continuing to be a threat as well, both to Freeland and the Pierce family specifically.

Need to get caught up on the major details and stories from this week’s episode of Black Lightning? We’re here to help. Here are the major plot points for “The Book of Ruin: Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces”. Warning: Full spoilers ahead for the episode beyond this point. Read on only if you really want to know.

A little help from a very fast friend

Everyone thinks Jen is dead except for Jefferson — who thinks she’s more or less just shifted into a different energy form. T.C. confirms the energy shift and they locate the cluster of energy they believe to be her. Gambi mentions that they’d need a specific item, a particle condenser, that STAR Labs in Central City has in order to even attempt to restore Jen to her body.. Jefferson says his friend will get it to them “in a flash”.  Once the condenser arrives, Jefferson then suits up as Black Lightning to go collect what’s left of Jen from the ionosphere. It nearly kills him, but Jefferson manages to bring Jen’s energy home.

The police have an agenda

The chief issues a warrant for La La, saying that the 100 is responsible for the assassination of the mayor. Then blames Lightning for Lidell Jackson’s death – says that she’s the primary suspect and names Lightning Freeland’s public enemy number 1. She also puts Detective Shakur on the new meta task force, something he’s not thrilled about. At the sanctum, Jefferson tells the family that he beat up the guy and broke his leg, but that he was alive when he left.

Anissa and Grace

Anissa is avoiding Grace’s calls and shutting her out. Grace confronts her. Anissa hasn’t even told her parents about them being married. Anissa ends up breaking down and telling her about Jen.

The 100 versus Kobra Cartel

Destiny reaches out to La La and calls for a truce between the two gangs. La La declines initially, but she makes a good case for it being a business deal. He pretends to go along with it but plans to flip the script. He wants to kill Destiny. When he goes to meet with Destiny, it turns out to be a setup with La La shot multiple times. He resurrects while Destiny, watching from nearby, calls for someone to bring in an assassin that specializes in metahumans.

Jen?

At the end of the episode, the process to convert Jen back into her body completes. For a moment it looks like something is wrong and even Jefferson has some questions, noting that he previously could feel Jen’s essence but suddenly can’t. However, when the chamber opens there is indeed a very much alive young woman in it but the faces of the Pierce family, Gambi and T.C. says it all. While the young woman recognizes all of them, this newly formed person looks absolutely nothing like Jen.