The season continues to follow Jefferson, now a high school teacher who recently re-emerged from retirement as the superhero Black Lightning, as he fights against the local gang and criminal empire called The 100, as well as a corrupt government, in his community of Freeland.
Cress Williams stars as Jefferson, along with principal cast members China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Marvin "Krondon" Jones III, Christine Adams, Damon Gupton, and James Remar also returning from the previous season, while Jordan Calloway was promoted to the principal cast from his recurring status in season one.
And I'm especially happy that we'll continue to work with the incredibly talented casts, producers and writers who create the series our fans are so passionate about.
While Tobias and Syonide continue to act as straight-up villains, Khalil presents "a much more compelling emotional storyline as Jennifer [searches] for a way to redeem the love of her life."
[53] On October 4, it was revealed that Erika Alexander had booked a three-episode recurring role as Jennifer's telepathic therapist, Perenna,[22] though she ultimately appeared in a total of eight episodes.
Robert Townsend and Bill Duke were added as recurring characters Dr. Napier Frank and Agent Percy Odell, respectively, on October 9.
[25] This season introduces the first official superhero costume for Jennifer Pierce as she takes on the moniker "Lightning" from the comic book source material.
The costume echoes that of Anissa Pierce, Jennifer's older sister who operates as the superhero Thunder, in that it is a black body suit covered in yellow plating.
[58][59] Black Lightning creator Tony Isabella attended the season wrap party with the cast and crew on January 5, 2019, and visited the set during the final week of production.
[79] On December 13, The CW released the first promotional image of China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce in her official Lightning superhero costume.
The website's critic consensus reads: "Faced with the responsibility of aiding Freeland through trying times, the Pierce family takes Black Lightning back by storm.
Club, Kyle Fowle gave the premiere episode an "A−" grade, noting, "One of the reasons the first season was so compelling was that the show made the political personal.
"[100] IGN's Carl Waldron wrote, "Black Lightning himself doesn't see much action in the Season 2 premiere, but the rest of the cast picks up the slack."
[101] In her review for Collider, Allison Keene gave the season's early storylines 4 stars out of 5, writing, "Black Lightning is not without its own flaws, including occasionally disjointed or abrupt storytelling, but its clear desire to educate and inspire through compelling family drama continues to make it a show of consequence.
"[102] Burt and Syfy Wire contributor Stephanie Williams praised the season for its efforts to de-stigmatize mental health care, especially for black women.
Burt called Jennifer's therapy storyline "a powerful, vital representation of mental health issues—not only within the superhero genre, but anywhere on TV.
"[103] Editorializing for Rotten Tomatoes, Erik Amaya criticized the season's questionable and "imprecise" timeline, as well as Grace Choi's "dispersed" appearances.
He concluded, "Black Lightning introduced a lot of interesting ideas – even if they are not always served well – and we can't wait to see what becomes of them next year.