School principal and retired superhero Jefferson Pierce leaps back into action as the legendary Black Lightning after a gang threatens his family.
Source: Netflix (2018)
Not A Good Finale
I'll be honest here, Black Lightning has always bore me for most part of each season. Usually, I only begin to enjoy the show as the action comes onto screen, and that's mostly at the end of each season. This is the first TV show I finished in this new year and as much as I enjoyed season 4 a tad bit more than usual, this was not a good season, much less a finale.
Like every other Black Lightning seasons, the first third of this season was just plot development and it's the same thing, over and over again. For example, I understand the death of Jefferson's friend affected Jefferson and thus affected his relationship with his family. However, did I need four to five episodes showing me just how strained the Pierces' relationship is? No!
Afterwards, when the action finally started, it didn't live up to my expectations. The past seasons had better action. The action in season 4 really did not need to happen for most of the time.
Last but not least, so much was happening for such limited time. Honestly, we didn't need that much to happen. First things first, what was the deal with prolonging Grace's coma if there was no repercussions or long term effects after that? Secondly, why introduce the Ionosphere storyline and not develop it properly? That fight between both "girls" in the last episode was so redundant. Third of all, the entire Tobias Whale storyline since the first season. Goodness gracious, he is one of the most annoyingly frustrating superhero-show villains ever. Dude was boring and yet the entire show revolves around him half the time. The only thing Tobias did well was annoy the hell out of me but really, his villainous actions are not up there at all.
Closing off with one last complain, Khalil's arc in the final season. I have always liked Khalil but Painkiller on the other hand was a bore as well. At least, he was a bore until this season. The parts in this season that I enjoyed the most were Khalil's scenes. Unfortunately, again, why bring in his team filled with capable people and not develop on it? Also, the last part, really? The show was already coming to an end, why make him forget as a side effect of removing the kill order?
I had high hopes for Black Lightning Season 4 considering it was the end of this superhero family. Sadly, it fell so much from my expectations... If the writers wanted to end it with so much extra sub-plots, I don't see why they couldn't have argued for a few more episodes. Then maybe the last two episodes would not have felt like a badly rushed job.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
PS How has Jennifer not mature at all in four seasons of superhero-ing?
From the LegionM.com website...
The news broke last week in Variety that screenwriter Rob Edwards will be attaching to the Legion M project in development, Defiant. Rob has been brought on board to write a graphic novel adaptation of this feature film in development, which details the incredible true story of Civil War hero Captain Robert Smalls.
Rob Edwards’ prolific 13 year writing career spans both features and TV. His credits include two classic films for Walt Disney Feature Animation, the Academy Award nominated The Princess and the Frog and Treasure Planet. He has also written projects for Showtime, Sony, Mofac, and Marvel Studios, consulted on Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen, and written/produced for iconic television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Full House, and In Living Color.
Collaborating alongside Legion M on the project are Marvin “Krondon” Jones III (Black Lightning, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse), award-winning best-selling author Robert Blake Whitehill, the Wolper Organization (Roots), Chris Cooper (Legion M Exec), and legendary actor, director, producer and Legion M advisor Bill Duke (Mandy, Predator, Black Lightning).
TL;DR – The Halo series has done something I never thought it would or even could do. It made me care.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this episode.Warning – This episode contains scenes that may cause distress.
Halo Review –
When I think back to the first season, sure, there were the significant changes everyone talked about, Master Chief…
SDCC 2023-CHERRY THE GEEK TV:INTERVIEW- LEGION M'S "DEFIANT" CREATIVE TEAM TALKS ABOUT BRINGING THE TRUE STORY OF ROBERT SMALLS TO GRAPHIC NOVEL VIA KICKSTARTER
The creative team behind Legion M‘s amazing new graphic novel Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls descended upon Comic-Con International in San Diego last week to discuss the creation of the historically rich book and the Kickstarter campaign which launched a week earlier and funded the project within 45 minutes of launch.
Writer Rob Edwards (The Princess and The Frog, Treasure Planet), Producer…
Preliminaries have officially ended! Combining the winning characters from the preliminaries with the characters who received 3+ nominations during the submission period, we have officially finalized our 128 competitors. It will take some time to get the brackets and Round 1 polls together, so in the meantime here is the complete list of competitors for those who are curious.
Mustache Girl (A Hat in Time)
Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Damon Gant (Ace Attorney)
The Judge (Ace Attorney)
Marvin Grossberg (Ace Attorney)
Ice King (Adventure Time)
Magnus Burnsides (The Adventure Zone: Balance Arc)
Gordito Delgado (The Adventures of Dr. McNinja)
Captain Archibald Haddock (The Adventures of Tintin)
Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie's Poirot)
Brewster (Animal Crossing)
Heimerdinger (Arcane: League of Legends)
Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Lawrence Betelgeuse Shoggoth (Beetlejuice: The Musical)
Bob Belcher (Bob's Burgers)
Tim Lockwood (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)
Jet Black (Cowboy Bebop)
Watari (Death Note)
Senshi (Delicious in Dungeon)
Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium)
The Master (Doctor Who)
Sebastian (Doki Doki Precure)
Cranky Kong (Donkey Kong)
Captain Villads (The Dragon Prince)
The Lorax (Dr. Seuss)
Ramuh (Final Fantasy)
Cervantes (Fire Emblem: Awakening)
Alex Louis Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Kintoleski (Futari wa Precure Splash Star)
Kratos (God of War)
Lan Qiren (Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation)
Old Man McGucket (Gravity Falls)
Stan Pines (Gravity Falls)
Gordon Freeman (Half-Life)
Mumbo Jumbo (Hermitcraft)
The King of Town (Homestar Runner)
Seneca Crane (The Hunger Games)
Isaac Netero (Hunter x Hunter)
Gyro Zeppeli (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
The King of All Cosmos (Katamari)
Solomon David (Kill Six Billion Demons)
Chourou (Kira Kira Precure a la Mode)
Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
Daruk (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)
The Blaxploitation Movies of the 1970’s were the first films made by black crews for black audiences. Filmmakers turned to black musicians to score their films and add an extra touch of soul and featured artists such as Curtis Mayfield, Willie Hutch, Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye. Here’s our essential selection of 1970′ blaxploitation soundtracks.
Blaxploitation Music
Aragon - Roy Ayers (Coffy, 1973)
Betty's Theme - Charles Earland (The Dynamite Brothers (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Recording), 1974)
Bring It On Down To Me - Pt I - Bobby Franklin’s Insanity (Bring It On Down To Me - Pt I / Bring It On Down To Me - Pt II, 1969)
Car Wash - Rose Royce (Car Wash: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1976)
Coffy Is The Color - Roy Ayers (Coffy, 1973)
Dolemite - Rudy Ray Moore featuring Ben Taylor (Rudy Ray Moore Is “Dolemite” (From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 1975)
Father’s Lament - Grant Green (The Final Comedown - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 1972)
The Hitter - Garfeel Ruff (The Hitter (Music From The Motion Picture), 1979)
I’ve Got To Find A Way (To Hide My Hurt) - Moses Dillard and The Tex Town Display (I’ve Got To Find A Way (To Hide My Hurt) / I’ve Got To Find A Way (To Hide My Hurt) Part II, 1970)
Lialeh - Bernard Pretty Purdie (Lialeh (Original Movie Sound Track), 1974)
Make It Right - J.J. Johnson (Willie Dynamite (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 1974)
Sheba, Baby - Monk Higgins and Alex Brown featuring Barbara Mason (Sheba, Baby, 1975)
Steve’s Den - Nat Dove and The Devils (Petey Wheatstraw - The Devil’s Son-In-Law (Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture), 1977)
Theme from Cleopatra Jones - Joe Simon (Cleopatra Jones (Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture, 1973)
Where Do I Go From Here (Sonny Carson’s Theme) - Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson - The Education Of Sonny Carson (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 1974)
WW III - Luchi DeJesus – Friday Foster (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), 2001, originally from 1975)
i fully was cussing them out but the jags have a lot to be proud of. they are shaping up to be a solid franchise with a great QB and a great coach and a great defensive line. great players in christian kirk, travis etienne jr, marvin jones III, and zay jones on offense as well.
conservative offensive play calling and literally two tragic missteps late in the game cost it for them. like they literally could have won this game!
Anderson Cooper: It’s been a busy 2 days for the royal family! We have to start with Windenburg’s hottest news! Princess Lara and Anthony Mercier-Jones are Sims Gala official!
Shon Gableton: Yes, Anderson! Not only did the Princess surprise everyone by attending last nights Simsopolitan Gala, her date was Anthony Mercier-Jones, her rumored boyfriend!
Shon: Princess Lara walked the red carpet stunning everyone with Jones, her rumored boyfriend on her arm. The moment ended months of dating speculations. Her Royal Highness wore a unique choice though, the Amelia Coronation Dress by @thedevilliers, which did fit the theme of Custom Couture Classic wear. The Gala was held at the historic Simspolitan Museum of Art in Greater Easton.
Anderson: The pair walked the red carpet more-like a celebrity couple rather than a Royal couple, breaking royal protocol by giving the paparazzi and screaming fans a kiss! Looks like we have a new hottest couple alert!
Anderson: King George, along with Queen Rowena, was spotted in Buckingsimshire boarding the Royal Train yesterday. Their Majesty’s travelled over 400 miles, to the south Windenburg town of Frankfurt, to attend the funeral of Marvin Bagley III, husband to King George’s first cousin Princess Viola of Hastings.
Anderson: Twins, Vester and Viola, are the only children of the late His Royal Highness Prince Albert, Duke of Hastings. The Duke, King George’s uncle, died before the twins were born.
Shon: Oh yes! Although both were given the title of Prince and Princess, Vester was not bestowed his fathers Dukedom, right?
Anderson: Correct. Which led to many petitioning, then, King Edward II to grant Prince Vester, what many believed, his rightful Dukedom. Many even speculated the Prince would be granted an Earldom through letters patent. It never happened.
Shon: Princess Viola arrived at the chapel with her daughter, Lily, Prince Vester and his wife, Hattie.
Anderson: His Majesty arrived shortly after and was seen departing just before Princess Viola and family. King George has not been seen with his cousins in several years which has many royal watchers thinking those petitions to his father have finally made it to his desk.
Shon: Forget the politics, let's talk fashion! Queen Rowena looked absolutely chic wearing the grey Barbie Sweater from The Timeless Collection by @sentate x @rustys-cc.
Shon: We also got a first glimpse at The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who attended last nights 53rd Annual Royal Navy Academy Ball in Brindleton Bay; their first official night of the Commonwealth Tour. The Duchess wore the Camilla Dress by @sentate x @rustys-cc pairing it with simple jewelry while Prince Rainier stayed in his Navy whites.
Anderson: First day of the Commonwealth Tour was a success. I doubt we will get anymore images from inside last nights super exclusive event but rumors are The Duke and Duchess shined on the dance floor! Their Royal Highnesses had downtime today and will resume their schedule tomorrow with a tour of the Naval Ship Destroyer followed by a Youth Field Day event at Brindleton Bay Stables.
Shon: New Supreme Court Justice, Judge Keisha Bottoms, is scheduled to visit Buckingsim Palace tomorrow to meet The King, before officially joining the Court and becoming Windenburg’s 6th Justice next week. Bottoms will fill the seat left vacant after Justice Grinsley’s death. The Royal Family looks to have a busy week ahead!
Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Finding Love for the Princess (story)
Previous | Beginning | Next - continue Cambridge Chaos (story)
Caleb is going #1 regardless of which team drafts him. Teams in the top-10 like Washington and New England are sure to make juicy offers. Williams is the most prized QB prospect since Andrew Luck, and once the Bears shed themselves of Justin Fields, this was a done deal.
2 WASHINGTON - QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)
The Commanders will make every attempt to trade up one spot for hometown hero Caleb Williams, but the more likely scenario is they get stuck with their 2nd choice at QB. LSU coach Brian Kelly intimated that this would be their pick at #2. Daniels takes way too many big hits, so he’s going to remind Washington of Robert Griffin III. Let’s hope his career lasts a little longer.
I don’t get it, but apparently NFL GM’s love J.J. McCarthy’s potential. I’m trying to predict what WILL happen, not what I think SHOULD happen. The Vikings move aggressively and methodically up the board for their new signal caller.
Minnesota gives up their two first-rounders (11 & 23) and a 2nd-rounder next year. The Patriots - even without Belichick’s influence - continue their tradition of trading down.
4 ARIZONA - WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. (Ohio State)
The Cardinals would be profoundly lucky to be able to stay at #4 and still get the 2nd best player in the draft. Harrison seems to be custom made for NFL greatness. He’ll be the best in the league within three years… provided Kyler Murray gets his act together.
5 LA CHARGERS - WR Malik Nabers (LSU) !
Jim Harbaugh will certainly want to establish a run game in LA, so an offensive tackle might be the choice here. But Nabers is a tool too tempting to pass up. Mike Williams was a cap casualty and Keenan Allen was traded away, so they certainly have a need for him.
6 NY GIANTS - QB Drake Maye (North Carolina)
Maye is nobody’s first choice, and his bad tape is really bad. But the Giants are dead-set against Daniel Jones going into 2024 with no competition. They give Evan Neal a 2nd chance (which worked with Andrew Thomas after a lousy rookie year) and pass on Alt.
7 TENNESSEE - OT Joe Alt (Notre Dame)
The Titans commit to Will Levis and give him a valuable protector.
8 ATLANTA - EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)
The Falcons have addressed their offense in free agency so they can turn to the defense in the draft. Turner is the edge defender they’ve needed for years.
9 CHICAGO - WR Rome Odunze (Washington)
The new-look Bears offense will need some weapons for Caleb Williams. Keenan Allen isn’t exactly “new.” This could be a potent connection for years.
10 NY JETS - TE Brock Bowers (Georgia)
Another new toy for Aaron Rodgers. Or at least one he’ll watch from the sidelines after he ruptures another body part on the first drive. The Jets have diddly at the position and Rodgers loves his TE’s.
11 NEW ENGLAND (PROJ. TRADE W/MIN) - CB Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo)
The Pats have a plan for the QB position, but it doesn’t involve passing on all the great players available at #11. They’ll take their top corner off the board and pair him with Christian Gonzalez to hopefully form the best pair of young d-backs in the league. Mitchell has wowed GM’s this post-season.
12 DENVER - QB Michael Penix, Jr. (Washington) +
The Broncos couldn’t make a deal for a veteran QB and they don’t have the muscle to trade up. They’re stuck with Jarrett Stidham and Zach WIlson as their QB options so far. They may opt to trade down and still select Penix, but in this scenario, they reach for him.
13 LAS VEGAS - DT Byron Murphy II (Texas)
Signing Christian Wilkins will help the team’s interior greatly, but they still need some help there. Murphy says he’s guaranteed to be drafted in the top half of the first round. Could be BS; could be inside information.
14 NEW ORLEANS - OT Olu Fashanu (Penn State)
The Saints have a long tradition of selecting offensive linemen high in the draft, and what a great time to have so many draftable candidates at #14 - at a time of great need.
15 INDIANAPOLIS - CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)
The Colts make the most of what they’ve got, but they really don’t got a lot. Just about every position is a position of need, and Arnold might end up being the best corner coming out this year.
16 SEATTLE - CB/S Cooper DeJean (Iowa)
DeJean may be needed at safety with the losses of Diggs and Adams, but he’s perfectly capable of playing corner. That may be his future.
17 JACKSONVILLE - OT Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State)
The Jags have been unhappy with their line play in recent years. Cam Robinson is average when he’s not on IR and Walker Little is little more than an effective back-up. Fuaga slots into RT immediately. He’s an excellent pass protector but he could benefit greatly by moving to guard eventually.
18 CINCINNATI - G/C Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon)
Adding Trent Brown helps fortify the outside of the Cincy o-line, but the interior still needs a hand. Ted Karras is a free agent after this season, so they draft his eventual replacement. Powers-Johnson can improve one of the guard spots until then.
19 LA RAMS - EDGE Laiatu Latu (UCLA) +
It’s been a long time since the Rams had a pick this high, so they need to make this count. They add to their youthful D-line with a boost to their pass rush.
20 PITTSBURGH - DT Jer’zhan “Johnny” Newton (Illinois)
Cam Heyward is just about done, and Larry Ogunjobi is easily replaceable. Newton teams with Keeanu Benton and DeMarvin Leal to form the Steelers line of the future.
21 WASHINGTON (PROJ. TRADE W/MIA) - OT J.C. Latham (Alabama)
The Dolphins have very few picks in this draft - including just two in the first four rounds. So they make a deal with Washington, and the Commanders select the left tackle they’ve been missing for years. They see the OT’s disappearing fast, so they package a few of their plentiful picks to move back into the 1st.
Washington deals picks #36 and 67 to move up to this spot.
22 PHILADELPHIA - WR Brian Thomas, Jr. (LSU)
A.J. Brown might have overstayed his welcome in Philly. If he’s dealt before/during day one of the draft, they might have a hard time passing up Brian Thomas.
23 NEW ENGLAND (PROJ. TRADE W/MIN FROM HOU THRU CLE) - QB Bo Nix (Oregon)
The Pats are fine with Jacoby Brissett as their temporary starter, but they love the potential of Nix. He developed incredible accuracy during his 47-year college career.
24 DALLAS - OL Graham Barton (Duke)
The Cowboys built their dynasty on the backs of their offensive line. Now that key parts of their 2023 line are gone, they’ll focus on a rebuild. Barton can train at all 5 position, but he’ll be immediately needed at center.
25 GREEN BAY - OT Amarius Mims (Georgia)
The Packers made the most of what they had last year, but their offensive line was in tatters. David Bakhtiari was elite, but injuries sapped his strength and now he’s gone. Time to rebuild.
26 TAMPA BAY - OT/G Troy Fautanu (Washington)
The Bucs keep getting hit along the interior of their offensive line. With Baker Mayfield getting the big bucks to re-sign with the team, he’ll need the help of someone like Troy Fautanu to protect him.
27 ARIZONA (thru HOU) - EDGE Jared Verse (Florida State)
The Cardinals need everything. Pick anyone. It’ll help.
28 BUFFALO - WR Troy Franklin (Oregon)
With the fire sale going on in Buffalo right now, it’s possible the team already believes they’ve missed their Super Bowl window. Jordan Poyer and Tre’Davious White were released, and both of last season’s starting wide receivers are gone. The restocking can begin here with a speedy Duck.
29 DETROIT - EDGE Chop Robinson (Penn State)
Aidan Hutchinson needs lots of help. They’re out of Okwaras and John Cominsky ain’t getting to the quarterback. Chop is a little smaller than ideal but he’s got great athleticism.
30 BALTIMORE - CB Nate Wiggins (Clemson)
The Ravens need to get younger at corner and quickly. Wiggins has outstanding instincts for the position, but his frame might not hold up.
31 SAN FRANCISCO - OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma)
Trent Willams says he wants to play for a few more years, but the Niners have an opportunity to train his replacement and acquire a top-tier backup.
32 KANSAS CITY - WR/KR Xavier Worthy (Texas)
With the legal troubles facing Rashee Rice - just about the only bright spot on the Chiefs wide receiving corps - Kansas City needs to grab one of this year’s elite WRs at #32. They might want to spend multiple picks on the position.
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ROUND TWO
33 CAROLINA - WR Keon Coleman (Florida State)
34 NEW ENGLAND - WR Adonai Mitchell (Texas)
35 ARIZONA - LB Edgerrin Cooper (Texas A&M)
36 MIAMI (PROJ. TRADE W/WAS) - C Zach Frazier (West Virginia) +
37 LA CHARGERS - OT Jordan Morgan (Arizona)
38 TENNESSEE - CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) +
39 CAROLINA (FROM NYG) - S Tyler Nubin (Minnesota)
40 WASHINGTON (FM. CHI) - EDGE Darius Robinson (Missouri)
41 GREEN BAY (FM. NYJ) - CB Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. (Missouri)
TL;DR – In what might be the best episode of the series so far, we ratchet up the tension, and give some real danger.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service that viewed this episode.Warning – This episode contains scenes that may cause distress.
Halo Review –
When you have a whole galaxy to play in, it can be hard to find your focus. You have so many…
SAD NEWS: South African actress and model Charlbi Dean has died at the age of 32. According to Deadline, the South African model and actress passed away in New York City on Monday from a sudden, unexpected illness. Dean is known for starring in CW’s Black Lightning and the upcoming 2022 film and Cannes Film Festival acclaimed Triangle of Sadness, where she stars alongside Woody Harrelson. Born in Cape Town, Dean got her start in modeling at age six before going on to star in the Spud movies, starring Troye Sivan, in her early twenties. She was later featured in two seasons of the CW series, Black Lightning, as recurring character Syonide an orphan-turned-assassin who was trained by Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III). Dean appeared in nine episodes of the series’ first two seasons, form the 2018 pilot to the first episode of Season 2. Other credits include Death Race 3: Inferno, Don’t Sleep, and An Interview with God. As a model, she covered the South African editions of GQ and Elle in December 2008 and July 2010, respectively. Shortly after the news of her passing broke, tributes from fans began pouring in. “What a massive shock and tragedy,” one wrote. “She’s so witty and deadpan and clockwork-precise in Triangle of Sadness, and I was so excited to see a new South African talent on the international scene. My thoughts are with all her loved ones and collaborators.” Another said, “This is absolutely devastating. Charlbi Dean was such an exciting performer to me after seeing her in Triangle of Sadness. Her work had a vulnerability and intellect a lesser actor would have denied the character. A true talent and sending love to her family.” “Charlbi Dean was a genuinely lovely person whose talent and warmth the world was about to discover,” a third posted, adding that they are “beyond sad to read this.” Up Your Geek extends its condolences to Dean’s family, friends, colleagues and fans. #peaceinparadise #rip #CharlbiDean #Actor #Model #TV #BlackLightning #Syonide #TriangleOfSadness https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5jXMTLrj8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=