Season 3 (Black Lightning)

Season 3
No. of episodes	16
Original run	October 7, 2019 – March 9, 2020
First episode	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of the Blackbird"
Last episode	"The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"
Series chronology
Previous season	Season 2
Next season	Season 4

The third and penultimate season of Black Lightning premiered on The CW on October 7, 2019, and concluded on March 9, 2020. It was announced on January 31, 2019.

The season aired on Monday nights at 9:00 p.m. following All American.

It arrived on DVD and Blu-ray on October 27, 2020.

Synopsis

Jefferson Pierce is a man with many faces. He is a former Olympic athlete, respected educator and a father of two. He is also Black Lightning, superpowered protector of the fictional city of Freeland with the ability to sense and harness electricity. Jefferson is not the only one with powers and multiple faces. His oldest daughter, Anissa Pierce is a medical student, health clinic volunteer and dedicated social activist. She is also the super hero known as Thunder who possesses the ability to drastically increase her density, giving her invulnerability and super strength for as long as she can hold her breath. Finally, Jefferson’s youngest daughter, Jennifer Pierce, is a fiery teen who inherited her father’s athletic gifts but not his desire to be an athlete. Jennifer also inherited super powers. Her body generates pure electrical energy and she possesses the potential to be more powerful than Anissa or Jefferson and is known as Lightning. Lynn Stewart is Jefferson’s ex-wife but they are still very much in love in addition to sharing the load as co-parents. She’s also an expert in metahuman medicine. Together, the Pierce family faces the challenges of a declined urban community, including a menacing gang that calls itself The 100 and infamous gangster, Tobias Whale. Worse, Freeland has been plagued by government-sponsored experiments and drug trafficking that have created metahumans and addicts while making Freeland a target of a dangerous foreign power, Markovia. Fortunately, the family has allies in their fight, Jefferson’s surrogate father and a former covert superspy, Peter Gambi, as well as Jefferson’s friend and neighbor, the committed and scrupulously honest Deputy Police Chief Henderson.

Cast

Starring

• Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, Jefferson Pierce, and Jefferson Pierce (16/16)
• China Anne McClain as Jennifer "Jen" Pierce/Lightning, Jennifer "Gen" Pierce, and Jennifer "Jinn" Pierce (16/16)
• Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce/Blackbird/Thunder, Anissa Pierce, and Anissa Pierce (16/16)
• Christine Adams as Dr. Lynn Stewart, Lynn Stewart, and Lynn Stewart (15/16)
• Marvin "Krondon" Jones III as Tobias Whale (9/16)
• Damon Gupton as Chief Bill Henderson† (11/16)
• Jordan Calloway as Khalil Payne/Painkiller (12/16)
• James Remar as Peter Gambi (15/16)

Guest starring

• Jahking Guillory as Brandon Marshall (13/16)
• Bill Duke as Agent Percy Odell, Agent Percy Odell, and Percy Odell (12/16)
• Chantal Thuy as Grace Choi (11/16)
• Will Catlett as Latavious "Lala" Johnson (6/16)
• Jennifer Riker as Dr. Helga Jace† (6/16)
• Clifton Powell as Reverend Jeremiah Holt and Jeremiah Holt† (5/16)
• Jason Louder as Frank "Two-Bits" Tanner (4/16)
• Jill Scott as Evelyn Stillwater-Ferguson/Lady Eve (4/16)
• Wayne Brady as Tyson Sykes/Gravedigger (4/16)
• Birgundi Baker as Anaya (3/16)
• Zoe Renee as Maryam Luqman (2/16)
• Warren "WAWA" Snipe as Thierry (2/16)
• Myles Truitt as Issa Williams† (1/16)
• P.J. Byrne as Principal Mike Lowry (1/16)
• Tosin Morohunfola as Instant (1/16)

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Episode title	Written by	Directed by	Original airdate
30	1	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of the Blackbird"	Salim Akil		October 7, 2019
31	2	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih"	Charles Holland	Oz Scott	October 14, 2019
32	3	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent Odell's Pipe-Dream"	Pat Charles	Benny Boom	October 21, 2019
33	4	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four: Lynn's Ouroboros"	Adam Giaudrone	Mary Lou Belli	October 28, 2019
34	5	"The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five: Requiem for Tavon"	Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd	Robert Townsend	November 11, 2019
35	6	"The Book of Resistance: Chapter One: Knocking on Heaven's Door"	Lamont Magee	Jeff Byrd	November 18, 2019
36	7	"The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two: Henderson's Opus"	Lynelle White	Oz Scott	November 25, 2019
37	8	"The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace"	Jake Waller	Neema Barnette	December 2, 2019
38	9	"The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis"	Lamont Magee	Tasha Smith	December 9, 2019
39	10	"The Book of Markovia: Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Reborn"	Lamont Magee	Tasha Smith	January 20, 2020
40	11	"The Book of Markovia: Chapter Two: Lynn's Addiction"	Lamont Magee	Tasha Smith	January 27, 2020
41	12	"The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three: Motherless ID"	Adam Giaudrone & Lynelle White	Billie Woodruff	February 3, 2020
42	13	"The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab the Strap"	Charles D. Holland & Asheleigh O. Conley	Salim Akil	February 10, 2020
43	14	"The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming"	Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd	Benny Boom	February 24, 2020
44	15	"The Book of War: Chapter Two: Freedom Ain't Free"	Pat Charles	Oz Scott	March 2, 2020
45	16	"The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation"	Charles D. Holland	Salim Akil	March 9, 2020

Production

Filming

Production began in July 2019 and concluded in January 2020.

Trivia

• The season was originally scheduled to premiere on Monday, October 21, before later being moved up to Monday, October 7, paired with the second season premiere of All American.