Arrowverse: Black Lightning Season 4 Ending Explained

WARNING: This article features MAJOR SPOILERS from the Black Lightning series finale.

With the ending of Black Lightning season 4, the Arrowverse bids farewell to another superhero series on The CW. It came as a surprise to many when The CW revealed in 2020 that Black Lightning season 4 would be the show’s final one. This decision came several months after Black Lightning had finally become part of the Arrowverse during Crisis on Infinite Earths. Rather than exist on its own Earth, the Freeland characters merged with the rest of the franchise on the newly created Earth-Prime.

In this reality, they had been working with each other “since forever,” as DC Comics legends Marv Wolfman perfectly put it during his Crisis cameo. While it seemed that Supergirl was the only Arrowverse show to conclude in 2021, Black Lightning ended up in the same boat. Despite the series being set to finish its run, there was almost a spinoff that would have continued the world of Black Lightning within the Arrowverse. Black Lightning season 4 had a planted backdoor pilot for Painkiller, which gave viewers a taste of what an anti-hero series would look like on The CW.

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But, unfortunately, The CW ended up not going forward with Painkiller, even though the show is reportedly being shopped around by Warner Bros. TV. However, the Black Lightning season 4 finale potentially became Khalil’s final time in the Arrowverse, at least for the time being. Whether or not the characters will return in the near future remains to be seen, but anything is possible with the Arrowverse. Nevertheless, Black Lightning’s series finale was able to wrap up multiple stories while dropping a few surprises.

Warning: This is the final spoiler warning as this will go deep into the Black Lightning season 4 finale.

Black Lightning Season 4 Ending: Final Jefferson Pierce Vs Tobias Whale Battle

In Black Lightning season 4, episode 12, titled “The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads,” Jefferson had attempted to make Tobias forget everything he knew about the Pierce family. However, not only does Tobias stop Jefferson from using Gambi’s device, but he defeats the powerless Black Lightning and buries him alive. Thinking he had finally defeated Freeland’s heroic protector after all these years, Jefferson manages to break out of his tomb and get his powers back. Towards the end of the Black Lightning series finale, Tobias and Jefferson have one last showdown, as the two go at with everything they got.

Despite Tobias’s cockiness, the super-villain falls out a window and gets impaled through the chest. Even though Black Lightning tries to help him, Tobias, much like his sister Tori who died in the first season, refused to be saved by Freeland’s hero. Trying to shoot him, Jefferson blocks his guns and blasts Tobias one final time, bringing an end to the crime boss’s terror. As Tobias dies in the Black Lightning series finale, he rapidly ages with the effects of his youth serum wearing off for good.

Black Lightning Season 4 Finale: What Was JJ & How Did Jennifer Return?

Despite the Arrowverse’s major recasting of Jennifer Pierce, the Black Lightning season 4 finale came with a massive twist. For several episodes, there were multiple indicators that something wasn’t right with JJ, claiming to be Jennifer but with a new face. As many had suspected, Laura Karuki wasn’t replacing China Ann McClain, but more so playing a different character with Jennifer’s memories and DNA. During the series finale, JJ tries to absorb more energy from the ionosphere which backfires on her. While she makes it out, it also brings back the original Jennifer, who had been stuck in JJ’s head this entire time.

As the two Lightnings come face-to-face, JJ’s true motives are revealed. JJ is actually part of the glaze, a.k.a. the ionosphere, who was witnessing Jennifer’s constant travels. Not only did JJ despise her for being able to come and go as she played, but she was jealous of Jennifer having both powers and a physical body. That is why JJ willed herself closer to Lightning every time she would travel to the ionosphere so she could capture Jennifer. But despite JJ’s attempt to destroy Jennifer in the Black Lightning series finale, Lightning manages to defeat her and reclaims her life for good.

Black Lightning Season 4 Finale: Khail & Painkiller’s Fate

While Painkiller had only one scene in the Black Lightning series finale, it was a pivotal one that helped eliminated a huge plot point. The reason Khalil couldn’t be in Freeland was because of the kill order that Painkiller had on the Pierce family. This was something his Painkiller backdoor pilot and the fourth season were exploring. T.C. eventually discovered a way to take out the kill order, but at a high cost. To eliminate it once and for all, he would erase all of Khalil’s memories about the Pierces, including Jennifer. Even though it wouldn’t necessarily remove the Painkiller persona, Khail would forget about the woman he loved for several years.

Painkiller wants to go through with it while Khail asks T.C. if there weren’t any other options, which there were none. Khalil agrees to T.C.’s solution as he wakes up not remembering the Pierces anymore. When T.C. later tries to inform Jennifer towards the end of the Black Lightning season 4 finale, she asks him if it can wait, not wanting to deal with anything major for the time being. This pretty much sets up the idea that T.C. will reveal to Jennifer, offscreen, what has happened to Khalil, a reaction Arrowverse fans may never see from her.

The Future Of Freeland’s Heroes In Black Lightning Season 4 Ending

With Tobias taken down for good, the Black Lightning series finale concludes with the heroes finally get a happy ending, but with a surprise. Jefferson reveals to his loved ones that he is retiring as Freeland’s hero for good, now that he has avenged his father, whom Tobias murdered. But while he is stepping down, Jefferson passes the torch to his daughters and Grace Choi to become Freeland’s new protectors. Gambi announces that he is also retiring, having done this for too long as he is turning his role over to T.C. On another happy note, Jefferson and Lynn Stewart reveal to everyone they are getting re-married.

As the family celebrates, the Black Lightning season 4 finale revisits one final thread as Lala gets out of his rock tomb. But as Lala comes to it, he discovers Tobias’s dead body hanging on the rod, which amuses him to no end before cutting to credits. Although, just because Jefferson is done as the main defender of Freeland, that doesn’t mean his role as Black Lighting is over in the Arrowverse. Cress Williams revealed that The Flash creative team had reached out about guest-starring for a few episodes for the eighth season, which he is interested in doing.

While Thunder, Lightning, and Grace protect the streets of Freeland, the Arrowverse may see Black Lightning elsewhere, particularly in The Flash season 8. It is bittersweet to see Black Lightning season 4 being the last one, as there were still many more stories to be told. Despite Painkiller not happening, hopefully, The CW will consider other Black Lightning spinoffs, potentially an Outsiders show focused on Thunder, Lightning, Grace, and T.C. But if/until that happens, that is it for this side of the Arrowverse following the Black Lightning series finale.

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