# List of Black Lightning episodes

Black Lightning is an American superhero television drama series, developed by Salim Akil, that premiered on The CW on January 16, 2018. It is based on the character of the same name, created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden, featured in publications of DC Comics. Cress Williams stars as the titular character alongside China Anne McClain, Nafessa Williams, Christine Adams, Marvin Jones III, Damon Gupton, James Remar, and Jordan Calloway. The series sees the retired Black Lightning return to his life as a superhero and follows the effects of his vigilante activity on his professional and family life.
During the course of the series, 58 episodes of Black Lightning aired over four seasons, between January 16, 2018, and May 24, 2021.

## Series overview

Black Lightning series overview :
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released | Rank | Average viewers (in millions) |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released | Rank | Average viewers (in millions) |
| 1 | 13 | 13 | January 16, 2018 (2018-01-16) | April 17, 2018 (2018-04-17) | 160 | 2.73 |
| 2 | 16 | 16 | October 9, 2018 (2018-10-09) | March 18, 2019 (2019-03-18) | 179 | 1.44 |
| 3 | 16 | 16 | October 7, 2019 (2019-10-07) | March 9, 2020 (2020-03-09) | 130 | 1.09 |
| 4 | 13 | 13 | February 8, 2021 (2021-02-08) | May 24, 2021 (2021-05-24) | 151 | 0.74 |

## Episodes
### Season 1 (2018)

Black Lightning, season 1 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "The Resurrection" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | January 16, 2018 (2018-01-16) | 2.31 |
| 2 | 2 | "Lawanda: The Book of Hope" | Oz Scott | Salim Akil | January 23, 2018 (2018-01-23) | 1.94 |
| 3 | 3 | "Lawanda: The Book of Burial" | Mark Tonderai | Jan Nash | January 30, 2018 (2018-01-30) | 2.21 |
| 4 | 4 | "Black Jesus" | Michael Schultz | Pat Charles | February 6, 2018 (2018-02-06) | 1.88 |
| 5 | 5 | "And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light" | Rose Troche | Adam Giaudrone | February 13, 2018 (2018-02-13) | 1.81 |
| 6 | 6 | "Three Sevens: The Book of Thunder" | Benny Boom | Charles Holland | February 27, 2018 (2018-02-27) | 1.64 |
| 7 | 7 | "Equinox: The Book of Fate" | Bille Woodruff | Lamont Magee | March 6, 2018 (2018-03-06) | 1.46 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Book of Revelations" | Tanya Hamilton | Jan Nash | March 13, 2018 (2018-03-13) | 1.45 |
| 9 | 9 | "The Book of Little Black Lies" | Tawnia McKernan | Keli Goff | March 20, 2018 (2018-03-20) | 1.55 |
| 10 | 10 | "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" | Eric Laneuville | Pat Charles | March 27, 2018 (2018-03-27) | 1.55 |
| 11 | 11 | "Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion" | Michael Schultz | Melora Rivera | April 3, 2018 (2018-04-03) | 1.50 |
| 12 | 12 | "The Resurrection and the Light: The Book of Pain" | Oz Scott | Jan Nash & Adam Giaudrone | April 10, 2018 (2018-04-10) | 1.54 |
| 13 | 13 | "Shadow of Death: The Book of War" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | April 17, 2018 (2018-04-17) | 1.68 |

### Season 2 (2018–19)

Black Lightning, season 2 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 14 | 1 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | October 9, 2018 (2018-10-09) | 1.16 |
| 15 | 2 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Two: Black Jesus Blues" | Oz Scott | Charles D. Holland | October 16, 2018 (2018-10-16) | 1.02 |
| 16 | 3 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry" | Rose Troche | Jan Nash | October 23, 2018 (2018-10-23) | 1.18 |
| 17 | 4 | "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak" | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Adam Giaudrone | October 30, 2018 (2018-10-30) | 0.97 |
| 18 | 5 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter One: Requiem" | Michael Schultz | Lamont Magee | November 13, 2018 (2018-11-13) | 0.90 |
| 19 | 6 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter Two: The Perdi" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles | November 20, 2018 (2018-11-20) | 0.99 |
| 20 | 7 | "The Book of Blood: Chapter Three: The Sange" | Eric Laneuville | Keli Goff | November 27, 2018 (2018-11-27) | 1.06 |
| 21 | 8 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter One: Exodus" | Tawnia McKiernan | Jake Waller | December 4, 2018 (2018-12-04) | 0.96 |
| 22 | 9 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift of the Magi" | Benny Boom | Adam Giaudrone | December 11, 2018 (2018-12-11) | 1.13 |
| 23 | 10 | "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Three: Angelitos Negros" | Salim Akil | Jan Nash & J. Allen Brown | January 21, 2019 (2019-01-21) | 0.86 |
| 24 | 11 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter One: Prodigal Son" | Rob Hardy | Pat Charles | January 28, 2019 (2019-01-28) | 0.93 |
| 25 | 12 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Two: Just and Unjust" | Jeff Byrd | Charles D. Holland | February 4, 2019 (2019-02-04) | 0.95 |
| 26 | 13 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Three: Pillar of Fire" | Robert Townsend | Lamont Magee | February 11, 2019 (2019-02-11) | 0.94 |
| 27 | 14 | "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Four: Original Sin" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles & Keli Goff | March 4, 2019 (2019-03-04) | 0.77 |
| 28 | 15 | "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha" | Salim Akil | Jan Nash | March 11, 2019 (2019-03-11) | 0.75 |
| 29 | 16 | "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter Two: The Omega" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | March 18, 2019 (2019-03-18) | 0.85 |

### Season 3 (2019–20)

Black Lightning, season 3 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 30 | 1 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of Blackbird" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | October 7, 2019 (2019-10-07) | 0.89 |
| 31 | 2 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Two: Maryam's Tasbih" | Oz Scott | Charles D. Holland | October 14, 2019 (2019-10-14) | 0.63 |
| 32 | 3 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three: Agent Odell's Pipe-Dream" | Benny Boom | Pat Charles | October 21, 2019 (2019-10-21) | 0.61 |
| 33 | 4 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Four: Lynn's Ouroboros" | Mary Lou Belli | Adam Giaudrone | October 28, 2019 (2019-10-28) | 0.52 |
| 34 | 5 | "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five: Requiem for Tavon" | Robert Townsend | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | November 11, 2019 (2019-11-11) | 0.71 |
| 35 | 6 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter One: Knocking on Heaven's Door" | Jeff Byrd | Lamont Magee | November 18, 2019 (2019-11-18) | 0.62 |
| 36 | 7 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Two: Henderson's Opus" | Oz Scott | Lynelle White | November 25, 2019 (2019-11-25) | 0.65 |
| 37 | 8 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace" | Neema Barnette | Jake Waller | December 2, 2019 (2019-12-02) | 0.60 |
| 38 | 9 | "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis" | Tasha Smith | Lamont Magee | December 9, 2019 (2019-12-09) | 0.90 |
| 39 | 10 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Reborn" | Eric Laneuville | J. Allen Brown | January 20, 2020 (2020-01-20) | 0.54 |
| 40 | 11 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Two: Lynn's Addiction" | Michael Schultz | André Edmonds | January 27, 2020 (2020-01-27) | 0.66 |
| 41 | 12 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Three: Motherless ID" | Bille Woodruff | Adam Giaudrone & Lynelle White | February 3, 2020 (2020-02-03) | 0.72 |
| 42 | 13 | "The Book of Markovia: Chapter Four: Grab the Strap" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland & Asheleigh O. Conley | February 10, 2020 (2020-02-10) | 0.65 |
| 43 | 14 | "The Book of War: Chapter One: Homecoming" | Benny Boom | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | February 24, 2020 (2020-02-24) | 0.64 |
| 44 | 15 | "The Book of War: Chapter Two: Freedom Ain't Free" | Oz Scott | Pat Charles | March 2, 2020 (2020-03-02) | 0.62 |
| 45 | 16 | "The Book of War: Chapter Three: Liberation" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | March 9, 2020 (2020-03-09) | 0.55 |

### Season 4 (2021)

Black Lightning, season 4 episodes :
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
| 46 | 1 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One: Collateral Damage" | Salim Akil | Salim Akil | February 8, 2021 (2021-02-08) | 0.52 |
| 47 | 2 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" | Bille Woodruff | Charles D. Holland | February 15, 2021 (2021-02-15) | 0.44 |
| 48 | 3 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three: Despite All My Rage..." | Salim Akil | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | February 22, 2021 (2021-02-22) | 0.37 |
| 49 | 4 | "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Four: A Light in the Darkness" | Mary Lou Belli | Lamont Magee | March 1, 2021 (2021-03-01) | 0.41 |
| 50 | 5 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces" | Bille Woodruff | Adam Giaudrone | March 8, 2021 (2021-03-08) | 0.46 |
| 51 | 6 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two: Theseus's Ship" | Mary Lou Belli | Jake Waller | March 15, 2021 (2021-03-15) | 0.48 |
| 52 | 7 | "Painkiller" | Bille Woodruff | Salim Akil | April 12, 2021 (2021-04-12) | 0.39 |
| 53 | 8 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Three: Things Fall Apart" | Bille Woodruff | André Edmonds | April 19, 2021 (2021-04-19) | 0.42 |
| 54 | 9 | "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding" | Keesha Sharp | J. Allen Brown | April 26, 2021 (2021-04-26) | 0.32 |
| 55 | 10 | "The Book of Reunification: Chapter One: Revelations" | Benny Boom | Jamila Daniel | May 3, 2021 (2021-05-03) | 0.32 |
| 56 | 11 | "The Book of Reunification: Chapter Two: Trial and Errors" | Bille Woodruff | Asheleigh O. Conley | May 10, 2021 (2021-05-10) | 0.30 |
| 57 | 12 | "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter One: Crossroads" | Benny Boom | Brusta Brown & John Mitchell Todd | May 17, 2021 (2021-05-17) | 0.36 |
| 58 | 13 | "The Book of Resurrection: Chapter Two: Closure" | Salim Akil | Charles D. Holland | May 24, 2021 (2021-05-24) | 0.50 |

## Ratings

| Season | Season | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number |
| Season | Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| | 1 | 2.31 | 1.94 | 2.21 | 1.88 | 1.81 | 1.64 | 1.46 | 1.45 | 1.55 | 1.55 | 1.50 | 1.54 | 1.68 | – | – | – |
| | 2 | 1.16 | 1.02 | 1.18 | 0.97 | 0.90 | 0.99 | 1.06 | 0.96 | 1.13 | 0.86 | 0.93 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.77 | 0.75 | 0.85 |
| | 3 | 0.89 | 0.63 | 0.61 | 0.52 | 0.71 | 0.62 | 0.65 | 0.60 | 0.90 | 0.54 | 0.66 | 0.72 | 0.65 | 0.64 | 0.62 | 0.55 |
| | 4 | 0.52 | 0.44 | 0.37 | 0.41 | 0.46 | 0.48 | 0.39 | 0.42 | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.30 | 0.36 | 0.50 | – | – | – |