Black Lightning Season 1 has been released on Blu-ray and it’s filled with extras that bring insight into the show’s message and themes.
Since its release, Black Lightning has been a hit on The CW. The show found a compelling protagonist in Jefferson Pierce, aka Black Lightning, but, moreover, it paired this superhero story with modern-day social relevance. With the show’s first season released to Blu-ray, not only do fans get to relive the exciting initial episodes, but also get into the headspace of the creators.
As with all Blu-ray releases, the highlight is in the extras. Through interviews with the creators and other footage, audiences will gain insight into the show’s themes and narrative direction. It’s definitely something to savor and appreciate after you’ve re-watched all the episodes in their high-definition glory.
Come Visit Georgia PSAs
Two public service announcements give viewers a tour of Atlanta, Georgia—the show’s primary filming location. We visit a variety of backdrops and historical structures that form the hero’s playground. Through interviews with Atlanta’s citizens we learn how the show acquired an edge of authenticity by mixing the old with the new.
Art Imitating Life: The Pilot Episode
We learn the pilot episode is something very personal to the creators. The scene were Jefferson faces off with a racist cop, is an autobiographical account of executive producer Salim Akil’s own experiences. He enumerates his frustrations with being profiled and how these feelings molded the direction of Black Lightning.
A Family of Strength
Black Lightning is not only a superhero show, but a show about family. The creators illustrate how they’ve balanced the action and fantasy elements of the series with the more heavy themes of familial bonds. Due to this, the narrative is that much more engaging and compelling. It also takes the traditional family unit and turns it on its head, while still retaining classic values.
Gag Reel
We take a break from the serious tone with some bloopers and outtakes of the cast and crew having fun. Like every show that requires immense amounts of visual effects, things don’t always go they way their planned. This extra feature documents those small nuggets of humor for everyone to see.
Deleted Scenes
It’s always interesting to see how a single episode’s narrative can change through various cuts and additions. The deleted scenes segment show an extensive library of finished shots and rough cuts that were left out. Some were removed for narrative flow and others due to redundancy. For fans, it’s a way to see the show from the director’s perspective.
Black Lightning: 2017 Comic-Con Panel
Finally, we take a trip back to San Diego Comic-Con 2017 where the cast and crew held a Black Lightning panel. The discussion ranges from the importance of a black superhero to heroes who fight crime on the ground level—versus heroes who perform large-scale galactic battles.
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The Black Lightning Season 1 Blu-ray shines in its extras. With the creators commenting on their own experiences, it elevates the show and strengthens its themes that much more.
Own Black Lightning Season 1 on Blu-ray and DVD on June 26, 2018
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided us with a free copy of the Blu-ray we reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions we share are our own.
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