So, it sounds like Black Lightning may, in fact, take place in some corner of the Arrowverse as tonight's episode featured very specific namedrops of both Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and Vixen (Maisie Richardson-Sellers). However, while the pair apparently does exist in some form in the world of Black Lightning, it remains unclear as to what Earth that might be.
Supergirl lives on Earth-38 while both iterations of Vixen reside on Earth-1 and outside of the crossovers, there's really been no mention of either heroine existing in each other's worlds, so could Jefferson and his family be residents of an entirely different Earth or are they also living somewhere on Earth-1? Kara has visited a handful of times already and after the very public "Crisis on Earth-X" event, it would make some sense that the general public on Earth-1 is at least aware of the Girl of Steel, which would explain how Jennifer (China Anne McClain) was already aware of her heroics.
Watch the new promo for episode ten, titled "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption," below:
"Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET) (Content Rating TBD) (HDTV)
SECRETS AND LIES - Black Lightning (Cress Williams) attempts to rescue several long-missing children reveals a secret he did not anticipate, and its resulting connections. Gambi (James Remar) struggles to stay strong while in a compromising position. Jefferson begins to view things differently. Nafessa Williams, China Anne McClain, Christine Adams, Marvin Jones III and Damon Gupton also star. The episode was written by Pat Charles and directed by Eric Laneuville (#110). Original airdate 3/27/2018.
Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) is a man wrestling with a secret. As the father of two daughters and principal of a charter high school that also serves as a safe haven for young people in a New Orleans neighborhood overrun by gang violence, he is a hero to his community. Nine years ago, Pierce was a hero of a different sort. Gifted with the superhuman power to harness and control electricity, he used those powers to keep his hometown streets safe as the masked vigilante Black Lightning. However, after too many nights with his life on the line, and seeing the effects of the damage and loss that his alter ego was inflicting on his family, he left his Super Hero days behind and settled into being a principal and a dad. Choosing to help his city without using his superpowers, he watched his daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) grow into strong young women, even though his marriage to their mother, Lynn (Christine Adams), suffered. Almost a decade later, Pierce’s crime-fighting days are long behind him…or so he thought. But with crime and corruption spreading like wildfire, and those he cares about in the crosshairs of the menacing local gang The One Hundred, Black Lightning returns — to save not only his family, but also the soul of his community.
Black Lightning features:
Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning
China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce
Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce
Christine Adams as Lynn Pierce
James Remar as Peter Gambi
Damon Gupton as Henderson
Black Lightning returns with an all-new episode March 27