A death sparks more violence for Jefferson in powerful Black Lightning clip

Black Lightning‘s Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams) bears the brunt of the blast when the simmering powder keg between the citizens of Freeland and the occupying ASA finally explodes in this week’s episode — and it’s rather difficult to watch because it feels way too real.

EW is exclusively debuting a powerful clip from Monday’s episode, titled “The Book of Occupation: Chapter Five,” that shows Jefferson and his students standing up to the aggressive ASA troops. “Tavon is dead, and I will not have another kid die on my watch,” declares the hero, wishing to protect his students from the ASA. Unfortunately, the situation escalates rather quickly and the advancing troops unjustly beat Jefferson to the ground, a familiar visual in the real world.

Since premiering in 2018, Black Lightning has always used real world imagery and history to bolster its superhero story; from depictions of police brutality to crafting an entire stories inspired by the Tuskegee experiments, the border crisis, and other horrors black people, as well as all people of color, have faced in America because of racism. So, this scene is very much within the show’s vocabulary, but that doesn’t make it any easier to watch.

Meanwhile in the clip: Jefferson’s super-powered daughter Jennifer (China Anne McClain) tries to come to her father’s aid, but Brandon stops her from rushing in and ends up revealing that he’s a metahuman.

Watch the clip above.

Black Lightning airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on The CW.

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