Thus far this season on Black Lightning, not a lot has gone right for the Pierce family. Despite saving Freeland during the Markovian war and helping rid the city of the A.S.A.’s occupation, each of the Pierce family members has been struggling. Jefferson (Cress Williams) has walked away from being Black Lightning while Lynn (Christine Adams) struggles with her own identity. Jen (China Anne McClain) has been escaping into her powers, and Anissa (Nefessa Williams) has been watching over Grace (Chantal Thuy) who has been in a coma since the end of Season 3. However, there was finally a bit of good news for the Pierces in this week’s episode — and it led to a long-awaited wedding.
Spoilers for this week’s episode of Black Lightning, “The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Three: Despite All My Rage”, below.
In the episode, Grace finally woke up from her coma, though for a moment it looked like she was actually going to die. As Grace had been undergoing treatment with little improvement for a year, her sudden recovery is one that clearly elated Anissa. It also made her realize how short life really is and how nothing is guaranteed. By the end of the episode, Anissa had drafted her new friend and fellow doctor at the facility to get an internet minister’s license so that he could marry the two of them right then and there in Grace’s hospital room.
As fans of Black Lightning will recall, Grace and Anissa almost got married at the end of Season 3. As Gravedigger (Wayne Brady) and the Markovians got closer to Freeland, Grace and Anissa called their friends and family over to their apartment to celebrate their engagement with what was supposed to be a surprise wedding. However, Gravedigger’s arrival at the Freeland perimeter stopped the nuptials before they could take place and in the season finale, Grace sustained serious injuries that left her comatose.
Now that the pair are married, this marks the first LGBTQ+ wedding that we’ve seen on screen in the Arrowverse — there have been other married LGBTQ+ couples in the Arrowverse, we just haven’t seen their weddings. And while Grace and Anissa’s wedding was very impromptu, it definitely pays off on what Nafessa Williams recently teased in regard to her character’s love life.
“[Fans] are going to be excited for what’s to come with [Thunder’s] love life,” Williams told Hello Giggles.
Of course, while Grace and Anissa are finally married, there is marital strife still on the horizon for Jefferson and Lynn. This week’s episode closed with Jefferson discovering Lynn having dinner with Tobias Whale (Marvin “Krondon” Jones III) — something seemingly all part of Tobias’ plan to destroy Jefferson.
Black Lightning airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.