November 16, 2018

NERDS OF PREY EXCLUSIVE: Talking to Christine Adams, the MVP of Black Lightning

Jefferson Pierce may be the titular character, but he’s nothing without the brilliant, wise and badass love of his life, Lynn Stewart. Nerds of Prey chatted with the ever-incredible Christine Adams about her augmented role this season.

With Lynn getting even more fierce as the seasons’ pass, how does Christine approach her character season after season? “Honestly, I do what the writers write, generally, and I think I’ve been so lucky [to play] this kinda character in this kinda show. There was always a discussion about not having superpowers and how that [feels] and how would she really sort of navigate this chapter, which will be, the girls discovering their powers. And I think what is so great is that Lynn has kind of evolved into [something] much more complicated, complex. Ultimately, she’s a protective mother. That’s always first and foremost, whatever that looks like.”

*Pictured: Christine Adams as Lynn — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW*

At the end of season one, that looked like her killing someone to protect those she loves most. So, how will she be dealing with the repercussions of that in season 2? “She did it, she threw down. There’s no going back from that. I feel like once she crossed that line, which was, “I’m gonna do anything to protect my family and keep this family together,” then I think anything is possible and I think that’s what’s great about Lynn’s character going into Season 2. She really goes on this unbelievable journey which is not just about the family, but it’s about her as a doctor and a mother and a woman and a wife and who she is.”

So, what was the real experience of going scene-for-scene with the legendary Bill Duke, who plays Agent Percy Odell? “I mean as an actor when you get to work with people like that, they’ve just done everything. I’d be in the scene, he’d start talking, I’d be so mesmerized by this person, ’cause actors like that have something unique. They have a real presence, a real gravitas. They have to start to remind me to cue. I’d be like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m just watching Bill Duke!'”

As we’ve seen thus far, season 2 isn’t just about the revelation of secrets, but how the Pierce family navigates communication now that everything is out on the table. “It was always this sense of ‘how do we play this idea of the truth coming out,’ which is sort of interesting for Lynn’s character but also for them, as a family. That is an interesting thing: With most families there’s shit that doesn’t get talked about. Think about that in this family. They all went through it, but no one’s really talking about it. It’s gray in terms of revealing this power, but it also gives us an opportunity as characters for the audience to really just say, ‘Listen, this went down, and none of us will ever be okay again.'”

So, what boundaries will showrunner Salim Akil be pushing with Lynn specifically this season? “For all of the characters, Salim has been very clever about how he’s opening them up in this season. You sort of thought you knew who they were Season 1, and you sort of did. But based on what they’ve all been through in that last episode of Season 1, you’re just seeing this whole other side to all of these characters – as you should because as I’ve always said, all of our characters are three-dimensional. I think everyone’s journeys are interesting and take an interesting turn, but I think Lynn’s …normally [in] most shows, the mom is the mom. She comes in and sets the purpose of being the caretaker. This is so much more and I think that’s a credit to Salim, that he really said, ‘Where can we take her? What’s she capable of?'”

The Green Light babies play a huge role in season 2 and Lynn is integral in helping them, but has a lot of emotional and mental energy being spent on helping her family. How will she juggle it all this season? “It’s gonna be tough. It’s not going to necessarily be a good outcome. I don’t think I’m giving anything away. This is a woman who’s accomplished, smart, who’s been able to think things, solve the problems … All of that is out the window.” Christine continues, “She doesn’t know how to help her [younger] daughter. She doesn’t know what to do with her older daughter, but she’s basically hasn’t even had time to think about, at this point. It’s really coming at her at a very high-speed. She will struggle immensely to deal with it all. She just will.”

*Pictured (L-R): Christine Adams as Lynn and Jennifer Riker as Dr. Jace — Photo: Bob Mahoney/The CW*

And so, with Lynn mentally stressed, but also super concerned about her baby girl, what role will therapy specifically play on screen with the Pierce family, especially with the addition of Erika Alexander as Perenna? Why is it so important to explore now, especially within an African-American family on-screen? “There is something that we touched on a lot, actually, even in Season 1. There are a few instances where I know Lynn would suggest to Jeff, ‘Look, we should go to therapy together or you should go with someone or maybe we should ask Jen.’ In fact, there’s even a line in the first season where Jeff says, ‘If my dad was here he would have said this is foolishness.’

“As a subject anyway, mental health in any community but particularly in the Black community is still a bit of a taboo. For me, as a Black British woman, mental health in England is very … we’re really struggling to start talking about it. It’s just like a lot of the subjects we talk about in the show, something that needs to be talked about and something that we need to bring attention. We know for a lot of people it’s uncomfortable. It’s good we keep promoting that and keep talking about it.”

Here’s to seeing Black Lightning continue to address race, stigmas, and tough issues head-on as seasons progress. I am looking forward to seeing how Lynn interacts with the Green Light babies, what the Pierce family overcomes this season, and more! Check out Black Lightning, which airs on Tuesdays, 9/8 central, only on the CW!