Black Lightning has become a popular show for a few reasons. One, it’s a good show that develops characters that aren’t just the main characters. Most shows will focus on a few characters forgetting how important it is to develop everyone. Second, a lot of fans didn’t know who Black Lightning was. This allowed the writers to explore the lore of the character without criticism. Third, the show makes it a point to focus on black issues and the culture without beating around the bush. Luke Cage was also like this, but not to the extent that Black Lightning goes.