After the attack at Rand Enterprises, Danny joins the scene to help Luke find Bushmaster as Mariah strikes back. Walking around Harlem, Luke is frustrated as people complain about how many problems they've had lately, blaming Luke for not beating Bushmaster.
With even a little poorly acted girl saying he's no better than the cops, he assures everyone he will take care of the situation, telling one man he won't just seize control. Luke enters the barbershop with DW, where a news report about the Rand attack and Bushmaster's escape trouble him. DW shows off some new Luke brand clothes, and when he says Harlem would've bought them if they hadn't turned on Luke, the latter says he is partially to blame, due to his video drawing in Bushmaster. DW counters that Luke brought it on himself with his tough talk. Luke admits he feels like he's never able to do enough to fully quell the violence, and DW replies that a black man stepping making a difference will always face trouble. Danny then arrives, saying in an "obviously" tone that he used Harlem's Hero app. Luke tries to say it's his problem alone, Danny retorts that when people attack his friends, he makes it his problem. DW is impressed with Danny's swagger and use of a pseudonym, but is confused upon hearing that Danny fought a dragon. Despite Luke's complaints, Danny sticks to the Defenders motto of all the cities being part of New York, and says he won't leave it alone. DW makes a comic reference in mentioning "Power Man and Iron Fist" as having a nice ring, and Luke finally relents. Misty worries when Nandi doesn't show up, while at Harlem's Paradise Mariah looks around at Bushmaster's remnants. Donovan, having returned to her side, reveals that, because Piranha was forced under duress to sign over her assets, the contract to Bushmaster is null and void. He shows her everything is back and tries to get back on her good side by saying he's cleared up all legal issues, but she threatens him with a crotch grab, insulting his manhood as he leaves. Mariah tells Shades to get everyone back, saying they need to take the streets back from Bushmaster. Back at the barbershop, Luke humors Danny by meditating, with the latter explaining to DW that silence can bring the good communication. Luke wonders why Danny wants him to talk of the fight again, only for the former that he must be weakened if Luke could make him bleed. DW is amazed to see Danny's fist, and with Danny's prompting, Luke realizes Bushmaster probably went to Claire for help. Danny says he uses silence a lot after they leave and, since the Defenders ended, he has become calmer, though Luke says power comes from action, not stillness. Over at the precinct, Misty and Ridley bring Bailey to the interrogation room and ask about Nandi. They explain a recently installed log system shows Nandi was in the other room before the info leak, but Bailey says Misty just never liked his partner. Luke and Danny find Mother's Touch ransacked and a scrap of Bushmaster's clothes on the ground. When Luke mentions nightshade, Danny reminisces about a healer from K'un L'un and shows a bit of his pop culture knowledge. Noticing a poster about different aspects of the body, Danny explains a belief from K'un L'un that the body is kept in balance based on three principles of circulation, heat, and cold. He believes that Bushmaster has been manipulating one of these principles too much, and it is causing him to deteriorate mentally. Luke finds a page in a book about Nightshade that says it becomes less effective as you use it, which Danny says matches his belief from K'un L'un. Finding the Jamaican version of Nightshade specifically is needed, Luke decides they need to talk to Mariah to find Tilda. Mariah is still at Harlem's Paradise, explaining the roost's importance in ruling Harlem to Shades, who reveals he had her gun, saying he had to know if he could trust her. She reveals it's been passed down from Buggy, and as she goes to the office, Sugar and Shades bring Anansi in. Bailey and Misty, watching security footage outside Harlem's Paradise, find a moment where Nandi leaves the building, though the moment is somewhat comical as Nandi is clearly visible and Misty treats it as a stereotypical "zoom and enhance" moment. A shocked Bailey shows Ridley as Misty says she got a warrant for Nandi's apartment. Ridley tells Bailey to run Nandi's credit cards, and he finds she called for an Uber. We cut back to Harlem's Paradise, where a calm Anansi says Mariah has been afraid her whole life. The interrogation is interrupted when Luke and Danny enter. Mariah surprises Shades by going outside, knowing Luke and Danny then wouldn't come upstairs and find Anansi. Below, Luke says he thinks the guards won't try anything because he walked in with Danny, who is worth billions. Danny protests, but Luke explains it doesn't matter if his friend is living off the fund; money talks in this world. Luke is disgusted to see Sugar is back in the life, and denies Mariah's claim of being done with Bushmaster. He tells her to calm down because she walked away from her deal, but she says she'll take on anyone who attacks her family, like Bushmaster did. Noticing Tilda's absence, Luke asks if Mariah even cares about her daughter, but the latter casually replies that kids go their own way. She tries to get under his skin by talking dirty about his dad, but Luke doesn't bite. She then offers Danny a drink, but he declines, so she tells Luke he'd better find Bushmaster before her. He initially tells her not to do anything stupid, then that she should, so he can tear down Harlem's Paradise, and leaves. Mariah returns to Anansi, surprised he didn't call for help, but he retorts that his fate is sealed, and she can do nothing to make him give up Bushmaster. Misty and the others cut off Nandi as she prepares to board a plane. She punches and runs, but Misty is able to swiftly catch up and take her down. Luke and Danny are at a high place, where Danny suddenly begins punching, leading to an angry Luke on the ground. With Luke asking why he did so, Danny explains they came up high so Luke, who is off balance from anger, could clear his head. With Danny noting Mariah is able to succeed from her own perch, Luke realizes that, too find the low-laying Bushmaster, they have to get a rat's perspective. At the precinct, Misty interrogates Nandi, bringing up their basketball past where the latter turned in another girl for a theft, revealing the girl later told her she and Nandi were supposed to steal together. Misty says this is like then; Nandi wants to be top dog and take down anyone in her way. Nandi angrily replies that Misty betrayed everyone by taking the deal, brushing off Misty's declaration that there are currently worse threats than Mariah. Nandi is disgusted Misty would "let Mariah walk" when Bushmaster wants "true justice," saying a bit of extra cash for herself on the side is another plus. Misty, finally pushed too far, slams her hand down, saying Nandi still can't own up to her mistakes, saying she's not worth it when the others enter. Back at Harlem's Paradise, Mariah has Shades untie Anansi, offering rum, but he turns it down, saying she doesn't have long before prison or death gets her. Mariah reminisces about stories from Mabel about Buggy and McIver, and says the Stokes family fought so hard for the club because other gangs took other aspects. Anansi counters that Buggy was a slave, saying calling her lazy and content with a master's scraps. Shades brings out his gun and Mariah retorts that Jamaica didn't get independence until 1962, then was enslaved by the World Bank. She goes on that Jamaica is known for little, and Anansi snaps that McIver would have taken on the other groups, thinking Buggy had his back. Mariah says Buggy could only fight for his family, the right choice, and Anansi laughs, saying it's at his own folly because he now understands Bushmaster's desire, relishing the thought of what his nephew will do as her darkness matches his. He says he doesn't know where Bushmaster is but wouldn't tell them anyway, giving his advice that revenge leads to two graves, and Mariah says she needs more. In the meantime, Luke and Danny have found Turk, who now runs a bong shop but keeps up his reputation. With Turk mentioning the recent Bushmaster fight, Luke turns to destruction, breaking a bong, prompting Turk to reveal the Jamaicans have taken over a week warehouse before Luke leaves, saying to bill him for the bong. He and Danny find the warehouse and we get a pretty cool shot of them in a busted doorway, with Danny's fist glowing, and the two work off each other well, with Luke blocking every bullet and both. Danny's fighting is still rather sluggish and less polished than one would expect, but it's still fun to see them team up, especially when Luke incapacitates many gang members by having Danny punch his hand with a powered punch. Danny keeps Luke calm as they move on, finding a single man working on a growing Nightshade plant. He explains it's useless as is, and it has to go through a difficult process as being separated from synthetic Jamaican sunlight and soil causes it to wilt. Knowing they can't let Bushmaster keep his whole supply, Danny pulls a rather Batman-esque move and buys the building, then torches it. Nandi is escorted from the precinct to glares all around, and after saying A.I. will be angry about this new arrest, Ridley calls Misty to her office. Inside, she admits to being impressed with how Misty handled the situation and, despite their differences, respects the latter's sacrifice with the Defenders. Deciding Misty deserves a reward, Ridley says she wants to recommend her to be commander once her own tenure is up. Misty claims to just be a detective, but Ridley says nothing is impossible in a world of bulletproof black men. Shades and Mariah, with a crew leading Anansi, decide to give Bushmaster's family an "ultimatum," with Mariah saying the message matters. Sugar decides he's done and walks away, and the episode comes to a violent end as Mariah and the crew enter to deliver her message, then back to Harlem's Paradise as Luke and Danny converse about current situations over dinner. Seeing Danny finally arrive works well in further setting up a Heroes for Hire future, though as previously stated, his fighting continues to be rather unimpressive. DW's branding gets a sponsor as Danny goes around wearing a green hoodie with "Sweet Christmas" on the back, both sharing Luke's classic phrase and presenting a possible costume choice for Danny, as his typical comic costume is also green. It seems that, in at least one way Danny will be helping Luke take on Bushmaster as I had hoped, as he is trying his best to help his friend get past anger. Repeatedly bringing up the idea of being calm and finding one's center is a already a callback to the Defenders, which Danny himself then specifically references, as back then Daredevil, and the others somewhat, were able to easily beat him due to anger. He also helps with Luke's critical thinking, as though Luke was able to find leads with help before, he still constantly struggled with the underworld's tight-knit people and thinking of next moves, but Danny's help caused him to figure out Bushmaster's. Though the two have a relationship that's getting better, the rift between Shades and Mariah is obviously still present despite him returning the gun, as an action she takes in this episode causes him to question what he's doing. It's rather tiring how the two go back and forth between complete trust and questioning each other, but with the show almost over, they will more than likely find a gruesome end for their relationship. With Tilda now aware of her true parentage, we also get the end of the also back and forth situation of Mariah pretending to love her and her somehow believing her violent mother's lies. We don't see Bushmaster this episode because of his current condition, but Anansi's capture makes up for this as he has decided he wants his nephew to take down Mariah as planned. The interrogation reveals some more of the Stokes/McIver past, and shows the antagonistic relationship the two families now have. With Misty we see continued growth as she has learned to better control herself, with even Ridley commending her actions. Despite this, it's rather strange that she brings up Nandi's past betrayal on the basketball team as a comparison of the current situation, then becomes angry when Nandi begins to do the same. Misty taking down Nandi showed also how she has improved with her arm, but the escape attempt was a poor one anyway, with Nandi trying to run within sight of gunmen and Misty, unaffected by her punch, easily catching her. Bushmaster is out of commission for now, but with Tilda's forced help, Mariah's statement, and Luke on his trail, round three will begin soon.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI love the entertainment side of things. Video games, tv shows, superheroes and movies are my passion and I'd love to get the news out for things I enjoy. My contact page has links to my social media, so if you enjoy what I have to say, likes, shares, comments, and follows are always greatly appreciated! Archives
April 2020
Categories
All
|