Imprisoned but undeterred, Mariah makes the best of her new situation while Luke tries fix the power struggle happening in Harlem.
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With Shades spilling to the cops and Luke teaming up with Bushmaster to stop a new mudslinging drug campaign, the noose tightens on Mariah.
Bushmaster's still under the weather, so Sheldon fills us in on past events as Misty and Luke try to deal with a derailing Mariah.
After the attack at Rand Enterprises, Danny joins the scene to help Luke find Bushmaster as Mariah strikes back.
Luke's mission to protect Mariah leads to another conflict with Bushmaster, and the police hit a snag after news is overheard.
While Luke tries to protect Mariah, Misty has her hands full with Ridenhour's death and the feud between Bushmaster and Mariah.
Surviving his battle with Bushmaster, Luke finally confronts his past, and as he and Misty make a move, Bushmaster finally gets his vengeance.
With Luke struggling to deal with the sudden lawsuit, Misty gets a new arm but struggles with memories, and Mariah tries to bring Tilda into her new business.
A video of Bushmaster pummeling Luke spreads like wildfire, and Luke deals with the ramifications of Harlem seeing its savior go down as well as his recent anger.
The episode opens just before the last one ended, with D.W. heading to get footage of Luke, just in time to capture Bushmaster knock Luke around. Bushmaster gets the message out that Harlem is his yard, leaving Luke to waken later in a groggy state. He goes back to the barbershop, where Claire doesn't pick up but Bobby arrives. Saying Luke seems concussed, he suggests taking care of the problem soon, as Bushmaster can't be good for Harlem. Misty becomes annoyed with Nandi's singing at the station, then shocked as neither she, Bailey, nor Ridenhour are concerned at all about Luke. Ridenhour tells Misty that doing anything unsanctioned could get her fired, and she leaves for "rehab." At Harlem's Paradise, Mariah and Piranha gush about her rise to councilwoman, but Shades questions the "invisible money" they're making. Piranha assures them that they don't want to touch the money for now, but he has them insulated, surprising Shades with the news that Mariah had to put the club up to make it seem like loan collateral. Comanche interrupts the group, to Mariah's irritation, though she relents upon seeing the video of Luke. Though the group is pleased, Shades remains stone-faced. Luke is hurt to find that D.W. is turning the video into a profit on the street, and back at the club Shades explains his worries about Bushmaster, who is able to take on Luke barehanded, for some reason needing their guns. He says Bushmaster seems to be trying to weaken them with this move, and sending a message by claiming Harlem in the video. Shades tries to get Mariah to open up, having noticed a reaction to Bushmaster's name, but she lies that he is probably some old business with Cornell. Luke goes to Claire's apartment, only to find it being repaired and her stuff moved out. A woman says she's subletting it, and that he isn't allowed their until she is told otherwise. She directs him to what Claire left him: a bag of his things and a letter that saddens him. He apologizes for the hole in the wall and leaves. While Shades tells Comanche, who is growing more annoyed with Mariah's attitude, to watch her while he's gone, Luke meets with Misty to look at a file on Bushmaster. They head to the warehouse where Luke first encountered him, and she says he's on her radar after learning he pushed Nigel out of the way to take part in Mariah's deal. Misty tries to get Luke to open up about Claire, but he simply says the latter doesn't get that he sometimes has to get rough. She jokes about him having no place to stay when he wonders at her questions, and says he can't stay with her. The two go into the warehouse after Misty suits up, and find Nigel's decapitated corpse, which she calls in. Back at the club, Comanche tries to get Mariah to let him in, explaining that he learned about investments while in prison and that Piranha is clearly scamming her. She shuts down his suggestions and he leaves, saying he's not scared of her. Misty introduces her former coworker Tomas to Luke at the crime scene, and he gives them info on the Yardies becoming the "Stylers," and that he knows Bushmaster. He says he can arrange for Misty to meet with the owner of the warehouse, a member of the Stylers, and Misty, having noticed Luke's sensitivity to sound and ragged appearance, tells him to go home. The following scene intercuts Luke doing so with Mariah looking through old scrapbooks at her club and Tilda attempting to figure out what Bushmaster made, set to an impressive performance from Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. As aspects of the song say Luke's current feelings, we see he is heading for Tilda's, having found a bag from her shop at the warehouse. Tilda, initially confused about Bushmaster combining the items, digs through some old books and realizes he is making Nightshade. Luke arrives and the two share a somewhat flirtatious moment, and though she doesn't tell him anything Bushmaster, she admits she saw the video and gives him a mixture to help with his internal pain, saying he is definitely concussed. Misty meets with Gideon Shaw, the warehouse owner, who explains that Bushmaster is after what was taken from him and he feels he deserves. Shaw recounts a story of a man who lives at the bottom of a hill but knows he could kill the prosperous man at the top at any moment. He says Bushmaster's situation is like the bible, where the world was ended with water, only this time it will be fire. Bushmaster meets with Mariah at Harlem's Paradise, with both giving off cold attitudes toward the other and speaking vaguely about the past. While he says the past won't stay buried, Mariah says there are things better off dead, and he gives a threat similar to Shaw's words, saying an old flame catches easily. Angered when Bushmaster calls her Mariah "Stokes," she tells him to get out, and he tells her to enjoy her time on the hill, because life is precious. Shades learns from a guard that Comanche left, suspicious when told Comanche's mother needed him, and he trails Bushmaster to the Jamaican restaurant. Bushmaster celebrates his successes with the others, saying he proved Luke wrong about his abilities. Elsewhere, we see why Comanche left the club, and after Misty finds a proposal from Rand Industries, Luke and Bobby have a chat. Upon learning Bobby is about to make his own heroic action, Luke gets a lesson about how he needs to handle his situation, then gets a shocking visit. It was clear this season was setting up Luke to learn a major lesson about heroics, especially with how much talk there was early on about pride and rage. It's clear Luke is still struggling to understand what he should do, as in his talk with Misty he defends his recent violent actions despite his hurt over losing Claire. An interesting aspect of this episode was the complete lack of Luke's father James, especially considering last episode he talked with Claire and soon realized he was giving advice about his own son. With Luke having taken a major fall, it's likely he might eventually meet with his father while trying to redeem himself and learn again how to be a hero. He definitely needs to talk to someone completely about his problems, as putting a hole in Claire's wall shows that he is dangerously close to crossing a line, as earlier that episode he brutally beat an abuser, only to head down the same road. His flirting scene with Tilda was a bit uncomfortable due to how he obviously still loves Claire, but he will likely turn away upon learning she is Mariah's daughter. There was no tension between Tilda and Shades this episode like there has been, but a wedge is definitely being driven between him and Mariah. Though we eventually learn why Comanche was trying to help Mariah, he had a point about Piranha, and it's clear Shades sees it but she doesn't. Misty is getting closer to become more like her comic counterpart, more directly helping Luke, and the proposal from Rand Industries was fun to see. Considering again that Danny and Luke pair up in the comics as "Heroes for Hire," and Misty and Colleen also form the "Daughters of the Dragon," we will likely see a return for Danny and Colleen later on down the road. After seeing Bushmaster's beatdown of Luke this episode, it's clear the latter needs some better training than the brutish, straightforward fighting method he employs. It'd be great to see a more trained style from Luke when he faces Bushmaster again, and Danny could be just the person to teach him. Bushmaster is on the rise now, and though it's clear he sees himself as the man at the bottom of the hill, Luke has hit bottom and is setting himself up for a return. Luke gains confidence after the ineffective Judas bullets from the first episode, but this may prove a problem as enemies find new ways to hurt him.
At the end of the previous episode, Luke was shocked when a Judas bullet was unable to penetrate his skin, leading to a confrontation with Mariah. This episode starts as he tells Claire what happened, and she theorizes that his repeated experimental dip to remove a bullet last season may have further strengthened his skin. After Claire suggests they test him, they head to a field where the "Harlem's Hero" app causes a crowd. Luke goes through multiple physical tests easily tossing and hurling a 400-lb tire, leaping 24 feet in the broad jump, and running the 40-yard dash in 3.72 seconds. Luke's abilities amaze the crowd, and a Nike scout propositions Luke, at which point Bobby steps in. Luke poses with fans as Claire watches, worrying about the possibility of something worse than a Judas bullet coming into play. Angry about the failed Judas bullet, Mariah rants to Shades, sending Comanche out, and stands firm that she won't sell her Basquiat. Determined to sell the gun business, Mariah asks if Arturo is a problem, but Shades assures her the police can't prove anything. He says he is there to handle these things for her, and Comanche watches disapprovingly. Misty returns to the police station, where she gets a less-than-friendly welcome back from Nandi, a detective from the same academy she attended. We quickly learn Nandi has a chip on her shoulder from Misty always being ahead of her, and likes being in a higher position. She and her partner, Mark Bailey, go to interrogate Arturo, and though Misty wants to join, Ridenhour has her at desk work. Elsewhere, Bushmaster pries bullets from last episode out of his chest. He heads out to a friend, telling some kids along the way that he could take on Luke Cage. At the restaurant "Gwen's," he meets with his friend, and says he can take out both Mariah and Luke. We learn that while he has a longstanding grudge against Mariah, his problem with Luke is the popularity the Power man has garnered in Harlem, which used to be his town. He says he needs more of something called Nightshade, which gives him his power, despite his friend saying it also increases pain. Bushmaster isn't the only one who isn't a fan of Luke's, as his father visits the barbershop, getting an icy response. As they are in the process of moving, Luke suggests another shop, and James leaves. To Luke's annoyance, Bobby notes a similarity between them in their swagger. He also says people are Tweeting that Luke is about to get paid a lot, though Luke says he doesn't need the strings that would come with the cash. Claire arrives and is surprised Luke doesn't want to make amends with his father. He accidentally hurts her by saying family to him just means "low expectations, disappointment, and death." The two argue as Claire says she'd be ecstatic if a father who lost her tried to reach out, but he says James lost him long ago. She tells him breaking a peace offering isn't bravery, and Luke angrily asks why she questions his bravery. Luke assures her he will deal with James when he's ready, and she replies she doesn't want him to make the mistake of waiting until his father is already dead, like she did. Back at the station, Misty tries to check on the interrogation, getting an unprompted bout of angry questions from Nandi, who thinks Misty wants pity. Bailey explains that some people are uncomfortable with her being back with her injury, and after assuring her he isn't one of them, lets her go into the interrogation room. She tells Arturo that possessing Judas bullets can land him at the Black Site, offering him a better sentence if he spills on Mariah. Before he can say anything, however, Ben Donovan, a lawyer in Mariah's pocket, gets him out. Angry that Misty tried talking to Arturo when she wasn't handling the case and after he had lawyered up, Ridenhour tells her she's close to losing her job. Misty tips off Luke, and he, Bobby and Claire worry where she will take her guns next. Not knowing of Nigel's death or even knowing him, Luke says he is only sure giving Cockroach the weapons would be like giving a Crip or Blood nukes. Luke goes out to "fumigate," questioning multiple guys on the streets until he learns Cockroach has a baby mama and is told her address. As Luke searches, Mariah meets with an associate to talk about raising money. The woman suggests Mariah reconnect with her daughter, Tilda, to boost her popularity after the scandal surrounding Cornell. With Shades, Comanche asks about him letting Mariah boss him around. After making a crack at Shades and Mariah's relationship, he backs off, explaining he wishes he and Shades were the ones picked for the experiment Luke underwent. The two meet with Arturo, who, despite them breaking him out of jail, accuses Mariah of setting him up. After threatening to go to the cops, Arturo begins insulting Mariah, angering Shades enough to kill him. Comanche quickly dispatches the guards and asks how they'll get the money now, but Shades simply tells him to get the surveillance tape as they leave. Misty struggles to use her left arm and notices the other officers staring, as Bailey said, and one even makes a crack about her arm. Angered, she stands and tells them to get a look, because she's still the same person and wants them to get to work. Ridenhour alerts everyone of Arturo's death and Misty leaks the info to Luke. She goes inside and begins her strange detective method where she seems to play everything back, but is sent away when an annoyed Nandi arrives. Mariah visits her daughter Tilda's apothecary, but Tilda gives her the cold shoulder, assuming Mariah wants something. Mariah says she can't chancge the past, and upon still getting little response, says she respects Tilda's boundaries and leaves. Luke visits Cockroach's apartment, finding a son with a bruised arm. The son explains he tried to protect his mom from his dad. After the mom slams the door in Luke's face, a neighbor ushers him over and gives him a warehouse location where Cockroach gambles. At the warehouse, Luke quickly clears the room and intimidates Cockroach, who pulls out a strange gun. An unworried Luke gets a shock when the gun sends him out the window onto a car below, dislocating his shoulder, and he calls Claire, who was talking to Bobby about Luke's emotional problems. After popping his shoulder back into place, Claire notes the injury as proof he's not invulnerable, like Matt wasn't. Luke snaps that he's different, but it's strange how she keeps meeting super-powered people. Claire says his rage comes partially from his father, angering him further. Luke explains that lies have caused problems his whole life, as his father's lies set in motion Willis becoming Diamondback, him going to Seagate, and his wife and Pop's deaths. Claire says these feelings are like a Judas bullet killing him from within, but he replies that if she wants to help, she needs to stay out of his head. Tilda gets a visit that night from Bushmaster, who buys what he needs for his Nightshade, then she goes to Mariah's club and agrees to a second chance. Though staying calm, Shades seems irritated at Tilda's inclusion, especially when Comanche notes that she has taken his place. As the episode comes to a close, Claire listens in on a fitting sermon that plays as Luke tries to take out his frustrations, getting a call about Cockroach, and we see the effects of Bushmaster's Nightshade. While it was obviously a part of the previous episode and will show up again, a key component of this episode in particular is the importance of forgiveness. Tilda has agreed to give her mother another chance, not knowing Mariah's ulterior motives, as she likely isn't happy with a toxic relationship. At the same time, she will have to find out why Mariah really found her, as it will be big in the news, at which point she will more than likely be angry. While Mariah's offer was intended to be warm on the outside but hides a negative secret, attempts from James to Luke may be the opposite. Given the two's horribly rocky past and relationship, every meeting with them is full of barbs, but James repeatedly says he does want to reconnect with Luke. His offers fall on deaf ears, unlike Tilda listening to Mariah, and has further fueled the bouts of rage Luke has had. Luke says lies have ruined his life, suggesting that he is suspicious of James and is afraid of being further hurt emotionally. James' sermons have been used thus far as metaphors for the thin line Luke is currently walking between being a superhero vigilante and some sort of villain of a puppet on a string. Luke's recent fury has led to some interesting moments with Claire, as one might expect a superhero show to create drama by having them break up at any problem. Thus far, however, Claire has worked to be patient with Luke, understanding where his problems lie, and he doesn't just yell, but tries to say what he thinks is wrong. Another parallel seems to be forming be forming between Misty and Shades, as neither likes recent developments in their life. For Misty, the other cops are completely alienating her, making her feel mocked and isolated. As things continue to go well for Nandi, who takes every opportunity to insult her, and things go poorly for herself, Misty seems more and more willing to help Luke. Likewise, Shades is willing to do whatever is necessary to help Mariah, and becomes angry when she is insulted. Now that Tilda is back in Mariah's life, he may begin to feel jealous and a likely route would be Tilda advising Mariah differently than what he says. With Bushmaster on the horizon and the issues he's already facing, Luke has more challenges on the horizon in future episodes. |
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