After being sent to prison at the end of the first season, Luke Cage is back to take on the gangs corroding Harlem, while dealing with his newfound fame.
Though he started out wanting to stick to himself, Luke takes no issue with going back to his gangbusting, starting this episode with a raid. Luke walks in to find a row of guns aimed at him, and he shakes his head and asks why they're bothering. One man responds they have to show they at least tried, and they begin firing as he takes them all down. He tells one that he doesn't want his name on any packages, and going outside we learns this means a new drug is going around called "Luke Cage." From Reverend James Lucas, Luke's father, we hear a sermon in which he talks about his son's popularity, but warns that we shouldn't worship men because men are susceptible to greed and pride. Over at Pop's Barbershop, D.W. and Bobby bicker about Luke 's life and activities being constantly broadcast online, particularly because of an app that tells people where Luke is after anyone sees him. Despite pointing out that Luke isn't in it for the money, Bobby suggests that he find a way to get sponsored so that he can start profiting, as their rent and insurance rates have gone up. We cut to Misty Knight going through physical therapy with Claire Temple, struggling to adjust to her life without her right arm. She tells Claire not to look at her with pity, because she would do it again if she had to, but Claire says it is not pity but appreciation for what Misty did for her and Colleen. After a short scene with Shades hearing from Comanche that they have no rivals, we see Luke again, looking at a map of Harlem showing his drug busts. Misty arrives and the two talk about how breaking up the drug rings is going slowly, as no matter how fast he works, new locations will pop in its place. Luke tells Misty she should be out there, asking her to join him, but she leaves, saying she's done. In a meeting with Piranha Jones, Shades and Mariah are told that Glenn Industries has information on huge tech coming soon out of Atreus Plastics, and that if they invest, they'll be getting billions in legal money for the rest of their lives. As the two consider the proposal, a waiter comes out asking if Shades and his "aunt" are out for a special occasion, prompting calm anger from him and light jokes and attempts to calm him from Mariah. Luke, meanwhile, has dinner with Claire, who also suggests he try to make money like typical law enforcement, saying people don't know if he's a cop, hero, or vigilante. A man comes by requesting a photo for his son, and Claire tells Luke to just relax. In a montage, we see the differing lives of returning characters, with Misty dealing with her new situation, Shades returning to the restaurant to beat the waiter from before, and Luke and Claire having a night together. Luke heads out after this, speaking with his informant "Sugar," who claims to be little more than a driver now that he has a family. He tells Luke about Mariah "going straight" and Luke leaves, scratching his car for seemingly not telling him everything. Heading out, Luke meets with his father, the two trading barbs as Luke believes he wants something. James goes back and forth from venomously saying that Luke things the world revolves around him and claiming to want a fresh start. Luke, tired of his father's ego, says he lives his own way, mentioning the former's unmended mistakes. At Harlem's Paradise, Mariah trains a new hostess, Stephanie, how to do more than just serve by using her body to manipulate information out of male customers. In a short scene, we get our first look at new supervillain John "Bushmaster" McIver, calmly stating his intention to conquer Brooklyn, then Harlem. Back with Luke at the barbershop, D.W. comes in, telling Luke that more and more people are dying from the "Luke Cage" heroin. He asks if Luke can try to hurry cleaning up the streets, only to be told about the difficulties in drug busting. Luke says he only has one lead on drug traders in the city, but D.W. recalls a man named Arturo Gomez with gang ties. Bobby recognizes the man as "Arturo Rey III of Merlin discount furniture, and they realize he has renamed himself "King Arthur." Luke heads to Harlem Paradise, where Mariah watches Stephanie reel in the owner of Atreus Plastics, Mark Higgins. Shades comes by and briefs her on the different gang leaders hoping to buy her business, including names from the last scene. In the meeting that follows, Arturo assures Mariah that with the legal millions he already has, he can bring peace combining with her guns. Nigel Garrison of the Yardies claims that using Mariah's guns, he can keep the peace as well as stop anyone who comes along. The third person, Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton, laughs at the others, saying that he doesn't want her whole business, just controlling interest, and will make sure to "keep Harlem black." Luke arrives, but Mariah says he can't even touch her, especially because Claire is within sight, so he is forced to leave. He and Claire fight outside, as she says that he can't do this all alone as he isn't invincible, and she was able to get photos of the people he was looking into by pretending to take selfies. He explains that he worries because every time every time he sees Misty's arm, he thinks of what could happen to Claire, who is his weakness. Sugar calls Luke the next morning, telling him there is going to be a rendezvous at the docks, only to then call someone else to say that Luke took the bait. Misty encounters Cockroach outside the grocery store, shocked to learn that he got out of prison due to Scarfe being a dirty cop. Shades pays Mariah a visit as she drinks for her grandmother's birthday, to tell her Cockroach offered a good, low risk offer. She counters that with Arturo, they better protect Harlem, and she would for sure make enough money to clean her name of being a Stokes, which she hates. As the two get intimate, Shades mentions that Arturo is ready to finish the deal that night, and to sweeten the deal, he gave Arturo some "presents." Luke goes to the docks near the episode's end, making a shocking discovery before making a statement for someone who shows up. He then heads to the police station and having a run-in with Misty and another cop. We get another scene showing what Bushmaster is capable of, and Luke has another conversation with Mariah. This episode was definitely a strong start for Power Man's return to Netflix. It quickly gets through talking about how Luke went to jail and is now out, and his past activities have inspired Harlem. The series shows how even heroes have to find a balance between just helping and finding a living, as for Luke, whose identity is public knowledge, there are problems like rent and insurance to look at. With touching on this topic, it's likely that Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, will become a series regular, as Luke has talked about needing a partner, and in the comics he and Iron Fist form the "Heroes for Hire," offering their services for payment. It's somewhat disturbing to see the relationship between Shades and Mariah, but this seems to be intentional by the showmakers, as even Piranha made a face as they got intimate. With Misty, we get some interesting progression as she learns to live without her arm. As comic fans know, Misty has a bionic arm in the comics, so it will be cool to see how she gets the arm and gets back to fighting crime. The series seems to be giving us a good, strong villain in Bushmouth, as we don't learn much about him in the first episode, but what we do see makes him intriguing. He seems completely unworried about Luke, and is confident in his ability to take Brooklyn and Harlem. Whatever the season has to offer, I'm excited to see it, as Luke Cage brings justice to the bleeding streets of Harlem.
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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
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