Marvel's Luke Cage

Got that John Blaze shit.

Forget about making somebody's day.

These two Desert Eagles here?

Fly, pelican, fly.

Do I even need to say it?

Come on, Zip.

You should find a new profession.

Cottonmouth is done.

You ain't heard?

Cottonmouth's getting out, so you ain't done shit.

Boom!

Detective.

Remember who you are.

Next time, it would behoove you to have actual evidence.

You know, something besides

the dogged harassment of a misguided beat cop.

You calling me a dog?

No, I believe the brother said "dogged,"

as in determined.

Although, true...

the word is derived from the description of a dog's persistence.

See, that's the problem with a bitch.

Once they get their mouth on a bone...

they can't let go.

We'll see who's somebody's bitch

when your ass is in prison...

Cornell.

There he is!

Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes' release this morning

was a blow to local law enforcement--

Mariah ain't gonna like that shit.

Neither should you.

I just shot a cop and walked away free.

What's there not to like?

Zip and Amos picked up the truck from the docks right after I shot Scarfe.

Domingo got his guns back last night.

Everyone else will fall in line.

Jamaicans, Haitians, Dominicans.

Hell...

even the Koreans.

All loyal.

We're all good.

So...

when do I get my Judas?

You don't.

You're too hot right now.

Luke Cage is a luxury, Cornell.

He's...he's ice cream.

And you need to keep steak on the table.

And how do I do that with Luke Cage around?

All he has to do is show up

and hoods scatter like roaches with the lights on!

Guns, drugs, all street traffic is a mess right now because of him!

Niggas act like he can walk on water.

Can he?

I'm done talking, Shades.

Tell Diamondback I need to holler at him.

You sure that's the way you want to play this?

Okay.

So what about all that evidence?

Without Scarfe to corroborate, that ledger is useless.

Even the whole thing with Spurlock

and the bodies Cottonmouth burned there won't stick.

Spurlock is going to eat the charge and take the years.

He won't testify.

He'd be his own client.

So that's it?

Setbacks happen all the time.

You can still do something about this.

Why me?

Because you're not afraid of Cottonmouth, and he's obviously afraid of you.

What do you expect me to do?

I tried to do things the right way. Cops let him go.

Cops can only do so much.

You have the power to do more.

Look at what's happening in Hell's Kitchen.

You mean that cat running around beating people up?

That's what you want me to be?

Sometimes, if you want justice...

you have to get it yourself.

If Hell's Kitchen's so great, why'd you run uptown?

Why did you?

There is nothing that can hurt you.

So what the hell are you afraid of?

Pop's Barber Shop.

It's for you.

Let's parley.

Either we can be gentlemen about this...

or we can get into some gangster shit.

Parley's just fine.

Your gangster shit hasn't worked out so well for you recently.

Harlem's Paradise.

Bring your apron.

What'd he say?

Enough.

Might as well take all that down now.

No. There's still plenty of work to be done.

Not for me.

They just made it official an hour ago.

But you had nothing to do with Scarfe.

My shop, my watch.

All right, here we go.

You've got to play this smart, Detective.

IA's gonna be up your ass with a flashlight.

I can handle Ridley.

She was my lieutenant at the 31st.

Listen, you still have a future here, Misty.

My advice to you is to let go of this board

and everyone you have pinned on it.

Cottonmouth needs to be in handcuffs.

Don't let this twist you to the point where you can't see which way is up.

Mercedes?

Priscilla.

I prefer Inspector Ridley.

Priscilla, I heard they started calling you Inspector Gadget

behind your back once you got promoted.

This is gonna be fun.

Councilwoman Dillard and I don't agree on much.

But she's a good woman who loves Harlem,

and I'm a strong believer in party first, no matter what.

I came as a friend in her time of need.

Mr. Boone, is it true you're here to ask the councilwoman to resign?

He's here because I asked him here. Damon.

Let him through.

Wait, wait, wait. First question, go.

Was your affordable housing initiative funded by drug money?

My cousin has never been accused of selling drugs.

I thought you all said he was running guns.

Will you please make up your mind?

Councilwoman, have you been questioned by the NYPD about your cousin?

Family first, Robin.

I love my cousin Cornell Stokes.

The charges against him are categorically false,

which is why they let him go.

He is an integral part of my New Harlem Renaissance

and our movement to rebuild Harlem for our Harlemites.

Okay? That's it.

Get out of the rain. Go, go!

This is low... even for you.

I wasn't lying. I'm here as your friend.

Pretty boy Stanford Carpetbagger.

You've been trying to knock me off my spot for years.

How much of what they're saying is true?

Damn.

That bad?

You're...

tainted.

And the infection is contagious.

So what do you recommend, Dr. Boone?

You step aside and let me take your seat.

Then I can support your initiatives on the inside.

And push your permits through.

A year from now,

all four of your complexes could be up and running.

That's cute.

You've been trying to knock me out of my spot for six years, Damon.

It didn't work then. It's not working now.

Find a new hobby.

You can't stay on top forever, Mariah.

You're gonna fall.

And I'll enjoy every second when you do.

You need to leave now.

Show your Marigny ass out.

Do you need anything?

Scotch. Neat.

Mariah?

How the hell did you get in here?

We need to talk.

Alone.

So, this Luke Cage was a bartender at Harlem's Paradise?

Actually, I believe he was the dishwasher.

He was filling in for Dante that night.

One man is linked to a criminal,

the death of four people, the destruction of a restaurant,

and you don't find him suspicious?

Of course I do.

Step back. Take a look at your board.

Who is the one person that is linked to every single location up there?

It's not just this case that depends upon on it.

Your career is also in the balance.

Shit.

Damn, Cornell, you just playing that, like, out of thin air like that?

You don't need to, write it down?

I just see it in my head.

This boy is a damn prodigy, Mabel.

That prodigy needs to keep it down.

Mariah's trying to study.

Like a little music

is gonna disturb all that hoein' you got goin' on over there.

That hoein' is what keeps the lights on.

Look, all I'm saying is that

Cornell should be in one of them schools like, um... Juilliard.

There's only one school that matters.

Cornell is really good.

Did I ask you anything, Little May?

The girl's got a point.

- She don't need you to defend her. - I know she don't.

Because she's gonna be a lawyer,

and she's gonna be able to defend her damn self.

Ain't that right, baby?