Luke Cage – Let’s Get Physical

By: Darryl Ley

Luke Cage (Mike Colter) is walking down the street with DW (Jeremiah Craft) following at a distance using the Harlem Hero App. DW is present when John “Bushmaster” McIver (Mustafa Shakir) catches Luke with a sneak attack and films everything from there. There is a sizeable crowd watching as Luke catches Bushmaster with a punch in the torso that seems to have little effect. The fighting goes back and forth, but it is clear that Bushmaster’s preparation has paid off and that he is significantly more agile than Luke.

The fight ends with Bushmaster knocking Luke Cage out with a flying kick before taunting Luke and introducing himself on the video DW is recording of the event. Luke wakes up and finds out Bushmaster’s name before barely making it back to Pop’s as he’s suffering from a concussion and bleeding from internal injuries.

Bobby Fish (Ron Cephas Jones) enters and Luke tells him what happened and he’s obviously surprised that Bushmaster could fight on par with Cage. Bobby wants to call Claire, but realizes that the couple is currently fighting he also notices that Luke is likely concussed.

At the police station the news breaks with the video of Luke getting beaten up going viral. Detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick) is unimpressed by Detective Bailey (Justin Swain) and Detective Tyler’s (Antonique Smith) reaction to the video. Captain Ridenhour (Peter Jay Fernandez) enters the room and he tells Misty if she is working on her own on the death of Arturo Rey she shouldn’t come into the department at all so she then leaves for rehab.

At Harlem’s Paradise “Piranha” Jones (Chaz Lamar Shephard) and Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) are having a meeting like Hernan “Shades” Alvarez (Theo Rossi) looks on. They discuss the successful merger, which made Mariah $350 million at the stocks’ current value. Shades wants to know what happens next and is distrustful of having all their money tied up like this. The money is in the Caymans in order to prevent it being seized by US authorities and Piranha has been given power of attorney over those assets which include Harlem’s Paradise.

Shades is angry about Harlem’s Paradise being put up as part of those assets but is interrupted by Comanche (Thomas Q. Jones) bursting in to show the video of Luke getting beaten up by Bushmaster. Shades recognizes him as the new leader of the Jamaicans. As Luke applies some ice to his head he sees ESPN covering the video, he steps outside to see DW selling the videos on his stall and isn’t happy but DW stands by presenting the real story of Luke Cage. He also lets Luke know that he saw Claire moving out of her mother’s place.

Back at Harlem’s Paradise, Shades comes to Mariah and tells her about Bushmaster that he was the leader of the Yardies and that Nigel’s head was in one of the bags of money used to buy the Hammer weapons. He suggests that Bushmaster bought the weapons in order to weaken Mariah and realizes that Mariah knows more about it than she initially shares. Mariah is insistent that they can get out of the game together with the money.

Luke heads to Claire’s apartment and meets Mrs. Hansen (Erika Rolfsrud) who is going to sublet it. She tells him he is not welcome there and directs him to his stuff, which Claire has bagged up along with a letter. Misty tracks down Luke and asks if he wants to press charges against Bushmaster and he refuses. Misty hands over intel on Bushmaster and then offers to take Luke with her to Brooklyn to find a suspect.

Misty suits up outside Bushmaster’s hideout and the two head in and find the place abandoned identifying a Mother’s Touch bag before eventually finding Nigel’s headless body in the back. Comanche delivers Mariah coffee and he offers to help her with the financial deal and questions her on how much she can trust Piranha, but she dismisses him.

The police are examining Bushmaster’s hideout and removing the body. We meet Detective Tomas Ciancio (Rey Lucas) who fills them in about the history of the Yardies and tells them about one of the gang currently awaiting expedition. Misty heads off to see the gang member and Luke heads off.

Back at Harlem’s Paradise we see Mariah is looking at old news clippings, Luke is reading Claire’s letter on the bus and Tilda (Gabrielle Dennis) is doing research at Mother’s Touch. Luke enters Mother’s Touch and Tilda soon recognizes that he is suffering from a concussion and prepares something for him while asking him about the nature of his powers. She thinks he should get a CT scan. He questions her about Bushmaster, but she doesn’t know about the effect of the items she sold him.

Misty heads into an interrogation to see Gideon Shaw (R.A. Guirand). He tells her a story from his youth growing up with Bushmaster and Sheldon. It is the story of the man on top of the hill. The man at the top of the hill wants for nothing and feels he is protected by being at the top. The man at the bottom of the hill knows that at any time he can go the top of the hill and kill the man at the top while he sleeps. Shaw says that Bushmaster is here to right the wrongs done to his family by the family on top – The Stokes.

At Harlem’s Paradise we see Bushmaster make his entrance and goes to see Mariah. We see that Bushmaster is the name of the rum that Mariah is pouring. He questions her on this history of Harlem’s Paradise and mentions Quincy Percy McIver. Mariah dismisses the name and the two go back and forth until Bushmaster goes to make his leave and calls Mariah “Stokes.”

She reacts angrily and threatens him, but he tells her to enjoy her time on the hill before finally leaving. Shades goes to follow and asks where Comanche is only to be told he got a call from his mother and went to see her. Bushmaster heads to Gwen’s and is greeted by the customers and Auntie Ingrid (Heather Simms). He then goes to see Anansi (Saur Ngaujah) to tell him about his night. We see that Shades is watching Gwen’s from outside in his car and he tries calling Comanche but doesn’t get through.

Comanche gets into a car with Captain Ridenhour. He is an informant and has been working for him since his release from jail. Misty heads back to the precinct and finds an envelope from Danny and Colleen with schematics for a Rand-made artificial arm. She considers it and then says “yes” to herself. Luke walks into Pop’s and takes a seat and then Bobby enters from the back. Bobby lets Luke know that his daughter is sick and needs a transplant, so he’ll be heading to San Diego to donate his kidney.

The two talk about Claire and the nature of being a hero. Bobby reminds him that due to his powers it is that much easier for people to fear him and his mistakes to be amplified. The two hug and Bobby leaves. Afterwards, Luke finds himself served by a process server.