Marvel’s Luke Cage – Wig Out

By: Darryl Ley

Luke (Mike Colter) is sitting in Cockroach’s apartment with blood on his hands looking stunned. We see Dontrell “Cockroach” Hamilton (Dorian Missick) is unconscious on the floor and Drea Powell (Michelle Beck) and her son CJ (Christopher King) are cowering on the floor. Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) enters checks on Drea and CJ as Luke explains that Cockroach was beating them so he “stopped” him. Claire is visibly upset as she checks him over identifying a concussion and broken ribs as likely injuries. Luke wants to keep things quiet and wants Cockroach talkative because he could implicate Mariah and Shades in Arturo’s death, but Claire argues that he will die without proper medical attention.

We seemingly flash forward and the EMTs are loading Cockroach into a gurney. Detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick) enters and speaks to Claire who is shaken up by “bad memories.” Claire asks if Luke is going to be arrested and Misty says she will try to prevent that while Luke stares out of the apartment window. Misty and Claire hug and then Claire leaves. Misty has Luke walk her through what happened and Luke snaps at her. They eventually decide to go after Nigel the third party who put in a bid for Mariah’s guns. As Luke leaves Misty says he never makes it easy.

John “Bushmaster” McIver (Mustafa Shakir) is lying in bed with two women. When he gets up we see Sheldon Shaw (Kevin Mambo) waiting downstairs for him and they discuss their plans for the day. They chat about Arturo’s death and Cockroach getting put in hospital by Luke Cage. Sheldon questions why Bushmaster is bothered by Cage and he replies that he has the people of Harlem behind him, which makes him a threat to Bushmaster’s plans.

Sheldon is surprised when Bushmaster reveals that he will pay for Mariah’s guns now that Arturo is dead, but he reveals that it is simply to fatten her up before the kill. We also learn that Sheldon is running a spy at Harlem’s Paradise. Tilda (Gabrielle Dennis) is at Mariah’s playing the piano when Mariah (Alfre Woodard) comes into the room and listens quietly before Tilda notices. They talk about the family, that Tilda got her musical skill from, the Stokes side of her family. They sit down for dinner and Tilda talks about what she remembers. Tilda recalls the secrets and the darkness of the family and is startled when she notices Shades standing in the hall motionless watching them.

Mariah tells Shades (Theo Rossi) that he can’t come around uninvited as she wants to keep Tilda out of the family business. He fills her in on Cockroach being in hospital, so she orders him to Brooklyn to make a deal with the Jamaicans. He pushes back reminding her that he’s her partner, but she dismisses it and goes back to the dinner table.

Luke is back at Pop’s marking down locations on his map before falling asleep. Misty visits Cockroach and tells him a story about a domestic violence case that ended in murder. He denies everything and tries to antagonize her when he brings up Scarfe but is interrupted when Detectives Nandi Tyler (Antonique Smith) and Mark Bailey (Justin Swain) show up. Nandi and Misty clash while Bailey attempts to keep the peace, but he chastises her for letting Luke walk away from the assault. Eventually, Misty leaves.

Bobby Fish (Ron Cephas Jones) comes into Pop’s and finds Luke asleep in the back and correctly deduces that Luke is in the doghouse, suggesting that he apologise whatever the issue. Claire surprises them, saying to Luke he didn’t come home last night. They start arguing while Bobby makes excuses and quickly leaves. Claire reminds him that all he had to do was tap Cockroach on the head. She calls what he did at the apartment brutal and he leaves mid conversation.

Captain Tom Ridenhour (Peter Jay Fernandez) reads Misty the riot act for going to a crime scene without authorisation and letting Luke leave the crime scene. Ridenhour wants to bench her, but she has been ruled untouchable by the higher ups which seems to shock Misty. She heads off by herself to let out her frustration. Shades arrives at Bushmaster’s headquarters where he asks for Nigel, but Bushmaster says he is in control now. They throw a bag at Shades’ feet and we see inside his Nigel’s severed head and the money.

Luke follows the gang member as he tries to evade him. Mariah is at her fundraising event meeting and greeting and we see Tilda arrive greeted by Alex (John Clarence Stewart) Mariah’s assistant. We find out that Piranha and “Billie” (Tarah Rodgers) have been working on Mark Higgins (Jeorge Bennett Watson). Misty is working out with Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) who tells her that Danny has been trying to get in contact with her. They talk about how Misty is coping and she says that she is off balance. Colleen has her try some centering exercises and gets physical when Misty laughs it off. Colleen then explains that she doesn’t feel pity for Misty. She feels admiration after she stepped in and saved her from Bakuto, but she cuts through the awkward silence by asking Misty if she is thirsty then leaving the ring expecting to be followed.

At the church Claire goes to see James Lucas (Reg E. Cathey) and the two talk Luke though Claire does not call him by his name instead using a fake name. James asks Claire what her purpose is, and he counsels her on how to help Luke. Eventually, he asks if she loves him, which she immediately says yes to and reveals she is speaking about Luke without realizing.

The gang member from Gwen’s has been followed all the way to Bushmaster’s headquarters by Luke Cage and barely has time to warn the others before Luke busts through the door. Bushmaster emerges with a group of his shoulders who all take turns fighting Luke after Luke gives Bushmaster an ultimatum. Luke leaves after using his hands to contain the detonation of a grenade thrown at him.

Mariah is delivering a speech at her benefit she talks about meeting Tilda’s father Jackson Dillard his death and raising Tilda back at home with her family and expresses her pride and gratitude for her daughter and her accomplishments. Colleen and Misty are drinking at a bar discussing what they would do with a million dollars with Colleen wanting to read at British Library while Misty favours a Ford Mustang. The conversation is interrupted Morty (Hakim Callendar) who tries to pick them up. After Colleen turns him down he tries talking to Misty and it turns out that Misty sent his brother to prison. That is the true reason for him coming over to confront her.

A fight breaks out between the two with Misty trying a one two combination forgetting the loss of her arm she looks for help from Colleen who ignores her until one of the three people Misty is fighting with breaks a bottle and tries to go after her from behind. They quickly beat up the three guys and Misty appears to appreciate what Colleen did in leaving her to fight for herself.

We see Bushmaster performing a ritual while practicing his capoeira and watching video of Luke’s earlier visit taken by Sheldon. At Harlem’s paradise Piranha is asking Mariah if there are any bullet fragments from her confrontation with Luke and she asks if he is a fan. Before he can answer her assistant Alex enters and shows Mark Higgins (Jeorge Bennett Watson) in. He compliments her speech and seems surprised when “Billie” brings in a large envelope, which is full of evidence of his having slept with her. Mariah then informs her of her terms to keep the pictures away from his wife as he needs to approve the merger between Atreus and Glenn Industries.

Tilda interrupts and Mark Higgins leaves. Tilda explains that she never looked at their situation while she grew up from her mother’s perspective as they are mending old wounds they are interrupted by Shades who reveals that he got the money from the Jamaicans. We see that “Billie” is the spy mentioned earlier as she turns up at Gwen’s and is revealed to be Sheldon’s cousin. She lets him know about Mariah’s business deal.

Luke comes back to the apartment and almost immediately begins arguing with Claire. They talk about their different experiences of racism and their argument go back and forth raising their voices and becoming more frustrated. Claire worries that Luke enjoys the violence and says he is running away blaming those around him. Things get worse when she reveals that she went to see his father. Luke lashes out screaming enough and begins punching a hole in the wall, badly scaring Claire who moves away from him.

Luke realizes that he has done, but Claire insists that he leave saying that she can’t be in a house with violence after seeing what happened between her mother and father. She tells him she is going to Havana to see her grandmother as the tears begin to fall. Luke leaves and is a trance of sorts walking down the street when he is knocked to the floor by a surprise attack from Bushmaster, as he leans over him we fade to black.