Cause he did it all… just to get a rep.
Cottonmouth is smugly watching a rapper singing Long Live the Chief to audition as we flash to our old pal the Night Nurse walking downtown and chasing down an idiot who tried snatching her purse and Detective Misty digging through rubble of Genghis Connie’s.
Cottonmouth is holding a sort of state of the union meeting about his crippled finances and Cages damage. He shoots one of his guys for suggesting maybe they avoid him. Skeevy guy says Diamondback sent him to help him get control. Cottonmouth orders his goons to go harass damn near everyone to recoup his money and make folks afraid to stand with Cage. A couple of douchebags bust up a sports shop and tell the girl who runs it to blame Cage.
Bobby the chess player has the one and only Dapper Dan tailor a nice suit for Luke to wear to Pop’s memorial. They joke about Pop’s exes and Bobby offers Luke Pop’s apartment. The girl from the sports Store bursts in and tells Cage to fix it. Cage goes off to do just that. Claire the Night Nurse shows up to her new job at a diner and Luke kicks goon ass all over town.
Misty accosted Luke and taunts him with his wife’s photo. She goes into total bitch mode and tells him not to show up to Pop’s memorial. Meanwhile Skeevy guy is advising Cottonmouth to just ignore Cage but pride and ego won’t him. Luke shows up and kicks some ass, and Skeevy guy finally recognising him. Luke tells Cottonmouth to back off.
Claire is telling her mother at the diner why she had to quit the hospital, recounting the hospital cover up after the Hand attacked it to reclaim their brainwashed kids. She tells her mom about Matt and Luke and how she wants to help. Her mom tells her it’s fate.
Shades tells Cottonmouth about Luke’s past and offers him ammo that supposedly might kill him. But if he wants it he needs to either pay the GDP of a small country or let Diamondback handle it. Cottonmouth refuses, too proud to give up his rep. Misty’ sarge and LT ask her about her partner and tell her an IA investigation has started. Luke accosts a Cottonmouth goon in Jackie Robinson park looking for sports shop girl’s stolen ring, and bad cop meets his sarge, who is also crooked, to discuss stealing Cottonmouth’s guns back from evidence.
Luke talks to sports girl’s dad, then goes to the memorial. He quietly stops sports shop girl from shooting Cottonmouth, and Cottonmouth goes up to speak. He shows layers for a villain, and I’m sure he genuinely believes he’s doing what he has to to make Harlem great. He’s completely delusional of course, but he believes it. He tries to use his time to turn people against Luke, but Luke then speaks and completely buries Cottonmouth’s spiel and gives a very inspiring speech and gets a standing ovation in Pop’s memory.
Luke and Cottonmouth have words and Misty proves how painfully naive she really is by trying to guilt trip Luke for doing what deep down she knows she can’t he calls her on her “the system will work” bullshit and tells her he won’t back down.
End of episode.
