I'm Claire. Are you all right?
Cockroach was beating on CJ and his mother.
So I stopped him.
You call this stopping him?
He has a concussion.
Maybe a few broken ribs.
He needs an MRI.
I need to keep this quiet.
And I need to keep him talking.
He looks talkative, all right.
Arturo's dead.
I need somebody that was there that night with Mariah and Shades.
- If he can be flipped... - You can't flip a dead man, Luke.
If he dies,
you'll be going back to Seagate.
Luke Cage for mayor.
He need to holler at my sister's boyfriend. For real.
Hey.
- You all right? - Just bad memories.
This ain't my first rodeo with a domestic violence call.
- Are you going to arrest Luke? - Of course not.
I'm going to see if I can't smooth this thing out
before it even gets to that.
This doesn't look good.
It is what it is.
Walk me through what happened.
I came to question Cockroach.
He was beating his girlfriend, so I stepped in.
Ridenhour is chompin' at the bit to shut down your vigilante act,
and this doesn't help.
So I do the right thing, and my freedom's at risk?
If y'all were doing your jobs, I wouldn't have to do it for you.
Don't you dare talk to me about sacrifice.
Now, you might have cost me my best chance
against Shades and Mariah, doing my job.
There's still one left.
The Jamaican. Nigel.
- Well, then he's my problem now. - No, he's our problem.
Those guns will eventually make it to Harlem.
Are you gonna tie me up in this nonsense
or are you gonna let me do what I do?
Walk.
Quickly.
Before I change my mind.
Jesus, Luke...
you never make things easy.
You want coffee? Blue Mountain?
You no see me just get two cups?
They keep me energized, you know.
What's on the agenda, brethren?
Mariah. Until I change your mind.
Never. We going to Harlem?
Nah. Better she come to Brooklyn. Or her people them.
Mmm.
Rahtid. What's this? Arturo Rey is dead.
- Eh? - Mmm.
And me hear say Cockroach fall upon Luke Cage fist.
Rassclaat.
Luke Cage everywhere.
So him work for the Stokes now?
Nah. Come to understand she hate the man.
- Him vex me. - Why?
'Cause him exist.
As long as him have the heart, Harlem won't fully be mine.
Two bulls can't reign in one pen.
Don Dada is not plural, you know.
Don't make him distract you, mi dads. Keep your eye upon Mariah.
Her people them, have to come to us to get Nigel's money.
And them nuh know say him dead.
So I'll give it to her.
You're mad. Why?
I want her nice and fat when I kill her.
Yuh likkle birdie still deh? At Harlem's Paradise?
- Mmm. - Good.
Soon we know everything.
Mariah must burn.
You have it.
That thing.
I never did, but you do.
- Maybe my father... - No. No.
Jackson could never play like that.
Those hands are pure Stokes.
This keyboard belonged to our cousin Cornell.
Um, sorry. I should have asked before using it.
Oh, no.
Our grandmother gave it to him.
But now it's yours.
Come, sit.
Let's eat.
What you thinking about?
The last time I ate here, I was ten.
I remember the smell of greens and Cornell playing music
and Mama Mabel yelling at us for leaving the refrigerator door open.
But I also remember strangers in the living room.
Hushed tones.
Rooms I couldn't enter.
Bloodied towels in the trash can.
This family has always been...
dark.
Show me a family that doesn't have dark corners.
But now we can move past all that, can't we?
Well, that is what I'm trying, Mommy.
Excuse me, sweetie.
You need to stop showing up like this without calling.
Since when?
Since I am trying to keep my daughter out of the family business.
I thought I was family.
Luke Cage got to Cockroach. He's in the hospital.
We're down to one buyer.
Piranha said we need the money, all of it, in 48 hours. Who's left?
The Yardies.
Go to Brooklyn. Get it done.
Who are you talking to like that?
I'm not the help.
I'm your partner, among other things.
You really gonna talk to me about your feelings right now?
Here we are.
I remember when I used to get those
domestic calls when I was still on patrol.
Some asshole, like yourself, starts beatin' on a woman.
She calls the cops, but by the time we show up,
she's screaming, "Please, don't hurt him."
Then, when I became a homicide detective,
I would get a call to that same address
and that same woman would be laying on the floor,
outlined in chalk and photographed.
Why did you attack Luke Cage?
And why did you hurt your woman and your son?
Lawyer.
They found an exotic shotgun outside your warehouse dice and shake joint.
Did Mariah sell it to you?
Who?
That's a good-looking fella.
I went to go see Joi.
Friends with her ex-man, Gipp.
I don't know why Luke targeted me.
I'm the victim in all of this.
Oh.
Not yet.
But you will be.
As soon as Mariah finds out you've been talking to the cops.
You only half the cop that Scarfe was.
Oh, my bad.
Mmm. You got the fire in your eyes, girl.
But you like to be handled when no one else is watching.
- Most bitches do. - You know what?
Misty!
Outside. Now.
What did I tell you about interrupting an interrogation?
He's not yours to interrogate.
You need to get her out my face, Bailey.
Could both of you all just chill out?
Okay, look, Nandi's right. You let a perp leave the scene of a crime.
- Oh, so Luke Cage is a perp now? - This is our case, not yours.
It's funny how you seem to be trailing behind me on your investigation.
Ooh.
You in the doghouse, man?
- You go Eric Benét? - Never that.
Whatever you did,
whether your fault or not, say you're sorry.
That woman's so fine, "yes" is always the answer,
unless "no" is required.
- Sometimes, she needs to hear "no." - I hear you.
I don't agree.
- You didn't come home. - No.
I didn't know whether you were going to talk to me or at me.
That's unfair.
Unfair?
You called the po-po on me, woman.
I'm gonna call Nike back.
Good to see you, Claire.
I called an ambulance for him and Misty for you.
They called the cops.
I lost control of the situation when you lost control.
You could have just tapped Cockroach on the head.
It would have conked him out. I've seen you do it.
I've seen you raw...
but never brutal.
Yeah, well, sometimes brutality gets shit done.
What can I say?
What the hell were you thinking? You go to a crime scene without authorization.
You let an assault perpetrator go without authorization.
Luke Cage is out there doing things that you and me and Bailey and Nandi can't.
Look, we are this close to taking down Mariah.
Without clear, present, actionable evidence,
we can't move on Mariah!
And right now, you have none of that.
Personally, I'd sideline your insubordinate ass,
but this decision is above my pay grade.
You're the department's Private Ryan. They can't let anything happen to you.
Maureen, Eileen, Christine. Give me them points.
Check them. You know the man can't count for shit.
Only thing mi can't count is how many times I beat your ass.
Whoo!
Take a seat anywhere you like, love.
Unfortunately, I'm not here for the food.
You sure?
We have the best curried goat in all the city. Guarantee it.
Thank you, but I'm not hungry right now.
Something to drink? Ginger beer? Rum? Coffee?
No, ma'am. I'm looking for a man named Nigel.
You have to be more specific. Plenty of Jamaicans named Nigel.
He's a part of a crew called the Yardies.
I don't know nothing about them. Haven't heard that name in a long time.
Better you ask them.
Thank you.
Um, excuse me. I hate to interrupt your game...
Then don't.
I need your help.
- You need a job? - No.
Good. Go block out the sun somewhere else.
- Maybe him looking for a wife. - Ooh.
You got a wife? You know, my daughter, she...
Man, ain't nobody want your daughter.
- I'm looking for Nigel. - You check in the phone book?
Do you know who I am?
You're Luke Cage.
Him say him faster than Usain Bolt.
I never said that.
- He the man from up in Harlem. - Yeah, but this ain't Harlem.
- Walk good! - And walk out of here.
Greetings, brother.
I'm here to speak to Nigel.
Nigel's business is my business now.
I don't know you. I'm here on behalf of Mariah Dillard.
Stokes. Mariah Stokes.
Nigel had a big head,
a big mouth and small ideas.
Him had no vision.
I been rethinking the value of this gun deal.
I need you to convince me of this thing, yeah?
Hmm.
? The way you look at me When you think I'm not lookin' ?
? Tells me ?
? Your heart's a sleeping giant worn out By someone you loved before me ?
? I see you're scared Unconvinced of what I've tried to say ?
? That I am yours And that nothing will take me away ?
? I know that you know But I'll say it again... ?
Jeff Alexander, after Barack said that, how could I resist?
The rest, as we say, is history.
Oh, you made it. Ah, I always can depend on you.
Ladies, checkbooks, checkbooks.
Hello, Tilda. I'm Alex, your mother's assistant.
Got anything stronger?
Ha. You are Mariah's daughter.
? The way you always call me With some question and every time ?
? Tryin' to pretend you didn't call me Just 'cause I was on your mind ?
I hope you are taking good care of her, Alex.
Absolutely.
Excuse me, Madam Councilwoman. Nice meeting you, Tilda.
Come in. Hey.
Wow. You always did like it siddity.
Oh, I invented "bad and bougie."
Girl, go get yourself a drink.
There's a mescal over there with your name on it.
Oh, a real drink.
? But I'll say it again, I love you, baby nothing will take me away ?
Hey, thanks for coming. Hi, darling.
Is Mark Higgins here yet?
He's been hanging out with Piranha all night and looking at Stephanie.
You mean Billie. Capable girl.
Mmm-hmm.
- Where's Hernan? - Where he needs to be.
Only thing that matters is that Mark Higgins stays in the pocket.
I've made sure Stephanie invites him to Harlem's Paradise for drinks.
You can reel him in there.
Ahab ain't got shit on me.
Again.
Double.
Glad you called.
Danny said he's been trying to reach you, and you won't pick up.
I told the barefoot billionaire the same thing I told Luke
and everybody else.
I don't need his charity.
- You at least talking to someone? - I'm talking to you right now.
- There's nothing wrong with you, Misty. - Bullshit.
I'm all jammed up. Emotions and anger.
I can't even see things the way I used to.
You lost your arm, not yourself.
Yeah. Well, it was a pretty big part of my self.
I'm a righty. You know.
I mean, I dribbled right...
and with the ball in my hand, I could see everything.
Now?
It's cloudy.
Okay.
Uh...
Close your eyes. Stop... Stop looking at me.
Okay.
Listen, bear with me.
Our physical bodies, they're just... they're just channels, okay?
For our energy and our power. Chi.
- "Chi"? - Yes, chi. Close your eyes.
Concentrate. Breathe.
Feel the flow.
Om.
Be aware of your whole self.
The only thing my whole self is aware of is how hokey all of this
- Zen nonsense... - "Hokey"?
Hey.
- You came to me. - Hey!
- I'm not easy. - Stop!
- You don't like that? - No!
Do you feel good, huh? Taking down a cripple?
Yeah. If that's how you see yourself.
You don't know what it's like...
to feel powerless.
To have somebody take your identity from you, your soul.
I do, actually.
More than you know.
Misty, you are the reason I still have an arm.
When Bakuto attacked me, what did you do? You jumped in. You're selfless.
I admire that.
So never pity. Ever.
You thirsty?
I got plenty of water.
That's not what I mean.
Come on.
Hello...
- Claire. - Claire. I am sorry.
I'm new.
Big congregation.
I'm James, but you can call me Rev if that makes you more comfortable.
No, James is fine.
James it is.
I'm new here. You can tell, this, uh... This really isn't my thing.
Well, that's the beautiful thing about Jesus.
He wasn't all about the church.
Jesus was all about the people who make up the church.
"For when two or three gather together in my name...
I am there with them."
There's just two of us.
He's here.
You look troubled.
I'm not.
- My boyfriend is. - Mmm-hmm.
He's going down a dark path.
One that I'm not sure that I can follow.
He's angry.
He's lost his purpose.
Well, what's yours?
- Excuse me? - What's your purpose, Claire?
How can you help him find his if you can't state yours?
I was a nurse.
And now I help people with special physical abilities.
Athletes?
Sort of.
Luther, I helped the most.
And now he's in a place where I can't help him.
Because I don't know how.
Now, this is where scripture comes in.
"Counsel in the heart of man is like deep waters.
But the man with understanding will draw it out."
Get it?
It's like saying
you can't save someone from drowning unless you have on your life jacket.
Or you make enough room on the door for both of you to float.
Titanic?
That always bothered me.
Rose had plenty of room for Jack on that door.
Keeps me up at night.
Okay, you know what I'm saying. Tell me, Claire, do you love Luther?
Yes, I do love Luke.
Then you dive right into the deep waters of your heart,
and you will find your answer.
God bless.
Amen.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
- What happened, boy? - Luke Cage is here.
- Talk! - Point the guns at the door!
- Talk, man! - It's Luke Cage!
I'm Luke Cage.
Me know who you are. You must be mad coming up to my turf.
You're not faster than Usain Bolt, you know.
I never said I was.
- I'm looking for Nigel, man. - Him gone. Headed elsewhere.
You have something to say, say it to me.
Your gun deal with Mariah Dillard ain't happening...
Stokes. Mariah Stokes.
You're not taking over. Leave now, and I won't have to hurt you.
You want to tell me what to do like I'm a little schoolboy? Hmm?
I'm stopping Mariah Dillard and anyone else who's in bed with her.
The enemy of me enemy is me friend.
We could work together, you know. You don't know my story.
I know you're trouble and you're bringing that trouble to Harlem.
Harlem is not your birthright. It's mine, brethren.
Harlem is under my protection now.
Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Now stay out of my yard.
You wanna talk about a yard with a Yardie? Come.
You.
Shit.
My grandmother, Mabel Stokes,
believed in stepping up for people in need.
She considered it a privilege,
which is why our Shirley Chisholm Complex
will feature new child-friendly services,
such as on-site daycare, rent control and financial planning,
to inaugurate our sweeping Family First Initiative.
Helping... Go ahead, clap, clap...
Helping hardworking single mothers in need
raise happy, ambitious children throughout our complexes.
Government assistance is good. It works, sure.
But it takes a mother's touch to make things special.
This is personal for me.
I met a dashing man at Howard one day on the quad.
He was eight years older and had just graduated from Howard Medical School.
I fell for him, hard.
Much to the consternation of my family, because of our age difference.
His name was Jackson Dillard.
We eloped.
And my Jackson went off to Central America
to provide medical services and training to campesinos in Nicaragua.
The day I found out I was pregnant
was the day that he was shot and killed by the Contras.
My daughter, Tilda, was born,
and I quickly realized that I was ill-equipped
to raise this glorious itty-bitty chocolate drop by myself,
and so I swallowed my pride and I returned home.
Mama Mabel embraced me.
That was our family motto. "Family first."
Always. No matter what.
No matter... how complex.
In fact, I am absolutely thrilled to have my daughter here with us today.
Dr. Matilda Maybelline Dillard.
Wave, Tilda.
Family is a blessing.
And no mother should ever have to do it alone.
With your help and your dollars, our Family First Initiative will ensure
that in all of our complexes uptown, where we take care of our own,
no mother will ever have to.
Family first, always.
Harlem first, always. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
The British Library.
Mmm-hmm.
Second largest only to the Library of Congress.
- Did you know that? - Mmm-mmm.
I would... I would go and I... I would sit and I would read everything.
Hardy, Chaucer... that other dead guy.
You would go to a library if you won a million dollars?
- Yeah. Pretty much. - You're lame.
- What? - It's lame.
Okay, what would you do?
Ford Mustang, black, 6-bolt V-8 engine, with cast-iron water pumps.
- Well, your dick is bigger than mine. - You're goddamn right, it is.
Ladies, ladies, name's Morty. A-ha...
You mind if I dip-dip my toes in this conversation?
- Wow. - Morty...
- quit while you're ahead. - Mmm-hmm.
The, uh... The water is too shallow for three people. I'm sorry.
Well, then call me Mr. Fish, baby. I'll adapt.
Get lost.
That's cool. I'm not really talking about you, anyway.
I'm all about the sisters. You know what I mean?
Morty, is it?
You need to swim you and your whack-ass game back over there.
No, I'm right where I need to be.
You that bitch that sent my brother to Dannemora.
You know, that's the second time somebody's called me a bitch today.
- Hmm. - And it's gonna be the last.
Bill Norris. Don't remember him?
Sorry, I don't look down before I flush.
Ooh, you got a real mouth on you, girl. I'mma... stick something in it.
Oh...
Whoo!
Somebody got their swagger back.
What you know about swagger?
Borrowed Danny's iPod.
What? You want a hug?
Let's go.
Put it on his tab.
You got all the bullet holes?
From what?
The ricochet from Luke Cage. Did you save any fragments?
- You sound like a fan. - Well...
That was a beautiful speech.
Thelma Gordon raved about it. You really outdid yourself.
You had our hearts in your hand.
Mark, helping people has always brought me joy.
But as we both know...
joy ain't free.
I like the third one.
- You are a freak. - What do you want? Money?
Cindy...
Oh, we both know what my soror will do when she sees these pictures.
I don't want your money, Mark. I need a vote, of confidence.
What do you mean?
Mr. Jones, for your protection, would you please excuse us one moment?
Absolutely.
Billie.
Please.
Speak your piece.
"Piece" is a good word. Because that's what I want, my piece.
Your company, Atreus Plastics, is up for acquisition by Glenn Industries.
I'm about to purchase $20 million worth of stock.
Tomorrow, you and the rest of the board
will vote in favor of that deal to go through.
I need you to ensure that merger.
Atreus is the biggest black-owned plastics company in the world.
You think I'm going to sell my company at pennies on the dollar
to some goddamn crackers?
Saltine or Ritz. Either way, you will.
Because I want my cheese.
Sell it, vote for the merger and retire.
If you don't, these pictures will go everywhere.
And I got video.
I'm not talking MediaTakeOut.
I'm talking WorldStar.
Oh, sweetie, I didn't know you were here.
Actually, I'm just stopping by to say good night.
I missed you at the end.
Tilda, this is Mark Higgins.
He is single-handedly bankrolling our Family First Initiative.
You put me on the spot out there.
Oh, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.
Let me finish. Um...
Emotions are not my area of expertise.
I have a hard time letting people in.
But when I saw you up there today,
through all the lies and hurt,
I felt something.
I didn't want to, but I believed you.
I guess I never thought of our situation from your point of view,
and for that I apologize.
Sweetie, you have no idea how much that means to me.
Here. Sit.
- Mommy... - Wait.
I know it's hard to wrap your head around,
but every powerful family has some dark memories.
But I've always tried to bring us into the light.
We've lost a lot of time, Tilda.
Now we get to make up for it.
Okay, I will come by the shop tomorrow to see you.
Good night, sweetheart.
Tell me something good!
Jamaican me crazy, baby!
The Jamaicans paid way over our asking price.
There are ten more bags like this to bring in.
They were very eager to close this deal.
I didn't know Nigel had it like that.
Wasn't Nigel. It was someone else. Jamaican but aggressive.
Who cares?
Piranha! Get your tight ass in here!
We got the money, nigga.
Baby cousin, wah gwaan?
You have a name?
They're using the money to buy stock in Atreus Plastics.
Using a Wall Street man named Piranha Jones...
Piranha? Like the fish?
Yes. Can I quit now?
Soon.
Little more time, and we'll have everything we want.
Me like fish.
So many different ways of filleting it.
Auntie, can you roast some snapper?
I'm starving.
Now I'll lecture you...
'cause I'm a fool for you.
I love you so much.
I love you, too. But you can't castrate me.
Preventing you from going back to jail lessens your manhood?
I'm finally getting results, Claire.
Shit's getting done.
Look, Pop always talked about Kenyatta, right?
I see his point.
I'm rough, but... I'm still a hero.
Really? If beating your chest around town
is what you need to call yourself a hero,
then I question your understanding of the word.
This shit is changing you, Luke.
- It's making me more who I am. - You're scaring people, Luke.
You're scaring me.
I'm a black man in a hoodie.
People have always been afraid of me.
Look, you never had anybody clutch a purse on an elevator, okay?
Or follow you around the store.
Or cross the street when they see you coming, now have you?
I didn't need to leave my house to feel racism.
Soy Afrocubana.
I've got family members so filled with shame and self-hatred,
they will deny each other to the grave.
That's how deep it can run.
But you rise above it. You rise above the labels.
Baby, a black man only has two choices in this world.
You can either lean into the fear
and be the nigga people already think you are,
or you can play the big, docile house cat with a smile.
That's like saying the only choice for a woman is ho or housewife.
It's not that simple.
You don't need to feed your anger to prove a point.
I'm a man. Okay? Full-fledged.
My anger is real.
But if I can use that anger for intimidation and fear to do work,
then so be it.
If I have to speak the language of those who would do others harm
to make them stop, then so be it.
But that's not you!
Yeah, you can use anger as a tool.
But you disable yourself when you use it as a crutch.
You don't get to pick and choose the parts
of me that you like and dislike, baby.
If you're down with me, you have to be down with all of me.
I am so down, but...
But what?
Sometimes you have to step on a cockroach.
I get it.
But when you enjoy the stomping?
What's next? You become an exterminator?
You think I seek this shit out?
I never wanted this. Any of it.
Between you and Pop always on me
about stepping out of the shadows, about...
Yo, see. That's your problem right there. You won't take responsibility.
I am taking responsibility! By taking over!
By shutting things down, one by one!
No, you're running.
You're blaming me. You're blaming your father.
- No, no. Don't. Don't. Don't. - You're blaming Pops.
Don't talk about my father. Okay?
I met with your father today.
And he's not the ogre that you think he is.
You had no right to do that.
You should talk to him, Luke.
Oh, God forbid he's changed
and you can't use him as an excuse to fuel your anger anymore.
If he were to see what you did this morning
and your justifications, he'd be ashamed of you.
- You've become the ogre... - Enough!
Claire.
Um...
I...
need, um...
I need the ocean.
I need time. I need space.
I need perspective.
I need to go.
I need to go see my mom and my abuelita in Havana.
Don't. Don't. Don't leave.
Look, if... if you want to talk...
No, this isn't the time to talk now.
See, um...
that hole you just put in my wall...
that was my childhood.
That was my mother and my father,
and, um... I said I would never...
put myself through that again.
I would never live with anger again.
So, um...
Look, you know...
You know...
I would never... hurt you.
You know that, right?
You need to go.
Right now.
I'm gonna be at the barbershop.
Let's... Let's talk tomorrow,
after we've both had some time to think.
I love you.
And I'm sorry.
You told me stay out of your yard.
But Harlem's not your yard, boy.
It's mine.
sync and corrections by awaqeded www.addic7ed.com.