02x01 - Soul Brother #1

[bunniefuu]

[hip-hop song playing]

[man grunts]

[grunts]

- [man]

Vamos, el n*gro! - [women screaming]

- Really, guys? - Hey, he gotta know we tried, man.

[hip-hop music playing over headphones]

[g*nshots]

[gasps]

You tell any fool dumb enough to put my name on a package that I'm comin'.

You hear me? Yo, I got that Luke Cage.

That Luke Cage.

sh*t is bulletproof.

What's my name? [hip-hop song continues playing]

[theme music playing]

[James]

Mmm-hmm.

Everybody talkin' about Luke Cage like he's Jesus.

Got magazines callin' him the Bulletproof Black Man with Barack's easy smile, Martin's charm and Malcolm's forthright swagger.

Mmm.

For the sisters, he's a sumptuous, dark roast to savor.

Brown-eyed handsome man of their fantasies.

And for the hard rocks, he's the ghetto bogeyman of their nightmares.

Luke Cage makes conventional cop work irrelevant.

Harlem's worship of Luke Cage has reached golden calf proportions.

Luke Cage is soul brother number one! [chuckles]

But I want to ask you to ask yourselves one thing.

Who is he really, Luke Cage? Does he serve the Lord, or does he serve himself? Oh, get to the point, Rev.

What I'm tellin' you I'm tellin' ya is that you you have to take the opportunity to become the hero for yourself.

You have to take all your hopes, dreams and, yes, your fury to make a plan that will generate that change that you wanna come.

And you have to realize that not one man can save a community.

One man cannot do it by himself, no matter how good, no matter how strong.

[sighs]

And believe me, Luke Cage is nothin' but a man.

And there's a reason we do not worship men.

Because we're weak, subject to temptation, ego, vainglorious, spiteful.

Oh, yes, Lord knows we are spiteful.

Bulletproof skin doesn't change nature.

[D.

W.

]

We shouldn't have to move.

What's this "we" all of a sudden? You just started working here.

We got tour buses every other hour.

This spot's world-famous now.

Well, your videos don't make it easier.

The brother can't eat a sandwich without you pointing a camera in his face.

Look, I'm his Howard Bingham.

I didn't choose Luke's life.

Luke life chose me.

Yeah, well, Luke's life is expensive.

Insurance went through the roof when Diamondback wrecked the shop.

- Landlord's about to double the rent.

- [scoffs]

Luke can cash in anytime he wants, you know what I'm sayin'? Bulletproof's got to be worth somethin'.

Well, Luke's not driven by money.

Who ain't driven by money? That's why they call it money.

You know, that's the problem with your generation.

Oh, here comes the "generation" speech.

Yeah, with the selfies, the groupies, the d*ck pics, the twitty-twit-tweet I mean, y'all even take pictures of your food.

You gotta make sure that's real, too? First, god, n*gg*s always wanna be famous.

Dancin' in the end zones, slam dunk, all of that was invented before I was born, and I don't remember Malcolm or Martin turning down many interviews.

That's 'cause they used publicity to communicate our message.

Money is the message.

Or it should be.

Get paid, black man.

Get yours.

Everyone else is.

- We're here - What the at the world famous Pop's Barber Shop, waiting for the hero of Harlem, Luke Cage, to arrive! Come on, man, that's my job.

Get out of here.

- Where's the love, fam? - [sighs]

They follow him everywhere since that Harlem's Hero app came out.

You see, that's how they do.

They? The black man motivates.

The other man imitates.

I'm just surprised a bulletproof white man hasn't shown up yet.

Give 'em 20 minutes, - I'm sure they'll invent one.

- [D.

W.

scoffs]

Ooh.

That kind of night, huh? Yeah.

[sighs]

I don't think this black college sponsorship thing is gonna work, Bobby.

Logo is too big of a target.

Well, a logo's a terrible thing to waste.

The Carhartt shipment just came in.

And, uh he came back again, too.

[sighs]

Hate the fact that there's a package out there with my name on it, man.

[Fish]

Oh, that's because you're hot.

And, brother, you are en fuego.

Look here.

"A bulletproof black man with Barack's easy smile, Martin's charm and Malcolm's forthright swagger.

" [sighs]

No pressure, right? Breakin' the Internet don't make it easier to hide.

I don't need the spotlight.

The free coffee's kinda cool, though.

What? [chuckles]

What? Hey, Claire's home brew is plenty strong, man.

Don't even go there.

[chuckles]

All right.

[chuckles]

You know, the rent's doubled.

This moving thing is real, Luke.

There's always a little cash lying around after you Look, man, we cannot profit off of misery.

Well, Crispus Attucks rebuilt this place the first time around.

That was restitution, Bobby.

Just because you a woke superhero don't mean you gotta be a broke superhero.

All I'm sayin' is, Luke, just think about sponsorship.

To build a bigger foundation for Pop's dream.

I have dreams, too, Bobby.

[sighs]

Can I breathe first? [door closes]

[sighs]

- You're off-balance.

- Bullshit.

It's a ball.

[sighs]

[grunts softly]

No, it's good.

The nerves are still there.

You have sensation.

Don't look at me like that.

If I had to do it again, I would.

It's the job, okay? It's the risk.

But I don't need your pity.

You saved my life.

I know we're not supposed to talk about it.

And no one is ever gonna know what Matt Murdock did under Midland Circle.

[sighs deeply]

Or what you did for me and Colleen.

It's not pity.

It's appreciation.

Look, you wanna appreciate me, Claire hold on to what you got.

And make Luke realize that no matter how much he loves fighting the fight, - it's not gonna love him back.

- [sighs]

I hear you, Misty.

I really do.

[Misty exhales]

Rivals? We ain't got none.

All those fires you put out, and there's always one more.

Punching water.

When I was a young sheriff, that's what my training officer, Cortez, used to call it.

No matter how many times your fist hits the water, it always refilled itself.

Like you never punched it at all.

Who do you like for your drug connect? El Tercero.

El Rey.

Could be two people for all I know.

Look the department's not moving fast enough.

People are OD'ing left and right.

I gotta stop it.

But, right now, it's just it's just me.

I could really use a partner.

I am done.

I really am.

[inhales deeply]

[exhales]

I'm sorry.

Look, I'll, um, I'll catch up with you later.

Misty.

[jazz music playing]

[man]

Yo, we're ready for this one.

Yeah.

You gotta give your soul, mind and body That's jazz Soul, mind and body That's how we do Soul, mind and body That's jazz Soul, mind and body That's how we do Plastics.

That's our future? [laughs]

Damn, none of y'all saw The Graduate? No, but yes, plastics.

That's how Atreus got their start.

They're small, but brilliant.

If they were acquired by Glenn Industries, however, they'd be the next Dow Chemical.

I have known Mark Higgins of Atreus for years.

He really gets off on being head of the largest black-owned plastics company in the world.

I hear they on some revolutionary sh*t right now.

They've got indestructible plastics for m*llitary use, but they also have a 75-inch OLED monitor that's paper thin, you could roll up like a poster, carry it with you.

Weighs two pounds.

American made.

But nobody knows about this yet besides Glenn Industries.

So that's why you want our money.

Atreus' stock is low.

You buy a controlling interest before they announce this new tech, a $20 million investment could be worth billions.

That's inside information.

It's the best kind.

My grandmother thrived on it.

- When do you need our investment? - Yesterday, okay? I've already set up the shell company in the Caymans.

You've already given me power of attorney, so you're insulated.

Mark Higgins won't wanna sell that company.

But if you can convince Mark Higgins otherwise, you'll never have to worry about money another day in your life.

Legitimate millions.

Nothin' to launder.

Blackmail.

Sexpionage.

Want another round? We're good.

Are you and your aunt celebrating a special occasion? Hmm, nephew? Hmm? Wanna be called "Nephew"? Hmm? We good.

Hernan let it go.

Let it go.

Hey, it works.

Who gives a sh*t what anybody thinks? You're right.

Plastics, huh? So you actually said, "What's my name?" Yeah.

Reclaimin' the streets.

Let them know.

What does that even mean exactly? That my name is my name.

I control it, not them.

Like a brand.

Maybe.

I'm not against that.

We could use the money if we're ever gonna get out of my mom's apartment.

[sighs]

You, too? Hey, cops get paid, so do firemen.

Why should you be any different? Look, that's part of the problem.

Nobody knows if you're a cop, a hero or a vigilante.

You gotta formalize it.

[man]

Yeah, that's Mr.

Cage, please? [chuckles]

I got it.

[camera shutter clicks]

- [chuckles]

Mm-hm.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

[sighs]

Everybody loves you.

Yeah, everybody loves you when it's goin' right.

It always turns.

Luke, breathe.

- Calm down.

- [sighs]

Slow down and smell the roses.

Seriously.

[sighs]

You know, you smellin' good right now.

- Oh, and you're still corny.

- [chuckles]

And you still like it.

[reggae music playing]

[waiter grunts]

[waiter grunting]

[waiter groaning and coughing]

No, please.

Please! Please! [grunting]

[both breathing heavily]

What's my name? [both chuckle]

[siren wailing]

Every siren's not for you.

[sighs]

The street works the other 9:00 to 5:00, baby.

[sighs]

[Luke]

What's up? Look like you lost about 30 pounds.

Prison? Fatherhood.

I had a baby girl, man.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

I know this ain't your car, so I guess you still in the game.

This is my pride and joy.

I bodyguard and I drive now.

Who you drivin' for? Mariah? She's done.

What do you mean, she's done? [scoffs]

They goin' legit, and they're sellin' the Hammer contact to the highest bidder.

Who's bidding? You tell me.

Who's got all the money in the streets? Who always needs g*ns? You think of anything else, call me at Pop's.

You got it.

- Come on, man! - You did good, Sugar.

But I know you're lyin' about something, and I can't let you get away with it.

I'm sorry.

You're petty, man! Something's wrong with you.

- [sighs]

- You got my card.

Third one.

And you didn't think to call or drop by? We need to talk.

Why? You could've seen me plenty when I was at Seagate.

You left early, and you didn't leave behind an address.

Bullshit.

You watch your mouth! Would you have preferred I said "Sweet Christmas"? Actually, yes.

I wrote you 45 letters, man.

It was 50, and I sent 'em all back to sender.

I was raw, and I wasn't ready.

I am now.

You couldn't have come to see me once after she d*ed? The warden had to tell me? [sighs]

[sniffles]

Now here you are.

Arms wide, hand out.

You need money, right? Always, but not from you.

You dyin'? A little bit every day, just like everybody else.

I'm surprised you're not doing interviews, tellin' everybody that I'm your son, fillin' up your little pews.

I was rockin' full congregations before you were born, n*gro, on my name alone.

[chuckles]

Wow.

You are still the same egotistical bastard that you have always been.

Well, I'm not bulletproof, but it works for me.

You You [laughs]

You think the world revolves around you.

You got all these folks out here wantin' to be you, lookin' up to you, but what are you really doing for them? Savin' souls my way walking the righteous path on my own terms and cleaning up your messes.

I'm not perfect, Carl.

At least I can admit that.

But don't we both, both of us, deserve a fresh start? Bring Mama back from the dead.

Could you do that? Then maybe we'll talk.

And my name is not Carl anymore.

Your name is the name I gave you, boy.

Carl.

Just like Willis, right? Stand up.

Nope, over here.

Turn around.

Whoa.

Missed the butt.

Now the front.

If you just look at this job as being a hostess all you'll have to show for it is ankle pain from the six-inch heels and the constant ogling that belies someone of your education.

Instead, why not play both sides against the middle? - [chuckles softly]

- You've done it your whole life.

In one way in Lakeville and another on Flatbush.

You will find there is something in common with the rappers, the moguls, the politicians and the hustlers that come to Paradise lookin' for something.

Clock that, own it, and this entire city could be yours.

There are intangible benefits to being provocative, yet friendly.

You understand? I do.

C'est bon.

You start tomorrow, Billie.

Stephanie, ma'am.

I don't mean to correct you.

No, you're Billie.

It's those sad, compelling eyes of yours.

They're gonna make men want to save you and tell you things.

Hey, we'll use that.

[chuckles]

[sighs]

I'm still better than you.

- Where's Harlem? - [man]

Uptown.

Across the bridge.

You are ready to go? No.

Harlem will have to wait.

Hmm.

First, we take Brooklyn.

[bells chime]

Hey, man.

[sighs]

- [Fish]

How was it? - Awful.

My homeboy's devastated.

His daughter was 15.

People are dropping like flies from that Luke Cage heroin.

Look, I know you're doing your best, bro, but can you step it up? Look, it's not like g*ns, D-Dub.

Those sources are easier to shut down.

dr*gs are everywhere.

You shut down one corner, two more pop up.

You got a name yet? El Tercero is all I got.

Nothing in Harlem yet.

You try Washington Heights? Wait a minute.

I don't know about El Tercero, but there's this guy, Arturo Gomez.

He's a Dominican cat.

He was a stick-up kid and hustler.

He used to run this crew called the Rivals.

[Fish]

Nah, he wasn't no Rival.

That was Shades, Comanche, and Romeo's old crew.

If he was a Dominican player, he probably was a Diablo.

They expanded into Harlem from Washington Heights, but got taken out by this Brooklyn-Jamaican posse called the Yardies.

Wait, wait, wait.

I know that face.

Let me see Arturo again.

This guy's on TV 24/7.

Arturo Gomez III.

Looks like the other guy.

That works.

He changed his last name to Rey.

Reinvented himself.

El Tercero.

The Third.

Merlin.

Arturo Rey? [all]

King Arthur.

Sometimes the answer's right in front of you.

[upbeat music playing]

[women vocalizing]

I deal in black and white, I No time for shades of gray Make light of the Golden Rule? Not cool Throw my trust away - Whoo-ooh, ooh-ooh - You got to say what you mean - Whoo, whoo-ooh, ooh-ooh - Stop fussin' 'round in between - Whoo-ooh, ooh-ooh - Be 'bout it or say goodbye Whoo-ooh, ooh-ooh Gotcha.

You got to You got to say what you mean You got to say what you mean Think about it Stop fussin' 'round in between - Stop fussin' 'round in between - Be about it or say goodbye - Be 'bout it or say goodbye - Think about it, be about it Give our love a try Brief me again.

Leave nothing out.

At table two, you have Arturo Rey III.

The discount furniture king of Washington Heights.

He smuggles coke and smack in his couches.

He pushed the Colon brothers out the coke biz once Domingo d*ed.

But the heroin is his real cash cow.

At table six, you have Nigel Garrison and the Yardies.

He runs all the g*ns and gangs in Crown Heights and part of Jamaica, Queens.

You remember the night at the table at Colon's gym - with his brother, when Diamondback - [g*nsh*t]

Who could forget it? Who is that? At the bar with your jailbird homeboy? [Shades]

Dontrell "Cockroach" Hamilton.

New-school uptown player.

Scarfe tainted his conviction, so they had to let him go.

That uncouth n*gga got $20 mil laying around? [Shades]

Runs an off-book casino.

Might not have the pedigree yet, but he has the high-rollin' rapper and athlete clientele.

These are our best customers.

Why sell the business when there's so much more money to be made? If you need cash, just flip the Basquiat.

Never.

That painting is in my family.

If this investment with Piranha Jones works, every sin ever committed by the Stokes family washes away.

This deal represents the complete end of risk.

Now that's priceless, too.

[audience cheering and applauding]

[funk music playing]

What if I kissed you right now? I mean right now Damn, shawty is svelte.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Svelte? Means she thick and she thin at the same time.

[chuckles]

Give a n*gga a thesaurus, and now he's Shakespeare.

What was you reading when you was at Seagate? Machiavelli.

Tupac wrote a book? [chuckles]

See your man Shades came up real quickly while we was gone.

[Comanche]

Yeah.

He's ridin' high.

[Cockroach]

Mmm-hmm.

Listen, this game might be chess, but it ain't no rocket science.

I'm gonna tell you like a n*gga told me.

Never underestimate how quickly old p*ssy can raise a man's stature to new heights.

sh**t your sh*t, gentlemen.

My millions are already legit.

I've got the product.

Your g*ns represent further profit and protection, and a fortified wall between Washington Heights and Harlem.

I'll bring peace.

Nigel, wagwan? My brethren fought the Reyes in the past.

But now, we can make money together.

But for your g*ns, I can maintain peace uptown and in Brooklyn.

And fight off the Russians, Koreans, or any other blood clot crew that wants to test.

[Cockroach laughing]

My bad, rude boy.

Pardon me.

[chuckles]

With all due respect, Miss Mariah you'd be a fool, you give any of these n*gg*s any real power.

See, me, I don't even want your whole business.

Just controlling interest.

So we can get money together.

Forever.

Keep Harlem black the way it should be.

Southern black.

I ain't talkin' about no cigar-smokin' black, ganja-smokin' black.

Black black.

I think you know what I'm talkin' about.

- [music playing]

- [indistinct chatter]

Be cool.

I got this.

He ain't gonna do sh*t.

Put your g*ns away, gentlemen.

Prison did your body good.

You fightin' them off in the showers, huh? [laughs sarcastically]

You got jokes? What you gonna do, Luke? You gonna arrest me? You gonna slap me around? You'd probably like that.

Oh, we could tussle a little bit, no doubt.

But I think it might make your girlfriend Claire a little jealous.

I like her dress.

Be a shame if something happened to her.

Take her home, Carl.

You take her home.

[slow music playing]

[vocalizing]

What the hell are you doing? How did you even find me? I used the Harlem's Hero app, just like everybody else.

Your celebrity distracts people, including you.

While you weren't looking, I blended into the crowd and waited till they went upstairs, and I took photos.

Everybody in VIP or her office is a player, right? You're gonna need to ID them.

All I did was pretend to take selfies.

Claire, you [sighs]

I'm your backup, not just your woman.

You don't leave me behind, especially when you're gonna do something stupid.

Look, every time I look at Misty's arm, or or what used to be her arm, I think of you and what could have happened.

You don't think I do the same thing? That's the risk that we take.

No, she takes that risk.

I take that risk.

That's our job, not yours! You're not invincible! Somebody's gonna figure out how to hurt you.

They already have.

I can't lose you.

I love you.

You can't lose me.

Woman you are a pain in my ass.

You know that? You're no picnic, either.

That's why this works.

[cell phone ringing]

- Luke Cage.

Who's this? - [Sugar]

It's Sugar, man.

Make it sweet, Sugar, or I'll be bitter.

I heard some sh*t.

Drove some cats that work for Arturo out to Mount Vernon.

They were going to a bachelor party out at Sue's Rendezvous.

Drunk off they asses.

Anyway, what I heard them say in English was about a shipment near the river.

The river? Yeah.

Who would ever think to look there? [sighs]

You're in my cape.

[Claire chuckles softly]

- Whatever, Power Man.

- [sighs]

Ouch.

It's me.

He took the bait.

Where's my money? Whoa.

What the hell are you doing out? You ain't eligible for parole.

I wasn't.

They tossed my conviction, thanks to your man Scarfe.

What? I know, right? I was ecstatic.

I would take the n*gga out for a drink, like back in the day, but Ah Yeah.

Uh, well I guess I can thank you for arresting me illegally.

n*gga, I ain't have sh*t to do with that.

Ooh.

[chuckles]

Even if you did, it's double jeopardy, sugar.

Got to love the loopholes.

Make America great again if you ask me.

- Ain't nobody ask you sh*t.

- [chuckles]

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

I know you arrested me and everything, - but, God, baby, you fine as hell.

- Ugh.

Why don't you roll with me, huh? I could take care of you.

Given your whole condition, we'd always find a parking spot.

[laughs]

Let me take you to Foxwoods.

Play the one-armed bandit.

Think about it, sweetheart.

[door opens]

[jazz song playing]

[door closes]

That's not your usual.

It's my grandmother's favorite.

It's her birthday today.

Why celebrate someone you hate? That's what family is for.

It's the hate that makes it special.

[sighs]

Cockroach is right.

We can minimize our stake and still see perpetual risk-free money.

By going with Arturo III, we are not selling for top dollar.

But we protect Harlem by giving our g*ns to somebody who is stable and not a lunatic.

Do you know what a half billion dollars will do for my family's name? My name is Dillard but I'm haunted by being a Stokes.

One deal changes all of that.

You could have all the money in the world, you still ain't nothing but a n*gga to some people.

- Ms.

n*gga.

- [chuckles]

Tell me you're not sick of all this bullshit.

Hmm? Don't you want to give Hernan a chance, instead of Shades? - Hmm? - [sighs deeply]

Arturo will settle tonight.

I even gave him some presents upfront to sweeten the deal.

I trust you, man.

- Like no one else.

- Mmm.

You rock me.

[clicks button]

Ouch.

- [g*nsh*t]

- [grunting]

[grunts]

I don't understand.

[grunts]

Neither do I.

Ooh, ooh, ooh! Got it all, man.

- Yo, man, what are you doing here? - Harlem's Hero app, man.

Every time someone spots you, you get tagged.

It's like Waze, for you.

Let me guess.

You gonna post it, right? You know it! [sighs]

Whatever, man.

So how do I look? Yo.

You on that superhero sh*t for real, all tattered and sh*t.

Straight official.

Forget this, man.

Yo, I'm Luke Cage.

You can't burn me, you can't blast me, and you definitely can't break me.

You wanna test me? Step up.

I'm right here.

I ain't going nowhere.

You know where to find me.

I am Harlem, and Harlem is me.

[D.

W.

laughs]

Dab on 'em! - [engine starts]

- [D.

W.

laughs]

Get paid, black man! Get paid! [Misty]

Captain.

Detective Knight! [laughs]

When did you transfer from Midtown Homicide? Oh, when Ridley made deputy chief and got transferred to One Police Plaza.

Not to be impolite, but what are you doing here? I'm back.

Only a fool walks away from three-quarters pension, tax-free for life.

You're a lot of things, but you're nobody's fool.

I don't want a Purple Heart.

I want my job back.

You're not ready.

To be a poster child? You're damn right.

Cockroach got out.

Ran into his ass outside the damn grocery store.

How many other cases got bounced because of Scarfe? - As many as 30.

- [scoffs]

Well, then I'm gonna put them all back, one at a time.

Damn, boy.

What happened? [sighs]

Arturo Rey III is all yours.

His car's parked outside.

El Tercero, my ass.

This is a part of a Judas b*llet and a Judas g*n.

[shrapnel clatters]

- That's a*t*matic federal time, right? - Hell, yeah.

Might be enough to get Arturo to talk.

Or give up two other folks down at Harlem's Paradise I am dying to holler at.

[Ridenhour]

Mr.

Cage.

I'm Captain Ridenhour.

I heard about you.

Your reputation precedes you.

I can say the same for you.

You can't keep doing what you're doing.

Kicking ass and shutting down drug labs? I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Ridenhour]

I've got a map that says otherwise.

Oh.

That's just my reputation preceding me.

You're an unlicensed w*apon.

You need to work with us, legally.

I'm doing your work for you, allegedly.

Step up.

Okay? Make me believe again.

It's good to see you back where you belong, Misty.

[Nigel]

How'd you get in here? If that's the question you're asking, you're in worse shape than I thought, boy.

Johnny? Ah you dat? Bushmaster.

[clears throat]

Dem call me Bushmaster now.

My brother said you would never come here.

And your brother told me he'd never do business with a Stokes.

I warn him.

He went to a meeting with her and end up dead.

You don't tell me for my business or what's right for my business outta nowhere! - You talk rude to me? - No.

I speak at you, not to you.

You're soft and weak.

[scoffs, sucking teeth]

You talk tough.

Think you can take out Mariah Dillard? - Take over Harlem? - Mariah Stokes.

Mariah Stokes.

Harlem is mine.

Ah mi birthright, you know.

Even if you take out Mariah, if you want Harlem, you still have to take out Luke Cage.

And him answers to no one.

Luke Cage.

The Bulletproof Man.

- [scoffs]

- Mi seen it with my two eyes.

- Him crumbles g*ns like paper.

- [chuckles]

You're saying paper covers rock? Who do you think you're talking to? Mi from the rock, too, you know? I am the rock.

[screaming]

Anybody want to leave, now's the time.

[pants]

Oh, you stay? Good.

We have work to do.

[metal rattling]

A Judas b*llet bounced right off me.

If you ever say Claire Temple's name aloud again I'll k*ll you.

I'll go to jail with a smile on my face.

No b*llet can k*ll me.

No jail can hold me.

You hear me? Nothing can stop me from getting to you.

[door closes]

[glass shatters]

[funk music playing]