02x09 - For Pete's Sake

[bunniefuu]

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]

[LUKE]

You sure nobody followed us? [MISTY]

What do I look like if I can't lose a tail? Come on.

[MARIAH]

Why don't you bust through the glass? Because I have the code.

No way a billionaire knows a jailbird like you.

[JAMES]

Will you please just let the brother concentrate? Ah, voilà .

[TILDA]

Think they'll find the car? I think we are safe for now.

I'm gonna go and secure the back.

What is this place? A pharmaceutical research facility.

Relax, it's empty.

Doesn't actually open for another month.

- We're safe.

- How is it you know Danny Rand? Hot yoga.

Carl, I've got service tomorrow.

I gotta Not after that sh**t-out, Dad.

Bushmaster has a bounty on everybody's head in this building.

I think what your daddy's trying to ask is what the plan is, hero.

- To survive the night.

- [MISTY]

Okay.

Too many entry points.

I still think we would have been safer back at the precinct.

You must have lost part of your brain with that arm.

Your Harlem cops would jump to claim a mil for taking me down.

sh*t, I'm surprised you ain't tried to collect.

- The night's still young.

- I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

Don't wander far, baby.

I am grown, Mother.

Hey, Carl, I'd like to do a prayer circle.

Uh-oh.

Here come Jesus.

"I am blessed and highly favored.

" - "God is good.

" - "All the time.

" Now, shut up, Mariah.

Show some respect.

O Lord, we are not perfect.

Nor are we innocent.

But we pray to you, dear Father God, to protect us from those who would do us harm.

From without.

And within.

You are our hope.

And in Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen.

[ALL]

Amen.

Why are you looking up? I'm looking for a lightning bolt.

I just prayed with the devil.

[SCOFFS]

[SIGHS]

[GRUNTS AND GROANS]

[BUSHMASTER]

What's going on? Hmm? Luke Cage, he was strong.

What about the little birdie who owns the shop, huh? Hmm? Hey.

She might still have some here.

Hmm? It's gone.

[GRUNTS]

It's gone! All the nightshade! She took it all! Hear me now! Up the bounty! Three million each! Mariah Stokes and her child! I want them alive! [PANTING, GRUNTS]

[JAMES GRUNTING]

Can I help? Ha.

Been 30 years since I thumped anything harder than a Bible.

[CHUCKLES]

But you know somethin'? It felt good.

[GRUNTS SOFTLY]

Okay.

Okay.

This might sting a little.

Ahh, you are not wrong, nurse.

[SCOFFS]

Doctor, actually.

Doctor.

And I'm more than happy to help.

Your son saved my life more than once.

Bulletproof.

Tossing grown men around like rag dolls.

It's unnatural.

But majestic.

Maybe magical.

Yeah, well they say that magic might just be science that we haven't figured out yet.

- Ah.

Hmm.

- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

So, uh, a little calendula for the healing.

Um, some lavender for the pain and a very rare strain of [SIGHS]

Atropa belladonna.

"The beautiful lady.

" Yes.

Nightshade.

Now, that's poisonous, isn't it? No, no, not in small amounts.

Healers have been using it for centuries to prevent and heal.

To relieve pain and increase white blood cell count and, um, cure disease.

Maybe maybe more.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Hey, hey It's okay to be scared.

It has been a long night.

But I think we're gonna get through it safely.

I have faith in my son.

[MARIAH]

No! - [TILDA SCOFFS]

- [MARIAH]

No! Wish I could say the same for my mother.

[MARIAH]

Are you out of your g*dd*mn mind? Hell no, Knight! I will never feed a pig anything but slop! If you go on record that Bushmaster b*rned down your home, we can have him locked up in an hour.

This could all be over.

No! You are broke, burnt out, your crew is scattered to the wind, and you almost got your daughter k*lled.

It's over.

Your family started it.

You finish it.

Come clean, Mariah.

Help Misty lock him up.

Could you even keep him? Y'all cops couldn't even keep Luke behind bars and Bushmaster whipped his ass twice already.

You sold Bushmaster Hammer weapons.

Each g*n has a mandatory federal weapons charge attached to it.

If he goes down, you go with him.

He's got leverage on you, unless you start talking.

Lady, I am the only reason you're not a chimichanga.

Return the favor.

Help me help you.

Immunity.

[SNICKERS]

What? You want me to talk? I want total immunity on the g*ns.

And I don't plead sh*t.

I skate like Debi Thomas.

Never ever.

Your friend doesn't seem too sure.

You know, there's no way they're ever gonna include Shades in on that deal.

Luke.

Hernan can take care of himself.

Get it done.

Give me your phone.

Now! You can charge it on your way to the barn, heifer.

You know what? That smoke inhalation must have damaged your brain.

- Badge or not, I will whup your old ass! - [LUKE]

Misty! [MISTY]

Of all people, how can you be considering this? She put your ass back in jail! This is the last thing I wanted.

She might not have pulled the trigger on Ridenhour, but she is responsible! And what about Candace? Huh? Look, we have got Mariah right where we want her, okay? She is out of options.

One more tip, and she topples.

Bushmaster will scorch Harlem and anyone in his way to get to her.

It's bigger than just her now, and we both know it.

What about you? Hmm? Why can't you testify? You have been at the front row of all this since it started.

- Your eyes have to be worth something.

- [LAUGHS]

Black.

Vigilante.

Ex-con.

Doesn't play well in court.

Even though I was exonerated.

The black negates everything else.

Not to mention, Mariah may as well be Adam Clayton Powell.

Creating reasonable doubt is what she does best.

A deal gets her on the stand.

We can't do this, okay? We can't do this! We can only handle one devil at a time.

We make the deal, she takes down Bushmaster for the g*ns and for the brownstone as*ault.

And then then, if we're lucky, we get her on something else.

Like Ridenhour's m*rder.

Look, we can take door number one, two or three.

Guess what? All the prizes suck.

Are you okay? Are they okay? Yeah.

They're fine for now.

This place seems focused.

[SIGHS]

The brass is back in charge.

You're a worker bee again, I guess.

Yeah? Who'd they send? Streiber? No.

Me.

Deputy Chief.

Your new job looks good on you.

Yeah, well, I've been better.

Tom was a close friend.

So where have you been? I assume you were in the middle of the att*ck at Mother's Touch? Gallivanting with your boyfriend again? There you go.

Again.

Chief, can we talk, please? Privately? Like you have a choice.

You like watching women while they sleep? I'm not letting you out of my sight.

You're not half the protector you claim to be, Luke Cage.

Well, I do my best and you do your worst.

What can I say? I've done more for Harlem than you ever have.

Or will.

Harlem doesn't honor you, Mariah.

It somehow survives you.

Which is more than I can say for Cornell.

Harlem doesn't turn on me, because it loves me.

It fights for me.

It would die for me.

See I elevate Harlem.

You? You're nothing but an overseer.

Harlem doesn't need a hero.

It needs a queen.

All right, what does she want? Reduced time? - Immunity.

- [SCOFFS]

For the g*n sale that she made with Bushmaster.

They exchanged Hammer weapons.

She can put 'em all in jail.

It is the smart play.

Put Bushmaster behind bars, get Mariah comfortable, and then get her ass on something not covered in the deal.

I'll call DA Tower.

- Mercedes? - Yeah? You're playing the game at a higher level.

You've grown.

Yeah, well, you can't be the only sister 'round here upgrading.

[RIDLEY CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Who else knows about this plan? Luke Cage, you, Mariah and me.

All right, well, let's leave it that way until I can get an answer from the DA.

[LUKE]

Two cups of cocoa coming up.

[MACHINE WHIRRING]

[COINS CLATTERING]

[BEEPING]

Carl.

Carl.

Carl, now, there's a time for power, and sometimes a lighter touch.

Huh.

I guess I'm a little out of practice.

[SIGHS]

[JAMES]

There we go.

- You know, I executive produced this? - Oh.

Yeah.

[LUKE CHUCKLES]

[JAMES LAUGHING]

[JAMES]

Your strength is from God, Carl.

I have no doubt in my mind about that.

But with that kind of power comes its share of pain.

I know, Dad.

I work really hard to pull back.

[SIGHS]

Even though sometimes I have to smack a fool to get things done.

Now, see, that right there, that guilt you carry the weight of that responsibility, it's a burden.

I understand it.

Believe me, I understand.

I'm dealing.

It hasn't been easy since, uh, since Claire Claire? The young woman who visited me at the church? What happened? [SIGHS]

It's a long story.

Boy, when you find someone who's gonna make room for you on the door when the ship goes down, that's a rose you cultivate.

There you go again with that movie.

It's been years.

Let it go, man.

I can't let it go.

- [BOTH LAUGHING]

- I can't let it go.

See, what it is and, hell, I know this when you are stressed, you push people away.

I do the same thing.

I'm not a good example.

But here's the thing.

When you have a calling, sometimes you need to heal yourself just as much as the person who you're trying to heal.

You gotta take care of yourself, or else the whole world is gonna fall apart.

How's the hand? [JAMES]

It's just some cuts and bruises.

That little gal healed me.

She worked them roots.

- Roots? - Mmm-hmm.

How exactly did she do that? "The Beautiful Lady.

" Nightshade.

She reached into that magic bag of hers and worked them roots.

I didn't ask too many questions.

It's not the first time she worked her magic.

Maybe there's a science to it.

Science? Magic? God? That power flows from within.

From inside.

What comes out when that pressure is heaviest? That's the real magic.

That's what defines being a man.

That's what defines being a hero.

Never seen DA Tower come through with paperwork so quickly.

It's simple.

Mariah goes on record about McIver, we won't move on any of her g*n smuggling or other related charges.

You know, I had an awful argument with Captain Ridenhour before he was m*rder*d.

He wanted to make a deal with Mariah, and I lit into his integrity in ways that were unbecoming.

All he wanted to offer her was a reduced sentence.

This is immunity.

You know, I learned a lot of lessons from Tommy Ridenhour over the years, Misty.

Some harder than others.

But the most important one was that you can't stop the tide.

You can only try and save as many people as you can from the flood.

And this Bushmaster has brought a river of blood with him.

It's got to end.

I've got Mariah stashed at a Rand facility in Queens.

I can get her and get her back here in less than an hour.

This is the right play.

Do it quickly.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[LUKE]

My father's hand.

You healed him.

- He said it was like magic.

- [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

It was just a simple salve I made.

I was a conventional doctor for a few years, but there were so many people I couldn't help, I decided to be like my dad and just go my own way.

Your dad? Jackson Dillard.

He d*ed before I was born.

Helping campesinos.

That's why I did Doctors Without Borders.

To be just like my daddy.

Being in the middle of nowhere, I just became fascinated with holistic medicine, and Mother Earth's unfiltered power.

So I melded together ancient and modern medical practice into Mother's Touch.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Mother Nature's Touch.

Natural remedies for headaches, anxiety, infertility Why did Bushmaster come to you? [SIGHS]

[SCOFFS]

He really spooked me.

The items, they were so bizarre.

Bizarre how? Arcane.

It wasn't until after he att*cked you that I tried to see if he possibly enhanced himself with some of the items that I sold him.

Which is why you asked where my strength came from the first time I came to your shop.

Yeah.

Some old world practices, they use a flower called nightshade.

Heavily in some of their rituals.

Lauding to power and to a closeness to the gods.

If I could just have access to him and to his blood work I could see what it is that's affecting him.

And then you could stop him? I'm sorry, I don't know.

I helped build this monster, and I don't know.

I don't even know if I can help bring him down.

Look, let me worry about that.

Just tell me what you know.

- I don't know much.

- Every little bit helps.

It does.

Okay, sure.

But on one condition.

Tell me the truth.

Everything you know about my mother.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

The nightshade was never intended for you to use this way.

Your body is falling apart.

Your mind will follow.

Your soul is the last to go.

I just need a little nightshade.

To finish.

Please, Uncle.

No.

I can't.

[SHELDON]

The word is out.

Three million a head for Mariah and Tilda.

And still no bite? - I could find Tupac alive for that.

- [SCOFFS]

What about your other task? Production's gonna take some time.

Hmm? The infrared lamp, the soil It's totally different than ganja.

Fix it.

I need it.

[BEEPING]

[BEEPING STOPS]

[SIGHS]

Don't play with the weapons! Mariah Dillard.

I know exactly where she is.

Is that offer still good? [SCOFFS]

Mariah Stokes.

And, yes, it is.

Anything out there? Rats.

Big ones.

- [SIGHS]

- Always hungry.

I recognize you.

From the news.

It was from your Family First initiative.

Oh.

You sure were trying to do a whole lot of good, even though you paid for it with bad.

- It already seems like a lifetime ago.

- Hmm.

[SIGHS]

I can't even keep my own family together.

Hmm.

Kids, they ain't easy.

I wasn't there for Tilda when she was growing up.

I thought I could make up for lost time.

I was there for Carl growing, but I wasn't really there.

You do the best you can.

[SIGHS]

It's hard to imagine Luke Cage in diapers.

[CHUCKLING]

- You got any pictures? - Of course.

[JAMES LAUGHS]

Yeah.

Look at that big-headed boy.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

[JAMES]

Oh! [LAUGHS]

Oh, you try to capture the good.

[SIGHS]

Keeps you from remembering all the bad.

I made a whole ton of mistakes with Carl.

You just don't know what you're doing - Until you do it.

- Mmm.

But you love 'em as hard as you can.

And you pray that they can figure it out for themselves once the time comes.

Your daughter is a brave, intelligent, forceful, dynamic woman.

She got that from some place.

With that kind of insight, I may have to catch a sermon or two at that church of yours.

All are welcome, sister.

All are welcome.

[LAUGHS]

[VIBRATING]

Another Red Stripe? If you don't mind.

[CELL PHONE CONTINUES VIBRATING]

sh*t! - [SIGHS]

- Who were you just trying to call? Shades.

Wow.

Was that actually the truth for once? Today is not the day, Matilda.

Well, when is the day? When is the day when all is revealed? When there's no more heads on spikes, no more running, no more surprises? Uh, surprises? You have the nerve to talk to me about surprises? Yeah, most of your clients are from the islands.

You could have set up shop in Brooklyn and done fine.

But you chose Harlem.

Why? To surprise me? I came because I wanted to be home.

And with Cornell gone You thought he was the last Stokes and the curse would end.

I made the same mistake.

Dillard would remain, and all would be right with the world.

You are the one obsessed with Dillard, Mommy.

Dillard is a fantasy.

Stokes is real.

Our blood is burden.

A lot of people had to die to make this family what it is.

[SCOFFS]

I get it.

The Dillards are Creole and light-skinned.

The good ones with the good hair.

And the Stokes are dark like delta mud.

Violent and complicated.

That's why you always hated yourself.

[LAUGHS]

[SCOFFS]

You think I hate the Stokes 'cause I'm colorstruck? You don't know sh*t.

I know that I have always been a disappointment to you.

I know that you've always tried to keep me away.

You brought me joy.

And my deepest shame.

Why? Because I'm not the doctor my daddy was? Or is it because his light skin and green eyes somehow skipped me? That man was not your father.

I did love him.

Hard.

In the ways a straight woman could love a gay man.

Yeah, he came from money.

They were so happy he wasn't gay, they didn't care how black my ass was.

That's how bad the idea of a gay son was to them.

They didn't care I already had a kid.

They'd make any lie work.

So the whole thing about Howard, and everything that you told me about how he d*ed That was all true.

I loved him.

His death was tragic.

And I kept the Dillard name alive by playing the widow.

What's one more lie? The gayness evaporated.

It also gave you a good daddy and a hell of a role model.

Luke Cage was right.

You can't be trusted.

I am a survivor, dear heart.

[CRIES]

That why you k*lled Cornell? - Is that what Luke Cage told you? - Is it true? Yeah.

Yes.

[SIGHS]

Luke Cage was the one that started the dominoes falling.

Fort Knox.

Scarfe.

Cornell lost his mind trying to k*ll Cage.

I never asked for any of this sh*t! But you k*lled Cornell.

Cage didn't have anything to do with that! You k*lled Cornell! [BREATH TREMBLING]

Why did you k*ll Cornell? Because! He loved Uncle Pete more than he loved me! What the hell does Uncle Pete have to do with anything? Everything.

Our Uncle Pete could suck the oxygen out of a room.

So electric.

[INHALES DEEPLY]

The way he dressed.

The way he played guitar.

His swag.

Kids used to make fun of me 'cause I was dark.

Said I looked like a African.

"Black Mariah!" Pete was the only one that told me I was beautiful.

He reminded me how smart I was.

I loved him.

Until he started sneaking into my room at night.

I didn't want it.

I never wanted it.

"Family first.

Always.

" When Mabel knew? "No abortions!" The second you were born, the Johnsons would raise you.

- [EXHALES]

- You were already with them.

I was already engaged to Jackson when Cornell k*lled Pete.

Mabel had her first stroke when you were three.

As she withered, her influence waned.

So, eventually, I was able to get you back.

[CRYING SOFTLY]

That night in the club in our Paradise Cornell taunted me.

He said I wanted it! So I smacked him in the head with a bottle, I pushed his ass out the window and bashed his face in with a mic stand, because he was wrong.

I never wanted it.

And I never wanted you.

I tried to love you.

I tried.

But I don't.

That's the truth.

'Cause every time I look in your face I see Pete.

I'm sorry.

[SOBBING]

You're a monster.

You're a monster! [SOBBING]

You got what you wanted.

Sign the damn thing.

Maybe I just wanna savor the moment.

I do have all the time in the world.

I'm a free woman.

And that is all thanks to you.

[MISTY SIGHS]

Deputy Chief Ridley, we're a go.

- [DOOR OPENS]

- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[RIDLEY]

John McIver! I have a warrant for your arrest for the attempted m*rder of Mariah Dillard! I implore you, come out peacefully! Harlem's Paradise is empty.

What do you mean, empty? 'Cause he knew what was coming.

[SCOFFS]

Sweet Christmas.

[REGGAE SONG PLAYING OVER CAR STEREO]

Sweet Christmas.

[SONG CONTINUES PLAYING]

- Okay, backup is on the way.

- How soon? [SIGHS]

Not soon enough.

Luke Cage! Let me reason with you! Mad respect, yeah? You're a hard man to k*ll! You can't burn.

You can't drown.

So why fight? Before someone you care about gets k*lled, just give me who I came for.

You and your pa can go home.

Misty, too.

I just want Mariah Stokes.

No one has to w*r tonight.

You know who she is.

The Devil made flesh.

Give me Mariah Stokes and let me do what you won't! Make your choice.

But make it fast.

You seein' another way out of this? The man does have a point.

- Carl.

You can't.

- sh*t.

[LUKE]

Why not? After all she's done.

All the pain she's caused.

The misery.

The death.

Why shouldn't I throw her through that window and give Bushmaster what he wants? Huh? Tell me, Mariah What would you do if the roles were reversed? I'd have thrown your ass to the dogs the minute they started barking.

[SCOFFS]

Yeah.

There's only one thing keeping you alive right now.

[SMACKS LIPS]

Unfortunately, I was raised better than that.

sh*t.

[TSKS]

Fine.

w*r it is! [MISTY]

Come on.

Hold on.

Hold on.

Okay, let's go.

The hell is Cage? Luke! [BOTH GRUNTING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[MISTY]

sh*t! [TILDA SCREAMS]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[GROANS]

[SHELDON WHISTLES]

- [BOTH GRUNTING]

- [g*nsh*t]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[MEN GROANING]

[MEN SHOUTING IN DISTANCE]

[r*fle COCKS]

- Kiss - [r*fle COCKS]

my black [MAN GRUNTS]

ass.

[PANTING]

You wanna stop me? k*ll me.

Because I will never stop coming.

As long as I breathe air, I'll keep [BUSHMASTER GRUNTING]

And I'll be here to stop you.

Every single time.

As long as I breathe.

[SIRENS WAILING]

[LUKE]

There's something I haven't seen in a while when you look at me.

- What's that? - [LUKE]

Pride.

[MISTY CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

Mr.

Cage, long time.

- Indeed.

I heard you got a promotion.

- [RIDLEY CHUCKLES]

- Congrats.

- Thanks.

Where's Mariah? Gone.

Can't find her anywhere.

- And her immunity deal? - In the trash.

We've got Bushmaster on attempted m*rder, Hammer weapons, and eyewitnesses to back it up.

Mariah's messed up.

Now she's next.

That's what I like to hear.

[SIREN WAILING]

[GRUNTS]

- Ah.

- [SIGHS]

- [SIGHS]

- You feel okay? Right as rain.

I came to Harlem to reconnect with my son.

Didn't play out like I planned, but it set us on that path.

Why don't you come back to Georgia with me? Huh? Why don't you come on home, son? You know, you always used to tell me to finish what I started.

My work in Harlem isn't done yet.

I gotta see this through.

Yeah.

It's a burden.

I know.

The darkness that you deal with every day, the people disconnected from their souls Well, that kinda work can make you angry.

It can consume you whole if you let it.

I know.

I do.

So don't let it.

Don't you make your calling a curse.

You be better than me.

You know, the best part of you, you got from your mother.

You follow that compass inside of you, and you will never go wrong.

You know, some of the better parts are from you, too.

- The swagger.

- [SNICKERS]

You're g*dd*mn right.

[BOTH LAUGH]

[SIGHS]

I have never been more proud of you.

I love you.

I do.

I love you, son.

[SIGHS]

I love you too, Dad.

- [CLEARS THROAT]

- Come on.

[SNIFFLES]

[SIGHS]

You, uh, wanna get somethin' to eat? sh**t, I thought you'd never ask.

What do you know about Jamaica, hmm? You know the story of Nanny? The Maroons? She was Asante, you know? She came over in chains, but she never forgot who she was.

Mmm.

She never forgot the old ways.

Nanny kept the science alive, see? The British they put them in sugar cane fields and b*at them.

And r*ped them.

But the Maroons resisted.

They broke their chains.

And they ran to the hills.

In the Blue Mountains, they lived off the land.

And Nanny she would lead raids to the other plantations.

And they would steal back the women and children, so they could raise families out of captivity.

They cut the heads off their oppressors and put them on spikes.

To put them on notice.

No white man was safe.

They became masters of camouflage, covered themselves in leaves, still as trees before they struck in the darkness.

Hmm.

Yeah, the British, they had the technology.

But the Maroons had the will.

The determination.

The magic.

They fought off the British for 80 years.

And won.

That is the true birth of the real Jamaica.

Resistance.

Independence.

Fire.

[BEEPING]

[TILDA GASPS]

He needs you.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

No, he He needs a doctor.

You are a doctor.

He needs nightshade.

I don't have enough.

I swear I swear, I don't I don't have enough.

[SHELDON SIGHS]

If he dies you die.

[GROANING]

Please help me.

We're gonna need someplace quiet.

And we're gonna need it quickly.

I knew you'd find me.

I've got you.

Always.

I'm done playing by the rules.

Denying who I really am.

No more.

I am who I am.

And I want what's mine.

I have something for you.

[MUFFLED GRUNTING]

[SHADES]

Family first, right? Always.

[FUNK MUSIC PLAYING]