The revelation of the snitch in Mariah’s crew draws to a conclusion as the war for the soul of Harlem continues.
Luke Cage – “On and On”, Season 2, Episode 07
Airdate: June 22nd, 2018
Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Writer: Nicole Mirante-Matthews
Based on Marvel Comics Characters by: Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, and John Romita Sr.
What You’ll Find Out:
Oh Piranha, we hardly knew ye. After Piranha inevitably gave up Mariah’s newfound wealth to Bushmaster and the Stylers, a chain of events was begun that would change the shape of the entire season. While newly freelanced Misty, along with Luke, caught the body, Mariah caught a bad case of “get out of town”. And while Mariah and Tilda attempt their well-prepared for flight, Bushmaster continued his plot to regain the legacy of his family.
Many things are revealed in this episode. Captain Ridenhour is revealed to most likely be Tilda’s father. Comanche is revealed to Shades to have been the snitch, which resulted in his and Ridenhour’s death. But the most poignant reveals revolve around the love of a mother by her son. As Luke struggles with the fact that the last time he saw his mother, Reverend Lucas blamed Luke, in prison at the time, for his mother’s sickness. But in a mirror image, Bushmaster last sees his mother engulfed in flames, presumably of a Stokes’ origin, as he fled, free.
In a moment of poetic irony, Bushmaster attempts to kill Mariah by burning, although he already controls all of her assets. He lets Tilda free, allowing her to decide whether to flee or help, and in that instant, destinies are forged. Luke, fresh from an honest face to face with his father, arrives to find a living Mariah, and thus alliances are forged. Mariah offers to hire Luke to stop Bushmaster.
What Just Happened?
Near the open of the episode, Stephen Marley appears in Harlem’s Paradise singing an acoustic number, and heralds the shift in power dynamic for the show. To this point, no reggae number has dared show its face in Harlem, but all is about to change. As we see by the end of the episode, Bushmaster is in full control of Harlem’s Paradise, and by presumed extension, Harlem itself.
As the “family first” notion, extended through both Mariah and Bushmaster, and to a lesser extent Luke, is pressed further, Bushmaster develops further into a “Killmonger-esque” villain, not beyond redemption, and perhaps in need of no redemption. While Luke believes himself to be the hero Harlem needs, questions are raised as to what type of hero Harlem truly deserves.
Rating: 10/10
Final Thought: The loss of Comanche, only one episode after his outing, is a shame, although not much of a shock given the setup leading up to it. Regardless, I’ll be pouring some out for Che tonight.
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