Marvels Luke Cage
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Weve watched Luke flail from one predicament to another.
Weve seen Bushmaster, an entirely competent villain, reveal that he really isnt thatthatbad.
But Mariah istheone: Shes the character thats experienced a full, circular arc.
Over the course of 13 episodes, she has become fully realized.
Its honestly a shame that Alfre Woodard wasnt given a more stable platform to magnify her performance.
But, nevertheless, weve made it to end.
In court Mariahs clearly losing her case.
The judge is dead-set against her.
The public is dead-set against her.
And, as if to confirm her prediction, we watch Rosalie Carbone slip into the courtrooms audience.
You need me out there, says Mariah.
Becausewithoutme, God help Harlem.
God help us all.
She isnt wrong: Since Mariahs arraignment, violent crime in Harlem has increased 75 percent.
We look along asJelani Cobbtalks about why, exactly, that is.
The police department is entirely inundated.
Stepping through Tildas shop, Misty says, Maybe youre Harlems Patty Hearst.
It isnt long before Tilda tells Misty that she needs a warrant.
Misty tells Tilda that the sentiment reminds her of Mariah.
Whatever you think youre doing says Misty, stop.
He wont last much longer in New York.
Mariah must burn, says Bushmaster, slipping in and out of consciousness.
Its the only way.
But he wont be the one to do it.
That night, Tilda sees the three of them off.
Bushmasters headed back to Jamaica, empty-handed and ravaged for all of his efforts.
As he has already told us 24 times this season, The old rules are being broken.
The whole world knows that Im a snitch, says Shades.
Shades tells Luke that Rosalie Carbone wants to take over Harlem.
He adds, in no uncertain terms, that Luke needs to do something about that.
Youre not polite anymore.
Thats how it starts.
So theres chaos out in the world but Mariahs no safer in prison.
She immediately takes over the womans crew.
And just that quickly, Mariah has muscle and influence in her new surroundings.
And Sugar, she adds.
When Ben asks why, Mariah says, His wife gave me clothes.
Ill never forget that.
As Rosalies associates shoot at Luke, the bullets bounce off him as usual.
He arrives at Rosalies desk with virtually zero resistance.
But once hes finally facing her, Luke pulls up short of harming her.
What are you gonna do if I dont leave?
You gonna kill me?
You could kill me, she says.
That would be easy for you.
(We make too much money together, she adds.)
So what does Harlems Hero do?
He tells Rosalie that if she keeps her action contained, hell have no beef with her.
He is, it seems, brokering deals before delivering justice.
I dont like espresso, Luke tells Rosalie.
No ones made you a proper cup, she replies.
So that solves one problem, but Mariahs already started cleaning house.
Even Alex (Mariahs assistant) shows up at Tildas place looking for safe passage.
She asks if him if he ever loved her (!
), and Shades tells her that hestillloves her (!!).
But when Mariah asks Shades if he loves her harder than Che (!!!
), he tells her that she still doesnt understand.
You talked to me about the light, says Shades, about being Hernan and putting Shades away.
But none of that worked out.
Shades leaves Mariah in a puddle of tears.
Concurrently, he lies to Misty about seeing Sugar.
Just that quickly, theyre back to deceiving one another.
Luke calls Foggy and asks for Ben Donovans number, arranging a meeting on his own terms.
When Tilda meets with Mariah, they dont reach anything like comfortable closure.
They dance around Mariahs history of neglect, and the mothers inability to comfort her child.
And, at one point, Mariah says, I know Im supposed to love you.
I just dont know how.
So Tilda tells Mariah that shell ever leave jail.
And Mariah tells her daughter that if theres a single person from Harlem on the jury, shell walk.
(Thats the thing about black excellence, baby, says Mariah.
It shields you.)
Even still, Mariah asks Tilda to check in on Harlems Paradise.
You tell me Im wrong.
Now that hes brokered peace between the gangs in Harlem, Luke deems himself a sheriff.
He didnt have to.
In a strange way, says Mariah, were responsible for each other.
Harlems gonna need a king.
Im glad its you.
Thats when, predictably, dramatically, the poison Tilda kissed her mother with reveals itself.
Mariah stumbles, coughing up blood.
She was, in all respects, the architect of her own fate.
Harlem settles into something like normalcy.
The day, for the moment, is saved.
Luke has, somehow, entered the crime world himself.
D.W. tells him that, If youre gonna be the boss of crime, youre a crime boss.
And if thats the route Lukes going to go, Harlems Hero is no longer welcome at the barbershop.
Before Luke can protest, Ben Donovan steps through the door.
It confirms all of D.W.s fears.
I thought you werent a king, he says.
Im not, says Luke.
But Luke may have prematurely diagnosed himself.
The lawyer sits Luke and Tilda down to hear Mariahs will.
Mariah has left her daughter a keyboard.
She entrusted the entirety Harlems Paradise the club, the deed, and the name to Luke.
You cant rule no kingdom from a barbershop.
Tilda storms out of her seat.
Shes been cheated (although, this time, probably rightfully) once again.
When Ben asks if Luke wants the club, Luke says, Nah.
You should burn it.
Burn it down to the ground.
He removes her painting of Biggie Smalls and replaces it with one of Muhammad Ali.
His ascent is a move that shocks Misty, who visits his new spot.
Luke tells her that they can finally protect Harlem again, together on and off the books.
Misty tells Luke that he cant bypass the rule of law.
And when has the law ever really protected us?
Misty tells Luke that shell take him down if he starts acting like a fool.
Just then, Sugar tells Luke that a handful of gang leaders have arrived at Harlems Paradise.
And when Luke tells Sugar to seat them downstairs, Misty realizes that the Luke she knew is gone.
The alliance between them comes to an end, and just like that, the goodwill between them evaporates.
And how does Harlems respond to the woman hes loved and lost for most of the season?
Dude doesnt even speak to her.
Tell Claire to go home, he says.
And, honestly, its a good thing, because the series didnt deserve Claire.
It really didnt.Luke Cagedidnt deserve Mariah, either.
