After being left with nothing, Mariah and Shades plan their retaliation. Misty is forced to step up after Ridenhour's death and Bushmaster searches for a way to boost his strength as his herbal supply runs out.
Tropes in this episode include:
- 10-Minute Retirement: Misty's decision to leave the NYPD is rendered void by the fact that Ridenhour never made her resignation official, and he's now dead so everyone is needed on deck.
- Badass Preacher: Luke's dad roughs up one of Bushmaster's goons himself for attacking his son.
- Breather Episode: After the amount of Wham in the last episode, much of the first half of this episode focuses on the main characters dealing with the fallout of Bushmaster's attack on Mariah and the shooting of Ridenhour and Comanche.
- Bad Liar: Comanche's mother quickly realizes that Shades doesn't tell her everything about her son's death.
- Bat Deduction: Shades' attempt to stage Comanche and Ridenhour's deaths as a Mutual Kill is undermined instantly by the second bullet he put into Comanche to speed up his death, for as Misty points out, Ridenhour wouldn't have had the arm strength to shoot either bullet, especially not the second one (which was fired at close range).
- Call-Back:
- Upon Luke identifying Comanche's body, Misty immediately remembers that Luke mentioned him and Shades' names in his sleep during the one-night stand they had when they first met. Luke also recalls how the two had served as Rackham's enforcers.
- Misty recalls when she and Claire fought Shades in the basement of Harlem's Paradise.
- Ceiling Smash: When Bushmaster's men go after Luke's dad at his church, Luke grabs one and tosses him into the beam overhead.
- Continuity Nod: Nandi tells Misty that Callahan has moved to Maui, while Brigid O'Reilly has moved to New Orleans, so only Ridenhour was aware of Misty's resignation. A week after this episode came out, Brigid O'Reilly mentioned her past work in Harlem on Cloak and Dagger.
- Cops Need the Vigilante: Misty essentially deputizes Luke to deal with interviewing Tilda to get information about Bushmaster, since the brass expect her to be focusing on Ridenhour's murder, forcing her to prioritize Mariah's and Shades's interrogations.
- Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Well it wasn't really abandoning as Mama Mabel sent Tilda away from Mariah right after the birth.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Bushmaster coming off of Nightshade is treated pretty much identically to drug withdrawal. Cramps, gasping for breath, extreme discomfort...
- Even Evil Has Standards: Mariah is genuinely shocked to learn of Ridenhour's death. Her reaction to seeing pictures of his body establishes to Misty
- Gondor Calls for Aid: Luke tells Misty to call Danny for help.
- I Fight for the Strongest Side!: Donovan abandons Shades and Mariah while they're still in custody, as he's found out that they're bankrupt and no longer have money to pay him. He immediately jumps over and begins working for Bushmaster.Mariah Dillard: Mama Mabel put your ass through law school! You don't get to quit!
Benjamin Donovan: I was loyal to your money. And you no longer have it. Don't make this more sad than it is; it's just business. - I Warned You: Shades told Mariah not selling the Basquiat was a mistake.
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Because Ridenhour's death happened simultaneous to the attack on Mariah's brownstone, Luke can't help but notice how deserted the precinct is when he brings Mariah and Tilda there, and the few cops who are there refuse to tell him what's going on. He only realizes the cause of the desertion when Misty shows up and gets hostile towards Mariah, commanding for her to moved to an interrogation room.Luke Cage: Excuse me. A detective was supposed to debrief us an hour ago. Where is everybody?
Sergeant: I'm not at liberty to say.
Luke Cage: Well, I need some answers.
Sergeant: I don't know what to tell you. - Let's You and Him Fight: Misty tries a gambit to try and drive a wedge between Mariah and Shades. She knows Donovan ditched them as clients because she's broke, but she tells Shades that Donovan ditched him on Mariah's orders. It leads to a fight at the brownstone.
- Morality Pet: Anansi leaves Bushmaster as he can't tolerate his obsessive desire for revenge anymore. As he says, love has its limits.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Misty is suspicious of the fact that Ridenhour's death hasn't left the 29th Precinct swamped with higher-ups from One Police Plaza demanding answers, like happened with Scarfe.Misty Knight: Everything is off. A police captain gets murdered, and this place isn't filled to the brim with brass?
Luke Cage: They're laying in the cut. They don't like the optics.
Misty Knight: Exactly. Ridenhour ran Comanche as a CI off-books. They're worried about a Scarfe sequel.
Luke Cage: Makes your life a lot harder.
Misty Knight: Which is why I need you. - Parting-Words Regret: Misty seems to display some regret over how her last words to Ridenhour were accusing him of being a crooked cop, going off her expressions as she's looking at the various commemorations and mementos he kept in his office.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Mariah and Shades give them to each other while standing in the remains of the brownstone. She gives him one for bringing Comanche into their lives. He in turn gives her one for enabling Bushmaster's campaign by selling him their guns, stating that they'd never be in this trouble if she'd just sold the Basquiat.
- Unprocessed Resignation: Ridenhour never processed Misty's resignation paperwork, and there was an office betting pool as to when Misty would come crawling back for her badge.
- Villainous Breakdown:
- The episode opens with Shades burning his clothes while playing back Comanche's dying words in his head.
- Bushmaster has one after hearing that Mariah survived due to Luke Cage's interference.
- Mariah breaks down to tears realizing she has lost everything.
- You Are in Command Now: Misty is left in charge of the 29th Precinct's detectives.
