History Recap / LukeCage2016S1E1MomentOfTruth

** Nate, the supervisor of the kitchen staff in Harlem's Paradise, pushes Luke into bartending due to Dante calling in sick to participate in the gun heist. He asks Luke "When was the last time you made drinks?" to which Luke admits, "I know the drill," seeing as before Kilgrave, he and Reva ran a bar downtown.

* BitchSlap: The crime lord Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes has Shameek, a young thug who stole a lot of money from him, captive and tied up. While asking where the rest of the money went, Cottonmouth repeatedly slaps Shameek's face, then rubs it in by saying he's not the sort of man to hit a "girl" with a closed fist. Shameek says nothing, and spits on him. Cottonmouth says, "[[VillainRespect Good.]] Now I can hit you like a ''man''," and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown proceeds to beat Shameek to death with his bare fists]].

* TooDumbToLive: Shameek, having just stolen a fortune from Cottonmouth, goes to a local strip joint and throws money around. Sure, he didn't know that Cottonmouth already knew he was the thief, but a more prudent man might have realised that the day after a mob boss had been robbed would have been a very bad time to look like you were suddenly and inexplicably flush.

** One of the street vendors Luke walks past is selling [=DVDs=] of clips of [[Film/TheAvengers2012 The Incident]].

** Nate, the supervisor of the kitchen staff in Harlem's Paradise, pushes Luke into bartending due to Dante calling in sick to participate in the gun heist. He asks Luke "When was the last time you made drinks?" to which Luke says "I know the drill." He spent ''Jessica Jones'' living as a bartender.

* IfIWantedYouDead: When Shades shows up to grill Cottonmouth for answers about the robbery, he speaks in such a threatening way that Cottonmouth asks "Why is this feeling like a takeover?" Shades smiles and says, "It's not. If it was, you would never even see Diamondback coming. He wants you to win. How can I help?"

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Cottonmouth says to Mariah that Harlem's Paradise "might as well be the new Cotton Club." This is actually a pretty whack thing to say considering the [[http://www.blackpast.org/aah/cotton-club-harlem-1923 Cotton Club]]’s history. The Harlem club was opened and operated by a white mobster during Prohibition and its whole thing was that it offered a black musical revue for a whites-only crowd. Some of the most incredible entertainers of the time performed there but the atmosphere was one that glorified Jim Crow racism. If Cottonmouth had wanted to evoke the black elegance and integrated spirit of the best of Harlem in that time, he could have perhaps called it “the new [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoy_Ballroom Savoy]].”

** Pops references the JediMindTrick.

** When one cop at the junkyard ponders who Dante tried to call, Misty dryly replies "[[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} the Ghostbusters]]". Except [[Film/Ghostbusters2016 the 2016 remake]] stars Creator/ChrisHemsworth (Thor) as the female Ghostbusters' secretary, while the original duology features Creator/SigourneyWeaver, who plays Alexandra in ''Series/TheDefenders2017''.

** As Cottonmouth himself mentions, the guns he's dealing to Domingo are "top of the line... [[Film/IronMan2 that grade-A, military, Justin Hammer-level shit"]]. Much like Hammer's top-level arms, the deal backfires on Domingo as the enterprising Dante, Shameek and Chico make short work of the dealers.

-->'''Cornell:''' Well, you tell Diamondback it's about time-
-->'''Shades:''' Uh-uh-uh. ''Diamondback'' tells ''you''.

* VillainRespect: Of a decidedly undesirable form. When Cottonmouth is questioning Shameek, he at first restricts himself to slapping him because [[EvenEvilHasStandards he's not the sort of man who'd hit a "girl" with a closed fist.]] When Shameek refuses to talk, Cottonmouth thanks him for proving his manhood and thus leaving Cottonmouth free to [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown really cut loose.]]

* TemptingFate: When Cottonmouth gloats to Mariah, he says "That's the thing about niggas, you never see them coming". He was referring to himself more than anyone else, but the scene shifts to Dante, Chico, and Shameek killing Domingo's men and stealing his money.

** Creator/{{Al Pacino}} exists in the MCU, as his name is on the list in Pop's Barber Shop... and one of his movies that is mentioned is ''Film/CarlitosWay'', which also features [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD Adrian Pasdar]] (Glenn Talbot).

** Mariah Dillard reminds Cornell and Domingo about what happened to [[Series/{{Daredevil}} Wilson Fisk]] when they're making the deal at the club, pointing out that Cornell and Domingo shouldn't be seen together in public. Mariah doesn't like being seen in public with Cornell either.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Shades shows up in the nightmare Luke has during his one night stand with Misty, a few scenes before he makes his proper introduction striding into Cottonmouth's office.

* IfIWantedYouDead: When Shades shows up to demand answers about the robbery, he speaks in such a threatening way that Cottonmouth asks "Why is this feeling like a takeover?" Shades smiles and says, "It's not. If it was, you would never even see Diamondback coming. He wants you to win. How can I help?"
* InSeriesNickname: Cornell Stokes is sometimes referred to as "Cottonmouth" by outsiders, and it's a name he despises to hear from others. Future flashbacks establish why.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Dante, the bartender in Cottonmouth's club, is responsible for the stolen money from Cottonmouth's gun deal. After his crew members double cross him, Dante makes one final phone call with his dying breath to inform Tone that Shameek and Chico are the ones who killed him, thereby kickstarting the plot.

** As Stokes himself mentions, the guns he's dealing to Domingo are "top of the line... [[Film/IronMan2 that grade-A, military, Justin Hammer-level shit"]]. Much like Hammer's top-level arms, the deal backfires on Domingo as the enterprising Dante, Shameek and Chico make short work of the dealers.

* IfIWantedYouDead: When Shades shows up to demand answers about the robbery, he speaks in such a threatening way that Cottonmouth asks "Why is this feeling like a takeover?" Shades replies, "It's not. If it was, you would never even see Diamondback coming. He wants you to win. How can I help?"

** When one cop at the junkyard ponders who Dante tried to call, Misty dryly replies "[[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} the Ghostbusters]]". Except [[Film/Ghostbusters2016 the 2016 remake]] stars Creator/ChrisHemsworth (Thor) as the female Ghostbusters' secretary.

* BullyingADragon: The thugs who think that messing with Luke Cage is a good idea [[DestinationDefenestration soon]] [[NoSell find out]] [[CurbStompBattle that it isn't]].

* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Luke's conversation with Misty at the bar

-->'''Shades:''' Uh uh uh. ''Diamondback'' tells ''you''.

** When Luke sees Shades striding through the kitchen like an emotionless automaton, the cinematography incokes making Shades look like a Terminator.

** Three Harlemites robbing organized crime (and turning it into a bloodbath) and how Shameek was found parallels the blaxploitation film 'Across 110th Street.'

** Pops quips about a "Jedi Mind T

** At the end of the episode, after Luke resolves the shakedown of his landlady, she tries to hire him. He says he's "not for hire", a reference to the Heroes for Hire.

** Pops brings up the time [[Series/JessicaJones Luke's rebound chick]] shot him point blank with a [[Recap/JessicaJones2015S1E12AKATakeABloodyNumber shotgun]]. Luke remarks that he still gets the occasional headache.

** Creator/{{Al Pacino}} exists in the MCU, as his name is on the list in Pop's Barber Shop... and one of his movies that is mentioned is ''Film/CarlitosWay'', where [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD Adrian Pasdar]] is one of the actors.

** [[Series/{{Daredevil}} Wilson Fisk]] is mentioned by Mariah Dillard as she speaks with Cornell, as she remarks that Cornell and Domingo shouldn't be seen together in public, and she doesn't like being seen in public with Cornell either.

* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Stokes gives one of these to Shameek for stealing his money, pounding him until he's dead.

* PrecisionFStrike: Tone mutters "Shit, fuck!" upon getting a phone call from the dying Dante.

** Three Harlemites robbing organized crime (and turning it int a bloodbath) and how Shameek was found parallels the blaxploitation film 'Across 110th Street.'
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Dante, the bartender in Stokes' club, is responsible for the stolen money from Cottonmouth's gun deal. After his crew members double cross him, Dante makes one final phone call with his dying breath to inform Tone that Shameek and Chico are the ones who killed him, thereby kickstarting the plot.

* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Luke delivered a major beatdown to the racketeering thugs at a Chinese restaurant, the last thug standing decides to run for his life.

* OhCrap: Dante is scared out of his wits after Shameek guns down Domingo's dealers at the junkyard, knowing full well that Cottonmouth will notice him absent from the bar and assume it's an inside job. Shameek promptly shoots him.

-->'''Cornell:''' Well tell Diamondback it's about time-
-->'''Shades:''' Uh uh uh. Diamondback tells ''you''.

* AssholeVictim: Not many people mourn for either Dante or Shameek's deaths considering how they're petty criminals involved in the hijacking of a million dollars.

** When one cop at the junkyard ponders who Dante tried to call, Misty dryly replies "[[Film/{{Ghostbusters}} the Ghostbusters]]". Except [[Film/Ghostbusters2016 the 2016 remake]] stars Creator/ChrisHemsworth (Thor) as the female Ghostbusters' secretary.

-->'''Shades:'' Uh uh uh. Diamondback tells ''you''.