Line #8 Recap/LukeCage2016S1E1MomentOfTruth


1	Luke Cage, bulletproof ex-con, is laying low while taking cash jobs to pay the rent. His life starts getting complicated again when Cottonmouth, the criminal who owns the club where he washes dishes, gets robbed during a gun deal.
2	----
3	!! Tropes in this episode include:
4	* AssholeVictim: No one sheds a tear for Dante or Shameek considering how they're petty criminals involved in the hijacking of a million dollars. Averted with Chico who was just a kid, who got pulled into their scheme.
5	* BigApplesauce: Just to make clear the series is set in Harlem, it opens with an extended discussion about the [[Usefulnotes/NationalBasketballAssociation New York Knicks]].
6	* BitchSlap: Cottonmouth 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]].
7	* BulletCatch: Justified as Luke just grabs the barrel as the gun fires, then shows the bullet in his gunpowder-scorched palm.
8	* TheCameo: R&B and soul musician Raphael Saadiq is featured in Cottonmouth's club.
9	* CelebrityParadox:
10	** 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). Also, Pacino and Creator/CharlieCox (Matt Murdock) were in a film adaptation of ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice''.
11	** 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''.
12	* ChickMagnet: Luke gets the attention of the hot law student even though he's just the guy cleaning up the shop.
13	-->'''Shameek:''' How's a woman that fine with a briefcase gonna throw it at a brother with a broom?
14	-->'''Fish:''' That's what you don't get, young'n. Either you have it or you don't.
15	* ContinuityNod:
16	** Pops brings up the time [[Series/JessicaJones2015 Luke's rebound chick]] shot him point blank with a [[Recap/JessicaJones2015S1E12AKATakeABloodyNumber shotgun]]. Luke remarks that he still gets the occasional headache.
17	** D.W., one of the street vendors on Lenox Avenue, is selling [=DVDs=] of clips of [[Film/TheAvengers2012 The Incident]].
18	** 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"]]. Indeed, the gun cases are marked with Hammer's logo. 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.
19	** Mariah Dillard reminds Cornell and Domingo about what happened to [[Series/Daredevil2015 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.
20	** 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 recent events forced him to come back uptown, he ran a bar in Hell's Kitchen.
21	* CorruptPolitician: Mariah Dillard, Cottonmouth's cousin and Harlem's councilwoman, made it clear that she used the donation money to fund Cottonmouth's nightclub.
22	* CurbStompBattle: Luke vs. Cottonmouth's minions. Luke effortlessly takes out all but one of them, who decides to make himself scarce.
23	* DramaticIrony: Misty, a cop working undercover in the club, asks Luke, "What are you, a cop?" when he casually offers her directions to the bus stop. Also, Luke is an ex-cop, since he used to be a deputy before he went to Seagate.
24	* TheDreaded: Cottonmouth's reputation is such that Candace feels uncomfortable delivering several bottles of Ace of Spades up to his private box all by herself and has to ask Luke to come along with her.
25	* {{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. Furthermore, the flashbacks Luke has of Shades are given context in the fourth episode.
26	* GlassesPull: Shades does it for effect when walking into Cottonmouth's office.
27	-->'''Shades:''' I ain't here to spank you. But I do need to look you in your eyes. ''[takes off his glasses]'' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Was it an inside job?]]
28	* 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 has to clarify, "It's not. If it was, you would never even see Diamondback coming. He wants you to win. How can I help?"
29	* InSeriesNickname: Cornell Stokes is referred to as "Cottonmouth" by outsiders, and it's a name he despises to hear from others. Future flashbacks establish why.
30	* InsideJob: Shameek kills Dante after Dante, terrified, fears that Cottonmouth will think it's an inside job. Shades makes his intro paying a visit to Cottonmouth's office to ask him the same thing, as Diamondback also suspects the hit to be an inside job.
31	* InstantDeathBullet: Averted. Shameek shoots Dante, but after he and Chico depart, Dante isn't quite yet dead. Once they're gone, he's able to grab his Android and make a dying call to Tone to rat his buddies out.
32	* IntimidatingRevenueService: Mariah needs Cottonmouth to repay the funds she embezzled to fund the renovations of his club, so that the IRS doesn't audit her.
33	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: The men in Pop's Barber Shop are skeptical about the newly drafted New York Knick Kristaps Porzingis' ability to help the team win. Porzingis, of course, was runner-up for Rookie of the Year and is now one of the team's biggest stars.
34	* LadyInRed: Mariah sports a red dress during the intro scene at Harlem's Paradise.
35	* MuggingTheMonster: The thugs who think that messing with Luke Cage is a good idea [[DestinationDefenestration soon]] [[NoSell find out]] [[CurbStompBattle that it isn't]].
36	* MythologyGag:
37	** "I'm not for hire, but you've got my word ma'am, I've got you." This alludes to Luke being a Hero for Hire in the [[ComicBook/LukeCageHeroForHire original comics]] and the series he was a part of, ''Heroes for Hire.''
38	** Pops calls Luke "Power Man," his code name in the comics.
39	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Cottonmouth gives one of these to Shameek for stealing his money, pounding him until past the point of death.
40	* NWordPrivileges: Cottonmouth makes use of his by referring to himself as a "nigga." Mariah says she hates that word, but Cottonmouth likes it because he believes it makes people underestimate him.
41	* OhCrap:
42	** 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.
43	** Luke is working in the kitchen when he sees Tone escorting Shameek through. Just as he's about to shrug that off, he sees Shades striding through the kitchen and immediately has flashbacks from their encounters in prison. While Shades doesn't notice Luke, Luke is scared enough by just seeing him that he quickly returns to his apartment.
44	* 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 schtick 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]].”
45	* PlayingSick: Luke is pressed into being a backup bartender as Dante is calling in sick to participate in the robbery.
46	* PrecisionFStrike: Tone mutters "Shit, fuck!" under his breath upon getting a phone call from the dying Dante.
47	* RefusalOfTheCall: Pops suggests that Luke use his abilities to help people, like "those guys downtown"(i.e.: the Avengers), but Luke says he just wants to live a quiet life.
48	* RobbingTheMobBank: Dante, Shameek and Chico attempt to stick up a gun deal between Cottonmouth and Domingo. Things turn ugly, and they end up shooting the present henchmen from both gangs. Shameek then shoots Dante dead, rather than split the money three ways. Dante survives long enough to call Tone and tell him what happened. Cottonmouth quickly has Shameek tracked down and killed as retaliation, with Chico very close behind.
49	* RussianReversal: Shades does one on Cottonmouth.
50	-->'''Cornell:''' Well, you tell Diamondback it's about time--\
51	'''Shades:''' Uh-uh-uh. ''Diamondback'' tells ''you''.
52	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After Luke delivers a beatdown to Zip's gang as they try to shake down Genghis Connie's, the last thug standing decides to run for his life.
53	-->'''Sugar:''' I don't even like these niggas, man!
54	* SickeningCrunch: A GiantMook takes a swing at Luke, and we get a SlowMotion shot of his wrist breaking on Luke's NighInvulnerable face.
55	* SignificantBackgroundEvent: Cottonmouth slaps Shameek a few times. Doesn't seem like much torture, until it cuts to Shameek's profile, you see him drooling blood, and behind him is Tone holding a baseball bat.
56	* ShoutOut:
57	** Sugar's line of "I don't even like this niggas, man!" after Luke beats down Zip and the other goons sent to Connie's is similar to a line from a Mandarin henchman in ''Film/IronMan3''.
58	** Pops refers to the "JediMindTrick" when discussing how it's necessary to convince young boys to get the help they're too proud to ask for.
59	** Three Harlemites robbing organized crime (and turning it into a bloodbath) and how Shameek was found parallels the blaxploitation film ''Across 110th Street''.
60	** When Luke sees Shades striding through the kitchen like an emotionless automaton, [[SlowMotionPassBy the slow-motion of the cinematography]] makes Shades look like a Terminator.
61	* {{Sideboob}}: Misty provides a bit of this during her one-night stand with Luke.
62	* SmallRoleBigImpact: Dante Chatman, 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.
63	* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Luke's conversation with Misty at the bar.
64	* SparingTheFinalMook: Luke doesn't act against any of Cottonmouth's mooks who're extorting Connie until they attack him first, but after effortlessly beating the first three and showing off his SuperToughness in the process, he takes a look at the last man standing (who happens to be [[ChekhovsGunman Sugar]]) and gives him the option of leaving. Sugar is quick to take him up on it.
65	-->'''Luke:''' ''[opens his hand, dropping the bullet fired at it point blank to the floor]'' You want some?\
66	'''Sugar:''' ''[eyes wide with shock]'' I don't even like these niggas, man! ''[Leaves the restaurant while staying as far away from Luke as possible]''
67	* SpitefulSpit: Shameek gives this to Cottonmouth, which upgrades him from receiving slaps to receiving fists.
68	* 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.
69	* 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 realized that [[SuspiciousSpending 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]].
70	* UndercoverCopReveal: Misty is introduced as just another patron who flirts with Luke as he's serving drinks in Harlem's Paradise. Luke picks her up and takes her back to his place for a one night stand. The night is interrupted when she's called away to the junkyard shooting. We only learn officially that she's a cop as she arrives at the crime scene and converses with Scarfe.
71	* 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.]]

Context Recap / LukeCage2016S1E1MomentOfTruth