The First Season of Luke Cage premiered on September 30, 2016, on Netflix.
Synopsis[]
After a sabotaged experiment leaves him with super strength and unbreakable skin, Luke Cage becomes a fugitive trying to rebuild his life in modern-day Harlem, New York City. But he is soon pulled out of the shadows and must fight a battle for the heart of his city--forcing him to confront a past he had tried to bury.
Plot[]
War Against Cottonmouth[]
After the altercation with Jessica Jones and Kilgrave, Luke Cage leaves Hell's Kitchen and moves to Harlem where he works as both janitor at Pop's Barber Shop and a dishwasher at the Harlem's Paradise nightclub. Shameek Smith, Dante Chapman and Chico Diaz plan a robbery of Cottonmouth, one of the most powerful crime lords of Harlem. They ambush Stokes' men during the major weapons deal with Domingo Colon and steal the money and Smith kills Chapman, however he manages to inform Stokes about the robbery before dying.
As Stokes' weapons were confiscated by NYPD, Misty Knight and Rafael Scarfe start their investigation. Being under pressure of his cousin Mariah Dillard, whose political projects depended on money from the deal with Colon, Stokes orders his men to find Smith and Diaz. After Smith's death, Pop asks Cage to find Diaz in Harlem, so they could save him from Stokes. Cage manages to find him and goes to set a meeting with Stokes, so they could negotiate Diaz's safety, however, Tone attacks the barbershop to retrieve the money, killing Pop in the process.
Deeply angered by Pop's death, Cage decides to retaliate by raiding Stokes' money stash, leaving him without $7,000,000. Meanwhile, Scarfe who was on Stokes' payroll, murders Diaz before he could testify against him. Stokes concluded that Cage had started a war against him, so he demolishes the restaurant with Cage inside, although he survives the attack. Stokes then orders his men to raid numerous businesses across Harlem, while saying to people that all of that is Cage's fault, which forces Cage to fight back.
The war reaches its peak when Stokes arranges a meeting with Scarfe to retrieve his guns from the police lockup. Scarfe's attempts to extort Stokes out of money results in him being shot and asking Cage for help. Cage and Claire Temple attempt to save Scarfe as he was the only one who could expose Stokes' criminal empire. After being chased by Stokes' men, Scarfe dies but not before the evidence against Stokes makes its way to the police, leading to Stokes' arrest.
However, due to Scarfe's evidence not being credible, the police sets Stokes free. After Shades tells him everything about Cage's past, Stokes threatens to expose him, forcing him to consider leaving Harlem. Cage considers leaving but Temple convinces him to stay and fight. Meanwhile, Dillard's political career faces a downfall because of Stokes' involvement. The heated argument between them eventually leads to enraged Dillard murdering Stokes, so Shades helps her to pin the crime on Cage.
Diamondback's Revenge[]
Luke Cage walks through the streets when he is suddenly shot by a man named Diamondback using a Judas Bullet. This manages to pierce Cage's skin. Claire Temple tries to take Cage to the hospital and Diamondback follows. However, he runs away when the police arrive. Meanwhile, Misty Knight arrives at the murder scene. Candace Miller tells her that Cage killed Cornell Stokes. Mariah Dillard then publicly announces Cage as the murderer which Knight doesn't believe.
Knight arrives at the clinic that Cage and Temple are at. Temple tells her the truth which makes Knight realize there's an alibi. Mark Bailey reminds Knight that the police recently found gloves with Cage's DNA at the crime scene. Unbeknownst to them, it was planted by Shades. Knight goes to arrest Cage, but is stopped by Diamondback who has also found them. Cage recognizes him as an old friend, Willis Stryker. Diamondback punches Cage and takes Knight hostage. Cage finds Knight unconscious in the street and decides to still pursue Stryker. When he finds him, Stryker reveals that he framed Cage and sent him to jail. Cage beats Diamondback and gets away.
Knight interrogates Temple at the precinct and gets angry. She then lashes out at Temple, which gets her in huge trouble. Meanwhile, Cage walks through the streets and sees Stryker, where he tries to reason with his friend. Stryker reveals that they aren't friends, but brothers. Stryker then shoots Cage which sends him flying into a dumpster truck. Cage wakes up a little later and starts walking down the street. He is found by two cops who recognize him as the fugitive that killed Stokes. Cage gets away after throwing one of them into another car.
Gabe Krasner, a psychologist, now interrogates Knight on her actions seeing if there might have been trauma involved in her decision. She eventually breaks down and tells him it was because of her scare with Stryker. He tasks her with apprehending Cage. Cage meets with Temple and they go to Noah Burstein's house to heal his injuries. Burstein was the doctor that gave Cage his powers. They conclude that the only option is to dip Cage in boiling water to soften his skin enough to get a scalpel through and remove the shrapnel. However, Cage goes into cardiac arrest when under the water. Knowing they still have to get the shrapnel out, Temple still pushes the limits and is able to get it out when his skin becomes soft enough.
Stryker plans to sell better Judas Bullets to the Police. Knowing it will only work if they fear Luke Cage, he attacks one of the officers posing as Cage. After recovering, Cage looks through a file left by his wife, Reva Connors. He finds out that Connors specifically chose Cage for the experiment. This angers Cage so much that he destroys Burstein's equipment. They then go to Harlem's Paradise to stop Stryker. Upon arrival, they see Knight, who is there for Stryker as well. Diamondback opens fire of Knight, one hits her arm while the others are blocked by Cage who shields her. The two then escape together. In response, Stryker kidnaps Temple, Miller, and other people in the proximity. Stryker then kills one of Dillard's men, Damon Boone. When going to stop Stryker, Cage is forced to be arrested when the police show up with Judas Bullets. However, the city of Harlem praises Cage.
In the police car, Cage breaks out of his restraints and runs away. A police officer armed with Judas Bullets, John Polsky, finds Cage, but lets him go because he believes in him. Meanwhile, Knight is called by Miller who tells her the real truth as she now is on Cage's side after he saved her. They decide to have Miller testify against Dillard in court. Zip attacks Shades, but is quickly overpowered. He reveals that Diamondback ordered him to be killed. Shades kills Zip in retaliation and then meets up with Dillard. At Pop's Barber Shop, Cage is met by Shades and Dillard who ask for a truce in exchange for information to take down Diamondback. Shades also offers information that could clear Luke Cage from his past charges. Suddenly, Diamondback attacks the barber shop using his battlesuit which allows him to phase through objects. Shades loses the information and Knight loses her phone to contact Miller. When walking out however, Shades picks up the phone.
The duel ensues for a while. Eventually, Diamondback is defeated by Cage who is backed by support from onlookers. Dillard gives an interview stating how this fight proves how violent the neighborhood is. She also claims that Cage is the escaped convict known as Carl Lucas. Knight then arrests Dillard on the air for the murder of Stokes using Miller's future testimony. Shades uses the phone to call Miller for a meet up posing as Knight. He then kills her rendering her testimony useless. Thus, Dillard walks away free from any crime.
Two officers then show up to the precinct and plan to arrest Cage because he was a fugitive before changing his name. Cage submits without protest. Temple is the one to protest, but eventually gives in. The two share a kiss before Cage walks out, on his way to Seagate Penitentiary. Bobby Fish finds the information that proves Cage's innocence. Temple finds an ad for Colleen Wing's lessons at Chikara Dojo. Knight begins to spy on Dillard. In prison, Burstein is tasked with watching Stryker, but decides to experiment on his instead.
Cast[]
Starring Cast[]
- Mike Colter as Luke Cage
- Mahershala Ali as Cornell Stokes/Cottonmouth
- Simone Missick as Misty Knight
- Theo Rossi as Hernan Alvarez/Shades
- Erik LaRay Harvey as Willis Stryker/Diamondback
- Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple
- Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard/Black Mariah
Special Guest Stars[]
- Parisa Fitz-Henley as Doctor Reva Connors
- Rob Morgan as Turk Barrett
- Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker
- Danny Johnson as Benjamin Donovan
- Stephen Rider as District Attorney Blake Tower
- Frankie Faison as Henry Hunter/Pop
- Sônia Braga as Soledad Temple
Recurring Cast[]
- Frank Whaley as Detective Rafael Scarfe
- Dawn-Lyen Gardner as Megan McLaren
- Ron Cephas Jones as Bobby Fish
- Jacob Vargas as Domingo Colon
- Jeremiah Richard Craft as D.W. Griffith
- Deborah Ayorinde as Candace Miller
- Darius Kaleb as Lonnie Wilson
- Jade Wu as Connie Lin
- Justin Swain as Mark Bailey
- Jaiden Kaine as Zip
- Sean Ringgold as Sugar
- Michael Kostroff as Doctor Noah Burstein
- Sonja Sohn as Captain Betty Audrey
- John Clarence Stewart as Alex Wesley
- Tijuana Ricks as Thembi Wallace
- Karen Pittman as Inspector Priscilla Ridley
Episodes[]
| Image | Title | Number | Airdate | Writers | Directors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Moment of Truth | 1.01 | September 30, 2016 | Cheo Hodari Coker | Paul McGuigan |
| With tension building in the streets of Harlem thanks to ruthless club owner Cottonmouth, Luke finds it increasingly difficult to live a quiet life. | |||||
|
Code of the Streets | 1.02 | September 30, 2016 | Cheo Hodari Coker | Paul McGuigan |
| Luke is pulled deeper into the fight for his neighborhood when, as a favor to an old friend, he tries to help a kid who's in trouble with Cottonmouth. | |||||
|
Who's Gonna Take the Weight? | 1.03 | September 30, 2016 | Matt Owens | Guillermo Navarro |
| Luke Cage is pulled deeper into the fight for his neighborhood when, as a favor to an old friend, he tries to help a kid who's in trouble with Cottonmouth. | |||||
|
Step in the Arena | 1.04 | September 30, 2016 | Charles Murray | Vincenzo Natali |
| As he rescues a victim of Cottonmouth's vengeance, Luke remembers his earlier life and the conspiracy that led to his superhuman strength. | |||||
|
Just to Get a Rep | 1.05 | September 30, 2016 | Jason Horwitch | Marc Jobst |
| Cottonmouth strikes back at Luke by taking his vengeance out on the people of Harlem, while detective Knight and Rafe face an unexpected threat.. | |||||
|
Suckas Need Bodyguards | 1.06 | September 30, 2016 | Nathan Louis Jackson | Sam Miller |
| After Cottonmouth and Rafael Scarfe's bloody clash, Cage realizes that saving the community may turn former allies into enemies, and enemies into allies. | |||||
|
Manifest | 1.07 | September 30, 2016 | Akela Cooper | Andy Goddard |
| Mariah's political career comes under fire, and Cottonmouth picks up information that could put Luke on the run. | |||||
|
Blowin' Up the Spot | 1.08 | September 30, 2016 | Aida Mashaka Croal | Magnus Martens |
| Mariah campaigns to turn the city and the police against Luke, and not even Misty or Claire may be able to save him. | |||||
|
DWYCK | 1.09 | September 30, 2016 | Christian Taylor | Tom Shankland |
| With Luke wounded and on the run, Misty faces a soul-searching interrogation. Mariah's rise to power takes a dark turn. | |||||
|
Take It Personal | 1.10 | September 30, 2016 | Jason Horwitch | Stephen Surjik |
| Luke gets closer to the truth about Reva and her part in his fate, while Mariah wrestles with morality of her new role. Misty hunts for Luke. | |||||
|
Now You're Mine | 1.11 | September 30, 2016 | Christian Taylor | George Tillman, Jr. |
| In one bold move, a friend from his past puts Luke on the defensive, Misty in dire straits, and Harlem's safety in jeopardy. | |||||
|
Soliloquy of Chaos | 1.12 | September 30, 2016 | Akela Cooper & Charles Murray | Phil Abraham |
| Misty digs deeper for the truth as the neighbourhood's power players throw the city into confusion. | |||||
|
|
You Know My Steez | 1.13 | September 30, 2016 | Aida Mashaka Croal & Cheo Hodari Coker | Clark Johnson |
| With all of Harlem bearing witness, Luke takes on the fight of his life in hopes of emerging as the defender his city needs. | |||||
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Made You Look | Nas |
Teaser Trailer and Final Trailer |
| Shimmy Shimmy Ya | Ol' Dirty Bastard |
SDCC Trailer |
| Heart is Full | Miike Snow ft. Run The Jewels |
Official Trailer |
| Walk On By | Isaac Hayes |
Official Trailer |
Trivia[]
- Every episode of season one is named after a song of the rap duo Gang Starr.
