Luke Cage Season 1, Episode 2 "Code of the Streets" (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[chamber-music]

Spoiler

They surprised me with Shades. They hyped him up to be this ruthless dude (and I'm sure he'll probably deliver in the future), and he ended up showing more restraint and remorse about the whole thing with Pop as compared to Tone.

Spoiler

Shades isn't an idiot. If you want to be a successful criminal then you want to keep things on the low down. Going crazy and machine gunning up a place will only bring attention from the cops and media.

 

[Uskok]

I cried like the rain when

Spoiler

Pop died

.

 

[Lencho01]

Another great episode.

Only thing I didn't like was Chico coming out and the dude deciding to shoot up the place. Pretty dumb moves on their part.

Turk had me rolling.

 

[Vartha]

Wow! I love this series!

 

[metaphysician]

That was a solid episode.

Spoiler

Why did Cottonmouth's bodyguard feel the need to shoot up the whole barber shop? He couldn't have just waited for Chico to walk outside? Or just follow the orders he was given?

Spoiler

My own read is that Shades was subtly encouraging him to do so. The guy clearly wanted to solve the whole problem himself, and violently. A little reverse psychology, coming from a guy that he was inclined to disobey anyway. . .

Basically, I think Shades wanted him to screw up and get killed, as a way to weaken Stokes.

 

[metaphysician]

Spoiler

They surprised me with Shades. They hyped him up to be this ruthless dude (and I'm sure he'll probably deliver in the future), and he ended up showing more restraint and remorse about the whole thing with Pop as compared to Tone.

Spoiler

Or alternatively, he wanted to make sure the blame fell on Tone. I mean, even if Shades is untouchable because he's Diamondback's agent, he doesn't want Cottonmouth turning on him. So, fake remorse and guilt, while counting on Tone to be righteously defiant. Thus, Tone gets thrown off a building, and Shades is viewed as 'the good guy' who was trying to contain the damage, and is actually showing some shame at screwing up. Makes him more necessary, and less threatening.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Another truly good episode. The music is a living character in the series and I really dig that. Having that scene punctuated by Faith Evans singing was a masterstroke. Very excited to see where they go from here now that Luke has decided he wants to take action. I'm sure him not doing so sooner is going to weigh on his mind though.

 

[Dark Raven]

This had better pacing than the first episode. I guess Luke will have to hang out somewhere else now.

 

[Iceman]

Yes I preferred it to the first.

 

[Xclaim]

Without question my favorite part of this episode was....

Spoiler

the rooftop scene with Cottonmouth, Shades, and Tone. You could feel the tension building the entire scene knowing that Cottonmouth, and even Shades, respected that the barber shop was supposed to be untouchable. Tone laughing and taking so much pride in shooting up Pop's only made it worse.

The one moment that got me the most was when Cottonmouth started talking about how he'll make this up to Pop and help him rebuild, still under the assumption that Pop was just fine. You knew right then and there Tone was not leaving that rooftop alive. (well, technically he was still alive when he "left the rooftop" but you know what I mean)

And Turk showing up at the worst possible moment was just hilarious. The only thing that would've made this scene perfect is if they had shown Turk taking money from Tone's corpse. (which you know he did)

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Anyone remembers that Daredevil vs Luke Cage one shot? One of the characters in that issue is Turk Barret.
His presence in this episode reminds me of that issue.

 

[Xrated48]

Way better than the first episode