- "Half the people uptown have fathers, cousins, uncles, brothers in prison. You're no different than anybody else. You get your wish. You're not special. Instead of running, if you make a move and you take him down once and for all? You stop him, you save this community, and you free yourself."
- ―Claire Temple to Luke Cage
Manifest is the seventh episode of the first season of the television series Luke Cage.
Synopsis[]
Mariah's political career comes under fire, and Cottonmouth picks up information that could put Luke on the run.
Plot[]
Cottonmouth is arrested. However, due to Rafael Scarfe's corruption and death, the evidence against Stokes is found inadmissible, so the NYPD has no choice but to let him go. Shades informs Stokes that Diamondback won't provide him with the Judas Bullet, since he thinks that Stokes isn't ready yet. Stokes then contacts Luke Cage, telling him to come to Harlem's Paradise for a talk.
Due to her connections with Stokes, Mariah Dillard's career is being jeopardized. Damon Boone visits Dillard and recommends her to step away from the City Council and let him support her initiatives. Dillard refuses Boone's offer but he points out that the current situation will eventually lead to the downfall of her career. Shades then told Dillard that, because of her and her cousin, their previously respected family name means nothing now.
Together with Priscilla Ridley, Misty Knight continues to investigate Stokes' case. Ridley notes that the fact Luke Cage is linked to every part of the investigation. Knight isn't sure about Cage's involvement but Ridley reminds her that her career, as well as the entire department, depends on that case. While investigating, Knight and Mark Bailey conclude that "Luke Cage" is just an alias, while his true identity remains unknown.
Stokes reminisces about his childhood when he and Dillard were raised by Mama Mabel and Pistol Pete who were at the top of Harlem's criminal underworld. While Pete was encouraging Stokes' musical talents, Mabel was persistent that he should stay within the family business. Eventually, Mabel found out that Pete broke the family's rule of not dealing with drugs and started business with Colon Crime Family, so she forced Stokes to kill him which became the turning point of his life.
Cage comes to the club where Stokes informs him that he knows everything about his past, including his escape from Seagate Penitentiary. Stokes threatens to expose everything about him, so Cage decides to leave Harlem. However, Claire Temple convinces him to stay and fight to take Stokes down once and for all and save Harlem. With the help of D.W. Griffith, Cage finds and confronts Domingo Colon, taking all weapons he obtained from Stokes.
Being put under the pressure by the council, Dillard is forced to resign, so she arrives at the club to persuade Stokes to let go of his obsession with Cage. Stokes refuses and their argument about their family ends up with Stokes saying that Dillard wanted Pete to do what he did to her. Blinded by rage, Dillard attacks Stokes and murders him before she was approached by Shades who was planning to kill Stokes himself. Shades praises Dillard for what she did and reveals his plan to frame Cage for the murder.
Cage gives the weapons to Knight, which could be found in a van. Knight tells him that he can't continue doing that and that if he wants to end it all, he must testify, but he refuses and states that he doesn't trust the system.
Cage and Temple take a walk, talking about his past, however, they're interrupted by Diamondback shooting Cage with the Judas Bullet, leaving Cage badly wounded.
Cast[]
Main 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
Guest Stars:
- Danny Johnson as Benjamin Donovan
- LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Mabel Stokes/Mama Mabel
- Ron Cephas Jones as Bobby Fish
- Jacob Vargas as Domingo Colon
- Karen Pittman as Inspector Priscilla Ridley
- Sonja Sohn as Captain Betty Audrey
- Curtiss Cook as Peter Stokes/Pistol Pete
- Elijah Boothe as Young Cornell Stokes
- Megan Miller as Young Mariah Stokes
- Edwin Freeman as Henry Hunter/Pop
- Jaiden Kaine as Zip
- Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Sister Boy
- Ephraim Sykes as Donnie
- John Clarence Stewart as Alex Wesley
- Justin Swain as Mark Bailey
- Clark Jackson as Damon Boone
- Dawn-Lyen Gardner as Megan McLaren
- Jeremiah Richard Craft as D.W. Griffith
- David Healy as Reporter #1
- Robyn Payne as Reporter #2
- D-Nice as himself
- Dan Dargan Carter as Colon's Crew #2 (uncredited)
- Luc Owono as Cottonmouth Driver (uncredited)
- Unknown Voice Actor as Tony (uncredited)
Appearances[]
Locations[]
- New York City, New York
- 29th Precinct Police Station
- Harlem's Paradise
- Pop's Barber Shop
- Mariah Dillard's Brownstone
- Colon's Gym
- Crispus Attucks Complex
- Apollo Theater
- Marcus Garvey Park
- Genghis Connie's (mentioned)
- Mount Olivet Baptist Church (mentioned)
- Juillard School (mentioned)
- Hudson River (mentioned)
- Georgia (mentioned)
- Seagate Penitentiary (mentioned)
- Stanford University (mentioned)
Events[]
- Raid of Colon's Gym
- Murder of Cottonmouth
- Incrimination of Luke Cage
- Assassination of Pistol Pete (flashback)
- Arrest of Cottonmouth (mentioned)
- Chase of Rafael Scarfe (mentioned)
- Attack on Pop's Barber Shop (mentioned)
- Destruction of Genghis Connie's (mentioned)
- Escape from Seagate Prison (mentioned)
- Attack on Zip's Gang (mentioned)
- Battle of New York (mentioned)
- Ambush at the Harlem Junkyard (mentioned)
Items[]
Vehicles[]
Organizations[]
- Stokes Crime Family
- New York City Police Department
- Colon Crime Family
- Donovan and Partners
- WZTM News
- WJBP-TV
- WZVR News
- WKGU News
- WNJG
- New York City Council
- Yardies (mentioned)
- Macoute (mentioned)
- Dominican Mob (mentioned)
- Korean Mob (mentioned)
- Puerto Rican Mob (mentioned)
- Hammer Industries (logo)
- CrossFit (mentioned)
Creatures[]
Mentioned[]
- New Harlem Renaissance
- Method Man
- Rafael Scarfe (picture)
- Amos
- Joel Spurlock
- Daredevil
- Dante Chapman
- Buggy Stokes
- Salvador Colon
- Jazmine Stokes
- Captain America
- Connie Lin
- Tato Lopez
- Malik
- Justin Hammer
- James Lucas
- Biggie Smalls (picture)
- David Dinkins
- Pappy Mason
- Inspector Gadget
- Video Music Box
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Gold Ring | Nina Simone |
Zip openly sells guns when Luke Cage arrives which sends his buyers running; Zip warns Cage that Cottonmouth is getting out of prison; Misty Knight goes over case board when readies to let her anger out at Stokes but is stopped by Betty Audrey; Stokes taunts Knight's efforts then leave the 29th Precinct Police Station, Cage watches. |
| Top Going Down, Bottom Going Up | Nathan Bartell |
At Pop's Barber Shop, Luke Cage tells Bobby Fish that Cottonmouth will not be charged without Rafael Scarfe. Claire Temple suggests that he can still do something to get his own justice. |
| I'm Bad Like Jesse James | John Lee Hooker |
Cottonmouth plays the piano; (Flashback) Mama Mabel confronts Pistol Pete on his betrayal of the family then takes him out back along with Stokes and Mariah Dillard where Stokes nervously shoots him dead. |
| April Sonata | Adrian Younge |
Mariah Dillard and Cottonmouth begin to tear each other apart as they both begin to crack and as Stokes' words strike at Dillard she attacks him with a wine bottle, pushes him out of window then beats with a mic stand all as Shades watches. |
Trivia[]
- Manifest is a song from the album No More Mr. Nice Guy of the hip-pop duo Gang Starr.
- This is the only episode of the first season of Luke Cage where the seven members of the main cast appear.
- Cottonmouth's death drew criticism from some viewers, who were disappointed by the character's exit halfway through the first season. Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker stated that Mahershala Ali only accepted the role under the condition that he would only be in half the season[1] and that the character would be killed off.[2] This was because Ali was transitioning from acting in television shows to acting exclusively in movies and therefore did not want to be contractually obligated to portray a non-lead character on a television show for multiple seasons.[3]
