[Review] Luke Cage Episode 1×09: “DWYCK”

written by Sabra Schirm

SPOILER WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT

In Episode 9 of Luke Cage, we see our heroes dealing with the aftermath of last episode, which is not so fun for them when said aftermath includes a Not-An-Interrogation (that is totally an interrogation), and riding around in a garbage truck like it’s a Disneyland trolley.

(“Next Stop: The You’re Fucked Plaza!”)

Misty, being the reasonable adult that she is, is sitting in professional time-out, arguing that she was so totally in control, and you can’t break her, so nyahhh. Her interrogator — an odd combination of professional and kind, like that one favorite uncle, but one who can fire you — knows just how to push her buttons to make her see that maybe, perhaps, she might have screwed up just this once.

Maybe.

…but fuck you for making her admit it.

Meanwhile, Luke, for the first time in…ever (if he’s lucky), is dealing with the joys of septic wounds. A combination of fever and festering bullet holes leave him oozy and with absolutely no patience to deal with this whole man-hunt bullshit. Luckily for him, the NYPD haven’t yet put two and two together about a bullet-proof man not being taken down by bullets.

Back in Villainlandia, Mariah is functioning on less than a full deck as she fails to cope with Cornell’s death. Shades, of course, is hiding his stress behind slick outfits and a husky voice, quietly shitting his pants as he realizes he may have epically fucked himself over with the whole “encouraging violent slaughter” thing. Mariah, of course, just wants this shit over and done with, so is either ignoring or ignorant of the load in her cohort’s pants.

Luke finally makes it back to Claire, who is on top of shit, as always. Marvelous bad-ass that she is, she convinces our bullet-ridden hero to move the plot forward…er, seek help from the doctor who made him what he is, which may or may not have been an awful idea. I’m leaning toward “may.” Misty is reluctantly given back her badge on the understanding that she bring Luke in and STFU about Mariah, already.

Mariah finally seems to catch wind of what’s festering in Shades’ trousers as she realizes that no amount of fast-talking Diamondback is going to see her washing her hands of her cousin’s illegal dealings. Shades, of course, shits his pants some more, which makes it lucky for us all that he seems to have an endless supply of black-on-black shirt and trouser outfits.

Things I loved:

  • Claire. Yes, she just got choked out by an unhinged Misty, but she’s still ass-in-seat at the café, doing her research and digging shit up to help Luke. Honestly, after all the shit she does for people in these multiple series, we need a Claire Temple solo series. I’d be all over a show about her being a bad-ass nurse. JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, MARVEL.
  • Unhinged Mariah. Don’t get me wrong, Mariah has always been interesting, but there is something about this unhinged version of her which feels so much more honest than when she had her shit together and was wearing her Politician Façade. I have a feeling that we are going to see a lot more of unhinged, violent Mariah before we’re through.
  • The music. This show has always, always had amazing music, so this isn’t really a surprise, but it still completely deserves an acknowledgment.
  • Shades. Yes, he’s a shady, slimy dude, but seeing him so uncertain of his footing, so unsure of where he stands now that Diamondback is here and pissed is kind of fabulous. I suspect he’s going to quietly shit himself many, many more times in these last few episodes. Only time will tell.

Luke Cage is available now on Netflix. Sabra can be reached on Twitter @cue_face_palm.

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