Episode 12:”Soliloquy of Chaos”
There is an interesting change that takes place from episode eleven to episode twelve of Luke Cage. The people of Harlem are coming around to the idea of Luke. They are starting to get skeptical of the media’s portrayal of him and no longer believe he is the killer they have made him out to be. To show their newfound support, they don bullet hole hoodies to show solidarity. It’s a visually powerful moment.
This is exactly the kind of support Luke needs now that he finds himself on the run once again. After escaping from police custody, he is in desperate need of allies. He has no choice but to turn to Mariah and Shades to form an alliance against Diamondback. At this point the three are united in their common goal, until Misty shows up. Misty might trust Luke a little more now, but she still doesn’t trust him enough to let him handle the situation on his own. Misty is blinded by her idea of justice. She cannot see the bigger picture of stopping Diamondback, she only wants to arrest Mariah and Shades for their wrongdoings and connection with Cottonmouth.
While Misty, Shades, Mariah, and Luke are all trying to figure out where they stand, Diamondback strikes first, attacking Pop’s Barbershop with a bomb before entering in a Hammer Tech power suit for a showdown with Luke. Diamondback may not be the best at making plans, but everything he has done so far (minus trying to kill Shades) has worked.