After the massacre at Gwen's, Luke joins the police there and looks over the carnage. He blames himself for saving Mariah from her burning brown house, and tells Misty that she was right. Luke points out that he and Danny went to the club, and he should have killed her there. Ciancio tells Misty that Luke has to go, and Misty tells her fellow detective that it's not the time. She looks at Anansi's burned corpse, and tells Ciancio that she knows Mariah was responsible. Misty figures that Mariah is trying to force Bushmaster to respond, and Ciancio warns Luke that any of Bushmaster's rivals could have staged the massacre.
Misty points out that all of the slugs are 9mm and there are no slug casings, meaning a revolver was responsible. Luke finds a blood trail that shows that someone survived, and they figure that if the killers realize that there was a survivor, they'll kill them.
Tilda administers to Bushmaster and says that they need the real nightshade. Sheldon tells the suffering Bushmaster to fight and survive.
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In Kingston in the mid 80s, a young John is delivering towels to the hotel pool, while Cornell splashes Mariah. John watches, and his aunt Ingrid comes over and tells him to get back to work. When he asks where his mother Gwen is, Ingrid tells him to go. Inside, John hears Gwen and her lawyer Terence Rogers arguing with Mabel and Ben. Gwen complains that Mabel is ignoring her, while Gwen blames Mabel for what happened to Buggy. Gwen's lawyer says that his client just wants her fair share, and Ben insists that the Stokes owe Gwen nothing. Terence shows them an agreement that both men signed, on a cocktail napkin, that they agreed to split the rum profits 50/50. Mabel objects, and Gwen reminds her of the plans they shared. Terence warns that Gwen would win in court, and suggests that the Stokes open their books in court. Ben refuses, and Terence suggests that they settle it privately. He wants 50% of the Bushmaster Rum shares, and continuing profits from the club. Mabel laughs and after a moment, Ben joins in.
Mariah comes up behind John and tells him to get her something to drink before she tells the adults that he's spying. John leaves and Mariah listens in on the conversation.
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Alex takes Mariah and Shades to a secure bunker and shows her the new office that Aeneas is having built. Shades warns Mariah that it won't prevent Bushmaster from coming after Mariah, and Mariah says that they did it and when the time is right, they'll kill him. She figures that Bushmaster is coming and they'll be ready.
At the precinct house, Misty recreates the crime scene in her head and tires to work out who shot Anansi. Luke interrupts her concentration, and Mark shows Misty the file on the victims. Anansi owned Gwen's, and it was named in honor of Auntie Ingrid's sister Gwen. Luke recognizes Bushmaster from one of the photos, and figures that Ingrid is the survivor. He goes to find her, and Misty asks him not to mess up her case or get caught.
Luke starts visiting the other crime families and beats them for information about the massacre. He calls Misty and says that none of the families had nothing to do with it, so it must be Mariah. Misty sends him surveillance footage of Ingrid leaving the restaurant after the massacre, and says that she doesn't want Mariah to mess up her case and let Mariah walk on a technicality. Luke refuses, figuring that she'll either try to find Bushmaster or slip away, and says that he'll search himself before hanging up. Ridley tells Misty that the press knows about a living witness so they must have a leak, and warns that the press won't sit on it. She tells Misty to reassure the public that they won't let the massacre spread to other boroughs, and the mayor and commissioner asked for her. Misty isn't interested, but Ridley tells her to make some time because she might be commissioner one day.
Misty soon meets with the press and refuses to discuss any details. However, she says that they're trying to tamp down any spreading violence.
A shaky Shades washes his hands.
Misty refuges to identify any suspects, and insists that Luke isn't under her jurisdiction.
Luke checks the hospitals looking for Ingrid, and a nurse leads him away.
Misty says that the police department will keep the city safe.
The nurse tells Luke to try the cash-only neighborhood clinics.
A reporter asks Misty about a potential survivor, and Misty says that they'll release a report when the time is right.
Shades joins Mariah in her office as she turns off the news report, and tells him that they have a survivor. She tells him to take out Ingrid, and Shades wonders what Mariah intended. Mariah says that Bushmaster came after her first, and tells Shades to meet up with Alex and find Ingrid. When Shades asks if Alex is calling the shots, Mariah tells him that she can sense his insecurities and assures him that they're going to make big moves. Shades asks if she thinks washing her hands of the massacre is that simple, and Mariah says that it is and tells him to take care of business while she secures their future. He says that he can do it and leaves.
Misty tells Mark that the .38 revolver used is an anomaly, and points out that Candace was killed with a .38.
Bushmaster goes into convulsions and Tilda warns Sheldon that Bushmaster's body can't take much more. Sheldon tells her to continue, and says that he's known Bushmaster since they were both 11 and Bushmaster has always been strong. He describes how they received free vaccinations but they all died except for Bushmaster. After that, they said that he was special. Tilda warns that the nightshade might be killing Bushmaster, and Sheldon says that Bushmaster can't die until he finishes what he has to do. When Tilda says that they're dying over Bushmaster rum, Sheldon tells her that the rum was only the beginning.
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In the McIver home, someone throws burning bottles of rum through the window. Gwen tells John to get out and out on the street, he watches as the house collapses with Gwen inside of it. Mabel walks up and tosses the legal papers into the fire, insincerely tells John that she's sorry, and walks off.
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Tilda tells Sheldon that she didn't know what the Stokes did to Bushmaster, and Sheldon says that the same blood runs in her veins.
Mark approaches Mark and says that the slug from Anansi's body matched the one in Candace's. They both figure that it's Mariah's revolver.
Mariah meets with Hai-Qing Yang to discuss heroin distribution in Harlem. She suggests that they come to an arrangement to run the heroin through Harlem, and Hai-Qing says that Mariah doesn't need the money and it goes against the Stokes family credo. Mariah tells him that it's time to let the ghosts of the past die together. He agrees and they shake.
Luke arrives at a clinic and finds two of Mariah's men beating a man. They shoot at him and Luke ignores the bullets and knocks one thug out. Luke tells the second one to go home and warn Mariah that he's coming. Once the thug leaves, Luke searches the clinics and finds Ingrid. She throws bedpans at him and Luke says that he's there to protect her, and warns that Mariah's people are going to finish the job if she doesn't come with him.
The West Indian Day Parade is on the streets, and when Luke approaches the crowd, he discovers that Ingrid is gone.
Shades shoves Ingrid into a storage room, and she remembers him from the massacre. She begs him for her life, and Shades tells her to close her eyes. Shades can't bring himself to shoot her and walks out. Luke breaks into the room and Ingrid says that Mariah will come for her anywhere. She asks Luke to take her to Anansi's corpse so she can see him, and says that the killing won't stop unless the last Stokes is dead. Ingrid begs Luke to kill Mariah, and he asks Ingrid to help him do it the right way and tell the police what happened. She says that she's not going to relive her husband's death, and Luke insists that war isn't the answer to war. Ingrid tells him that he and Bushmaster are a lot alike, and he let his anger go while Luke internalizes it... and Luke's way is more dangerous. She suggests that they stop at her friend Luis' restaurant to get some things for her, and Luke agrees.
Sheldon insists that Tilda give Bushmaster more nightshade, and she reluctantly does so.
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Two years later, John is working in the streets selling apples. Pete comes up and shoots him in the chest, and tells him to tell Quincy that was for Buggy. Anansi finds him and carries him into a house in the mountains, where Maddah Myrie lives. She treats him with nightshade, healing his bullet wounds.
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Tilda smears nightshade paste on Bushmaster's wounds. He goes into convulsions.
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John goes into convulsions and his body expels the bullets.
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Bushmaster's body expels the shards of metal from the explosion, and Sheldon welcomes him back.
At the restaurant, Ingrid tells Luke what happened to Bushmaster. She says that he protects his people just like Luke does, and Luke says that he'd never shoot up churches or cut off heads. Ingrid figures that Luke is no saint, and insists that Luke take her to Anansi's body. He texts Misty and says that he has Ingrid and she's safe. Ingrid tells him to keep her that way, and checks a file on an unsolved homicide several years back. The dead man is Pete.
In her office, Mariah drinks and imagines Mabel there. She says that she's better than Mabel, and "Mabel" insists that drugs are a plague. Mabel tells Mariah that she'll always be there, and Mariah is dragging their name through the streets. Mariah insists that she's improving the community, but something connected to Mabel always comes up and ruins it. Mabel points out that she killed her "sweet" Cornell, and Mariah says that Cornell wasn't as sweet as Mabel thought. A hallucination of Pete appears and says that she forgives Mabel for ordering Cornell to kill him, and figures that Mariah is more ambitious than both of them. Mariah angrily says that it's her world and she's owed, and promises to call the city before she's done. the two hallucinations disappear.
Bushmaster tells Sheldon to let everyone know that he's alive. He then asks Tilda what the cost is to his body, and Tilda warns him that it's not good. Bushmaster says that he's cheated death before, and Tilda warns him that he's living on credit. A grief-stricken Sheldon tells Bushmaster that Anansi is dead.
Misty tells Ridley that the gun links Mariah to all three deaths. Ridley warns that Scarfe filed the missing-persons report, and warns that without the gun it's circumstantial. They need a witness and Ridley asks Misty where Ingrid is, and Misty says that she's on it. Misty walks out and calls Luke, who tells her that Ingrid won't testify. He says that all Ingrid wants to do is take Anansi back to Jamaica, and figures that they'll get Mariah but not at the cost of Ingrid's sanity. Luke apologizes and hangs up.
That night, Bushmaster and Sheldon take Tilda to Gwen's and look at the devastation. Bushmaster figures the attack was meant for him, and Sheldon asks what they're going to do with Tilda. After a moment, Bushmaster tells Sheldon to let Tilda go. He thanks Tilda for her help, and she apologizes and leaves.
Mariah and Alex are drinking and laughing, and she starts to kiss him. Shades comes in and Mariah tells him that Alex has always been loyal. When Shades orders Alex to leave, Mariah says that she says when he goes and Shades draws his gun. Alex quickly leaves, and Shades says that there's a code in the streets. Innocent people are dead and Mariah broke the rules, and Mariah says that Candace was innocent. Shades insists that Candace broke the rules when she became a snitch, and Mariah asks him if he killed Ingrid. her lover says that he's done, and Mariah reminds him that he stood by her. She says that he knew what was going to happen, but Shades says that she lost her heart and it was the best part of her. She never blinked when she watched Anansi burn, and Mariah tells him that she's done babysitting. Mariah reminds Shades that he was there when she killed Cornell, and knew what she was from the start and made her who she is. Shades tells her that she's a crazy bitch and starts to leave.
Disgusted, Mariah realizes that Shades has been screwed up since Comanche died. She figures that Shades and Comanche were involved, and says that she wishes that she had shot Comanche while Shades watched. Shades grabs her by the throat and chokes her, but then lets her go and says that she's not worth the effort because she's pathetic. Mariah tells him that he doesn't walk away from her, but Shades leaves the office. Tilda comes in and asks if Mariah ordered the massacre. Mariah proudly says that she pulled the trigger and lit the match, and Tilda walks out.
As Misty goes to her car, Shades approaches her and says that Mariah has gone too far and has to go... and he's going to help Misty put her away. He holds out his hands and Misty cuffs him.
At the morgue, Bushmaster is paying his respects to Anansi. Ingrid and Luke come in, and Ingrid tells the two men that they need to talk while she needs time alone with Anansi. They go outside and Bushmaster thanks Luke for keeping Ingrid safe. Luke says that it was the right thing to do, and Bushmaster tells him that the world is more complicated than that. Unimpressed, Luke says that he's the good guy by default and can't let Bushmaster and Mariah kill each other. Bushmaster says that they're not so different, and Luke advises him to walk away for good because otherwise, he'll make sure bushmaster doesn't walk away. His rival says that he'll be ready and isn't looking forward to killing Luke, and then goes to hug Ingrid.
Luke walks out and Sugar approaches him. He says that he doesn't work for Mariah because she's crazy, and figures that someone has to take over Harlem. Sugar warns that Harlem doesn't need a sheriff, and Luke figures that it needs a king and says that they should talk.
Written by Gadfly on Jul 14, 2018