Luke is out jogging while people call into Trish Talk to talk about Luke’s emergence as a “superhero” in Harlem.
Cornell meets with Scarfe to get his goods. Scarfe says that the guns are in the SUV, but demands an extra $100,000. Cornell refuses to pay him and Scarfe warns that he knows Cornell needs the guns to get Domingo off his back. When Cornell threatens him, Scarfe is unimpressed and points out that his reputation is nothing since Luke punked him. Cornell punches the detective in the face and disarms Scarfe when he goes for his gun. He then picks up the gun and shoots Scarfe in the leg and the stomach. Scarfe ducks behind the car and a worker across the river hears them. Cornell says that he’ll use his hands when he catches Scarfe and drives off, and Scarfe looks at the bullet wound in his stomach.
Mariah is recording a video about Harlem when Luke comes up. He says that he’s taking Cornell down and her, too.
At the A Train Diner, Mariah meets with Bobby and Luke that he’s leaving once he takes Cornell down. Bobby advises him to wear a mask, but Luke insists that he’s no hero.
Cornell is in his office and meets with Mariah. She tells him that her was stupid for shooting a cop, and if Scarfe lives then Cornell will lose everything he has. Cornell says that his guys are picking up the guns and he’s handing them over to Domingo that night, but Mariah wants results, not details. Her cousin reminds her that he doesn’t work for her, and Mariah asks about Luke. Cornell dismisses him and Mariah advises her cousin to sell the club and walk away. He says that he’s proud of Mariah but can take care of himself. Mariah tells Cornell to find Luke’s weakness and take him out. Cornell points out that she sounds a lot like Mama Mabel , and says that he’s got something for Luke.
At the station, Perez gets a call from Cornell. The lieutenant demands explanation and Cornell tells him that Scarfe tried to squeeze him. Domingo insists that he knew nothing about it, and warns that there’s no easy way out for Cornell after he shot a cop, and Cornell tells him what to do.
Claire arrives at the diner and Soledad reminds her that she needs money. She nods over at Luke where he’s eating, and Claire goes over and reminds him that she took care of him when Jessica brought him in. Bobby makes a hasty exit and Claire sits down, and Luke finally points out that she didn’t have to do what she did for him. Claire says that she just came by to make sure that Luke was okay after saving his life, and Claire assures him that he’s amazing rather than a freak. She asks why he wants to hide what he is, and Luke leaves without responding, and Claire goes at him.
At the station, Captain Academy tells the squad to get Scarfe back alive, and they’ll take care of it themselves. Afterward, Audrey asks Misty what she knows about Scarfe, and points out that he’s the chief suspect in the gun theft from Evidence. She informs Audrey that Misty is working with Perez to find Scarfe because they’re the best.
Luke goes back to the barber shop with Claire, and she warns him that no one is going to ignore him. The door is unlocked and there’s drops of blood on the floor. Scarfe is in the back and tells Luke not to bring any cops in. He came to Luke because Luke doesn’t trust the police, and refuses to go to the hospital. Scarfe claims that Cornell killed Chico, and Claire goes to work removing the bullets.
Misty goes to Scarfe’s apartment and tries to work out what happened to him. Perez is less than impressed, and Misty figures that Scarfe might come back because his clothing is still there. Perez notices a photo of a boy, and Misty explains that it’s Scarfe son’s Earl. Earl is dead, after he accidentally shot himself when Scarfe forgot to lock up his gun.
At home, Mariah looks at a photo of Mother Mabel, and imagines hearing her talk to her.
Claire warns Luke that she can take out the bullet in Scarfe’s leg, but Scarfe has internal bleeding from the stomach wound. Luke asks Scarfe why he shouldn’t turn him over, and Scarfe says that they’re trying to kill him. Claire removes the leg bullet and Scarfe says that he can’t tell Luke anything else. Once she does, Scarfe says that he’s been working for Cornell, who tried to kill him. When he again claims that Cornell killed Chico, Luke doesn’t believe him and Scarfe admits that he killed the teenager. Luke takes Scarfe by the throat and starts to choke him. Claire asks him to stop, and asks if Luke is a killer.
After a moment, Luke lets go and says that they’re done. He and Claire walks out, and Scarfe yells that he’s an asshole... but Cornell is a lot worse and he has the evidence to take him down. Intrigued, Luke comes back and asks what Scarfe has, and Scarfe says that he has notes on all the murder investigations that he covered and how he used Spurlock’s Mortuary to dispose of the body. He also has the names of every officer on Cornell’s payroll. Luke demands to know where the notes are, and Scarfe says that they’re at his apartment. After a moment, Luke leaves for the apartment.
Mariah prepares for her interview at her apartment, and reporter Thembi Wallace says that she wants a fun piece rather than another political statement. Mariah isn’t happy.
Misty and Perez are watching Scarfe’s apartment, and Perez gets a text from Cornell demanding results. Luke breaks open the secured apartment door and breaks into Scarfe’s apartment. Meanwhile, Misty tells Perez that a lot of people wrote her off when she first became a detective, but not Scarfe.
Inside, Luke finds the hidden floor compartment with the notes and takes them out.
Misty tells Perez that she owes Scarfe to hear his side of the story as they bring him in. Perez figures that Scarfe won’t show, but Misty notices the broken lobby door and the detectives go in. Luke hears them coming and jumps out the window, leaving an indent in the concrete. Misty gets a passing glimpse of him before he heads off.
Luke goes back to the barber shop and warns that Misty is heading that way. Claire wonders where they’re going, and calls her mom who is driving over with a catering van. They take Scarfe out the back to the waiting van, and Soledad leaves them the keys and walks home. Luke drives off and says that they’re heading to 1 Police Plaza, and the police will deal with Scarfe. He has Claire call an EMT that she can trust to meet them there.
Thembi begins her live interview and talks about Mariah’s rival.
Misty and Perez arrive at the barber shop and find a witness who can give them a partial plate on the van. Perez gets a call from Cornell and tells him that Luke is with Scarfe, and Cornell warns that he’ll take half the department with him if he goes down. Zip points out that Shades is gone and offers to step up, and Cornell has him put the word out: $100,000 to the man who kills Scarfe.
Claire gives Luke directions to avoid the police checkpoints. Four thugs spot the van from Perez’s description and follow it. Luke spots them and the thus pass them and open fire as they go by. Luke takes evasive action but comes to a dead end, and has Claire the lights. The thugs spot the van as they go by and double back, then arm up and open fire on the van. Once they’re done, they move in and discover that Luke punched a hole in the side and the neighboring wall, and escaped with Scarfe. The thugs split up and two go into the neighboring construction site and two circle around.
Misty waits to hear word and they get a report of shots fired next Police Plaza. When Misty turns on the sirens, Perez turns them off and figures that they shot Scarfe up, and she doesn’t want to see it. Misty considers and then calls someone and says that Perez is stopping her. Perez figures that she’s talking to Scarfe, and Misty says that Scarfe claimed Perez was in on it. Her new partner insists that Scarfe is in much deeper with Cornell than he is, and then realizes that Misty was bluffing. She draws a gun on Perez and tells him to hand his gun over, and he jumps her. They fight and Misty kicks him back, then tosses him a pair of handcuffs.
At Mariah’s brownstone, the camera crew run Mariah’s earlier pre-recorded statement. Mariah insist that she’s Harlem, and they go back to live. Thembi says that there is the historic Harlem and then runs a video about how Mariah is connected to Mama Mabel, Pistol Pete, and Cornell. The interviewer points out that the assault at the Complex didn’t make news and there was millions in Mariah’s office. After a moment, Mariah insists that she’s always tried to make clear what she wants. She accuses Thembi of looking for a scandal and tells the cameraman to shut it down. She orders Thembi out of her house and walks off.
Luke and Claire take Scarfe through the construction site and the thugs open fire. Luke shields Claire and Scarfe with his body, and then turns and attacks them. Meanwhile, Claire gets Scarfe to the street and the fourth thug tries to run them over. However, Luke arrives and stops the van with his body just in time, while Misty pulls up. Scarfe goes into convulsions and Misty comes over. However, she can only watch as Scarfe apologizes with his dying breath and then dies.
Later, Misty arrests Cornell.
Thembi asks Mariah for a statement about Cornell’s arrest. She orders the reporter out.
As Claire and Luke walk home, Claire says that he can’t deny that he’s special. She tells him that he knows what he is and what he used to do, and Luke figures that now Cornell is in jail, he’s moving on. Claire tells him that there’s still a lot he could do with his powers and offers her help, and Luke suggests that they get some coffee first. She says that she’s not sleeping with him, and points out that he doesn’t drink coffee.
At the station, Misty is at her desk when Audrey comes in and tells her that her superiors are afraid of the headlines. Scarfe is the only one who can tie it together, and he was corrupt.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 9, 2016