Marvel's Luke Cage S01E08 "Blowin' Up the Spot" Recap

Following Diamondback's attack on Luke, Claire calls for an ambulance to take Luke to the hospital. However, Diamondback attacks the ambulance, which gets flipped on its side. Luke and Claire are forced to run away.

Misty is called in to Stokes' club with other law enforcement after Mariah calls it in his murder. Shades continues to coach her and encourage her rise to power. Mariah has had a waitress and hostess named Candace claim that Luke was the one to kill Stokes, and uses his death to start up more traction with the media again. Misty remains suspicious of Mariah's story since there were blood traces found in the club shower even though it had been heavily bleached. Misty implores Candace to tell the truth but Candace sticks to her story. Misty points out to her superior that Mariah may have called in the murder but she also immediately called the press to be able to publicly attack Luke Cage.

Luke and Claire get into a women's clinic where Claire attempts to find a way to treat Luke's wound but struggles since despite there being soft tissue exposed, it's proving to be just as impenetrable as the rest of his skin. There are many pieces of shrapnel from the Judas bullet that need to be removed so Luke can heal and recover. While performing an ultrasounds, Claire finds that there is no bullet but only shrapnel in his abdomen. Misty calls them to say that Luke needs to come in and answer quests about Stokes' death but Luke simply tells Claire to shut down the call before they can be traced. However, they were on the call long enough for another officer to triangulate an area and Misty deduces that they are hiding in the clinic. Misty arrives and wants to arrest Luke but they are interrupted by Diamondback who attacks again by shooting up the clinic. Misty heads out to try to find him but when Diamondback tries to reach through a window and grab Claire, Luke pulls him inside. Luke recognises him and the two fight, since Diamondback has run out of bullets. Diamondback takes Misty out at gunpoint after shooting Luke with some regular bullets. He reveals to her that Luke's real name is Carl and tries to get Misty to beg for her life but she refuses, despite being afraid.

Claire tends to Luke once again, and he is insistent that he must go after Diamondback. Misty is knocked unconscious and left in the alley. Luke finds her and Claire promises to tend to her injuries and look after her. Luke follows Diamondback to the local United Palace and it's revealed that Diamondback is Luke's childhood friend, Willis Stryker. The two argue, as Stryker blames Luke and claims he abandoned him and left him to rot in a horrible life. Stryker says he was responsible for Luke being wrongly sent to prison and also for all the bad things that happened while inside. But now Stryker is even more upset because Luke was able to escape and get superpowers in the process. They fight and Luke is able to get the upper hand but Stryker still manages to get away.

Claire is brought in to the station and interrogated by Misty who demands answers regarding Luke, who he is, and what he has done. Claire is not afraid of Misty and her attempts to strong-arm information out of her. Misty assaults Claire and as a result, Misty's superior steps in and reprimands Misty after letting Claire go since she was never being charged in the first place.

Mariah makes a payment to Candace for playing her part in framing Luke for the murder. Candace appears conflicted for lying but she needs the money. Mariah tells Shades that if Candace goes back on her story then they will have to kill her and everyone in the apartment and stage it to look like a home invasion.

Stryker finds Luke once again in a side street and reveals that they are actually brothers. He has another Judas bullet armed and ready. He shoots Luke and the blast knocks him into a garbage truck which immediately drives off afterward.

Marvel's Luke Cage is available for streaming on Netflix.