Luke Cage (TV Series)

Code of the Streets (2016)

Mike Colter: Luke Cage

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Quotes 

• Luke Cage : Always forward, Pop. Forward always.

• Luke Cage : You even know who Crispus Attucks was? A free black man. The first man to die for what became America. He could've acted scared when those Brits raised their guns. Blended in, in the crowd. But he stepped up! He paid with his life. But he started something. That's what Pop did. Not me. I laid in the cut until he stepped up! And it cost him his life, too. I ain't laying back no more! You wanna shoot me? Do it. Pull the trigga, nigga! I ain't got all night!

• Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : What's your name again?

  Luke Cage : Luke

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Luke. Mmm, old school. Biblical. I'm all about the old school. You know that eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth kind of thing. Fire and brimstone. See back then do someone wrong, wasn't no beggin' and pleadin'. Just took care of it. Handled your business.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : What about turning the other cheek?

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Jesus saves. I don't.

• Luke Cage : Shameek is dead. They have his half of the money. Now they want yours.

  Wilfredo 'Chico' Diaz : Shameek is dead?

  Luke Cage : Yeah.

  Wilfredo 'Chico' Diaz : Well, good. Then you just want my money for yourself, don't you?

  Luke Cage : I couldn't care less. I came here because Pop asked me to come for you.

  Wilfredo 'Chico' Diaz : Pops?

  Luke Cage : For your dad.

  Wilfredo 'Chico' Diaz : Why does everybody bring him up? He was never there for me. I'm sick and tired of hearing about him.

  Luke Cage : Pop thinks he has a way to clear this mess up. I know you didn't kill Dante or Shameek. All you guys wanted was the cash. It was an inside job. Dante's safe idea. Look... I found you in four hours for free. Imagine how fast someone Cottonmouth pays will find you. The only chance you have at survival is if you come with me right now.

  Wilfredo 'Chico' Diaz : Well, I got a half million new chances is the way I see it. Tell Pops... I'm sorry. He was always good to me.

  Luke Cage : He deserves better.

• Luke Cage : After what I did at Genghis Connie's for the first time in a long time I felt at peace.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Mmm-hmm.

  Luke Cage : I made a decision when I got back to the crib. I'm done running.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Boys run. Men stand. You're a man.

  Luke Cage : I am who I am. Or maybe I have a chance to find out who I could really be.

• Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I didn't have one single skill when I got out. I could've gone back to the streets.

  Luke Cage : But you weren't that guy anymore.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I wasn't and I'm not. And that's what I go through every day. Trying not to be that person.

  Luke Cage : I'm not that guy either.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I thought you was innocent, Shawshank.

  Luke Cage : I ain't guilty. But I ain't innocent either.

• Mamba : What are you doing here, nigga? I'm not gonna ask you again.

  Luke Cage : Young man I've had a long day. I'm tired. But I'm not tired enough to ever let nobody call me that word. You see a nigga standin' in front of you? Across the street from a building named after one of our greatest heroes?

  Mamba : [Cocking the gun]  Yeah, a dead one.

• Henry 'Pop' Hunter : The whole neighborhood is yapping about how Zip and two goons got the beat down at Genghis Connie's last night.

  Luke Cage : [Attempts nonchalance]  Hmm. I heard it was four guys.

• Luke Cage : So that's how it works? Those thugs shake people down? They work for Mariah or Cottonmouth?

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : A little bit of both.

  Luke Cage : They related? Aunt and nephew?

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Cousins. Their grandma was Mama Mabel.

  Luke Cage : Who's Mama Mabel?

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : The devil's ex-wife.

• Henry 'Pop' Hunter : It's not too late for Chico.

  Luke Cage : Pop, stay out of it. Some people you just gotta let go.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I can't just turn my back on him. You used to find people, right?

  Luke Cage : That was a long time ago.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : It ain't exactly a skill you lose. Look, this place is Switzerland. If we can find him before they do, maybe I can set up a parley with Cottonmouth.

  Luke Cage : I don't think so, man. I'm sorry, Pop. I can't do it.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Hey. Yes. You are sorry. Now, I hadn't seen Reva since she was five. So when she comes home with a convict husband and a shaky-ass story I ain't ask her no questions. And when that same well-read ex-con comes back wanting to be paid in cash and lifting up refrigerators like they're empty cardboard boxes, I just nodded my head again. What did you tell me about keeping your secrets? That I owed you one. Well, time is due. I'm collecting.

• Luke Cage : You really think Chico killed his friend? Over money?

  Misty Knight : You are?

  Luke Cage : Luke Cage.

  Misty Knight : Detective Misty Knight.

  Luke Cage : Detective. Looks like you found some better clothes to audit in.

• Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Tell Pop I'll come by the barbershop for a haircut. Same time as before. You understand?

  Luke Cage : I'll tell him.

  [Starts to leave] 

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : By the way

  [Luke turns] 

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : You're fired.

  Luke Cage : No, I'm not. I quit before I walked in.

• Misty Knight : [after Pop's barbershop is shot up]  You didn't get hit?

  Luke Cage : I said I'm okay.

  Misty Knight : What happened?

  Luke Cage : They started firing. The kid, Lonnie, was in the middle of the room. So, once I saw the flash... instincts kicked in. I grabbed him... and I shielded him.

  Misty Knight : You... shielded him? You shielded him with what? Have the paramedics seen you yet?

  Luke Cage : I said I'm good.

• Luke Cage : So you're saying Kenyatta is better than Easy Rawlins?

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I ain't saying all that. I'm just saying Kenyatta's my favorite. He took the fight to the man... in the streets by his self. Just like somebody else could if he wasn't sweeping hair and washing dishes.

  Luke Cage : Don't start, Pop.

• Luke Cage : Eh, I just never got into Donald Goines.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Are you crazy? Donald Goines was a street poet.

  Luke Cage : I didn't say Goines isn't. But Walter Mosley, George Pelecanos?

  [clicking his tongue] 

  Luke Cage : Boom.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : I bet you're into Richard Price.

  Luke Cage : I dig Price. Dennis Lehane, too.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : What about Chester Himes?

  Luke Cage : Without question. My biggest beef with Donald Goines is that he wrote about criminals and he died like one.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : You don't have to get all Fox News about it. Goines invented Kenyatta, the best black hero this side of Shaft.

• Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Thanks for the shave, Henry. I'm loyal to my people.

  Luke Cage : You're forgetting something, Mr. Stokes.

  [indicating a piece of paper on the wall] 

  Luke Cage : Unless your last name is Corleone, Shaft, or Riley... you owe my man $25.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Don't worry about it, Cornell.

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Nah, it's all good. Tone, pay the man.

• Luke Cage : They ever come at you sideways?

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : No. This place right here is Switzerland. Everybody knows that. Where you from, Luke?

  Luke Cage : Chicago.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : You ain't from no Chicago. Where are you from, really?

  Luke Cage : Savannah, Georgia.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : All right. Country boy. You know how the wind feels fluffy, like you could stuff it into a pillowcase right before a big thunderstorm?

  Luke Cage : Mm-hmm.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : Harlem's the same. Trouble smells a certain way. You can... touch it.

  Luke Cage : Cottonmouth.

  Henry 'Pop' Hunter : He's gonna fall behind lookin' for Chico. That's the way that works. Ain't no secrets uptown. I mean, you could set a watch by the way that shit will play out.

• Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Thought you already had a job. 'Cause I could use some more ice.

  Luke Cage : I'm here for Pop.

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Pop is a grown-ass man. Why ain't he here?

  Luke Cage : He said you wouldn't wanna hear this over the phone. So he sent me.

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Ha! The suspense is killing me.

  Luke Cage : Pop wants to set up a parley for Chico. He doesn't want him to end up like Shameek.

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : I don't know what you're talking about.

  Luke Cage : Those cuts on your hands say different. All I'm saying is that if you want to talk to Pop about Chico, that can be arranged. All of your goods will be returned. The only thing our mutual friend wants is safe passage. He'll never come back to New York, ever.

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : I don't speak Chinese. 'Cause that's what this conversation is to me. If I got something to say to Pop, I say it to him my damn self, you dig?

  Luke Cage : There's history. Pop understands your trouble. He's just asking you to remember your history.

• Luke Cage : I ain't guilty. But I ain't innocent either.

• Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : What's your name again?

  Luke Cage : Luke

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Luke. Mmm, old school. Biblical. I'm all about the old school. You know that eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth kind of thing. Fire and brimstone. See back then do someone wrong, wasn't no beggin' and pleadin'. Just took care of it. Handled your business.

  Pop : What about turning the other cheek?

  Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes : Mmm. Jesus saves. I don't.