- "Harlem's Paradise is the crown jewel of Harlem. It should go to someone who loves Harlem as much as I do. You know the story of the Sirens? The beauty of their voices compelled men off course to crash against the rocks. This club will be his siren. He'll be lulled by its song, lulled by so-called greatness."
- ―Mariah Stokes
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) is the thirteenth and final episode of the second season of the television series Luke Cage, as well as the series finale.
Synopsis[]
Mariah adapts to her new circumstances and goes to extremes to cover her tracks. Luke takes a new approach to protecting Harlem.
Plot[]
Mariah Stokes faces the court, with Blake Tower pressing charges against her for her illicit activity, multiple murders, SEC violations, and her involvement in the Rum Punch Massacre. Despite Benjamin Donovan's efforts to defend Stokes, Amanda Garmon denies the bail and puts her in the jail until the trial. Stokes speaks out that the Stokes Crime Family was the bulwark that had protected Harlem for years, and without her, the city will face terrible consequences.
Stokes' words turn out to be prophetic, as Harlem's streets are being swept by a wave of crime and violence. The New York City Police Department and Luke Cage desperately try to take the situation under control, but it only goes worse. Cage takes the blame for what is happening, since he thought that things will get better with Stokes out of the streets.
Misty Knight visits Tilda Johnson at Mother's Touch, asking her about Bushmaster, but Johnson denies her connections with him. Regardless, Johnson refuses to let Knight to search up her shop without a warrant and Knight notices that Johnson grows more similar to Stokes and warns her to stop whatever she was doing. When Knight leaves, Johnson finishes preparing medicine for Bushmaster, telling Sheldon and Ingrid Mackintosh that he needs more for recovery. Bushmaster tells Johnson that the evil will continue to grow and her mother's death is the only way to make things better.
Cage, D.W. Griffith, and Sugar work to figure out who was behind the gang violence in Harlem, as the Stylers were silent and the Korean Mob was recovering from losing Eric Hong. Suddenly, Shades walks into the Pop's Barber Shop to tell Cage that the Carbone Crime Family and the Puerto Rican Mob are planning to take over Harlem. Cage does not believe Shades, but Shades tells him that although he is no longer a player, the violence in Harlem is getting out of hand, so he wants Cage to take over.
Stokes gets sent to the Ryker's Island where she is attacked by inmates sent by Rosalie Carbone to kill her. Kalinda Potter, a prostitute who used to work for Mama Mabel, saves Stokes but demands her to pay to ensure her safety. Stokes, however, kills Potter and tells her subordinates that now they work for her, before contacting Donovan and telling him to bring money with him.
Cage raids the Carbone family's office and takes out all of the men in his way before confronting Carbone herself. Cage demands Carbone to stay out of Harlem, but she is determined to take it for herself, so Cage threatens to destroy Carbone's business, making her life hell. Cage forces Carbone to accept his conditions on steering clear of Harlem. Carbone offers to pay him to let her crime business into Harlem, but Cage he states that he cannot be bought. Carbone says that Cage simply does not know his price yet and offers him to get coffee with her.
Bushmaster and Mackintosh make a decision to leave New York City, while Sheldon stays to thank Johnson for everything she did for them. Johnson tells Sheldon that she feels sorry for everything the Stokes family did to Bushmaster and that she is done paying for her mother's sins.
Stokes speaks with Donovan at the prison, discussing her situation, with Donovan informing her that Shades is untouchable by law and that his death would only make Stokes' case look worse. Stokes, however, thinks otherwise, noting that it is possible to put all responsibility on Shades and make it look like he manipulated her into being a criminal. Stokes then gives out the order to eliminate every remaining member of the Stokes family, except for Donovan, Johnson, and Sugar, so no one could testify against her.
As the NYPD investigates the murder spree of the Stokes family, Alex Wesley begs Johnson to tell her mother that he would not snitch, but Johnson cannot do anything to help him. Sugar informs Cage about the murders and Cage decides to speak with Stokes personally in an attempt to bring the peace to Harlem. Shades survives the attack on him and arranges a meeting with Stokes as well. Knight and Mark Bailey eventually discover Wesley's body and Johnson decides that she needs to do something about her mother.
Shades confronts Stokes, calling out her hypocrisy, since she wanted Shades to see the light, yet committed herself to violence with no way out. He tells Stokes that things would be different if she had listened to him and she has no one else to blame for what happened to her but herself. Stokes tells Shades that she has already took a life in prison and Shades says that it is her life from this point, and she cannot trust anyone, before bidding her goodbye. Stokes cries after Shades leaves her, before Donovan informs her that Johnson wants to meet.
Cage asks Knight to arrange a meeting with Stokes for him, but Knight refuses, as it would jeopardize her case, despite her trust in Cage. Cage, however, calls Foggy Nelson and asks him to get him Donovan's number, so he could meet Stokes off the record.
Stokes meets with Johnson at the jail, telling her that what Pistol Pete did to her as a child, changed her forever and although Stokes is supposed to love Johnson, she does not know how. Stokes then tries to convince Johnson that she is a necessary evil, but Johnson refuses to accept that, due to all the pain and suffering Stokes brought to innocent people. Stokes informs Johnson that her leaving the prison is only a matter of time and they could start all over together, to which Johnson replies that Stokes has already killed or pushed away everyone who loved her. Stokes asks Johnson to look over Harlem's Paradise until she is out but Johnson only gives her a kiss before leaving the prison.
At their meeting with Cage, Stokes states that with her and Carbone out of the picture, he is the one who remains to take the crown of Harlem. Cage argues that he is only concerned about maintaining the peace but Stokes notices the darkness inside him, and how both of them are, in some way, responsible for each other. Stokes voices her joy in seeing Cage on the top but suddenly collapses on the ground, coughing up blood, and realizes that Johnson had poisoned her. Accepting her demise, Stokes faces her death in Cage's arms, as he cannot save her anymore.
As the news of Stokes' death reach the streets, Knight informs Shades that the deal he made with the NYPD is now invalid, so he gets arrested for the murders of Candace Miller and Comanche. Johnson tells Joel Spurlock that Stokes' body should just be cremated and abandons any connection with the Stokes family she ever had. Sheldon approaches Cage at the barbershop and tells him that Harlem is in the right hands now. Griffith is frustrated over Cage's methods and tells him that if he wants to take the route of Harlem's new crime boss, he must leave the barbershop. Although Griffith is unhappy, Cage accepts his words and leaves, as someone has to make hard decisions for the greater good.
Cage and Johnson meet with Donovan who voices Stokes' last will, stating that while Johnson inherited Cornell Stokes' keyboard, Stokes bequeathed Harlem's Paradise to Cage, thinking that the club will slowly corrupt him, so he could never be the same person again. Cage takes over the club, telling Knight that together, they can protect Harlem from both sides, but Knight warns him that if he crosses the line, she won't hesitate to take him down. Sugar then tells Cage that Carbone and Anibal Izqueda came to discuss the business, and also that Claire Temple is outside, waiting for Cage. Cage tells Sugar to send Temple home and takes a seat in Harlem's Paradise to rule over the crime in Harlem, no matter how hard of a decision it is.
Cast[]
Main Cast:
- Mike Colter as Luke Cage
- Simone Missick as Misty Knight
- Theo Rossi as Hernán Álvarez/Shades
- Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson
- Mustafa Shakir as John McIver/Bushmaster
- Stephen Rider as Blake Tower
- Alfre Woodard as Mariah Stokes
Guest Stars:
- Kevin Mambo as Sheldon
- Karen Pittman as Deputy Chief Priscilla Ridley
- Danny Johnson as Benjamin Donovan
- John Clarence Stewart as Alex Wesley
- Heather Alicia Simms as Ingrid Mackintosh
- Justin Swain as Detective Mark Bailey
- Annabella Sciorra as Rosalie Carbone
- Sean Ringgold as Sugar
- Jeremiah Richard Craft as D.W. Griffith
- Tijuana Ricks as Thembi Wallace
- Delissa Reynolds as Kalinda Potter
- Joy Lynn Jacobs as Judge Amanda Garmon
- Sedly Bloomfield as Joel Spurlock
- Marcus Choi as Eric Hong
- Louie Gasparro as Anibal Izqueda
- Harold Surratt as Robert
- Ivan Moore as Joe
- Thomas Silcott as Larry
- Tim Moriarty as Colin Dunbar
- Kymbali Craig as Jamaican Woman
- Cheryl Lewis as Black Female Inmate
- Joanna Shelmidine as Older Italian Female
- Twinkle Burke as Mother
- Cris Tucci as Italian Goon
- Jamar Greene as Goon #1
- Kurt DeVille as Goon #2
- Truck Hudson as Goon #3
- Jelani Cobb as Himself
- Rakim as Himself
- Adrian Younge as Himself
- Ali Shaheed Muhammad as Himself
- Dionne Audain as Minion #2 (uncredited)
- Assibey Blake as Harlem Park Drug Dealer (uncredited)
- Michael Kenneth Carey as Carbone's Bodyguard (uncredited)
- Jordyn Crawford as Security Guard (uncredited)
- Alana DeGregorio as VIP Clubgoer (uncredited)
- Vic Estrella as Upscale Club Goer (uncredited)
- Matthias Sebastiun Garry as Club Goer / Spectator (uncredited)
- Floyd Anthony Johns Jr. as Harlem Thug #2 (uncredited)
- Jessica Medina as Boricua Female (uncredited)
- Amanda Micsak as Clubgoer (uncredited)
- Tyler Rivera as Club Goer (uncredited)
- Ray Rosario as Crime Witness (uncredited)
- Smokey Sims as Bar Patron (uncredited)
- Jefferson Cox as Mob (uncredited)
- Trevor J. Swan as Thug (uncredited)
- Unknown Actress as Moore (uncredited)
- Reg E. Cathey as Reverend James Lucas (archive voice; uncredited)
- Unknown Actor as Hector (uncredited)
Appearances[]
Locations[]
- New York City, New York
- New York State Supreme Court Building
- 29th Precinct Police Station
- Pop's Barber Shop
- Ryker's Island
- Mother's Touch
- Cuchifritos
- Rosalie Carbone's Office
- Spurlock's Mortuary
- Harlem's Paradise
- Columbia University (mentioned)
- Mariah Dillard's Brownstone (mentioned)
- Strivers' Row (mentioned)
- Brighton Beach (mentioned)
- Harlem River Drive (mentioned)
- West Side Highway (mentioned)
- Lenox Avenue (mentioned)
- Rucker Park (mentioned)
- Caffe Reggio (mentioned)
- St. Nicholas Houses (mentioned)
- Studio Museum in Harlem (mentioned)
- Louisiana (mentioned)
- Moscow, Russia (mentioned)
- Delaware (mentioned)
- Switzerland (mentioned)
- Nine Mile, Jamaica (mentioned)
Events[]
- War for Harlem
- Murder of Cottonmouth (mentioned)
- Attack on Pop's Barber Shop (mentioned)
- Assassination of Candace Miller (mentioned)
- Hurricane Katrina (mentioned)
Items[]
- Misty Knight's Prosthetic Arm
- Beso de la Araña
- Nightshade (mentioned)
Vehicles[]
- Porsche (mentioned)
Organizations[]
- New York City Police Department
- Stokes Crime Family
- Carbone Crime Family
- Donovan and Partners
- New York City Department of Correction
- Puerto Rican Mob
- United States Department of Justice
- WJBP-TV
- New York Bulletin
- Korean Mob (mentioned)
- Atreus Plastics (mentioned)
- Yangsi Gonshi (mentioned)
- Russian Mafia (mentioned)
- Rivals (photo)
- Stylers (mentioned)
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (mentioned)
- Delta Sigma Theta (mentioned)
- Family First Foundation (mentioned)
Mentioned[]
- Cottonmouth
- Buggy Stokes
- Mama Mabel
- Arturo Rey III
- Hernán Álvarez's Mother
- Tone
- Pop
- Pistol Pete
- Anansi
- Candace Miller
- Sugar's Wife
- Comanche
- Patricia Wilson
- Foggy Nelson
- Cockroach Hamilton
- Donald Trump
- Hopson
- Claire Temple
- Patty Hearst
- Fania All-Stars
- Sammy the Bull
- Teddy Riley
- Henry Kissinger
- The Notorious B.I.G. (picture)
- Vito Corleone
- Hyman Roth
- Muhammad Ali (picture)
- Siren
Trivia[]
- "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" is a song from the album Mecca And The Soul Brother of the hip-pop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.
- This episode includes an epitaph for Reg E. Cathey, who died before the season was released.
- The scene towards the end of the episode where Misty Knight watches in dismay as the door to Luke Cage's office closes is an homage to the ending of The Godfather.
- Although Netflix listed the episode title as They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.), Disney+ lists it as They Reminisce Over You.
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|
| That's a Good Reason | Sharen Clark & The Product Of Time |
|
| Mariah Prison | Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad |
|
| The Payback | James Brown |
|
| Redemption Song | Bob Marley and the Wailers |
|
| Damnit Alex | Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad |
|
| Power | Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad |
|
| Family First | Gabrielle Dennis |
|
| Fireside Serenade | Trevor Duncan |
|
| Sweet Thing | Rufus |
|
| Luke's Freedom | Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad |
|
| Mission | Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad |
|
| King's Paradise | Rakim |
|
References[]
External Links[]
They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) on IMDb- They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) on Disney+
- They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) on Marvel Database
| Season One | Moment of Truth • Code of the Streets • Who's Gonna Take the Weight? • Step in the Arena • Just to Get a Rep • Suckas Need Bodyguards • Manifest • Blowin' Up the Spot • DWYCK • Take It Personal • Now You're Mine • Soliloquy of Chaos • You Know My Steez |
| Season Two | Soul Brother #1 • Straighten It Out • Wig Out • I Get Physical • All Souled Out • The Basement • On and On • If It Ain't Rough, It Ain't Right • For Pete's Sake • The Main Ingredient • The Creator • Can't Front on Me • They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) |