The open and shut case regarding Stokes is closed, though not in the way you'd think. I know, having the rich, well connected villain dodge the charges is a common plot device, but this still felt abrupt; especially after the last episode made it look like the legal system had the organization dead to rights on multiple crimes. It does feel like the "status quo is god" trope is kicking in hard.
On the plus side, having Stokes out gives Mahershala Ali a chance to have some fun. He really does steal the show here. I think the major highlight is his little palaver with Luke. True, he can't physically harm his nemesis, but he does have leverage, which he dangles over Luke's head to get him to stay out of it.
It allows him to get his confident swagger back, but also put on a faux affable front. On top of that, he gets some legitimately funny one liners in there. You'd think making the villain a wise cracker would undercut the menace, but it worked well here.
The episode also gives us a glimpse into his upbringing. Not surprisingly, the contrast between the past and present personas of Cornell is striking to say the least. Suffice it to say, the influence of "Mama Mabel" was quite strong.
Even though she didn't have a ton of screen time, she still made a lasting impression. Just the sight of her nonchalantly chopping off some kid's finger really tells you all you need to know. A part of me wishes the show could find a way to make her the main antagonist because...damn.
I'm not sure I buy the idea that Cornell never wanted the "gangster" life. We see that he was a musical prodigy and it does give him some depth, but it isn't like he "had" to do this. He could have gone straight and just run the club as a legitimate enterprise. If anything, he basked in the role of bad guy.
It probably wouldn't be that big a deal in the grand scheme of things, but the episode makes it a big deal when, all of a sudden, there's resentment between Cornell and Mariah regarding her ability to escape the life of crime. It escalates quickly and makes for a decent "wham moment" but it really does come out of left field.
Luke isn't left completely in the dust, as he too has an arc of sorts. True, it's yet another iteration of him deciding whether or not he wants to be a hero, but it works better than you'd think. It could have easily come off as redundant wheel spinning, but the episode does a solid job of explaining why. Between the speed in which Stokes was back on the streets and the threat of going back to prison, you can understand why Luke would want to retreat into obscurity.
Thankfully, Claire is there to keep the heroic fire burning. It was nice to see some nods to Daredevil. More specifically, I did like Claire's allusion to knowing a lawyer friend. Matt is traditionally the go-to lawyer for superheroes, so it's nice to see that come into play here. I doubt he'll actually appear, but we are seeing some groundwork for the Defenders being laid.
Where the last episode's ending didn't really do much to leave you hanging, this one manages to pick pu the slack. After seeing Luke's skin deflect all manner of ammunitions and weapons, he is finally struck with a Judas bullet, which succeeds in wounding him. On the plus side, Claire is right there, but things aren't looking good.
Speaking of, I did find it a bit odd that Diamondback was hesitant to sell Stokes the Judas bullet because of Stokes' conflict with Cage, but dealing with Cage was the main reason he wanted the bullet in the first place. It's a bit of circular irony that was, sadly, never brought up.
All in all, this episode was a mixed bag. There were notable highlights, to be sure, but there were areas where it didn't work as well as it could have for me. At the very least, it does change up the status quo significantly by the episode's end as we move into the second half of the season.
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