Claire Temple quotes from Luke Cage

Claire Temple

Luke?

Luke

Yes.

Claire

Oh, you probably don't remember me, do you? Your girlfriend had me take care of you when you were brought into the hospital. [Luke and Bobby have blank stares] In Hell's Kitchen?

Luke

[look of recognition] Hey. [pause] Hey.

Bobby

[extends hand to Claire] Bobby. Bobby Fish.

Claire

[shakes Bobby's hand] I'm sorry. Claire. Very nice to meet you.

Bobby

Claire, you... you are far too beautiful to ever apologize for anything. You remember that.

Claire

Swiss cheese shirt, car bounces off of you, punching through steel and concrete. Just another day, right?

Luke

You're safe and your mum's van is insured. That's all that matters to me.

Claire

After all that, you can't say you're not special.

Luke

I'm still not sure what I am.

Claire

You know exactly who you are, and what you need to do.

Luke

[chuckles] Pop used to say the same thing you're saying to me. I did right by him. Cottonmouth's in jail, and I'm done.

Claire

You're moving on?

Luke

I think so. It's time.

Claire

There's things with your powers you haven't even tested. So many good things that you could still do. Maybe I could help.

Luke

You have ideas?

Claire

Yeah!

Luke

Why don't we start by getting some coffee first?

Claire

I'm not sleeping with you.

Luke

Whoa! Did I say anything about that? Why can't coffee just be coffee?

Claire

Okay, you didn't even touch your coffee this morning, you drank the orange juice. You don't drink coffee.

Claire

What did your father say when he saw you?

Luke

Nothing. He doesn't know I'm alive. He wouldn't want to see me anyway. I'm his… shame. The last thing my father wanted to do was raise a black criminal. He did everything in his power to give me the kind of life so that wouldn't happen. And yet, I still went to jail.

Claire

That wasn't your fault.

Luke

He didn't see it that way. I tried to explain. I made calls. I sent letters, and he returned every last one of them.

Claire

Then why let your father's last memory of you be as a criminal? A dead criminal? I think he'd be very proud to know who you are now. [pause] Anyway, thank you.

Luke

For what?

Claire

I can't imagine there are that many people who know the saga of Luke Cage. It means a lot that you trust me.

Luke

I didn't come to Harlem to be a hero, Claire. I came because I needed time to figure shit out.

Claire

So did I.

Luke

You're right. I can't keep running. But I want you to know what you're getting into. If Cottonmouth talks, or if anybody connects the dots that Luke Cage is Carl Lucas… I go back to Seagate.

Claire

You knew the risks and you did it anyway. That's what makes you a hero.

Luke

Maybe I should get a mask after all.

Claire

No. Too much in Harlem happens in the shadows. People fear what they can't see. And that's what makes you different. They see you. It makes them trust you.

Luke

What if this is a one-way trip?

Claire

Hey, hey, you are gonna make it. You hear me? You're gonna make it just fine. We're gonna fix this. Don't even. You're not dying in my mom's car.

Claire

If you go down his throat…

We can puncture his mucus membrane.

Claire

Exactly.

I like the way you think.

Luke

I don't.

Luke

Reva lied to me.

Claire

She helped you to disappear, 'cause she was protecting you. Couldn't have all been a lie.

Luke

You don't understand. That woman, the idea of her, her smell. That was the only thing that kept me sane at Seagate. That's what's eating me up inside. I don't think I really knew her at all.

Claire

You still love her.

Luke

I love the idea of Reva, but not her specifically. Not anymore.

Luke

I couldn't just lay in the gutter anymore. Pop knew about my abilities, so I put them to good use. I shut down Crispus Attucks personally.

Misty

That wasn't your job.

Luke

People needed someone who didn't require a warrant or shield to get things done. Call it a vigilante or a superhero, call it what you will. But like it or not, I finally accepted that that someone had to be me.

Misty

Maybe I could've helped you.

Luke

This burden is bigger than you. Or me. People are scared but they can't be paralyzed by that fear. You have to fight for what's right every single day, bulletproof skin or not. You can't just not snitch, or turn away or take money under the table because life has turned you sour. When did people stop caring? Harlem is supposed to represent our hopes and dreams. It's the pinnacle of black art, politics, innovation. It's supposed to be a shining light to the world. It's our responsibility to push forward, so that the next generation will be further along than us. Pop said his mantra aloud twice a day. Kids in the shop were pissed, but they could never unhear it. Never backwards.

[in flashback] Always forward.

Luke

Forward...

Misty

Always. [pause] You forget I grew up around the man.

Claire

I wish I could've met him.

Misty

In a way you have.

Claire

We have a lot to talk about though.

Luke

Like... what?

Claire

Your future, your next moves.

Luke

I don't want to talk about that right now. I just want to chill. It's been a long day.

Claire

It can wait. You want to get coffee when we get out of here?

Luke

You accused me of not liking coffee. That's not true, it just depends on the blend. I hear that Cuban coffee is particularly robust.

Claire

That might be the corniest thing you've said yet. It also happens to be true.