Marvel's Luke Cage: 44 Easter Eggs You Probably Missed

History plays a major part in the show, and it's clearly not without a reason: this is a show soaked in political outrage (particularly at the current climate of friction between the black population and police). Over-stating how close to history this show exists is a further expression that this isn't just a fantastical TV show.

The New Harlem Reniassance gets its name from the cultural, social, and artistic explosion of Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. The Cotton Club - as mentioned by Cottonmouth - was a major part of that revolution.

Elsewhere, Malcolm X is mentioned several times, Martin Luther King too (both in Method Man's rap, which also references the killing of Trayvon Martin). And of course Crispus Attucks - the man who gave his name to Mariah's headquarters in Harlem - was a historically very relevant figure in black culture.

There's also a reference to the Guardian Angels, the political group in 1980s New York City who patrolled wearing berets and windbreakers to help deter crime. Consider them Luke Cage fore-runners.

Episode 10 also mentions New York gangster Lucky Luciano as a former owner of the Paradise Club in the olden days. He had a secret tunnel installed for booze running during prohibition, which Claire uses to escape the hostage situation.