Luke Cage has been a bit of a mix bag for me overall, but there are quite a few redeeming qualities that shine over some of the more disappointing or mediocre elements at play. Here are my positives and negatives of the newest Marvel Netflix series, Luke Cage.
Pros:
-Harlem Is A Central Character
Luke Cage does an extraordinary job at invoking a powerful sense of culture that we've never seen before inside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via particular musical choices, frequent shots of the different lifestyles within the setting, iconic historical figure artworks, and the overall visual style.
-Binding The Universe Together
I never thought I'd say this going in but the Luke Cage series did a much better job at organically interconnecting with the Marvel Cinematic Universe than any of the other television properties. From brief comments about significant character driven moments that took place in Jessica Jones to direct and indirect mentions of other characters and world events in the shared universe, this series provided several nicely placed easter eggs for hardcore fans to enjoy. The fact that Clair Temple plays a significant role as one of Luke's only friends is enough to put a grin on anyone's face considering her intertwining connection to the other Netflix characters.
What's most impressive and important about this is how the show acknowledges the MCU in ways that naturally fits the setting, story, and scenarios taking place instead of forcefully interjecting reminders of its existence (Agents of Shield was notorious for this despite how entertaining that series may be). The best example of this is the way in which Hammer Industries (which calls back to Ironman 2's Justin Hammer) is used as the company behind the experimental military tech used by the gang lords and police force to fend off against Luke and possibly other future enhanced individuals.
Sure, they could've used just about any random forgettable company name for the situation, but they decided to instead use an already existing and hardly ever mentioned company that was known for having experimental tech in a previous film. Not only does this perfectly show the desperation of the criminals' reactions to Luke Cage but it also brilliantly reminds the audience that Justin Hammer's name lives on even if we haven't seen him highlighted since Ironman 2.
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| "Sweet Christmas!" |
-A Refreshingly Average Hero
Luke Cage isn't a character that I constantly got amped up to see due to screen stealing charisma or flashy visual FX following behind him, and that's exactly what I loved about him. Despite his superhuman abilities, he is arguably the most laid back, grounded, and isolated character that I've ever seen thus far in the MCU. Watching Luke show signs of annoyance and exhaustion as he constantly has to transition though different hoodies due to bullet holes is not only hilarious but strangely relatable (no one likes to constantly get their clothes dirty).
There's also his perception of the "super hero" label that I find refreshing as we finally get to see someone with powers who simply wants to be left alone and live a normal life in this universe (Jessica Jones aside who actually attempted it at one point). Because of this mentality, you're immediately latched onto his character emotionally to some degree whenever he actually does put a great deal of effort into using his powers for what he perceives as being a greater cause or a personal life affecting situation. Overall, Luke Cage stands out above the massive gallery of heroes that we have now in his own unique way by ironically trying to avoid the spotlight.
-Episode 4
I know it's pretty specific, but yes, I do have a thing for dramatic superhero origin stories which is what Episode 4 basically centers around. It's arguably the best episode of the season as it beautifully depicts the struggle and transition that Carl Lucas had to undergo prior to becoming Luke Cage. It's an incredible episode as it also gives the backstory of how Luke eventually met his late ex-wife Reva. This adds another layer of context to the Jessica Jones series as to the character himself. This is a hero that is surrounded by tragedy with the people he attaches himself onto and deceitfulness from the people trying to take him down. All of this can be seen and much more during this episode specifically (with a nice throwback costume easter egg) as it explains Luke's mentality for constantly laying low and distancing himself as much as possible.
Cons:
-Hit or Miss Character Presentations
Here's where it gets a little bit on the mixed side for me regarding the series overall as an ensemble piece. Luke Cage and Claire Temple aside, I'd be lying if I said that I was completely invested and taken back emotionally by any of the other central characters on the show. After Pops takes his unfortunately early leave, I honestly felt a bit of a void as far as enjoyable character interactions go that simply never got filled again.
On the "heroes" side, you have Misty Knight who the series does take its time to develop by having the audience visually step inside of her mind as she mentally recreates different crime scenes in order to decipher clues. It's a nice twist for a comic book show that takes place in the same universe as aliens, Gods, and other supernatural beings to actually focus on a simple "cop solving a case" story. However, I never really felt compelled to learn about her character nor did I get emotionally attached to her. Unfortunately, there was an obviously more interesting story taking place around her: the rising gang lords and Luke's growing reputation.
We also have the show's villains who are admirably different from what we've seen so far in the MCU as far as the overall scope goes, but again, I never felt invested enough in their side of the story. The writers do throw in some pretty bold and interesting twists and turns by transitioning between villains in a way that makes you wonder who might actually end up being the "king" at the end of the day. However, as great as that sounds on paper, I never found myself entirely interested in what their goals were regarding the city or Cage being an obstacle.
We first see Cottonmouth who definitely had some level of charisma with a rough backstory attached that felt as if his character would possibly lead into something noteworthy down the line. Unfortunately, when the show wrote him off earlier than expected (a bold twist admittedly), there lived a void that simply never got filled for the rest of the season with its villains. Sounds familiar? It's strange to say, but it actually came across as though all of the entertaining characters got wiped off early in the season leaving a mark that no one else ever came close to living up to.
We then have Mariah Dillard. A powerful villain as far as her connections go with an interesting arc that shows her evolving into something that was nicely implied during her flashback family driven sequences. However, the presentation of this story and character never really sprung off the screen as it should've for me. Her screen presence along with the majority of the other villains that later shows up either felt dull or forcefully highlighted though over the top performances and dramatic musical cues.
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| Shades was arguably the best villain on the show from his screen presence and puppeteering |
I never felt entertained or emotionally taken back by any of these characters which is a significant problem considering how much of the show centers around their connection to not only Luke Cage but with the city itself. Marvel has continued to have the same ongoing criticism with their universe building despite how generally positive and highly successful it may be. I give you "The weak villain syndrome". Unfortunately, it would appear that Luke Cage fails at changing this popular commentary on the franchise, but I will give it credit for trying something admirably different.
-The Final Boss Fight
It wound be an understatement for me to call Diamondback a generic end boss video game villain as he does follow some of the main tropes. However, even with his personal connection to Luke, I was almost completely thrown out of the immersive and grounded character/story development shown earlier once he showed up in the end sporting an utterly ridiculously designed body armor. If the styrofoam looking helmet wasn't enough, the fight scene itself didn't do any justice to the situation whatsoever.
Now, the action elements on the show were pretty limited already from the beginning as most people like myself expected (and didn't mind too much at all), but there was something particularly anti-climatic about their battle sequence in the streets that felt off for me. This is another one of those situations on the show where something probably looked and sounded better on paper but was poorly presented onscreen. The flashback boxing transitions were great, but I honestly would've preferred a much more grounded solution to his somewhat equal footing advantage in the fight. Anything is better than just having him randomly acquire a cheap looking power suit in the end.
Perhaps let's leave the power suit villains for the films where the budget can effectively pull them off or even Agents of Shield where it feels better suited. I think keeping the hi-tech weaponry based in the realm of guns and explosives fits the Luke Cage setting and tone (at least in its beginning stages of being a part of the MCU), but that's about as far as it goes.
-Pacing & Editing
There's a style of editing within the Luke Cage series that constantly stuck out to me whenever it took place. Dramatic and non dramatic scenes would sometimes transition to a new scene in a manner that rips the emotional impact almost completely out. I do believe this can be credited towards certain scenes being held on too long for their own good as well as very brief character moments abruptly being intertwined with something else entirely. All I can say is that some of the more choppy editing choices began to eventually take a toll on the overall viewing experience even though this was a bit of a nitpick in the beginning more than anything.
Overall Thoughts:
With all things considered, I'm happy to say that Luke Cage was an incredible show of boldness within the Marvel studio for trying something different scale-wise with their storytelling and presentation. The character himself was a great new addition to the universe since Jessica Jones premiered, but this standalone series was an incredible look into his own personal universe being Harlem, NYC. The presentation of the city and culture is the true highlight of the series alongside the several geek out worthy easter eggs sprinkled throughout. Despite a few major nitpicks that I had with some of the storytelling and characters, the name "Luke Cage" is definitely not one that will easily be forgotten after watching this show.
Season Rating: 8/10
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