In Luke Cage, Marvel continues to break ground with their Netflix properties. Just like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, there is still the basic, for some viewers tiresome and repetitive, superhero narrative, but it is all masked by themes that, to a certain degree, resonate with audiences.
In the case of Luke Cage, the theme is a socially conscious one, coming at a time when black lives are at the very forefront of today's social issues in America. This theme is explored through a blaxploitation inspired narrative, done with a twist.
Luke Cage, like many prominent Blaxploitation characters, is truly a bad m'fer, but only when circumstances call for it. Generally speaking, he is a good honest man with two jobs. Luke Cage can also be quite the sex machine, but without the bravado seen in such characters as Shaft. Our titular hero woos women in a more subtle way - deep eye contact, occasional jabs of flirtation - evident with how he communicated with Jessica Jones, Misty Knight, and Claire Temple. All the aspects of a blaxploitation character are in Luke Cage, but in a tamer, less in your face kind of way. It's a refreshing take on an old trope of a character.
One of the more positive aspects of Luke Cage, that of which can be argued gives it an edge over the other Netflix properties, is its antagonists. There was not one clear villain like Kingpin in Daredevil season one, and Kilgrave in Jessica Jones. Four antagonists share screen time over the course of the 13 episodes in Luke Cage, helping keep the narrative fresh. What was so brilliant was that even though Cottonmouth and, replacing him, Diamondback, were at the centre of the conflict with our main hero, it was ultimately Shades and Mariah Dillard who end up standing tall. The schemers who let Diamondback and Cottonmouth's fall from grace happen naturally before stepping up.
Having a revolving door of antagonists certainly helped keep Luke Cage move along at a steady pace over its 13 episodes. However, the show did drag a bit in episodes 9, 10, and 11. A lot of focus was put on Misty Knight and though she was indeed an interesting character, she wasn't as compelling a female lead as Claire Temple. Her soul searching interviews provided some deep character moments, but I couldn't get myself to care. These three episodes also contained Luke Cage's search for the truth of Reva and his origins, which was necessary background to his character; however, it felt exhausting with so much other stuff going on at that point in the show.
Another reason for the lull in episodes 9-11 was Diamondback. Though quite the intimidating force, he was a bit too comic book-y for my liking. The man had no vulnerabilities, key to making him a formidable foe, but it also made him quite boring. The great thing about Cottonmouth was that he had feelings. His deep appreciation for music and his love and respect for Pops added some respectable layers to his character. Cottonmouth was ruthless and unforgiving, but there was a human side to him that made him relatable, and thus a compelling villain.
Overall, Luke Cage is another fantastic entry to the Marvel Netflix entries. Though formulaic in its superhero narrative, Luke Cage made up for it with an ensemble of compelling and dynamic characters, an emotionally resonant, socially conscious theme, and an amazing soundtrack to boot.
8.5/10
To add a little twist to my review, these are some of the 'best of' of Luke Cage.
MVP (not named Luke Cage) - Shades
The biggest strength of Luke Cage was its ensemble cast. Any strong argument can be made for Misty Knight, Cottonmouth, Diamondback, Mariah Dillard, and Claire Temple (wonderfully portrayed as always by Rosario Dawson). However, its Shades that gets the slight nod. Shades was always the biggest threat, yet without seeming like a threat, waiting for the opportune moment to rise up. The man is just so cool and devilishly manipulative and he also delivered some of the best, most humorous lines from "lawyer" to "watchu talking 'bout, Willis".
Best Guest/Recurring - Detective Scarfe
There are so many choices here. Pop filled in the old guy mentor who eventually dies trope nicely. Bobby Fish was the unheralded side kick to Luke Cage, offering him plenty of moral support and strategy. Reva Connors shone as Cage's former love interest in episode 4. Rival gang leader, Domingo Colon, was an intimidating and cool force. However, the MVP for Best Recurring has to go to Detective Scarfe. He had the best arc starting as a loveable mentor to Misty Knight, a man who was always there in support of and nurturing her raw talent as a relatively young detective. We then find out he is under the payroll of Stokes and we see the more corrupt side of his character as he begins his downward spiral, before eventually dying while doing the right thing.
Best Music - Method Man - 'Bulletproof Love'
We were treated to great performances by Faith Hill and Raphael Saadiq. Charles Bradley gave us some shades of James Brown with 'Ain't it a Sin' and Jidenna's performance of 'Long Live the Chief' was really cool. However, the title for best music goes to Method Man in episode 12 with 'Bulletproof Love.'
Method Man has always had one of the best flows in the game, 'Bulletproof Love' being just another example. The song ties together the fictional elements of Luke Cage with the racial tensions of America in 2016, making it a very important song in more ways than one.
Best Moment - 'The Death of Cottonmouth'
In episode seven the childhood of Mariah and Cottonmouth are explored. They were both raised by the abusive Uncle Pete and Aunt Mabel, the latter of whom was a ruthless devil of a woman.
We see that Cottonmouth dreamt of becoming a musician, all of it shattered by Aunt Mabel who forced him to "run the streets" and, when he was 14, kill Uncle Pete - the only man who believed in the good in him. At the same time, Uncle Pete was sexually abusing Mariah, who obviously had a different view of him, and she respected Aunt Mabel for protecting her and sticking up for her and forcing Cottonmouth to kill him.
Their differing views on the two people that raised them created an animosity in their relationship that reached a peak in this scene. Cottonmouth's out of control obsession with Luke Cage put a dent in Mariah's political career and we see tensions running high as she confronts him about it.
What occurs was so unexpected. We see Mariah acting out on her rage by shoving him out a window down two stories and then bashing his head in with a mic stand. It was brutal and we saw an evolution in Mariah's character that would change the landscape of the show.
What were your favourite moments? Who were some of your favourite characters? Vote in the polls below and discuss away in the comments!
