BLOOD WORK: MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: LUKE CAGE ~ SEASON 2 (2018)

Of all of Netflix's Marvel television shows I have held DAREDEVIL seasons 1 and 2 above all of them as the most entertaining. In terms of the story, action, pacing, and overall execution Daredevil remained the most satisfying in my opinion. Punisher and Defenders are next on my list in terms of enjoyment with Jessica Jones being my least favorite of them all, although I thought Kilgrave was amazing. I can see the strengths of Jessica Jones and why so many heap praise upon it. I'm glad it's doing what its doing but I personally do not enjoy the character. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are in the bottom half of the list as well. I enjoyed them both far more than Jessica Jones but neither reached the highs of Daredevil. That being said...

LUKE CAGE Season 2 may be my new favorite season from Netflix, topping even Daredevil.

With no subsequent season from Marvel's Netflix show topping Daredevil Season 2, I was beginning to think that the Netflix shows were on a decline that would eventually lead to the cancellation of all of them (once Disney would set up their own streaming service). After having achieved The Defenders I thought the end was nigh for Netflix's Marvel shows. Now having seen Luke Cage Season 2 I have renewed hope and heightened enthusiasm for the Defenders. If Iron Fist Season 2 (which comes out later this year) knocks it out of the park then 2018 may be the greatest year of the MCU to date.

I loved Luke Cage Season 2.

THE PLOT

The Defenders are still reeling from Daredevil's sacrifice against the Hand at Midland Square. Luke Cage is still fighting off corruption and gangland violence in Harlem but he's quickly realizing it's not enough. Mariah Dillard's lust for power continues to grow. The Jamaican gangs undergo new and violent leadership by a man calling himself Bushmaster. And on top of it all Luke's estranged father takes up residence in Harlem, stirring up many angry memories within Luke. As the violence escalates so too does Luke's brutality. Claire and Misty worry that if Luke continues down this path his anger will consume him. The streets of Harlem run red as all out war between Mariah Dillard and Bushmaster erupts. Luke struggles to keep his life and home from unraveling. In order to stop it, he may have to become like those he fights against.

WHAT I LIKED

The Action. Call me shallow, but I love me some awesome fight scenes. And these are super hero shows, so by nature they should be action packed. While the action in Luke Cage Season 1 was good it wasn't as good as either Daredevil season in my opinion. I was blown away by the action in this season. Luke Cage is a force to be reckoned with beyond any depiction prior. The team of choreographers and stunt coordinators for this season should be applauded because they nailed it, not just with Luke, but with every character that fights in this season.

The Supporting Cast. One of the problems I have with Jessica Jones are the characters. That show displays a large number of unlikable characters from the protagonist down to the minor players, in my opinion, and even more so in JJ Season 2. The cast of Luke Cage is like a breath of fresh air by comparison. I don't think there's a single character I disliked in this season. Even Mariah Dillard, whom I was desperately hoping to die, nailed the role of a pure evil villain you love to hate. I was surprisingly enjoying Shades' subplot too with his friend Comanche. And Bushmaster, oh man, did I like Bushmaster. Actor Mustafa Shakir was amazing and the story crafted around Bushmaster was striking and emotional. Bushmaster is probably my favorite character of this season.

Simone Missick's Misty Knight is next on my list for stand out characters and performances of the season. Misty is awesome and so badass, just like her comic book counterpart (complete with robotic arm no less!). Some of my favorite moments are of Misty taking down badguys alongside Luke, completely holding her own. There is an episode where Misty and Colleen Wing work together that was so cool and had my inner nerd cheering (the Daughters of the Dragon!). Misty and Colleen's episode was a huge highlight of the season for me. And as far as the ladies of the show are concerned, I really liked the character of Tilda and I hope we see more from her in the third season.

Connectivity. The Defenders happened and then the next two Marvel Netflix shows, Punisher and Jessica Jones Season 2, act as if nothing happened. They both felt divorced from the overall narrative everything was building toward. For me, that was quite disappointing (although understandable in Punisher's case). Here, it feels like a direct sequel to the events of Defenders and the season as a whole feels like a part of a greater world (which Jessica Jones Season 2 did not). As I mentioned above Colleen Wing makes an appearance as well as Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple (Dawson's mere presence is so much a part of the connective tissue of the Defenders universe that having her appear is essential in my book. That and I think Rosario is just great in everything she does). Foggy Nelson appears for an episode too which is always a treat.

Power Man and Iron Fist. If the Daughters of the Dragon had me freaking out with nerd joy, the episode with Iron Fist blew my mind. The dynamic between the two heroes was nailed to nigh perfection. And Finn Jones' portrayal of Danny is new and interesting, progressing Danny's character even further. This new interpretation of Danny has me so stoked for the next season of Iron Fist. Hands down my favorite episode of the season (the Bushmaster/Luke Cage team-up episode being a close second).

The Tone. It was one of the standout aspects of the first season and season 2 continues Luke Cage's 1970's vibe. The music, from the soundtrack to the film score, plays an important role with the show's identity and I felt that identity was maintained perfectly from season to season. The R-Rated intensity is increased with this season resulting in some truly bloody and violent moments as well. And then there's the homages to 70's cinema that help cement the tone, my favorite being THE WARRIORS references (one of my favorite movies). Watching this show makes me wish JIM KELLY (from ENTER THE DRAGON) was still alive. That man's work and martial arts talent was amazing and it would've been awesome to see him in this show.

And in case it wasn't implied, Mike Colter was awesome as Luke Cage. I like the arc his character undertakes and Colter keeps imbuing the character with charisma and "swagger." I hope to continue seeing Colter as Luke Cage for a long time to come.

NITPICKS

I actually don't have much at all. This season did everything I wanted it to do. Maybe the fact that it ended... yeah, that sucked. I guess the movement of Misty Knight's character made me scratch my head a bit. The first half of the season had Misty on a trajectory that was pushing her away from being a police officer to become the hero she is in the comics (I love her in the comics and I was loving this trajectory for her in the show). Then half way through the arc for Misty pushes her back towards the Police and even cements her in a role as Police chief (or precinct chief, I can't remember which). That kinda disappointed me and makes me think that the possibility of one day hearing her say, "Hero? Are you for hire?" quite dim. Not to mention a derailing of a Daughters of the Dragon spinoff.

THE VERDICT

Luke Cage Season 2 does what any good sequel should do. It takes everything great about the first season and expands and escalates it. All the actors are wonderful and likable. The writing and arcs for the characters are logical and satisfying. The signature tone is maintained and the season feels deeply connected in the greater Defenders universe. The action is second to none, surpassing Daredevil in my opinion (although Daredevil did have ninjas...). All in all, I loved Luke Cage Season 2 through and through. My only real beef with it is teasing me with Misty Knight's arc and then changing its mind halfway through. Now, if Iron Fist Season 2 is as good as this then my faith in Netflix will be fully restored!

Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10