Luke Cage

Luke Cage first made his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the series Jessica Jones. And I'm not going to lie, I wasn't a huge fan of Mike Colter's performance. Maybe I was more focused on the story of Jessica Jones and I thought Luke Cage was holding the story back, maybe I just wasn't wild about his lack of character throughout the season. So when I realized that Cage had his own series up on the queue at Netflix, I was a little bit skeptical. I didn't know how they were going to do an entire season on a character that I honestly thought was a little boring.

Well they did, and they did a really good job at it.

Right off the bat, I do have to make mention that the Luke Cage from the Jessica Jones season was not the Luke Cage from this season. That Luke Cage was stoic and really dull. In this season, Mike Colter really upped his game and made a character that is actually really interesting. He's not just a large guy who happens to be bullet proof, he's also a soulful guy, he's got jokes, he's able to give it back just as badly as he gets it, but he's also quiet. He's thoughtful in the things that he does and he's not just a meat head like he was in Jessica Jones.

The series begins in Harlem where Luke Cage has been staying since the events of Jessica Jones. He started working for a local barber shop owned by the local father figure of Harlem, Henry "Pop" Hunter (played by Frankie Faison). Cage keeps his head down as there is obviously more to his story that he doesn't want the rest of the world to know about. He keeps his abilities secret to everyone except for Pop and he just wants to be left alone.

But running the streets of Harlem is a notorious gangster by the name of Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (played by Mahershala Ali) and when his criminal business starts to affect the lives of the people that Luke cares about, he springs into action and soon becomes something of a folk hero on the streets of Harlem.

And that's the first thing I'll talk about that makes Luke Cage different. In the Daredevil series, Daredevil is a vigilante. In Jessica Jones, she's not even a hero as opposed to a private investigator. She wants to keep her head down and not be noticed. For the case of Luke Cage, he's definitely a vigilante and they call him that, but the show portrays the public reaction differently. Of course there is the question of vigilantism and should the police be hunting down a person who is doing their jobs, but the more important theme that comes across during Luke Cage is the fact that he is less of a vigilante on the streets of Harlem and more of a local folk hero. He doesn't wear a mask, he doesn't wear a costume, he just struts up in a hoodie and kicks some major ass. There's even a great line where they say there's something about a black man in a hoodie who is bullet proof.

And that goes into the cultural relevance of this show. Jessica Jones was able to, almost heavy handedly, tell a story about a woman with extraordinary powers and the themes of each episode echoed with the struggles women go through every day. Like I said, it was too in your face and I feel like they may have pulled back a little bit with the analogies in Luke Cage, but there is still the cultural relevance, especially with the headlines of today. There is a certain kind of irony of a bullet proof black guy going around stopping corruption in a black hoodie.

In my opinion, the Netflix shows (and movies for that matter) manage to take a superhero, and make a good movie out of them, perhaps even throwing them into a different genre. So they're not only a good superhero film, they're good films in general. The best example is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier was not only a comic book movie, but it also felt like a espionage thriller and therefore gave it the feeling of doing something new and creative. Instead of falling into the typical Marvel formula that has worked for years but is starting to show some signs of causing fatigue with audiences, good superhero films select a genre or a topic and run with it. Jessica Jones ran with the topic of women and based a show around that where the main character just happened to have super powers.

Now, that's not to say that Daredevil is not good and doesn't have important things to say. I just think the questions of law and order that Daredevil are breaching on have been more frequent superhero themes and its good to see something a little bit different. The benefit of Daredevil is it feels like a superhero story and its something we're familiar with. It might not be groundbreaking theme-wise but its pretty damn entertaining.

So where does Luke Cage fall? Well luckily, Marvel is starting to figure out that they can find a happy medium. They don't have to go so heavy handed with the themes like they did in Jessica Jones, but they also don't feel the need to go full superhero show. Luke Cage falls somewhere in the medium with the action and crime fighting of Daredevil, and the subtle social commentary that I think was started in Jessica Jones.

But on top of any social commentary, Luke Cage also manages to be a cultural commentary, especially on a unique culture like that of Harlem. The feeling of Harlem is really great and potent throughout the series. For someone who doesn't know a whole lot about the history of Harlem and the culture, it was an interesting insight on the history, arts, and just vibe of the burrow because that's exactly what the show was influenced by. The Luke Cage comics were your over the top representation of black culture when there hadn't been that kind of representation in comic books before. Not only are they pulling from the comics but the music in the show is some of the best I've heard in a long time and its unique.

And the really fun part is, its a dual edged sword. On one hand, the show is really celebrating the actual Harlem that exists today, showing the community, the music, and the whole attitude throughout the show. However, oddly enough, Luke Cage also shows a Harlem that is affected by the world created by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its not just showing Harlem the way it is now, its showing Harlem if it was in the MCU, reacting to the events of the first Avengers movie. It shows how the community would react and gather together, either in fear or support of those who are different. Its not a huge aspect of the show and they still manage to be very vague about the circumstances of "The Incident", but at the same time its very obvious, if you've watched the rest of the Marvel movies that they are talking about the events of the first Avengers and its world creating which I always think is really unique and special about the MCU.

The environment and the fact that this isn't exactly a straight up comic book superhero show makes it a lot of fun because Luke Cage is set up more as a gangster film that just happens to have a guy with super powers involved in the gangland activities of Harlem. And that actually can be a lot of fun. But that only works if the relationships between characters is very strong, and this was something Luke Cage was very good, especially in the beginning.

Luke Cage has a really strong cast of mainly black characters which is something very different than the status quo. And the relationships between these characters are really what made it for me. Of course you have the relationship between Pop and Luke in the beginning and that is really strong. It is basically the catalyst for the rest of the series so it has to be good. But Pop is also a quintessential character because he represents the good of Harlem and so many people have a close connection to him.

Luke has ties to the detective Misty Knight (played by Simone Missick) and the two of them play off one another in this really fun skeptical way. We as the audience know that they’re on the same side and there are moments where it looks like they know that deep down but at the same time they are always at odds until it finally comes down to it and they need to team up. I really enjoyed these two and I would have actually liked to see more come out of that relationship but that was kind of blocked by the relationship between Luke and Claire (played by Rosario Dawson).

I do find it interesting that Rosario Dawson is going to be the connective tissue between the different series in the Netflix Marvel TV universe. I do really like her I’m glad I have no problem with seeing her return, especially after Luke Cage. My only issue is kind of a petty one, but I actually liked her and Matt Murdock more than I like her and Luke Cage together. It doesn’t hurt the story and it’s not a huge deal at the end of the day, just something that my personal bias pushed back against. But she actually has quite a large part in this series, much larger than she did in Jessica Jones and now that she’s left her job at the hospital, she is now coming into her own and actually becoming the Night Nurse. What I do like about her is the fact that she is not the damsel in distress or the girlfriend, she clearly lays out that she wants to be the one helping those trying to do good when she can’t help herself. She knows how to tend to wounds so that is what she is going to do, for Luke Cage, for Daredevil, and any of the Defenders she comes across in the future.

But the relationship with Luke Cage that I loved the most was the one he had with one of the main antagonists, Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (played by Mahershala Ali). Ali is actually becoming one of my favorite actors because he is just strong in whatever he does. He’s not exactly well known because he does take these supporting roles in movies like The Hunger Games and in House of Cards, but I do have to say, whatever I have seen him in I have really enjoyed his performance.

My favorite parts of the show was the rivalry that is set up early on between Cottonmouth and Luke Cage. They both represent the ways that the elements of the streets are taking care of Harlem and how the trust is not in the police but in these natural elements, and they’re both playing for the affection of the people of Harlem. It’s obvious that Cottonmouth is a criminal but that’s not the

persona he puts on in the public eye. That’s the part that I was talking about when I said that this show is similar to a gangster film. The best gangster films are the ones where the gangster is a criminal but he’s also a huge part of the community. He has the communities back but at the same time he’s shaking it down for money. This is the strange dynamic that makes Cottonmouth a fascinating character and that made that rivalry awesome. One of my favorite parts was at a funeral and both Cottonmouth and Luke Cage give eulogies. In many ways it plays like a rap battle between these two and the tension is high because you’re not sure if the words are going to spring people into a gun battle or if they’re just going to be exchanging these words with one another, but either way its entertaining as hell.

Furthermore, they delve into his past and make him just as sympathetic of a character as they made Kingpin in Daredevil. He’s the kind of antagonist you love to hate. And while when I first saw that episode where they delve into the past of Cottonmouth I thought they were just retreading what they did with Kingpin, I didn’t really care because I enjoyed these two’s feud too much.

And then you have Diamondback…

Now I’m trying to talk about this character without giving away too many spoilers. There is definitely a shift when Diamondback comes in and the show takes it a little bit on the chin to try and fail to make this character more interesting than Cottonmouth. The truth is, Willis Stryker is just not more intriguing as a character to me than Cornell Stokes. And I understand there is more of a personal relationship between Stryker and Cage but honestly the guy who played Stryker didn’t give nearly as good of a performance as Mahershala Ali. Cottonmouth felt more like a realistic gangster that created a good foil to Luke Cage’s folk hero status. Diamondback felt more like a cheesy comic book villain or a Joker type character, which I’m sure he was originally written as. But it honestly felt out of place compared to the rest of the show that provided this gritty, “The Wire” feeling to it. That is incredibly true especially in the last episode when he wears this…

And that gritty “Wire-esc” feeling was supported by characters like Hernan “Shades” Alvarez (played by Theo Rossi) and the rest of the supporting antagonists. Theo Rossi is an interesting case because he doesn’t exactly have the face of a seasoned gangster and he doesn’t exactly look like the kind of guy who is going to be king of the castle. However, the character of Shades has been described by Rossi as the “Littlefinger from Game of Thrones” to the Luke Cage series and I really enjoyed that character. You never really knew what side he was on, all you knew was that he was going to have his own interests in mind and he had a plan to serve those interests.

And those interests are only supported when he’s working with the final main antagonist of the film, Mariah Dillard (played by Alfre Woodard). Mariah Dillard is a local politician who is the cousin of Cottonmouth. She grew up in Harlem and was witness to the gang violence and dealings from the very beginning. She is just as cold and callas as the rest of the bad guys but she is also very strategic in her dealings and tries to remain above it all, keeping her hands clean in the entire ordeal, which almost makes her the worst of the bunch.

I really enjoyed Alfre Woodard’s performance and I did think she was a slimy bad guy that was easy to dislike. I liked her and Cottonmouth’s relationship more than I liked hers and Diamondback’s, but you already know that I wasn’t as much of a fan of Diamondback as the others. She will definitely have a place in the future Defender’s TV shows and the way that her character develops and turns from just a politician to something so much more is really exciting to think about in future outings with these characters.

Now there are a couple of downsides to the series of Luke Cage now that I’ve had a little bit of time to really digest the entire series. Of course I’ve made note of my issue with Diamondback and that’s just going to be a thing. But one of the other big issues is that the series does start to drag near the end of it. The season is 13 episodes long and I’m thinking that maybe it could have been condensed near the end to perhaps a 10 episode season. A couple episodes of the season really delve into this war between Luke Cage and the gang that really aren’t necessary. The episodes where they delve into Luke’s past are good, but a lot of episodes near the end really take some detours to the final battle we’ve all been waiting for.

The other thing I’ll mention is the wackiness of the series at some weird parts, but I will get into that in a second.

Overall, I really enjoyed Luke Cage. I’m trying to figure out how much of a lasting impression it has made on me, especially since I finished it in the early weeks of October and I’ve had some time to think on it. But then I start thinking I should re-watch Jessica Jones and I start doubting myself. Give me some time, I’m sure I will send out a tweet or do a full post in preparation for Iron Fist and the Defenders and I will give the standings of where Luke Cage ranks between the last two seasons of Daredevil and Jessica jones. I am interested where you all rank those seasons if you have seen them all. Be sure to let me know.

But now I wanna talk about the wackiness of the series.

There is a certain element of Luke Cage and how wacky it got because it was paying homage to the original comic. There’s a funny flashback where Luke is escaping prison and he finds clothes on a line that he takes to blend in. Of course they are the clothes that match his original costume and he straight out says he looks like a damn fool.

And in other parts, the wackiness is something that contributes to the character of Luke Cage. The fact that he says Sweet Christmas from time to time isn’t just an homage to the phrase in the comic books, it actually fits with the character of Luke Cage. While he can be solemn and stoic, he can also be a really funny guy and bring on some really funny quips.

 But the entire season really does do a balancing act on a tightrope between being a comic book show and a gritty “Wire-esc” show. And that’s a balancing act I’m not sure Marvel is going to fall on the right side of with the Defenders as a whole.

Luke Cage is an interesting beast when you come down to it. I’ve never read the comics, but what I can understand from the Wikipedia page (Isn’t the extent of my research just so in depth?), the stories being told in the Netflix series are pretty close to his origin story. A lot of his origin is pretty close and he does remain a local legend of sorts in Harlem. But later on he starts doing adventures with the Fantastic Four and he starts fighting the cosmic bad guys and he falls right in with other Superheroes. Now this is the case with both Daredevil and Jessica Jones so it’s not too far-fetched to think of that, but it does make me wonder what the future of the Netflix series is.

The big question on everyone’s mind as we get closer to Infinity War is, will the Defenders make an appearance in the battle between Thanos when he comes to Earth to destroy us all? Besides mention of “the Incident” and quick references to Captain America and the Avengers, these two mediums have remained pretty clearly apart. They obviously exist in the same universe but it’s obvious that Chris Evans is probably not going to make an appearance as Captain America in Iron Fist. And this is for multiple reasons. 1) Netflix probably can’t afford Chris Evans to show up on their show. But more importantly 2), it wouldn’t fit.

While they exist in the same universe, it wouldn’t make any sense narrative wise for Iron Man to interact with Jessica Jones because they exist on planes that don’t really mix. Yes they’re both vigilantes but Iron Man has fought aliens from outer space and Ultron Robots. Thor is a God from Asgard, why would he interact with a small time vigilante dressed as the Devil from the few city blocks that make up Hell’s Kitchen?

I don’t want to belittle the badassedness of the heroes of The Defenders but the issues of the Defenders are totally different than the issues of the Avengers. I don’t see a particular reason why the Avengers would even waste their time with these small time heroes who the worst thing they’ve fought has been ninjas.

But the most important reason I don’t think I want to see the Defenders show up in Infinity War is for the reason that the Defenders would be elevated from fighting the street level threats to suddenly fighting aliens and the supernatural. And while that sounds cool to see Luke Cage fighting aliens, you have to think about the tone that was set up by the Luke Cage series. While it had its wacky moments, it was definitely a street level gangster tone. Maybe it’s not about belittling the heroes themselves on whether or not they could handle a threat like the aliens from the first Avengers, its probably more about belittling the experiences of the previous series. After Daredevil fights aliens, how does him fighting street level criminals become relevant again? A great part of the show has been the intimacy of the setting and how it’s been utilized to make these heroes seem big, even though if they are in perspective to Thor they seem really small.

And the thing that worries me about The Defenders series itself is that it might try to go too big. They’ve already announced the Signourney Weaver is going to be the main villain for the Defenders series. I’m worried that they’re already trying to make these heroes larger than they need to be. The wackiness of Luke Cage could be hinting at a larger universe that The Defenders are fighting and I’m worried that the larger the threat, the more likely the close, intimate relationship heroes like Luke Cage and Daredevil have with their street level villains like Cottonmouth and Kingpin, will be lost.

I’ve been listening to a couple of podcasts that suggest that the cameo these heroes have in Infinity War should be very small, like a quick shot of them looking over their shoulder to witness the events happening while they fight the bad guys, but even then, I can’t say I’m a fan of the Defenders showing up in Infinity War.

Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it will be great, but in my opinion they should keep them separate and only bring them in if they really make the most sense to do so. Don’t throw them in just for the sake of throwing them in because I don’t want them to distract from the story at hand. I want the Defenders to be in Infinity War only if it makes sense.

But that’s neither here nor there right now. Right now, I can say that Luke Cage was a really fun series and it made me really interested in a character that I didn’t have a lot of high hopes for when I first saw him in Jessica Jones. Luke Cage has reassured me that there is a larger universe in the Netflix Marvel shows and I am looking forward to Iron Fist, The Defenders, and the other shows that Marvel has to reveal in the future.

But what did you think? Did you like Luke Cage? Where do you rank it between the two seasons of Daredevil and Jessica Jones? Do you think that the Defenders are going to show up in Infinity Wars? Comment and Discuss below! You can send me your thoughts on Twitter @cmhaugen24 as well as send me your requests for movies and shows I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

I’ll leave you with this. I've probably put this up before but just to remind you, the Defenders are happening. Enjoy!