Luke Cage: Season 1 - TV review
Luke Cage: Season 1
Plot: Given superstrength and durability by a sabotaged experiment, a wrongly accused man escapes prison to become a superhero for hire.
Cast: Mike Colter, Mahershala Ali, Simone Missick
Number Of Episodes: 13
Channel: Netflix
Rating: 15
Air Date: Friday 30th September 2016
It's safe to say at this point that the deal made between Marvel and Netflix was a damn good one. First, there was the phenomenal Daredevil season, followed by a great Jessica Jones season and recently, Daredevil season two absolutely smashed it. Now it's the turn of Harlem's hero, Luke Cage. Fortunately, Luke falls in suit with Jessica and Daredevil because these thirteen episodes are truly some great television (even though it's on Netflix).
Returning from his smaller supporting role with Jessica Jones, Mike Colter once again stars as Luke Cage and he completely earns his own series. Colter was good in Jessica's show but it ultimately was her show so Cage was a little underutilised at times. Now, with an entire series dedicated to him, Colter leads the way and is perhaps the best thing in it. He's had time to get to grips with his character, knowing the ins and outs and just pulling off that physicality. He definitely doesn't skip leg day. Or arm day. Or chest day. But it's not only the look and action choreography that Mike Colter does well with. Much like all the Marvel/Netflix shows, these superheroes are real people and the show runners put that at the forefront before any of the action scenes. It's hard to empathise entirely with the god of thunder, but with Luke Cage, we get his history, his turmoil and that is portrayed brilliantly, effortlessly and emotionally by Colter in a terrific performance. Forget the fact that he could squash anyone like a bug; he makes Luke a lovable vigilante who is simply after justice. A common complaint that Marvel suffer from in general, is their weak villains. Most recently, Zemo in Civil War was a significant issue in what was otherwise, a flawless film. However, weak villains only crop up in the films because so far, Kingpin, Kilgrave, The Punisher and now Cottonmouth, have been fantastic and memorable villains. Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin still reigns supreme of the bunch with David Tennant's Kilgrave coming a close second but Cottonmouth and Mahershala Ali's performance of that character help make every scene that he features in entirely engrossing and fascinating to watch. (Punisher is more of an anti-hero than a villain, nevertheless, he was still the best part of Daredevil: Season Two). What makes Ali's depiction of Cottonmouth so compelling is his erratic nature yet calm and collected front that he puts on for his goons and the public. The idea of an inferiority complex within a villain is always an outstanding decision as long as it's done well and thankfully, Cottonmouth is so good. Everything considered though, there are various revelations, twists and surprises about his character that will shock most changing the entirety of the series from that point. It will leave everyone floored but it's certainly debatable whether it was a good decision or not. Personally, I thought it was a ballsy decision that eventually paid off.
On the topic of villains, two other smaller roles belong to Theo Rossi who plays Shades and Erik LaRay Harvey who plays Diamondback. Rossi definitely enjoys playing this suave gangster and that emanates when watching him onscreen. He isn't wholly memorable, but he serves a purpose and Rossi does a great job. As for Diamondback, there isn't a great deal to say without delving into spoilers but his character is unbelievably important to the development of the show and Harvey clearly has fun with the role. There are certain lines where his delivery is a bit over the top however, certain lines are delivered incredibly menacingly (a hilarious standout is Diamondback referring to Cage carrying Misty in his arms as 'King Kong and his bitch') and Diamondback becomes this towering figure over all of Harlem. Great lead hero? Check. Great villains and antagonists? Check. Nonetheless, what most people are going to be praising when finishing Luke Cage are the phenomenal female characters. Jessica Jones proved herself by holding her own series but she now has become overshadowed by Simone Missick's Misty Knight, Alfre Woodard's Mariah Dillard and Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple. These three females are not just amazingly talented actresses who give terrific performances in every single episode they star in, but they're characters are strong-willed and smart enough to survive the gritty streets of Harlem and stand in the way of sexism, racism and other forms of adversity. Just from Missick's depiction alone, Misty Knight deserves her own show. Even though, she had a brief role in Age Of Ultron, Alfre Woodard plays a completely different character (which will confuse those who obey cannon) but her representation of the aspiring Councilwoman is menacing and at times, frightening. Not in the supernatural haunting way, but in the realistic sense that someone could actually be like this and get away with this. Also worthy of a shout out is Frankie Faison as Pop who steals practically every scene he's in by being the most charming and charismatic character in the series.
FACT: In the 1990's, Quentin Tarantino was originally attached to make a Luke Cage film starring Laurence Fishburne. Instead, he decided to make a little film called Pulp Fiction.
A fair comparison for Luke Cage would be that this is Marvel's version of The Wire. All thirteen episodes are dark and gritty but in a different way to how Daredevil and Jessica Jones are dark and gritty. Daredevil has the violence and Jessica Jones had the traumatic subject matter. Luke Cage basically has both combined. The fight scenes are usually brutal and never shies away from the destruction Luke can cause. If you've ever wanted to see a man's wrist shatter upon impact in slow motion, the first episode will suit you well. Of the utmost significance though, Luke Cage is an important show to make, especially in this time we live in. Obviously for fans of the character, comics and the Marvel universe (myself included), it's a pleasure to see it come to life but the subject matter that is dealt with ranging from police brutality to blacksploitation make Luke Cage a groundbreaking television series that has important social commentary. It never gets preachy at the expense of the story but it's always present reminding the viewer. A brilliant decision made by the creative team is that, besides a couple of very small insignificant characters, this is predominantly a cast of black actors which is incredibly rare but serves a fantastic purpose for this show. There's also a frequent use of the N word but unlike Tarantino where it does seem very excessive, in Luke Cage, there's a reason for it leading to a great scene in episode two where Luke has a monologue criticising its use. The show also serves as the oddest tourist boost for Harlem itself. It doesn't present it in the best light what with all the crime, but at the same time, it's clear that the multiple directors and showrunner, Cheo Hodari Coker, are very passionate about Harlem.
However, Luke Cage isn't perfect. There are some underlying issues that prevent it reaching the same extraordinary heights as Daredevil. Firstly, each episode does seem to follow a regular pattern. It would open fairly slow, have a mild action sequence, slow down again for character development and then conclude with a big twist and fight scene. That was fine for the first few episodes but soon after episode eight, it did become a tired formula. Also, with a few exceptions, the first half of Luke Cage was far superior to the second half. Whilst I admired and appreciated the twist with Cottonmouth and the effect this had on the series, the way the second half of the show progressed felt like it was dragging it's feet at times. It wasn't as intense as it had the opportunity to be. A big part of Luke Cage was the incorporation of music. This is a very soulful soundtrack that has some clear highlights (Method Man's Bulletproof Love) but at times, did feel unnecessary. During fight scenes, it would have been better to have a heart pounding score rather than an R&B track. Then again, the performances at Harlem's Paradise (Cottonmouth's club) really suit and fit the moments they're placed with. In my personal opinion, episode seven entitled Manifest, was the best episode of the series. It wasn't as slow as others and held an extreme amount of tension all culminating in a shocking and series-changing twist that will leave jaws open for a long time. It's also a show that can be binged quickly. For instance, I started on Friday and finished Sunday evening.
By far Marvel's most serious product to date but still a bundle of fun to watch. A very crime filled story with undertones of comic book action rather than the other way round. Filled with twists that will leave you on your arse like a punch from Cage, you'll be excited to click next episode even though the first half an hour of each episode is a bit of a trudge.
My Verdict: 8/10
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