|LUKE CAGE S2 REVIEW| LUKE CAGE DIGI-VOLVES
Talk about the follow up of the century?! Luke Cage Season 2 blew fans away with complicated story-telling involving deep parallels, metaphors, and ingenious tactics in the art of war. Although Luke Cage Season 1 was good, Luke Cage has digi-volved into an absolute masterpiece birthed from the loins of Netflix and Marvel's union. With a season packed with their usual 13 episode load, I found myself fully invested in the new characters and what they had to bring to the table. The fresh faces on par with the old familiar ones help keep the dynamic fresh while the ever evolving story is sure to pull you into it's depths. Grab your hoodie for this wild ride because Luke Cage Season 2 is worth every minute and I'm going to tell you why.
Strengths:
Luke Cage's super strength isn't the only thing will leave you hooked for season 2! Things get deep with the introduction of Bushmaster, a Jamaican bred anti-hero looking to reclaim his family's glory, by any means necessary. He's able to go toe to toe with Luke Cage not only on a physical stand point but in ideology as well. But the characters with dynamic didn't just stop there. We were also introduced to Tilda, the daughter of Madame Councilwoman herself. Not only is her origin strange but it seems to be a tight rope of emotions for the black Mariah to handle. Tilda finds herself in multiple tight spots simply for the blood that flows through her, but by the end it's easy to infer that she wants to actually part take in some of the glitters that come with it.
This covers the major new faces we see but what about the old gang? Well, Shades past gets explored and some knowledge is brought forth to the viewers that I'm sure most wouldn't have guessed. He also finds himself in, to be fairly honest, a rather bizarre relationship with Mariah. Things don't just stay out of the relationship department either for Luke Cage and the gang.. Things become a bit strained for our Harlem savior and Claire, but to be honest, this trouble helps give Luke Cage a new edge. Seeing the beast passified the majority of season one was cute, but it began to weigh the story down as season 2 progressed.
Misty Knight, as seen in the Defenders, has lost a limb in the mist of the madness. Luke Cage Season 2 follows Misty as she attempts to heal mentally now that the physical damage is starting to become normal to her everyday life. With the help of Danny and Colleen, Miss Knight is able to get her groove back. This is pivotal to the rest of the story as she becomes a key part in its progression.
Weaknesses:
The only weakness I would say came in this show was the relationship between Mariah and Shades. It didn't add much to the story outside of cringe worthy scenes where it feels like Shades is more like an adopted nephew rather than a lover. That is not to say older women can't date younger men, but the dynamic here was almost creepy. It reminds me of an overlord dating a servant. The power dynamic is off, they're not matched in sense of mentality, and it makes the relationship unrealistic. It felt like the story was walking through cement when these scenes would appear. It bogged down the show a bit because as a viewer, the relationship felt like stagnate pond water..
Rating & Explanation:
Between the story and the character growth it's hard to not find yourself fully invested in the lives of these characters. While Luke Cage season 1 seemed like it was trying to truly figure out its identity , season 2 comes in guns blazing and reassured of exactly the kind of show it wishes to be. Usually, the follow up seasons are worse for most tv shows, but Marvel and Netflix were able to surpass Luke Cage's original debut. Luke Cage Season 2 is probably one of the best one's out from the merger with the exception of Daredevil. A solid 8.5/10 is deserved for the in depth story telling, character development, and real world issues discussed in this show.
Check out the trailer here:
