Humanizing Luke Cage.

Morning, Guys…

So, we watched the second season of Luke Cage on Netflix this weekend.  The reason I’m just getting to talk about it is because I needed to let it marinate.  Normally, I can just throw out my thoughts on a movie or a show, not this one.

The first season and the spinoff Defenders that brought together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, was pretty cut and dry.  Yeah, Cage was the unceremonious hero in his standalone, and, of course, everybody had to get past themselves to work together in the joint show, but the second season’s start didn’t take the audience where Defenders left as far as Cage’s headspace, at least in my opinion.

I don’t know how much time’d elapse since Defenders, but it was enough time for him to have enough adventures to get a rep around Harlem, to the point of getting a big head.  This went on for 3-4 episodes out of 13…and, honestly, it got boring.  Yeah, I know it’s human nature to be proud of oneself if they possess a gift no one else has, so I can forgive that, but carrying that for that long made me wonder if the season was just going to be a lovefest of Cage.

Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir) steps into the picture juiced up on nightshade, giving the same powers a Cage and then some.  When the two meet, Cage gets knocked down a peg or three, causing him to doubt himself.  He has to find out Bushmaster’s secret.  This revived itself for me to finish.

To make matters worse, Mariah Dillard and her boy bitch, Shades (ugly mother), is still kicking around after she took over the fam business when she took out Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in the first season.

The end worried me, so we’ll have to see where they take us this time next year or the year after if they go with another Defenders season.

In all honesty, I’m liking these hardcore Marvels shows Netflix’s is cranking out over the popcorn fare in the theaters, which aren’t bad…just not bad ass.

Be good to each other.

-J-