For all my friends out there who recently watched Luke Cage on Netflix, what did you think? I enjoyed it, but I did not love it. There were definitely some problems with the show. I will give it credit, it definitely seemed like the most realistic of the superhero movies/shows. And by that, I mean that if someone like this did exist, the way some people would be for or against his one-man war on crime. The police being furious over him screwing up investigations and basically being in their way.
What did I like?
- The origin story was simple. Plus, they left enough about why he was in jail unsaid to give us more flashbacks for season two.
- The fight scenes were brutal and the way he used his powers seemed so cool. Luke Cage does not need to be a ninja or anything, he just walks through the gunfire and beats the crap out of people.
- Claire. She has been great in the other Netflix shows as a side character, but I thought she really shined. Especially with the idea of her wanting to help these heroes and really believing in what they do for the community.
- There was definitely a theme going through the show, well probably multiple themes, but one of the things that really struck me was that a person can improve his community by being good. Luke’s powers helped him, but his goodness is what really helps Harlem. Another thing I thought was pretty powerful was the Method Man part and then the whole “hoodie” movement to support Luke Cage. I am sure people could put together the parallel between this and Trayvon Martin.
- The music. Damn. This was a great soundtrack with such a variety of live performances.
- “You look like a damn fool.” Probably my favorite line.
- I thought Misty Knight came off really well. I kept expecting when she was shot and Luke was trying to stop the bleeding that later Claire would say something like “Luke, you pressed so hard you may have damaged the nerves, she may lose the arm.” And then at the end of the series, with Misty in the hospital, she gets a visit from a representative from Stark Industries saying they feel horrible about what happened to her, especially since it was HammerTech that was used and they want to replace her arm with an experimental bionic arm…yeah, I have my own very long and convoluted predictions while I watch a show.
What did I dislike?
- Shades. I liked Theo Rossi as a villain. I liked the way he was trying to manipulate Mariah against Cottonmouth. I just hated that he kept wearing the stupid sunglasses. In the comics, Shades has a visor that shoots energy blasts. I thought maybe he was going to have been experimented on and had some cool power with his eyes. Instead, it just seemed a way to have the character on the show and a justification to call him Shades. It was annoying.
- The Diamondback story seemed rushed. I wish they would have saved him for season two. Then explore the relationship between Carl and his half-brother. Also, maybe explain why Diamondback is like this super-soldier and how come he has access to HammerTech weapons.
- Speaking of weapons…if those bullets came from alien metal leftover after the Battle of New York, then how come the aliens did not use that cool ability against Iron Man?
- The fight scenes. Okay, they were few and far between. There never really seemed to be a sense of danger, even when fighting Diamondback. Also, how come there was no Iron Fist cameo? I really wanted to see those two meet each other and maybe Danny hit him with his power and Luke react with “whoa, that hurt.” Or something cool.
- The ending. I did not like it ending with him being taken away by the US Marshalls and heading back to Georgia or wherever. I mean, I like that they are setting up season two to deal with his past, but it just did not satisfy. I liked that Claire referenced Matt Murdock. Maybe he will meet Luke in Georgia with proof that Carl was framed. Perhaps Daredevil pays a visit to Mariah and ends up with that file she had on Carl Lucas…
So yeah, I liked the show. It had some great moments, some weak stuff. I rank it somewhere between Daredevil (both seasons) and Jessica Jones.
