Luke Cage

Luke Cage (Mike Colter) received superpowers when he was experimented on in a private prison. He has super strength and impenetrable skin. He returns to his Harlem neighborhood to fight local crime lord Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) and other villains. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) is a police detective fighting for justice.

I really like Mike Colter and I really like the character of Luke Cage. The show does struggle to maintain story flow over the full 13 episode seasons. Nevertheless, it delivers quite a good punch in the Netflix Marvel Universal. Colter is able to maintain narrative drive all by himself. He is a compelling character and I hope he stays in the Marvel universe despite the cancellation due to the pending Netflix Marvel streaming war.

As a huge fan of Marvel I'm a little biased because I pretty much like everything they put out. My bias aside, Luke Cage is terrific. If you don't believe me just read through the reviews here and look at the ratings. Even the critics loved this show. It's about a fugitive who gets super strength after an experiment goes wrong. He moves back home to Harlem to try to rebuild his life and make his home a safe place from all the terrible people try to take over. Now that it's on Disney plus maybe they can bring him back. They've already started to bring back others and recently renewed Daredevil so there's still hope. Even if they don't bring him back for his own show again, at least bring him back into the MCU through another show like the Daredevil revival. If you're a Marvel fan then this is a must watch.

The show isn't without its flaws. There are elements of the script that feel slightly generic, cliched, unfocused, or heavy-handed, but the sheer strength of the performances, particularly Mahershala Ali's Cottonmouth and Alfre Woodard's Mariah, as well as Luke Cage himself and Rosario Dawson's Claire, keep the show engaging even when it occasionally stumbles. There's some solid action, too, and a quality rendition of Luke Cage's origin story.

I enjoyed 'Luke Cage' like all Netflix-Marvel TV shows and gave it a 7/10. The acting, especially Mike Colter's portrayal of Luke Cage, was solid, bringing the character to life. The music and overall atmosphere of Harlem were standout elements, enhancing the series' unique identity. Casting choices were well-suited, and the cinematography captured the gritty urban setting effectively. The directing maintained a consistent tone throughout. However, the writing occasionally suffered from pacing issues and narrative detours, affecting the overall flow. Its strength lies in its exploration of themes like community and power, but it could have benefited from tighter storytelling. 'Luke Cage' is a worthy addition to the Netflix-Marvel lineup, offering a distinctive take on the superhero genre.

While the storyline plods along, the characterization is strong, especially with regard to Alfre Woodard's breakout role. She reminds us of what the complexity of a villain looks like, and she explores every part of what it means to be filled with avarice, love, desire, intelligence, and hate. She makes this show better for its unsure plot at times.