Luke Cage, Season 1
Writer's note: now that school has started again, I don't know how much time (or inclination) I'll have for "binge-watching" TV shows. Plus, I running out of Defenders predecessors.
There are not enough parts for black actors, and as a result, there is a huge talent pool to choose from when a project like Luke Cage comes along. Mix in Marvel's reputation, and you can attract the best talent available into your production. Exhibit 1: look at the "big names" in Hollywood doing Marvel sequels. Exhibit 2: Luke Cage.
This Netflix show features Alfre Woodard, who has been winning praise and awards for decades, as well as Mahershala Ali, who recently won an Academy Award for Moonlight, which I haven't seen, and appeared in Hidden Figures, which I did. A little recent revealed to me that the reason he looks so familiar is because he starred in the TV show The 4400, which appeared for a few six-episode seasons for a few summers about a decade ago. (Honestly, I don't remember much about who was in the show -- I didn't even know who Summer Glau was at the time.)
Also appearing in this show, and it's not a spoiler because her name and picture are there in the credits, is Rosario Dawson as Nurse Claire. Her character met Cage in Jessica Jones, and it seems like she's going to be the "Agent Coulson" of this set of heroes, the glue holding it all together. When she shows up, she mentions strange people she has met as then describes Daredevil and Cage and another a third incident that I haven't seen yet, but won't be surprised if it shows up in Iron Fist, which I'll be getting to soon enough. (And will the Defenders meet the Agents of SHIELD?)
Finally, you will also see more of Reva, who appeared, briefly, in flashbacks in Jessica Jones. She was a bit of a plot point there. You'll get her backstory here.
What are my childhood comic book memories? Keep in mind, most of these comics were bought by my older brothers while I was still reading Casper and Richie Rich. Basically, I remember the comic Luke Cage, Hero for Hire, which I used to confuse with "Dial H for Hero" (my bad). I remember the team-up comic, Power Man and Iron Fist, although the only story that comes to mind had them fighting the Fantastic Four, and I think that was in a different comic, possibly ROM, Spaceknight. Also, I remember his traditional outfit, which you will get to see in a flashback, and chuckle at the comment made. Luke will be called "Power Man" a few times, but he's never a Hero for Hire, even if folks want to hire him. That's enough reminiscing.
The show is the best of the three I've watched so far. It's more compelling, has a great story line plus multiple villains, any of whom could turn into the Big Bad. Woodard probably has the best, deepest role, which you'd expect from someone of her caliber. However, she's not going to be overly physical, and this is an action show about a guy who is bulletproof and has great strength that derives from that. This is also the first show that actually surprised me with a plot twist I didn't see coming somewhere in the middle of the season. (Best part: it didn't feel like it was written in to prolong the story a few more episodes.)
The other star of the show is Harlem, itself. Luke leaves Hell's Kitchen and heads uptown. Phenomenal decision. And the writers do a great job of weaving together Marvel history with Harlem (and American) history. Take a look at the cast list and see how many people appear playing themselves.
Moreover, pay attention to the music, mostly played at Harlem's Paradise, the nightclub owned by "Cottonmouth" (Ali). The songs underscore the episodes without being added filler, and they are performances to be enjoyed. My advice: watch the performance first, then rewind and watch the scene as the story progresses. My own regret: the best-chosen number, "Son of a Preacher Man" -- from that Great American Song Book -- is only played on a phonograph, and not by a live musician. That's fine in context to the story, but I really like that song and it is just a perfect selection.
My final piece of advice: if you can watch this series on an Ultra HD TV, or something similar, DO IT! The cinematography is beautiful because the neighborhood is beautiful, and some of that is lost watching episodes on a monitor, a tablet, or -- Sweet Christmas! -- a phone! This is something I have never said about any series before.
Final thoughts, it's the most compelling and satisfying of the Marvel shows I've watched so far. It's story is complete even if some things are unresolved. That just sets up a story for season 2, and leaves only one nagging cliffhanger: can Season 2 be as good as Season 1?
This entry was edited on 9/10/17 to include the references to the character of Reva, who was supposed to be mentioned in the review, but was inadvertently left out.
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