Netflix Luke Cage Review (Spoilers allowed now :))

[doctorbadwolf]

I'd say that, over time, they're getting a much better handle on this style of story presentation.

I mean, could be. Or, Luke Cage is just an exceptionally good show, with an excellent cast, writing, cinematography and music. Maybe, Luke is just a more compelling character than Matt, and Jessica didn't get to shine as well as she could have because her show focused too much on Kilgrave.

I mean, anything is possible.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Lol we know different ppl.

Obviously, captain.

The slang was spot on, for me. I thought the show did a great job of making he slang and general mannerism generational. I'm neither Black nor from Harlem, but the show feels right to me based on the people I'm close with, and the predominantly Black neighborhoods Ive lived and worked in, so I think it's a just a matter of experience on that part.

It was hit or miss, but mostly hit, for me. I'm guessing that I should have seen Jessica Jones before seeing Luke Cage. There seem to be a few references to Jessica Jones throughout the show. There where several references to Daredevil's lawyer alter ego in the last episode. I'm wondering if there will be a crossover between Daredevil and Luke Cage in the next season of either one of the shows.

 

[Tonguez]

I mean, could be. Or, Luke Cage is just an exceptionally good show, with an excellent cast, writing, cinematography and music. Maybe, Luke is just a more compelling character than Matt, and Jessica didn't get to shine as well as she could have because her show focused too much on Kilgrave.

I mean, anything is possible.

I'm still undecided about where Luke Cage ranks as compared to DD and JJ, but I do think the character was a whole lot more relatable than the other two. Not being from USA I only know 'African American' culture via TV and movies but I could see Luke Cage as just a regular guy living in his slice of life, whereas JJ and DD were far more 'niche' characters ie JJ as rape survivor dealing with her trauma and DD as righteous Vigilante.

Obviously, captain.
It was hit or miss, but mostly hit, for me. I'm guessing that I should have seen Jessica Jones before seeing Luke Cage. There seem to be a few references to Jessica Jones throughout the show. There where several references to Daredevil's lawyer alter ego in the last episode. I'm wondering if there will be a crossover between Daredevil and Luke Cage in the next season of either one of the shows.

I think that was all very much build up to the Defenders Crossover when all four shows will converge. Apparently the line up after Luke Cage is Iron Fist - Defenders - DD 3 - Punisher. Theres a whole 'Heroes for Hire' spin coming through Luke Cage which is kinda neat

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Obviously, captain.
It was hit or miss, but mostly hit, for me. I'm guessing that I should have seen Jessica Jones before seeing Luke Cage. There seem to be a few references to Jessica Jones throughout the show. There where several references to Daredevil's lawyer alter ego in the last episode. I'm wondering if there will be a crossover between Daredevil and Luke Cage in the next season of either one of the shows.

Also "Turk" is in the first two episodes of Luke Cage, and recurs in Daredevil in both seasons. And obv Night Nurse. I don't think you see to watch JJ to get Luke Cage, but it does make the timeline slightly more concrete, explains why he is in Harlem, etc.

JJ is worth watching anyway, though. It deals with heavy stuff, but if you aren't squeamish, it's great tv.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I'm still undecided about where Luke Cage ranks as compared to DD and JJ, but I do think the character was a whole lot more relatable than the other two. Not being from USA I only know 'African American' culture via TV and movies but I could see Luke Cage as just a regular guy living in his slice of life, whereas JJ and DD were far more 'niche' characters ie JJ as rape survivor dealing with her trauma and DD as righteous Vigilante.

See, that is why I don't like how much JJ focuses on Kilgrave. She is so much more multi-faceted than that, and it sucks that the entire season is just Kilgrave. Every episode, practically every part of every episode. There is barely room for any other story thread. I didn't sign up for the Kilgrave Show, I wanted to watch Jessica Jones. And now that that is resolved, we gotta wait until after Defenders for more Jessica Jones? Wtf? Why does Marvel hate their female characters so much!? Lol only kinda kidding :/

 

[Jester David]

Two episodes in. Still undecided.

I've mentioned before that Cage/ Power Man was never a character I liked. The mercenary aspect of the "Hero for Hire" never sat well with me. (Never liked Iron Fist for the H4H aspect either...) And his powers never allowed much tension or danger: it's a little like Superman in that respect, but without the nobility (or Clark Kent aspect). The idea of a street hero that was invulnerable never grabbed me in a way like Batman or Daredevil did. I liked the vulnerability of the characters, and succeeding despite the odds.

Plus I'm super white. Super white and Canadian. Not as many black people up here. And being in the western half of the country, the visible minorities tend to skew to Southeast Asian and First Nations. The local inner city (where I spent many years) doesn't much feel like Harlem. So the "Black Culture" aspect is distant, the stereotypes and history is completely lost, and I have only a passing knowledge of the tropes being employed or flipped. The racial tensions here are entirely different; it just doesn't resonate for me. For instance, it was just under a year ago I learned why Barber Shops are a thing for African Americans, having had to google that for an answer.
And I wince inside sooooo hard every time the N-word comes up.
We were having a discussion about inclusion and acceptance in another thread (on how well D&D is selling). Which felt very apt, because when I watch Luke Cage I get that "unwelcome" feeling. Like this isn't my community and I'm an interloper. (It's why I tried and stopped watching Boondocks. Or Sex and the City for that matter. Or any time I was at a sports bar with friends and there was a game on.)
Now despite this, I'm pretty strongly pro Luke Cage existing. Because I know that even if it doesn't feel comfortable to me, there's someone who it does resonate for. There are almost certainly Cage fans very excited about the show. Because I love the idea of genre shows appealing to all types of people, and getting as many people into genre television as possible. It's a big tent and everyone is welcome, and I am not the gatekeeper for what is acceptable. The more the merrier.
I'm almost certain to sit through the rest of Luke Cage despite my feelings, to give it the ratings it deserves.


The show itself has the usual Marvel/Netflix pacing problems. Were this a movie, the first two episodes would have been the initial 30 minutes. The origin story moment. Heck, it's been two episodes in and the "money shot" scene that was in the trailer (Cage with the car door taking out a building of thugs) hasn't happened yet. It wasn't even until the end of the first episode that we saw him actually in action.
(Plus, the first episode pretty much establishes that Cage's character arc for the season might very well be "learn to take money for being a hero". Ugh.)

I'm super not a fan of spreading out the "origin" of the character over the entire season. It was the weakest part of Daredevil season 1. And having it repeated for the Punisher in season 2 was painful as well. I'd almost prefer if they broke the season into a couple arcs. It would have helped Jessica Jones as well, since it wouldn't have spend thirteen episodes on the same villain. I'd be happier if Cage was a "hero for hire" by the end of episode 6 or 7, but I expect that will be the very last scene.

It was fun seeing Turk pop up. I like the continuity between it and the other Marvel shows, and the references to "the Incident".

I quite enjoy the differing views of power between Cottonmouth and his sister. Really, Cottonmouth is interesting in a way Fisk was not, being both dark and likable. And how he actually cares about people rather than just being eeeevil. He's the more human of the two Netflix crime bosses. Shades is also pretty fun, also exuding menace while also drifting occasionally into likability.

Beyond that I can't really say much. Because it doesn't feel like there's much else to say. Not enough has actually happened to really give feedback on.

 

[Ryujin]

Yeah, you get me my Canadian brother I'm in the Toronto area, so some of the stuff is more relevant to me.

You have to remember the origins of the Luke Cage character. He was created in 1972. It was the era of the Blacksploitation films. "Shaft" was 1971. "Black Belt Jones" with the trailer tagline "He's big, he's bad, and he's Black" was in 1974. "B, gimme my money" was the sort of thing you would hear in those movies. Money and power were king. "Heroes for Hire" slotted right into that world, without a bump.

Cage's problem is that everyone around him dies, while he goes on living. That's where the tension largely comes from; creating a sort of archetypal Black man who watches friends and family being killed off int he crossfire. He's also not completely invulnerable; merely hard to kill.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I've never really understood why some don't like the thing where heroes get paid for heroing. Can someone explain?

I mean, it's never been a case of them like, letting people die if they can't pay them or anything. In fact, that is part of the tension. They need money, because super powers don't make things like rent and groceries disappear, but they also can't just watch people get hurt and not do anything.

The heroes for hire thing always always made more sense to me than characters like Superman. There is no way Clark does a good enough job to keep his job, much less ever get anywhere, with the amount of time he spends being Superman, unless he barely sleeps, and yet he is always rested and together.
That's why I like Marvel, they get into the real life stuff more. Spidey is broke half the time, and never gets enough sleep, and can't keep his personal life together, because being Spider-Man is exhausting!
So Luke and friends take jobs as super heroes, instead of trying to live a double life.

Idk sorry for the rant.

 

[Tonguez]

Yeah, you get me my Canadian brother I'm in the Toronto area, so some of the stuff is more relevant to me.

You have to remember the origins of the Luke Cage character. He was created in 1972. It was the era of the Blacksploitation films. "Shaft" was 1971. "Black Belt Jones" with the trailer tagline "He's big, he's bad, and he's Black" was in 1974. "B, gimme my money" was the sort of thing you would hear in those movies. Money and power were king. "Heroes for Hire" slotted right into that world, without a bump.

Cage's problem is that everyone around him dies, while he goes on living. That's where the tension largely comes from; creating a sort of archetypal Black man who watches friends and family being killed off int he crossfire. He's also not completely invulnerable; merely hard to kill.

I liked how that was called out in the show with Misty's "You might be bulletproof but Harlem aint"

and I also think thats an important difference between Luke Cage and other heroes like DD or Bats. Luke Cage is a hero for his community and Harlem is an active character in the story. DD is physically vunerable and the story focuses on him as one man against the Criminal underworld, Luke however isn't one man, he's Every-man in Harlem and the threats he faces are threats to his community.

That he does it for money is a thing which the Netflix specifically calls out again when Connie offers to Pay and he replies "I'm not for Hire" but thats covered later in the show too, via Bobby Fish needing to pay the bills on the Barbershop.

Also Jessica Jones was using her powers to help with her job and the Avengers survived because Stark (and now Black Panther(?)) is paying the bills.

(btw I just googled Barbershop in African American culture based on this thread)

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Also "Turk" is in the first two episodes of Luke Cage, and recurs in Daredevil in both seasons. And obv Night Nurse.

Very true. I don't think you see to watch JJ to get Luke Cage, but it does make the timeline slightly more concrete, explains why he is in Harlem, etc. [/quote]

JJ is worth watching anyway, though. It deals with heavy stuff, but if you aren't squeamish, it's great tv.

It's definitely great TV. It touches on some current issues, which may be off-putting to some, but I found it quite good.