***This review will contain spoilers****
A strong cast, with fleshed-out characters, make up for a uneven plot and a weak second-half of the season.
After being introduced on “Jessica Jones,” Luke Cage returns. Throughout the season, and thanks to an origin story, we finally get to see what makes him tick. Mike Coulter is likeable in the roll, and it looks plausible that he is a bulletproof man with super strength. Also returning from previous Netflix shows is Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple. She is strong female character that doesn’t need the hero to rescue her. In fact, she’s practically a super hero in her own right.
Most of the new characters are great. Simone Missick’s Misty Knight is a tough female detective that has a vulnerable side that is brought out by the events of the season. Mahershala Ali plays the charismatic villain “Cottonmouth” Stokes. He is ruthless, but has in own moral code. Surprisingly, he doesn’t make it passed the middle of the season. This creates a problem as he is replaced by Diamondback as the show’s primary villain. The intensity he brings is offset by his quirky behavior. In a show featuring grounded and realistic characters, he comes off too much like a comic book character. While he is a physical threat, it’s hard not to laugh at his battle suit at the end of the series. Fortunately, Alfrie Woodard’s Mariah Stokes transforms into the show’s best antagonist. Her turn from crooked, but well-meaning politician into a master manipulating criminal is fun to watch. The enigmatic Shades rounds things out. The early scenes of him standing around always wearing his sunglasses seem silly, but his calm demeanor and ability to see the big picture make him much more dangerous than you would suspect.
There are great performances from the supporting cast, featuring nuanced characters that feel like real people. Pops, Bobby Fish and Det. Scarfe are the best examples of this.
The real problem is the plot. The show builds towards the Luke Cage/Cottonmouth showdown, before switching over to the new threat of Diamondback. The strong chemistry that was established evaporates and we’re stuck with the almost comical rants of a character that was implied to be much less erratic. The show loses focus midway. And things become less about Cage saving the neighborhood and avenging his friend and more about the grudge match between him and Diamondback. On the plus side, there’s never much tension due to the fact that Luke is bulletproof, but the introduction of bullets that can hurt even him really ups the ante.
What makes the show so different is the cast and setting. It’s an almost entirely black cast, and has an urban setting and soundtrack. They don’t shy away from real-life parallels between the black community and the police. It can be a little uncomfortable at times, but it gives you something to think about. The language is fairly harsh, and the n-word makes quite a few appearances. Oddly enough, it doesn’t feel out of place till Cage makes a comment about it.
**** out of *****