Luke Cage: Season 1

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Luke Cage is the newest Marvel Netflix series leading up to The Defenders next year. Much like the previous two Marvel Netflix shows, Luke Cage is fantastic. Mike Colter owns the character of Luke Cage, playing a sort of black Superman, if you will. Luke Cage is just a good guy. He doesn't really want to be a hero, or hoisted on a mantle, but he has to be in order to deal with corruption in his Harlem neighborhood. Mahershala Ali as Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes works spectacularly in the role of a nightclub owner / drug and weapons dealer who has a painting of crowned Biggie Smalls hanging in his office. Alfre Woodard portrays Stokes' cousin, Mariah "Black Mariah" Dillard. She is a Harlem councilwoman that genuinely wants to save Harlem, but also has her own monsters inside that she must contend with. Rosario Dawson reprises her role of Claire Temple. The character feels as though she has progressed, moved forward, and Dawson and Colter have spot-on chemistry. The fairly unknown Simone Missick shines as Misty Knight, giving a performance that could earn her well-deserved recognition. Theo Rossi likened his character of Hernan "Shades" Alvarez to that of Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, and it totally works, to the point that Shades was my favorite villain in the show. All of the main characters feel well-rounded, and are genuinely well-written. The soundtrack is phenomenal, whether it's recreating the sound and style of old-school 1970s shows, or Luke Cage beating bad guys down in hallway to the tune of Wu-Tang Clan. The music always fits the mood. If I have one flaw, there are roughly four or five main villains, and it does feel a touch overcrowded at times. But, that also works, too. I had an idea of where the show was going. Halfway through, something happened, and I had no idea what to expect from that point on. Overall, despite some overcrowding in the villain department, Luke Cage is a great show that I recommend checking out for yourself if you haven't already.

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