Review by Rob:
The second season of Luke Cage has dropped on Netflix and it’s more amazing than the first (which is saying something, since that universe was already ranked as follows: Luke Cage barely better than Daredevil; and then a long giant chasm down to rank number 3; Jessica Jones, followed by a hellish elevator ride down to the bottom of the barrel AKA Iron Fist (who needs to die).
Season 2 of Cage is so much more than an action-based, violent super hero series (although there’s plenty of that, too). The fantastically written soap opera tale over the control of Harlem’s heart and streets plays out amidst the backdrop of beautifully used music, mostly amazing acting (there are a few clunky bit players that need to die and many do), and the constant struggle Cage has with being a hero, making money, stopping corruption, and controlling his anger. An anger, we find out, driven greatly by his broken relationship with his father played spectacularly by the now late Reg E Cathey. A few drop-ins like Foggy from Daredevil are pleasant surprises and the rise of Misty the bionic armed cop isn’t as annoying a story line as I expected it to be along the way. Alfre Woodard kills it as Mariah and the ending of the series, placing Luke in a whole new position literally and emotionally only, like usual, makes us want so much more of a series we’ll probably not see again until Trump’s second term begins.
One note; while the very first episode opens with vintage violence, the rest of it seems, at times to drag. Don’t give up, they’re merely setting the table for the entire season. Plus, your patience is rewarded at the end with one of the best kill scenes ever involving the removal of someone’s eyeballs in a most unique fashion. Thumbs up!
