'Luke Cage' Season 1 Review

Image from TV Insider

By Diego Coya

            Luke Cage is the latest Marvel series from Netflix. After seeing the beloved character in Jessica Jones, the viewer is now able to see his own show. Luke Cage follows the story of Luke Cage, who is a former convict who has superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who fights crime. Luke Cage takes place in the city of Harlem, where there is a lot of crime and illegal operations which involve greatly with Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. After something personal happens with Cage’s character, he sets on a quest to stop all crime and to take down Cottonmouth and other members of the clan. Cage’s past also catches up with him and we learn more about his origin story as well as how he got his powers.

            Being a tremendous fan of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, I was anticipating Luke Cage to be another home run from Netflix. I am so happy to say that Luke Cage turned out to be an excellent show that was much better than I had anticipated. Additionally, out of the three Netflix Marvel series, this is by far the most unpredictable series. When a turning point happens mid-season, I did not know what was going to happen and it made the show more suspenseful in that aspect. There are no clichés or predictable arcs to be found. There is so much to love about Luke Cage, and once again Netflix proves that they can make superhero shows that are phenomenal.

            The performances from everyone are fantastic. Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage, is brilliant in his role. He is the perfect casting choice because he portrays the character so well. His acting range is really great and I am glad they chose him for the role. Furthermore, Mahershala Ali, who plays the main villain, does a terrific job. He is frightening and has a lot of smoothness to his character. As a villain, he really works. Theo Rossi as Shades, who is another villain, does a great job as well. Alfre Woodard, who is Mariah Dillard, does incredible work here. There is no weak performance, every performance is absolutely top notch.

            The narration of the story is also really well done. I was never bored throughout the show, even though it goes in different directions that what you may expect, it never bores the audience. The pacing is quite solid, and I have to give props to the writers for keeping me invested throughout the show within its 13 episodes. The music is also brilliant, I cannot wait to download the soundtrack when it is released!

            In terms of flaws, the only flaw I had with it has to do with a certain character. I unfortunately cannot get into it because of spoilers, but this character does some choices which were not very smart which unfortunately frustrates the viewer. This is not necessarily a flaw though since as a character, she is going through a lot and eventually realizes she did not make smart choices. Other than that, I absolutely loved this show. I would most definitely recommend this show to everyone, especially if you love Daredevil and Jessica Jones. I am so excited for Season 2, it has huge shoes to fill in!

Rating: 9.5/10