Luke Cage

Luke Cage (2016) 

Season 1 – 80% – The most problematic Marvel series on Netflix, which suspiciously pretended to be an unnecessary contribution to the perfectly assembled mosaic for a long time. But the fact that Luke is known to us thanks to his significant involvement in Jessica Jones' story is not a hindrance, but rather the biggest asset. His passion and tough unwavering attitude come across naturally and fit perfectly into the ruthless environment of Harlem. The local atmosphere, full of gangsters, corruption, rap, and jazz, quickly engulfs the viewer in a labyrinth with no way out, allowing them to forget, at least partially, about the unnecessarily slow pace of the second half. The supporting characters also remain a huge plus, with detective Misty, portrayed by Simone Missick, growing closest to my heart in her suggestive performance. Season 2 – 60% – Almost every series from the local universe is accompanied by complaints about the number of episodes and their length every year. I have never agreed with such objections, but this time (and maybe for the last time) I have to agree. Thirteen episodes are unbearable in this case, each shot drags on endlessly, the abundance of banal dialogue or monologues exceed the timing of the reveal, and the plotlines could easily fit into half the space, even though there is still plenty to tell. The first wave of bloodthirsty enemies is gone, leaving behind the second, fragmented one. In one part, it brings a lot of incomprehensible accents accompanied by unlistenable reggae, and the face of a fierce warrior, while in the other part, it presents an old group of misfits, led once again by Mariah, the most affected, overacted, and ultimately worst negative character in the entire Defenders universe. Subjectively, it seemed to me that she had almost as much screen time as Luke himself, who went through an unnecessary change. While in the first season he carried ancient scars and the resulting traumas with honor, now the writers added some kind of "inner rage" to him, which drives away allies and loved ones and often leads him to questionable decisions if not outright bad ones. His strength as the stoically calm muscle of Harlem is significantly dulled, and with insufficient space for my favorite Misty, there remains only one true positive point. Shades. This slippery snake, about whom I pondered throughout the previous season whether I liked him or not, suddenly effortlessly becomes the king of the whole series. Whether he is hatching more schemes, pursuing personal goals, or simply facing the consequences of his decisions, Theo Rossi shines with every mischievous smile. It's a bit sad that it's not the titular hero, but the unpredictable Mr. Alvarez, that keeps me wishing for the bleak world of restless rhythms and voices to return to the screen someday. Because, indeed, I understand the creative intent behind the mob-inspired finale, but the bitter aftertaste still stings. (03/18/2017)