Where We Left Off
Villain Status
Luke had a number of villains to deal with in season 1. Most of the trouble was caused by these three.
Cottonmouth: (Mahershala Ali), gangster, club owner, gun runner. His cousin Mariah (Alfre Woodard) brutally killed him with a mic stand at the end of season 1.
Mariah: aspiring politician, wants to rule Harlem as its queen. With no evidence linking her to her cousin’s death (the only witness, Candace, is dead) Mariah walked and is free to continue all manner of machinations to increase her power and status in Harlem.
Shades: (Theo Rossi), thug, underling with aspirations to climb higher up the criminal food chain. Shades does the dirty work for Cottonmouth and Mariah (he killed Candace) and in the past was in prison with Luke. Shades manages to stay out of jail season 1 and is the only one who knows for sure Mariah killed her cousin Cottonmouth.
Willis Stryker aka Diamondback: Luke’s half brother, framed Luke for the crime that sent him to prison. Although Diamondback does not posses the strength and bullet proof skin that Luke has, he does have some high powered tech he uses to try to take down Luke. First the Judas Bullet which can penetrate Luke’s skin and then some high powered armor from Hammer Tech. An epic battle ensued and Diamondback was eventually defeated and is presumably in jail.
Luke and Friends
Season 1 of Luke Cage ended with Luke returning to Seagate Prison as he was never actually released. All season he was a wanted man. Having gained his super powers in prison as a result of medical experiments, he broke out, changed his name from Carl Lucas to Luke Cage and was trying to lay low. His cover was blown by Mariah and he eventually returned to prison under his original conviction.
If you watched The Defenders we saw Luke exonerated and released from prison, his romance progress with nurse Claire (Rosario Dawson) and his friend, Officer Misty Knight, (Simone Missick) loose her right arm in the final battle with the evil organization “The Hand” (ironic).
Now you know most of what you need to know to start season 2.
Season 2: Jamaica Me Headless
The opening episode finds Luke dealing with fame in the camera crazy, selfie obsessed, society we live in. Although there are some cool visuals in the season opener, this episode is sloooow. It’s a rough start, and I would have considered giving up just 1 episode in if it weren’t for the fact that Luke Cage is one of the few shows my husband will sit down and watch with me. I was especially disappointed because I noticed this episode was directed by Lucy Liu (Elementary) who I really like and feel a personal connection to since she lived across the hall from my sister in the dorms at University of Michigan.
Things Start Looking Up
Fortunately the pace increases as the season continues.
The New Big Bad
Mustafa Shakir (above) plays Bushmaster, the newest villain to come to Harlem. He seems to have Voodoo induced powers that make him a formidable opponent to our Hero of Harlem, Luke. Bushmaster is a fierce Jamaican with a vendetta against Mariah and a penchant for removing heads.
Speaking of Mariah, she has a daughter (surprise), Dr. Matilda (Tilda) Dillard. Tilda (Gabrielle Dennis) is a naturopathic doctor who can work a mortar and pestle like Claire Fraser. If you’re familiar with the Marvel source material, you already know should become a major player in the series.
Daddy Issues
Also appearing in season 2 is Luke’s Dad, The Reverend James Lucas (Reg E. Cathey). Dad wasn’t super supportive of Luke when he went to prison. The Reverend assumed Luke was guilty and blamed him for his mom’s death, believing her grief over her son’s incarceration contributed to her fatal illness. Can there be redemption between father and son? Does a bulletproof man still need his daddy? There will be other daddy issue this season @dr.tilda.
A Deeper Shade of Shades
Theo Rossi gets to show off his acting chops a bit more this season as his character Shades faces many challenging circumstances. The guy’s a total thug, but he’s a thug with a heart and a code of honor.
Harlem’s Harmonies
There is an increased focus on music this season that plays like a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s and 30’s. We still get the hokey 70’s funk music that accompanies many of the fight scenes and dominated season one, but the soundtrack has diversified. The inclusion of hip-hop, reggae and blues emphasizes how culture and society shape each other. Scenes intercut with live music being performed at Harlem’s Paradise (Mariah’s club now that Cottonmouth is dead) and action going on elsewhere are powerfully done. The lyrics and guitar riffs underscore the characters’ emotions and accentuate the drama.
The blues performances alone are reason enough to watch season 2, but with new villains in the mix and a deeper dive into backstory, I may actually be enjoying season 2 more than the first.
