Luke Cage - Season 2

[Shriveling_memo]

Full ranking by the way

Daredevil 1
Jessica Jones 1
Luke Cage 2
Luke Cage 1
Daredevil 2*
Defenders
Jessica Jones 2
.
.
.
.
.
.
Iron Fist

Haven't finished Punisher yet.

*The first episodes of Daredevil season 2 (Punisher focused) were imo the best episodes Marvel/Netflix has produced, once the story shifted to Elektra though it took a dive.

Don't get why people dislike daredevil season 2 so much? It was awesome and better overall than any of the luke cage season and Jessica Jones straight trash apart from David tennat being an A great villain

[Midvillian1322]

They mentioned that when he was a kid he and a bunch of other kids underwent dangerous drug testing and he was the sole survivor.

So Bushmaster was a latent meta of some sort (probably that first set of drugs did it) but it took the Nightshade to activate his strength and healing factor.

If anybody else took that stuff it wouldn't do anything for them (or it'd kill them at worst).

What I can't get over is how Bush master looks and talks like obscure Luke Cage baddie Hard Core (Flattop, W.I. accent and even the fighting style).

Comic Book bushmaster was more of a Kingpin type of baddie.

Ok thanks I multitask while watching alot of shows so sometimes I can miss some stuff I just know Anansi was saying he was special before the nightshade didnt hear the part about the drug trial.

[RikWriter]

Don't get why people dislike daredevil season 2 so much? It was awesome and better overall than any of the luke cage season and Jessica Jones straight trash apart from David tennat being an A great villain

I liked Daredevil season 2 better than any of the other Netflix Marvel shows' seasons.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

Don't get why people dislike daredevil season 2 so much? It was awesome and better overall than any of the luke cage season and Jessica Jones straight trash apart from David tennat being an A great villain

Its spilt into 2 halfs : punisher and elektra. The punisher half is universally praised while Electra is more hit or miss. People didnt gravitate to her as a much or the Hand wasn't used as well to most.

Its more the Hand to me. The Netflix shows don't really know how to use mysticism that well (Arrow had the same problem in season 4 ) and they are too vague a threat. When the defenders actually revealed what they are after, i facepalmed. Like thats it? Really? Ok....

So it might have been better if they just focused on punisher exclusively and saved Electra for another season.

To me i thought it worked because it allowed it to feel like Matt was being pulled in many different directions.

Its not perfect but its a great watch.

[Kusanagi]

Don't get why people dislike daredevil season 2 so much? It was awesome and better overall than any of the luke cage season and Jessica Jones straight trash apart from David tennat being an A great villain

I found the Hand and Elektra stuff boring. *shrug* I still overall liked it, but mostly due to the amazing Punisher arc.

[Samson3191]

One scene in the series that has bothered me, and I can't stop thinking about is when Luke and Claire have that argument, and she ends up leaving. Claire just came off as ridiculous to me at that moment. She kept pestering him about his father over, and over again. Luke had finally had enough, and punched a wall basically telling her to shut up about something he had already clearly explained that he didn't feel comfortable talking about or dealing with. Something personal to him. But oh, when the big black man punches a wall, she gets scared and feels victimized. Because he punched a wall. She claims that kind of behavior was apart of her childhood growing up, and she never wanted to deal with that kind of behavior again. What? Punching a wall!? People can't get angry when you pester them and throw something? Her expectations for a partner are completely ridiculous. Luke wasn't going to smack her, and it wasn't even going to get anywhere near that.

Luke should just kick her butt to her curb and holla at Tilda or something.

I'm glad you brought this up. I gotta disagree with this one. I have studied a little bit about domestic violence and that sort of thing, and I just wanted to throw my two cents in real quick.

Getting angry is one thing. But the second it turns into violence of any kind--even against inanimate objects--it is a HUGE warning sign. The number of people who begin by breaking objects/punching walls/etc in anger who go on to actually use violence against another person is...very, very high. That's how it starts, and it's unfortunate, but that's how it is. It's very nearly guaranteed that if someone starts doing those things they'll just get worse. Ask just about any person whose partner was abusive--they'll say that's how it started. The statistics aren't in Luke's favor here. But even if punching that wall was all he ever did, that anger is NOT something anyone should ever be expected to just put up with in a relationship. That is super, super unhealthy.

Now, Luke obviously lost his cool there. But even before that he had been losing his way. Stuff like beating Cockcroach nearly to death and getting some sort of thrill out of it, all his talk of needing to get **** done his own way, stuff like that. Luke was NOT a man at peace, and Claire recognized that.

That's why in that scene, it goes very quiet. The music stops. Claire and Luke just stare at each other. Luke KNOWS he screwed up. And the first thing Luke finally says when the silence is finally broken? He's got tears in his eyes, and he goes "You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Because they both know that what he just did was not at all a good look. And Claire knew right then and there she had to leave. For her own sake, absolutely, but I think it also served as a wake-up call to Luke. "I can't help you and it's not good for me to be around this, so I'm out. Get your **** together and I'll do the same, on my own." That's basically what was going down.

Now, we all know Luke isn't like, some domestic abuser or something. Claire knows that, too. But it's like she said--she grew up around anger and violence, and she said she was done with it. At a certain point you gotta let a person go, you can't "fix" your partner.

That fight they had was about more than just Luke's dad. It was about Luke's anger, him being so unsettled inside, not dealing with things, and instead using crime-fighting as an outlet for anger and avoiding other issues. And when Luke lost his **** and punched a wall five times, he basically proved her right. And he KNEW that, and that feeling stay with him throughout the season.

I think you can make the argument that Claire was pushing too hard for him to reconcile with his dad, but she was right about a lot of other things going on with Luke. Even Danny could tell that Luke was unsettled. Hell, a number of characters throughout this season keep trying to tell Luke he's losing his way but he doesn't listen. And I think that was kind of Luke's character arc for this season, which ultimately ended on a not-so-bright note for Luke.

Anyway...lost story short, Luke messed up big time. I'm still surprised they even put that scene in the show. I'm glad they did, I thought it was very emotional and very well done, but I never would have expected them to go that route.

[Midvillian1322]

I found the Hand and Elektra stuff boring. *shrug* I still overall liked it, but mostly due to the amazing Punisher arc.

I've said it before for me the first half of DD S2 is the best arc in aComicbook TV show ever. The Hand was just bad for me though without someone else being the main threat like Kingpin. I didnt hate it though because DD has a great cast and Punishers arc carrys over and Elektra was fun aswell. It just wasnt as amazing as the first half. Luke Cage season 1 had to same problem for me. Loved first half of season 1. Cottonmouth is up there with Kingpin and Killgrave for me(Bushmaster was really good too though). Like most say once cottonmouth leaves the show takes a dive. I still like the core cast there too. Luke,Claire,Misty,Shades,Sugar(for somenreaosn I like him),Bushmaster coming back hopefully,and Bobby Fisher. So I'm excited for Luke Cage Season 3. Also wanna see who's gonna knock some sense into Luke.

[Samson3191]

As a whole, I thought S2 was really really good. Here's some thoughts. Highlight for spoilers.

Likes:
-Mariah stole the show for me, personally. I daresay she was the focus more than Luke this time around. But I loved seeing her go full Breaking Bad-mode here. She is a sympathetic villain--and her recounting her story to Tilda was just gut-wrenching and emotional and so, so cold--but she just gets more and more venomous, brutal, and downright evil. Every time she speaks, you can tell she's being manipulative to everyone around her. And she's GOOD at it. I really loved her performance and her story, right up to the bitter end.
-Bushmaster was a really cool villain, too. Loved his fighting style, loved the scene where him and Luke tear up that warehouse together. I hope he returns.
-Shades. He had some stand-out scenes, like his and Comanche's conversation while they sat back-to-back in Pop's, talking about how things used to be and the life they live now.
-Danny! They finally pulled it off and made him enjoyable. I think him and Luke have really great chemistry together. Danny was finally himself, trading in his annoying angst for a calmness, even a bit of goofiness, but level-headed. I liked it a lot. It's still dumb that he's just some white kid running around without a costume who goes by "the immortal Iron Fist", but this was still a huge improvement. I could watch the two of them hang out and whoop bad guys all day.

Dislikes:
-There were a few times the show felt like it was dragging a bit, but overall I can't complain too much.
-No Jessica. These two really need to interact more. Especially when you've got 13 episodes a season, it's such a wasted opportunity to not have our Defenders interact more. Especially Luke and Jessica, who's stories are so intertwined anyway.

Overall, pretty entertaining season. Very surprised they seemed to take a bit from Bendis' Daredevil run and have Luke become a crime boss, like how Daredevil declared himself Kingpin in the comics. I wonder how that will play out.

I've noticed a trend with the second seasons of the Netflix shows--they all show our heroes losing their way a bit and going down darker paths. Matt got wrapped up with Elektra again, his psychotic murderous manipulative ex, professing his love for her by the end of the show. Jessica's entire second season was almost like one big tragedy for everyone involved. Nothing happy ever really happened, and I don't think a single character is at a healthier place by the end of S2 than they were at the beginning. And Luke has now become a crime boss of Harlem. Even DW called him out, but he didn't listen. I wonder if this will continue with Iron Fist.

[Immortal Weapon]

Don't get why people dislike daredevil season 2 so much? It was awesome and better overall than any of the luke cage season and Jessica Jones straight trash apart from David tennat being an A great villain

Much like everyone else I didn't like the Elektra and Hand plot of the season. It was boring, it kept dancing around the mysticism than embracing it, too much easier left vague and unanswered. Punisher plot is what makes that season. It's just as good as season 1.

[HowitzerJoe]

I'm glad you brought this up. I gotta disagree with this one. I have studied a little bit about domestic violence and that sort of thing, and I just wanted to throw my two cents in real quick.

Getting angry is one thing. But the second it turns into violence of any kind--even against inanimate objects--it is a HUGE warning sign. The number of people who begin by breaking objects/punching walls/etc in anger who go on to actually use violence against another person is...very, very high. That's how it starts, and it's unfortunate, but that's how it is. It's very nearly guaranteed that if someone starts doing those things they'll just get worse. Ask just about any person whose partner was abusive--they'll say that's how it started. The statistics aren't in Luke's favor here. But even if punching that wall was all he ever did, that anger is NOT something anyone should ever be expected to just put up with in a relationship. That is super, super unhealthy.

Now, Luke obviously lost his cool there. But even before that he had been losing his way. Stuff like beating Cockcroach nearly to death and getting some sort of thrill out of it, all his talk of needing to get **** done his own way, stuff like that. Luke was NOT a man at peace, and Claire recognized that.

That's why in that scene, it goes very quiet. The music stops. Claire and Luke just stare at each other. Luke KNOWS he screwed up. And the first thing Luke finally says when the silence is finally broken? He's got tears in his eyes, and he goes "You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Because they both know that what he just did was not at all a good look. And Claire knew right then and there she had to leave. For her own sake, absolutely, but I think it also served as a wake-up call to Luke. "I can't help you and it's not good for me to be around this, so I'm out. Get your **** together and I'll do the same, on my own." That's basically what was going down.

Now, we all know Luke isn't like, some domestic abuser or something. Claire knows that, too. But it's like she said--she grew up around anger and violence, and she said she was done with it. At a certain point you gotta let a person go, you can't "fix" your partner.

That fight they had was about more than just Luke's dad. It was about Luke's anger, him being so unsettled inside, not dealing with things, and instead using crime-fighting as an outlet for anger and avoiding other issues. And when Luke lost his **** and punched a wall five times, he basically proved her right. And he KNEW that, and that feeling stay with him throughout the season.

I think you can make the argument that Claire was pushing too hard for him to reconcile with his dad, but she was right about a lot of other things going on with Luke. Even Danny could tell that Luke was unsettled. Hell, a number of characters throughout this season keep trying to tell Luke he's losing his way but he doesn't listen. And I think that was kind of Luke's character arc for this season, which ultimately ended on a not-so-bright note for Luke.

Anyway...lost story short, Luke messed up big time. I'm still surprised they even put that scene in the show. I'm glad they did, I thought it was very emotional and very well done, but I never would have expected them to go that route.

Speaking from personal experience, that isn't my case. I've been with my wife for nearly 10 years now. There have been a couple instances, maybe three where we had a discussion and it blew up. I've slammed my headphones on my desk and a couple of years later smacked my hand on table in a public outing telling her enough was enough. And that was it. There has been zero domestic violence in our relationship or anything close to it. We have a wonderful son, and those two isolated incidents I've described have never come close to defining our relationship at all. Or my wife would have left me a long time ago. Now this is a fictional show, but I just thought Claire got spooked way too quick. I wonder if they were 5 years into a marriage, and Luke did that. Would she be filing for divorce the next day? That was the first instance that something like that happened between Luke and Claire, and now her leaving is telling me that she's giving up on Luke because he punched a wall. This isn't something that has been building for a while. She's choosing to let that one instance define Luke's value in their relationship. Because he punched a wall. Not her. A wall.

Nah, every situation is different with every person. People aren't that black and white. To me this is kind of along the same logic people try to ride when a school shooting happens and someone claims video games and violent movies are the reason.

And the first thing Luke said after he punched the wall wasn't "You know I'd never hurt you". You need to watch the scene again. The first thing he says is "Don't. Don't. Don't Leave." Then he says "If you want to talk...." Claire then explains about her childhood. Luke then says he would never hurt Claire, but I guess it's too late. She gone.

[Samson3191]

Right, I hear you. But I think your example of slamming headphones on a table is different than Luke obliterating a wall. And again, it was an isolated instance in their own relationship but not with Luke himself. Part of their argument was about Luke using crime fighting as an outlet for his anger, specifically with nearly killing Cockroach and getting a thrill out of it. If you remember, he scared the girlfriend and her son quite a bit. Luke was not dealing with stuff healthily, and it was clear to a lot of people. And then he brought that INTO his and Claire’s relationship, and she knew she had to dip (even if it’s just for a while and not permanent).

But you are right—his “you know I wouldn’t hurt you” line wasn’t the first thing he said. That was my bad. Still, I stand by the idea that Luke knew he screwed up big time and he deserved to have her go. Luke knew that, and that was my main point. It was all over his face and the way he dealt with their fallout.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

As a whole, I thought S2 was really really good. Here's some thoughts. Highlight for spoilers.

Likes:
-Mariah stole the show for me, personally. I daresay she was the focus more than Luke this time around. But I loved seeing her go full Breaking Bad-mode here. She is a sympathetic villain--and her recounting her story to Tilda was just gut-wrenching and emotional and so, so cold--but she just gets more and more venomous, brutal, and downright evil. Every time she speaks, you can tell she's being manipulative to everyone around her. And she's GOOD at it. I really loved her performance and her story, right up to the bitter end.
-Bushmaster was a really cool villain, too. Loved his fighting style, loved the scene where him and Luke tear up that warehouse together. I hope he returns.
-Shades. He had some stand-out scenes, like his and Comanche's conversation while they sat back-to-back in Pop's, talking about how things used to be and the life they live now.
-Danny! They finally pulled it off and made him enjoyable. I think him and Luke have really great chemistry together. Danny was finally himself, trading in his annoying angst for a calmness, even a bit of goofiness, but level-headed. I liked it a lot. It's still dumb that he's just some white kid running around without a costume who goes by "the immortal Iron Fist", but this was still a huge improvement. I could watch the two of them hang out and whoop bad guys all day.

Dislikes:
-There were a few times the show felt like it was dragging a bit, but overall I can't complain too much.
-No Jessica. These two really need to interact more. Especially when you've got 13 episodes a season, it's such a wasted opportunity to not have our Defenders interact more. Especially Luke and Jessica, who's stories are so intertwined anyway.

Overall, pretty entertaining season. Very surprised they seemed to take a bit from Bendis' Daredevil run and have Luke become a crime boss, like how Daredevil declared himself Kingpin in the comics. I wonder how that will play out.

I've noticed a trend with the second seasons of the Netflix shows--they all show our heroes losing their way a bit and going down darker paths. Matt got wrapped up with Elektra again, his psychotic murderous manipulative ex, professing his love for her by the end of the show. Jessica's entire second season was almost like one big tragedy for everyone involved. Nothing happy ever really happened, and I don't think a single character is at a healthier place by the end of S2 than they were at the beginning. And Luke has now become a crime boss of Harlem. Even DW called him out, but he didn't listen. I wonder if this will continue with Iron Fist.

I'm hoping it doesn't continue with Iron Fist but I'm curious to see what his darker path would be like.

[Samson3191]

^I wouldn’t mind if it ended up being Orson Randall showing up and they get into some shenanigans.

[Vic Vega]

Does anybody know what this version of Cage does for money?

It's been bugging all thruout this season.

He tried to get a Nike endorsement but the public ass kicking by BushMaster ended that.

Piranha Jones died before he could pay Luke and we don't know if Mariah ever made good on her promise to pay Cage to protect her.

I get that Luke now owns Harlem's Paradise.

My point is what exactly is Luke running Harlem's Paradise with?

[Midvillian1322]

Does anybody know what this version of Cage does for money?

It's been bugging all thruout this season.

He tried to get a Nike endorsement but the public ass kicking by BushMaster ended that.

Piranha Jones died before he could pay Luke and we don't know if Mariah ever made good on her promise to pay Cage to protect her.

I get that Luke now owns Harlem's Paradise.

My point is what exactly is Luke running Harlem's Paradise with?

He was broke living off the money from the first season. But Hes running Harlem paradise with the money made by Harlem paradise. there is probaly a business account to go along with Club when he got it. And then I assume it's highly profitable. And pays for itself once it was opened again.