If anyone knew how to harness the potential of the Golden Age of Television, it was Netflix and Marvel Comics with their series based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From the films, they adopted an intelligent model of creating multiple series and franchises through integrated crossovers, while simultaneously avoiding the burden of high budgets and the need to attract audiences through orgies of special effects. Instead, superhero stories can be presented through so-called limited series in a way that places far greater emphasis on characters than on action, while simultaneously ensuring these narratives are neither too condensed (as in feature-length films) nor too drawn out (as with traditional series on American terrestrial networks). Moreover, there remains ample room for creativity, thanks to which these series don’t resemble one another, even though at first glance this might seem inevitable. One such example is the TV series Luke Cage, whose first season aired in 2016.
The title protagonist, portrayed by Michael Colter, first appeared in the Marvel Universe as one of the secondary yet plot-significant characters in the TV series Jessica Jones. As a comic book hero, however, he is much older than Jessica Jones. Created in the early 1970s amid the popularity of blaxploitation films, he gained attention as one of the first Black superheroes. His television incarnation begins the series living a humble life in Harlem, striving to earn an honest living as a cook in a nightclub and assistant to the popular local barber Pop (Frankie Faison). For this reason, he tries not to draw attention to the fact that his skin is bulletproof, meaning he is practically invulnerable. Several of his young acquaintances, however, become entangled in the shady dealings of nightclub owner Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (portrayed by Mahershala Ali). This leads to bloodshed in which Pop is killed, prompting Luke Cage to finally use his superhero abilities to settle the score with Cottonmouth and restore some semblance of order to Harlem. Complications in all this could arise from his relationship with a woman named Misty Jones (Simone Missick), who turns out to be a police detective. Even greater complications will be caused by the mysterious Cottonmouth’s arms supplier, who turns out to share a past with Cage and is indirectly responsible for his acquisition of superhero powers.
The third Netflix-Marvel series demonstrates that a certain effort has been made to avoid repetition. Most importantly, it avoids the irritating insistence on “origin stories” so common in superhero films. Luke Cage appeared in Jessica Jones as a fully developed and imposing character, though his mystery contributed significantly to this, resembling avengers from classic and spaghetti westerns in many ways. In this series, the writers had somewhat more reason, and opportunity, to explore his backstory, which they utilised in a flashback episode featuring several truly episodic yet striking characters. Although Luke Cage is portrayed as a human being of flesh and blood, tormented by emotions such as grief and rage despite his bulletproof skin, in this series he retains his charisma. This was largely contributed to by Mike Colter, who diligently worked out in the gym to ensure the Harlem brawler, beloved by the people, truly looked like someone you’d want watching your back in a shady club if the night went awry. Of all Netflix’s Marvel characters, Luke Cage is the coolest and least traumatised, and his charisma also makes him a far more effective seducer.
In this regard, he is quite similar to John Shaft, the legendary Black private detective who, as the protagonist of the eponymous film, sparked the entire blaxploitation genre. The series is acutely aware of its roots and, although its creators attempted to describe it as a sort of Harlem remake of The Wire, it draws far more inspiration from early 1970s productions. Harlem, with its vibrant history, which characters often reference, is presented here as a far more rewarding setting compared to Hell’s Kitchen from Daredevil and Jessica Jones. The series’ authors pay homage to this through far greater attention to the soundtrack, which draws on soul classics from the 1960s and 1970s, with much of the action taking place in the nightclub, providing opportunities for appearances by numerous esteemed musicians in cameo roles. Rapper Method Man, meanwhile, briefly appears as himself, commenting on events via radio. All this gives the series a certain colour and charm which previous series, admittedly for valid reasons, lacked.
However, even though the main hero is cool and the setting is vibrant, this doesn’t mean Luke Cage is without certain problems. The fact that the setting is confined to Harlem simultaneously limits the villains, who, unlike Killgrave in Jessica Jones and Wilson Fisk in Daredevil, cannot be “larger than life”. Cottonmouth, although portrayed by Oscar winner Ali, is merely an ordinary, low-level gangster boss whose power doesn’t extend beyond a few city blocks, and his political protector and relative Mariah Dillard (played by Alfre Woodard) is merely an ordinary city councilwoman. The writers are aware of this, so they attempt to muddy the waters with several sudden twists in which characters presumed to have some importance die long before the final episode. Some of these twists work, while others don’t; Woodard, one of the most respected actresses, on the other hand, all too often crosses the line that separates good acting from irritating overacting. Then there’s the rather unsatisfying final showdown, which resembles a school play attempting to depict the grand finale of the 2012 film The Avengers. And afterwards, unlike earlier seasons or series in Netflix’s universe, comes an ending in the form of a rather unconvincing cliffhanger that prevents this season from serving as a self-contained whole. However, Netflix’s standards have become so high today that even a partial disappointment like Luke Cage can appear as something that, just a couple of years earlier, could justifiably expect only praise.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)
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