Luke Cage

Who's watching it? What do you think?

Baroness and I just finished up episode 6 yesterday. We really enjoyed Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Really liked both of those shows. Continuing to enjoy this little slice of the MCU.

So far, this may be one of the best Super Hero stories I've seen. Heroes and villains are believable. I really like the dynamic they have taken between Cage and Cottonmouth with them actually moving around in the community together and talking in the open. The tension because they share respect for Pop as a role-model to them both is incredible. That because Luke Cage can't really be hurt physically, the damage is being done to everyone around him.

From an artistic perspective... wow. This is so well done. The music selection is spot on. The set and costume designing. The cinematography. All excellent. The framing, background, use of color, and imagery in this do the best of evoking a comic book that I have seen without feeling like they're trying to get artsy or gimmicky.

Haven't finished yet, but really enjoying it so far.

I'll be binge watching this evening I'm sure. Assuming netflix doesn't go down.

I've been working on it since.....yesterday. I do enjoy it.

I thought he was kind of uninspired and bland in (the otherwise fantastic) Jessica Jones but given the positive words I have read about the new show I plan on watching soon.

I haven't gotten to start it yet but I loved DD and Jessica Jones. Iron Fist sounds like it will be good too. My son is halfway through and he said it was good. Can't wait for tonite

Jumper K. Balls wrote: I thought he was kind of uninspired and bland in (the otherwise fantastic) Jessica Jones but given the positive words I have read about the new show I plan on watching soon.

He's a very stoic, reluctant hero. Takes time to establish how that's in character and make it sympathetic. Jessica Jones wasn't his story, so didn't really have the time to develop that. It also didn't have any characters to establish his personality and sympathy around.

In reply to Beer Baron:

He was the perfect character for the Jessica Jones storyline. I am not complaining that he was in it. It was awesome to see a total gender role reversal where the dude was the eyecandy sidekick and the female was the lead.

I actually watched JJ with no prior knowledge of the character and story arc with three female victims of either domestic violence or relationship abuse which put the show in a very heavy backdrop.

Jumper K. Balls wrote: He was the perfect character for the Jessica Jones storyline. I am not complaining that he was in it. It was awesome to see a total gender role reversal where the dude was the eyecandy sidekick and the female was the lead.

He was perfect as a contrast to help develop Jessica Jones' character. But, like you said, he wasn't well developed himself. He gets very well developed in this show.

(In Marvel cannon, Jessica and Luke get married.)

I added this to my list last night, but didn't realize it was a superhero show. Doubt I'll watch it since I'm not a fan of the genre.

In reply to T.J.:

Give it a try for an episode or two. Netflix has done something different from the usual in the genre with Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. They are smaller, more human heroes, dealing with smaller problems in a grittier setting. But not heavy-handed or brooding like a Christopher Nolan kind of thing.

They're almost more like hard-boiled urban detective type stories whose lead characters happen to have super powers.

And the music! Holy E36 M3 the music. Very purposeful music selections of great music. They highlight it as an active part of the story, not just background mood setting.

I mean... the big fight scene they feature in the trailers they set to Wu Tang Clan's "Bring Da Ruckus".

In reply to Beer Baron:

OR shimmy ya in the preview. They've nailed this soundtrack.

I couldn't name (or hum along to) a single Wu Tang Clan song (don't worry too much, I have heard of them), but I'll give it a try.

EDIT: LOL, I watched the first few seconds of the ruckus video. I know a roller derby girl named Cake Face Killa. I knew she made the name up in reference to some sort of rap guy. Now I know.

The trailer looked badass, EP01 was kind of slow but I get that it is mostly giving you background. Cant wait to dig in more though.

I am not really big on superhero shows/movies, I haven't watched one in years but I like the premise of this one from what has been presented.

We're 4 or 5 episodes in, Longmire took precedence, had to finish it first. Remy makes a good bad guy. I couldn't convince SWMBO that we needed a giant Biggie Smalls mural in our house.

I was aware of Heroes for Hire, and Cage's work with the Avengers (2nd series I think) but it was never a comic I followed, if it wasn't X-Men or Spiderman, I didn't pay it much attention.

[spoiler] From what I remember of Cage's origin the Netflix show got it close to right, though he was the exact opposite of a cop, a gang member that got arrested and put in prison. The rest of the prison back ground is correct enough I couldn't pick it apart. Dirty guard, scientists experimenting on inmates, dirty guard unintentionally gives Cage his powers by way overdosing him with the scientist's healing serum.

Comic nerd in me got a chuckle at a couple "inside" quips, i.e. Cage stating "I'm not for hire," which is kind of on the nose, since he was literally a "Hero for Hire" in the comic series. Stating how ridiculous he looked, to himself, after escaping prison while dressed very similarly to the original character, head band, yellow shirt, etc. got a chuckle out of me as well. [/spoiler]

I normally "ruin" these shows, according to SWMBO, by pointing out everything they got wrong (nerd) but the departure from cannon doesn't bother me so much on this one, probably because I didn't follow it closely as a kid, and so far I'm really enjoying this take on the story.

Aren't they supposed to group all these Netflix heroes into The Defenders series later on? I never read that comic arc but I heard it was pretty good

The cameo by method man....hi-lair-ious

mndsm wrote: The cameo by method man....hi-lair-ious

Haven't gotten that far in the series yet.

Apparently, Luke Cage was so popular it crashed Netflix.

I watched episode 1. It was a slog to get through it. I may watch episode 2, but I think Mrs T.J. will pass.

I have watched up through 5 so far. It just isn't pulling me in. I will finish it but I don't feel that it is "great" or even particularly good.

I was able to predict character arcs a full episode before they happened for two people which disappoints me. It is nice to see Frank Whaley working again though.

Beer Baron wrote:

mndsm wrote: The cameo by method man....hi-lair-ious

Haven't gotten that far in the series yet.

Just you wait.

As an aside, for those of you on the fence, stick with it. Like many netflix series (oitnb notwithstanding that show tricked me 30 seconds in) it starts.....slow. wasn't til episode 8-9 that I cared more than a little about watching it. By the end, it was established as a good show.

I'm at episode 6; and while it is good it is not great. Jessica Jones was far better and don't have gaps in the character development like this does.

We finished it last night. By episode 10 I was just watching them out of spite and to "get it over with" By the end I was angry that I had wasted that much of my evenings on it. I will go on record as saying that it was not my jam. I admittedly have questionable taste in entertainment and I realize asking for some understanding of physics in the Marvel universe is laughable, but some of that was inexcusable.