Saturday, January 7, 2017

What I’m Watching: Luke Cage (Season Finale)

Luke Cage: Season 1, Episode 13 “You Know My Steez” (B+)

This was a perfectly fitting finale, with flashbacks to Carl training and fighting as a kid and then ending up being cheered on by all the people around him on the streets of Harlem to defeat Diamondback. After he was so villainized by Mariah and by the police, it’s great to see him achieve this level of public support, best described by one woman interviewed on the news with the quote “Who would have thought a black man in a hoodie would be a hero?” When Claire showed to offer Luke some words of encouragement, he turned the tide and defeated Diamondback, and it looked like things were finally looking up. Misty did a masterful job taking Mariah down a peg as she was lying through her teeth, and Luke was ready to clear everything up and make sure that everything was understood. I’ve always liked Misty’s ability to revisit crime scenes and see what happened, and her recreation of Cottonmouth’s murder was a triumphant moment. But then it was all undone by the news of Candace’s murder and Misty letting her temper get the best of her, resulting in Mariah’s release and the evaporation of whatever proof she supposedly had to get Luke released. Federal agents carting Luke off to jail was a somber ending but one that he faced with a positive attitude, and the news that a beaten Diamondback is in the doctor’s care ready to be nursed back to superhealth is far more disconcerting. The closing shot of Harlem was extremely effective, and I’m glad that this show ended up getting very good. I’m personally much more excited to see Luke back with Jessica Jones when “The Defenders” finally premieres sometime this year.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Mike Colter as Luke

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