What I’m Watching: Luke Cage

Luke Cage: Season 2, Episode 7 “On and On” (B+)

This was not a particularly positive episode for the good guys. Misty was finally getting back to a good place, earning respect from the captain, making out with a stranger at a bar, and showing Luke that maybe he should be her sidekick rather than the other way around. And then it all went south, with Tom getting close to turning Mariah before he decided to meet Comanche without making sure his informant wasn’t being followed. Shades joking with Comanche that he cries watching “This Is Us,” an odd mention of another show that struck me as very out of left field, made it seem like they were getting closer when Shades had really just deduced that Comanche was informing. Comanche’s decision to shoot Tom when Shades showed up was a poor one which ended up getting both of them killed rather than giving either of them a chance of getting away. Bushmaster made his power move also, draining Mariah’s bank accounts before decapitating Piranha and then striking the literal match to burn Mariah’s home down. After his somewhat unsuccessful heart-to-heart with his father, Luke proved that he is a hero who doesn’t discriminate when it comes to who he saves by running in and taking Mariah out just before it all went up in flames. Bushmaster seems to think that he should declare victory, and I’m curious to see why Mariah meant by hiring him. Having her switch sides to work with Luke and Misty to take down Bushmaster could be an interesting direction for the rest of the season.