Luke Cage on Netflix

Anyone?

Sweet Christmas!

Luke is fucking hot. I want him to dominate me.

So is it any good OP?

I didn't like it all.

What didn't you like R5?

I'm not sure R6. I think it is a mixture of not liking the writing and the over the top acting. I liked Jessica Jones and thought I would like Luke Cage, too, but it just didn't grab me.

I haven't seen Daredevil but i did like Jessica Jones. Does Jessica show up at all???

It's really moody AKA boring....I mean it's mostly a rehash of gangster Harlem blaxploitation which has been done ad infinitum. Nothing new there...the super hero stuff is a very minor part....it is as slow as molasses .

[quote]the over the top acting.

Excuse me? I'm doing my best Viola Davis over here.

The first episode is kind of slow. But by episode 3 it kicks in.

It's really good, in spite of the comments above.

I doubt Jessica Jones makes an appearance. I AM a bit confused as to the timeline... whether this is before or after his appearance on Jessica Jones.

After. In the first episode, he mentions his "rebound" after his wife died. That was Jessica.

I didn't notice anything that gave a hint about the timeline until episode 5... when Rosario Dawson shows up and talked about the zombies attacking the hospital and her losing her job there.

Didn't he own a bar or something in Jessica Jones? I should go back and watch it again since I can't remember.

The first episode was really slow. Please tell me Misty Knight gets her arm in later episodes. Please.

R14, yeah, but it was firebombed.

Boring show for Dinge queens.

I'll admit it's not as compelling as Jessica Jones or Dare Devil, but it's still solid.

And I love Alfre Woodard.

You have to power through the first episode. I almost turned it off and gave up but it starts to pick up at the end of the pilot.

The pilot is really slow because of all the dialogue that is not even necessary for exposition. Like they talk about basketball for five minutes in the barbershop and it's not related to the plot and doesn't reveal anything about the characters. They are just talking about what players and coaches they like. It's not even a metaphor to show how they relate to each other or how the characters have different philosophies, just a lot of dead air, "Anyone could win with Jordan and Kobe! Phil Jackson is overrated!" so it's boring for a while, especially if you are not into basketball. It doesn't make you care about the characters or their relationships.

I kept trying to figure out why it mattered and if I was missing something but it doesn't. If the writer wanted to show they like basketball and bond in the barbershop as a safe haven from the Harlem streets you could show one minute of it rather than five. Just a lot of telling rather than showing. We get it, Luke has two jobs. He works a lot. Plus I had to turn on the closed captioning because a lot of the dialogue I couldn't understand because of the sound mixing and their diction so that didn't really help.

Then they have the boring expositiony dialogue on top of all the other unnecessary dialogue like, "I didn't bat an eye when a man showed up who could lift a refrigerator blah blah blah" lots of stuff that doesn't really need to be said because it's also being shown. He picks up a washing machine to get a girl's phone number he dropped under there during the same scene right in front of Pops so we don't really need all the commenting on stuff that is obvious. Women think he's hot, they don't care that he's poor! They throw themselves at him and ask him to get coffee even though no one in the show actually likes coffee they just want some big black cock and there is no subtlety at all. Just really slows the pace down.

Alfre Woodard says several times, "We can't be seen/photographed together" to Cottonmouth but all of their scenes are together. You never see her without him. At the club, at the park with tons of reporters around, wherever she goes he's always with her. Literally hundreds of people see them together in every scene. It's just really clunky and poorly written.

The action does pick up by the end of the episode though and the next few episodes are better. I do like the retro blaxploitation directing style. It's shot like a Tarantino film so if you like him.

It finally picks up around the 3rd episode.

Between Misty and Colleen Wing on Iron Fist, I really want a Daughters of the Dragon or Heroes for Hire miniseries. It's just a shame Black Cat is at Sony with the Spider-Man rights.

Is Netflix down for anyone else?

I loved season one of Daredevil. I was hugely disappointed with Jessica Jones, and unfortunately was underwhelmed with season two of Daredevil as well. It became painfully apparent that these Netflix Marvel shows are stretching a four episode story into 10 episodes. That is why I haven't bothered with Luke Cage yet. I'm currently not a subscriber and Luke Cage is not a reason to return. I'll catch it at some point, though.

[quote]The pilot is really slow because of all the dialogue that is not even necessary for exposition. Like they talk about basketball for five minutes in the barbershop and it's not related to the plot and doesn't reveal anything about the characters

Wow, we couldn't be more different. I loved that opening barbershop scene, it set the stage and tone so well, it just seemed real. I could feel that scene being in "The Wire".

I don't think the barbershop scene was the worst thing I've ever seen R24, but it could have been cut in half or more and had the same effect. I just have higher expectations after seeing DD and JJ. That time could have been better used for things like action or conflict or characterization or relationships or plot. It just dragged on and on.

There could have been two lines about basketball, someone gets mad about someone else's opinion and swears while disagreeing, Pops points out the all-important swear jar, someone gives Pops shit about being old school, he tells them being old school has kept him alive, then the woman walks in to pick up her son and asks why Luke never called her and he replies he's been busy working so much and nothing is lost and the scene is cut down to 30 seconds. Make sense? Asking him why he didn't call creates conflict and shows how busy he is and makes you feel like they already have an established relationship rather than they are meeting for the first time and she's giving him his number for the first time asking him out and looking desperate and saying, "Ain't nothing wrong with a black man who works." It just sounds cliche and unnecessary and not something anyone would say out loud in real life. If she's upset he never called there's conflict in the scene and you care about her and understand him more. You don't have to show every character meeting for the first time to understand their relationship.

Or they could have kept the talk about basketball players but used it to illustrate how the characters have different points of view. Like Pops could have said he liked a particular coach because he values playing as a team rather than showboating, Pops would talk about a coaching style he likes because he's like the coach of the series and thinks it's important to look out for each other. And Luke, to illustrate how he's a loner and doesn't trust people, could have joked that Lebron is so good he doesn't even need a team. See how that would have been different and more effective and faster and a better use of the time?

Again, it's not terrible, it just could have been so much better with a few minor tweaks.

It must be popular. I couldn't get on Netflix today.

Now i'm curious what Iron Fist will be like....

OP broke netflix

Can Netflix be broken?

I do think all of these Marvel series are just a bit too long. Maybe they should stick with 10 episodes instead of trying to stretch to 12 or more.

Agree R30

Definitely. All the Marvel Netflix shows would have been perfect if they were about 10 episodes. Less is more sometimes.

The Defenders series is gonna be eight episodes.

They should've done that with Agents Of Shield too. I feel bad for the cast sometimes.

Sucks.

It's funny most people didn't like the pilot and thinks it gets better. I've finished the first five episodes and I thought the pilot was the strongest written one, and so far none of the rest have been on that level.

It's still a good show, the music is fantastic and I fuckin love they included Dapper Dan. Mahershala Ali has really been impressing me as Cottonmouth.

Daredevil was a total bore the second season. Jessica Jones was quite good. I only made I through two episodes of Luke Cage. Not at all compelling. These shows shouldn't be thirteen eps. More like six.

[quote]I do think all of these Marvel series are just a bit too long. Maybe they should stick with 10 episodes instead of trying to stretch to 12 or more.

Are they a bit too long or too ambitious? It seems like there's so much focus on giving these shows credibility that they forget they're about comic book characters. Look we get it. Luke Cage lives in Harlem, there's crime, shit is corrupt--that should be the first episode. The remaining episodes should be Cage punching everything. A lot. Preferably without a shirt.

What?! No r37. How old are you?! The emotional beats are what makes these shows interesting. You have to actually be invested in the narrative.

If you want mindless action go watch Transformers.

Oh GOD. How old are you? You're looking for "Emotional beats" in a show based on a comic book (full of mindless action--mind you). A shitty one at that. If you want nuance and "Emotional Beats" watch "Poldark" with your glass of wine and cheese tray.

People like you are the reason these shows suck.

[Quote] People like you are the reason these shows suck

....Except all of the Marvel Netflix series have been critically acclaimed and a hit with their audience.

[quote]....Except all of the Marvel Netflix series have been critically acclaimed and a hit with their audience.

Yeah? So has every Taylor Swift CD. That doesn't mean they don't suck.

As I continue along in the season (especially SPOILER) , after they kill Cottonmouth and bring in Diamondback, this is the weakest of Marvels Netflix efforts unfortunately.

All of Diamondbacks dialog in Ep 8 is ridiculous

I had intended to binge the entire series this weekend, but didn't make it. Got up to episode 10. I mean, it's good and I like a lot about it, but it's just not that compelling. Something's missing.

Agree r43. I was addicted to finishing Daredevil and Jessica Jones but Luke Cage I've been able to take at a reasonable pace. It isn't pulling me in the same way.

I had problems finishing Daredevil, and I really liked Jessica Jones. I'm in the minority here, but I like this series the best. Alfre Woodard and the music is the best thing about this.

I didn't fall in love with Luke Cage but I liked it pretty well until episode 8. They should have stuck with Cottonmouth because the new villain doesn't work at all. That was a terrible decision.

I loved it. It wasn't as coldly brilliant as Daredevil and the storyline wasn't as disturbing as Jessica Jones, but the acting in Luke Cage was top-notch. I could watch and listen to Alfre Woodard read the ingredient list of a pack of Pringles. And I hate to be "that guy", but the fact that the cast was predominantly black? Loved it. Plus, yeah, Luke Cage can fuck me anytime. Rawr.

I agree, R47. The acting is extremely good. Mike Colter is so good he grounds the show around him even when it shouldn't work. Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard are also excellent. I wasn't crazy about Simone Missick, but her part is a typical comic book dumb cop so the problem is with the character.

I liked it until the end. The 'big fight' was so annoying. I kept wanting Luke Cage to do the obvious and just bust the power pack on Diamondback's back. I mean, jesus.

So contrived.

Teaser trailer for season 2.

Premieres on Friday, June 22nd.

Official synopsis and a kickass photo of Luke and Misty in action.

[quote]After clearing his name, Luke Cage has become a celebrity on the streets of Harlem with a reputation as bulletproof as his skin. But being so visible has only increased his need to protect the community and find the limits of who he can and can’t save. With the rise of a formidable new foe, Luke is forced to confront the fine line that separates a hero from a villain.

Can't wait!

[bold]Marvel casts Annabella Sciorra as Luke Cage season 2 villain[/bold]

[quote]The acclaimed Marvel drama has cast actress Annabella Sciorra in a key role, EW has learned exclusively. Sciorra will play Rosalie Carbone, “a dangerous downtown criminal underworld power player with an eye, and an agenda, toward Harlem.”

[quote]Sciorra had a season-long arc on HBO’s The Sopranos, starred in Jungle Fever, and also has a recurring role on the upcoming second season of Netflix’s G.L.O.W. Sciorra was also recently in the news after being one of the actresses to speak out against Harvey Weinstein.

[quote]“I’ve been a huge fan of hers since Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, and Anabella Sciorra is no joke as Rosalie Carbone,” says Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. “You haven’t seen her this gangster since her thrilling turn as Tony’s formidable flame Gloria Trillo on season 3 of The Sopranos. I’m thrilled her introduction to the Marvel Universe will be on Marvel’s Luke Cage.”

Season 2 trailer.

Was Annabella S whatever even in that trailer?

I don't think so, no. She might come into play later in the season.

We'll be "treated" to a Danny cameo as well. Eugh.

At least his haircut looks better.

Marvel hints that Jessica and Luke have an open marriage.

[quote]When a security goon places a hand on Luke’s shoulder, his wife Jessica is quick to disapprove of the contact. According to her, she is the only one allowed to touch Luke without permission… “aside from one mutually agreed upon, open-minded friend.” It may be a throwaway line, but Jessica Jones isn’t known for her tendency to speak something other than the straight truth. The clear suggestion, then, is that Mr. and Mrs. Cage don’t have an entirely monogamous marriage – and at least one of them is “open-minded” (read: bisexual) where this unnamed friend is concerned.

Misty and Colleen kicking ass together in this new clip.

Final trailer. Looks much better than the first one. Drops June 22nd.

Also, can Theo Rossi just fuck me already? Jesus.

I think I am at peak superhero. I enjoyed two seasons of Daredevil, two seasons of Jessica Jones, and the first season of Luke Cage. But I need a break from it. They're all the same: dark, moody, brooding, angry at the world, anti-heroes. It has been done to death, starting with Angel several years ago.

The quality of the shows is good enough. I just think they are starting to do with Marvel characters what happens a lot in American TV: take a basic concept that is fun, then run it into the ground until everyone is sick of it.

How many Marvel shows are there now? Enough already. Find a new theme.

The trailer for Alfre Woodard's new show looks good r59.

It amuses me that Luke Cage is portrayed as a supporting character in his own show.

Great trailer.

Reviews are in. It's better than the first season but still lots of filler. Woodard steals the show, as the trailer and r61 suggested.

Anyone bingeing this?

I find myself bored with the first episode, until the 10-minute mark when Misty and Claire shared a scene and I felt LIFE in my veins. They need their own show, seriously.

I'm going to gif the crap out of Theo Rossi this season. I need him inside me, deeply.

So I just finished the sixth episode and while it's definitely better and tighter than the first season, it still drags in places aplenty. I like Woodard but her story arc just isn't that compelling. Though I do find it refreshing that an older black woman is in a romantic relationship with a younger white man (Theo Rossi), who is also her subservient. You don't often see that particular dynamic on TV, do you? This show would be some much better if they just trimmed the fat and had a lean mean ten-episode season.

Claire leaves for Havana early on in the season and I don't really miss her because Misty is where's it's at. Love her so much.

Oh, and there's a homo/bisexual revelation in the sixth episode: [SPOILER] Theo Rossi was fucking another one of Woodard's hired guns while they were in prison. They have a heart to heart and while the other guy still wants him and has accepted his sexuality, Rossi dismisses it as a prison thing. Methinks this is as much as we're going to get in a Netflix Marvel show when it comes to male homo- and bisexuality. And of course I fully expect it to end tragically as well.

[quote]Oh, and there's a homo/bisexual revelation in the sixth episode: [SPOILER] Theo Rossi was fucking another one of Woodard's hired guns while they were in prison. They have a heart to heart and while the other guy still wants him and has accepted his sexuality, Rossi dismisses it as a prison thing. Methinks this is as much as we're going to get in a Netflix Marvel show when it comes to male homo- and bisexuality. And of course I fully expect it to end tragically as well.

Damn, thanks for that. I guess we FINALLY have a notable male gay/bi character in one of these Marvel netflix shows. Just took them what like, 8 seasons? Props to the Luke Cage writers for going there.

[quote]Props to the Luke Cage writers for going there.

r66 Yes, that was my first thought. And on a black show as well. I'm still pissed that the Jessica Jones writers made Malcolm straight just to further Trish's addiction plot a tiny inch forward, even though that show is the perfect fit for a notable gay male character. I mean, they could still rectify that by having him hook up with a dude, although his dating app showed women only.

This particular revelation was excellently done because it seemingly came out of nowhere and hit me like a tonne of bricks, but then I thought about the other guy's earlier behaviour whenever he saw Rossi with Woodard, and everything just clicked. I'll take even implied homo/bisexuality when it's written well.

Another suave Rossi gif. Because I made them, I have them, and I need to now offload them somehow. Don't judge, just look at the pretty.

There's a very cool moment in the season opener when Claire and Luke are having sex to this song, and she asks him "What's my name?", they both chuckle, and Gregory Isaacs at that exact moment says "night nurse". I love corny, on the nose shit like that.

Because of the villain, the second season, on the whole, features lots of reggae. Makes for a nice change from all that clubby jazz and blues music.

Oh, and that first episode was directed by Lucy Liu, oddly enough. I checked and saw she had directed an episode of Graceland and five episodes of Elementary as well. Perhaps she'll transition into a full-time TV director eventually.

So the homo plot ended in an incredibly tragic manner, just as I had predicted. Here's Rossi, contemplating the unfortunate mess of it all. Dear gods, he's beautiful even in grief.

Do they ever show the two guys kiss?

I thought they would in that final moment, but no. Just "I love you". We're not there just yet, unforch.

Btw while Theo Rossi is white, the character is meant to be Latino.

And I just got to episode 6, the moment between them was very real and tender and handled well. And they had more chemistry than Rossi and Woodard who have none.

Yeah, Rossi follows the proud tradition of Italians portraying Latinos. Still happens all the time, even on Latino-run shows like Vida. He's a quarter Syrian, which helps him pass a bit more, I guess.

I realize my obsession with him is a bit weird because I'm choosing to showcase a white man on a black show, and I'm usually all about Latinos and Middle Eastern men all the damn time, but he just does it for me for some reason. Look at how cute he is when he's not squinting. Isn't he just so dreamy?

Oh, and Woodard's assistant Alex (played by John Clarence Stewart) is one drop-dead gorgeous man as well. Too bad he didn't have enough giffable moments on the show.

Where is the pic of Mike Colters butt from ep 1?

r76 It was really fast and half-covered but I'll make a gif since you asked.

Is this the one you had in mind, r76? I increased the brightness to make that cheek SHINE like it's supposed to!

Gracias, seeing a glimpse of his cakes was a pleasant surprise when I started the season.

I'm halfway through the season and finding it laughably bad. SPOILERS follow...

Misty's "bionic" arm is hilariously low-tech from a show-production standpoint. Did they have no CGI budget? It looks exactly like the long, cloth glove with metal accents that it is.

Having Claire leave after episode #3, and then Bobby shortly thereafter, was a mistake, IMO. They're two of the more compelling characters on the show. Claire, especially. (Please tell me she returns before the season is over.)

Half of the actors playing Jamaican characters can't do the accent properly. One guy sounded Irish!

And Alfre Woodard is a bland, totally unconvincing villain. Her scenery chewing is off the charts, and there's no gravitas to her character. I've laughed out loud more than once during scenes that I highly doubt were intended to be funny.

I've watched all the Marvel series on Netflix and was looking forward to season two of "Luke Cage," but am disappointed so far.

[bold]SPOILERS[/bold] for the entire second season below as I finished it just now.

r80 No, it gets progressively worse, unfortunately. It grinds to a screeching halt in the eighth episode and then it just starts spinning in circles and becomes almost unwatchable towards the end. The last episode kinda sorta recovers the plot and I did enjoy how they ended things with everyone. Danny Rand's appearance in that one episode doesn't help one bit; in fact, it's one of the worst episodes of the season for me. Finn Jones' acting has improved marginally in that he's learned to use his hands better while talking. He's still awful and all of his lines sucked ass, although he does look better without those silly curls on his head. I'm sorry to say those two had little chemistry between them. And not for the lack of trying really, [italic]really[/italic] hard.

Claire never returns and gets the most awkward shoutout ever in the last episode. I think Dawson just might be done with this shit. Misty's arm is indeed laughable and I kept waiting for her to get an upgrade. But no, that's it. It really drives home how cheap these Marvel Netflix shows are. The critics keep pointing that out but no one seems to care over there. Speaking of women, I did enjoy seeing them include more female goons into various beatdowns. I never thought about that before but I see now how sexist it is to only ever show male thugs and gangsters getting their asses whooped.

Woodard is a complex villain but is not menacing enough and thus not compelling enough to watch. She's just camp, most of the time. I was dying of boredom while listening to her regurgitate her generational family drama for the umpteenth time. And then we get that flashback to Kingston to top it all off. Oy vey.

This show needs 8 episodes per season at most, not 10, and most certainly not 13. Keeping the same villain(s) for the whole season was a nice experiment, which would work wonderfully in a shorter season. I liked this one slightly better than the first season and I think it's still fine, even though it's mostly a boring slog. But if it wasn't for Misty, I'd have checked out very early on for sure. She has charisma coming out of her ass and she needs her own show [italic]yesterday.[/italic] I'd be very interested to hear which themes being dealt with in this season stood out to black DLers, in that they haven't been explored (much) before, either in a superhero show or on TV in general.

Anyway, I got a crapload of Theo Rossi gifs out of this season for my spank bank, so I'm a happy camper right now. Here he is, draining his balls into the sink. (Or at least a close approximation thereof.)

^^ Damn, it never looks so long-winded while you're writing the post, does it?

Mercedes "Misty" Knight, sporting a badass 'do. She's just the best.

I think Misty Knight would be more interesting as a lead than Luke Cage. The actress is way better than Mike Colter; plus, she has charisma and swagger.

They should do a Misty Knight limited series. I know they are probably planning to eventually do that Misty/Colleen team up ("Daughters of the Dragon"), but Colleen doesn't have that same charisma as Misty. Colleen should just be a sidekick, not a co-lead.

Yeah the actress who plays Misty is great, the show would be truly suffering without her.

Alfre Woodward is confusing. Obviously she has proven herself a great actress, but she turns in some shockingly bad scenes in this show. I wonder if she just doesn't care much. But then sometimes she'll remember she can act and knock it out of the park.

r84 I know, that little gag Misty and Luke did about her being his sidekick worked on so many different levels precisely because she's the one who lights up the screen.

I also agree that Colleen is not on the same level as Misty either. But imagine if they had cast a (more) charismatic Colleen - she'd wipe with Finn Jones so hard he'd never get that second season.

[Quote]Luke did about her being his sidekick worked on so many different levels

I thought it was way too meta cutesy and clunky.

"It's my show"...uh, why would Luke say that.

r85 I honestly believe bad and repetitive material is what did Woodard in. She works great in smaller doses but when you saddle her with these constant stumbling speeches, she loses her focus and appeal eventually. And you know the material is shit when Rossi comes to her and asks her "What are you thinking?" and she launches into yet another long-ass monologue about the Stokes and the Dillards. That shit is so far removed from us I don't care one bit about it. Having said that, I also experienced some "woah" moments with her acting now and then, so that was nice.

[SPOILER]

r87 There's an even worse one down the line, when he tells his father, almost apropos of nothing: "You know I executive produce this thing, right?" That one went too far and failed to land, I thought.

[bold]Netflix Airs Strong Black Lead Spot Featuring Luke Cage Stars & More[/bold]

[quote]A new TV spot debuted in the middle of last night’s BET Awards, showcasing Netflix’s black creators, whose accumulated work in television and film has thrived on the streaming platform. Under the title “A Great Day in Hollywood,” the spot included a total of 47 individual creators and actors, including Luke Cage’s Mike Colter, Primetime Emmy-winning actress and filmmaker Lena Waithe, Spike Lee, and Stranger Things’ young star Caleb McLaughlin, who also narrates the video.

[quote]Conceived and created by Strong Black Lead, an initiative led by a group of black employees and executives working for Netflix that formed over the past year, “A Great Day in Hollywood” was originally drawn from photographer Art Kane’s “A Great Day in Harlem.” This portrait, taken in the late 1950s, presented 57 jazz musicians who gathered together for posterity in front of 17 East 126th Street, the same exact address and building serving as the backdrop for Strong Black Lead’s referential homage. [Screen Rant]

Harlem, baby! Mariah would be proud.

Sir Loris Phagabeefy is in this show, r56?

He was on GAME OF THRONES.

r90 Ha! You reminded me... I love how exasperated I sounded in r56 and all of my fears turned out to be true. He's just the fucking worst; the actor [italic]and[/italic] the character. A rare double whammy.

Aw, I like Iron Fist Finn. He's cute and the acting is decent.

Shades turns me on

r92 Sure, I also found Finn's incompetence endearing at first. But then I remembered that the critics were watching this as well and got so much second-hand embarrassment I was glad he didn't stay past that one episode. I do really enjoy his new haircut, though.

r93 Welcome to the club! The line forms behind me.

[bold]In Just One Episode, Marvel Fixed Iron Fist[/bold]

[quote]Crucially, the Iron Fist of Luke Cage Season 2 is very different to the hero we've seen before. This Danny Rand was much more relaxed and philosophical; he's found his own place of balance, and he spends a lot of his trying to encourage others to find inner harmony too. The character is still recognizable, but he's clearly dealt with his inner demons since we last saw him, and there's no trace of the strange, off-beat anger management problems that were featured in the past. Danny's focus is on protecting New York, and you get the profound sense that this mission is what has brought him peace. Tying into this, that single episode uses the Iron Fist power quite liberally; at one point, he literally shows off his glowing fist as part of a joke.

[quote]Perhaps most gratifyingly, there's a proper, if humorous, acknowledgement of Danny Rand's flaws. His habit of identifying himself repeatedly as "the Immortal Iron Fist" is mocked as an example of powerful branding, while Luke cuts short an attempt to once again retell his backstory.

Mind you, I disagree with this take; I hate the zen Danny Rand as much as the perpetually angsty one. Mainly because the actor can't pull off either.

Interview with Theo Rossi about Season 2. He thought the Shades/Comanche reveal was beautiful and was glad the writers went there.

They copped out

They should've kissed at the very end but maybe it would have looked too soap opera. We're still in the implied homo/bisexuality era, for sure.

Unrelated, but I had completely forgotten Annabella Sciorra was in this even after having seen it. For some reason, I had always imagined her to have a [italic]very[/italic] pronounced Italian accent. I might have had her confused with Asia Argento, because of their Weinstein connection. She's a pretty decent actress, actually, and I hope she'll play a bigger part next season. Like a discount Sigourney Weaver. And I don't mean that in a bad way; she's just someone who looks a bit like Weaver, can act, has gravitas, doesn't cost too much, and won't have (too many) diva stipulations in her contract that would mess with the show's writing. That sounds great to me!

No one else made it to the end of this season?

We definitely should have gotten a flashback or two of these two fucking back in prison, if you ask me. Can you even imagine?

"I love you too, maricón. Or whatever the hell the Italian equivalent of that term is."

I'm halfway through the first Iron Fist serious and finding it surprisingly enjoyable, in the light of the negative comments here. Mostly I like it because it so far lacks the miserablilism of the other Marvel Netflix series, with a pretty sunny central character and a much lower body count.

'Series' nor 'serious', duh.

r101 He does get decidedly less sunny as the season progresses, though. And it's exactly that petulant behaviour and the constant flashbacks to that blasted plane crash that annoyed most people.

Well if he's as miserable as Daredevil or Jessica Jones by the end, I'll reconsider, R103..

He's not. I liked Iron Fist too. I don't get the hate.

Jessica Jones was a looooong slog to get through. There's only so much angsty self destructiveness one can take.

I just finished season two and it was fantastic. Much better paced than season one and I didn't notice that annoying yellow filter as much.

The villain was GREAT (not Bushmaster, although he was great too) and I was surprised when she actually died in the end. I figured she was going to get off until I realized she was SO prominent on the season that she had to go in one way or another. I was expecting her to go to prison with the villain from Daredevil season one. (Fisk) But man. Her transformation arc over part of season one and throughout season two as she embraces her dark side was amazing. And she sets Luke up with a trap in the club.

I didn't understand the daughter's anger at not being left anything at the end. It seems like she was more plot convenient than anything. What happened to her wanting to help people with her shop? And she killed her mom so cold-bloodedly.

I liked how Misty regained her self-confidence and got the cool bionic arm.

Loved Iron Fist's cameo appearance and how he was wearing the "Sweet Xmas" hoodie in a scene.

And I cracked up when Luke said "Bitch, please!" to Mrs. Stokes. So hilarious and well-timed. MUCH better season than the first.

I'm going to miss that Basquiat painting too. Not so much the Biggie Smalls painting (that's who that person was, right?) although the Mohammed Ali photo isn't as dramatic.

Did anyone else have to turn on subtitles when the Jamaican guys were on? Like I could get the gist of it but some of the words threw me.

I liked the scenes with Ma Stokes - not sure why, the big curly hair and the evil heavyset mama just works. I'm surprised she didn't kill the kid after burning down the shack, though (although I guess she tried later?)

And I always fast forward through the filler musical numbers that are in Every Episode, sometimes multiples. So boring. I guess if I liked those music styles it'd be different. It's like if Buffy had a long scene in the Bronze every episode, and they featured a different artist each time.

[quote]I didn't understand the daughter's anger at not being left anything at the end. It seems like she was more plot convenient than anything. What happened to her wanting to help people with her shop? And she killed her mom so cold-bloodedly.

Mariah was right, sure she was a crime boss but she did keep crime families from invading the neighborhood and fighting on the streets. Her family always did. The problem was in the end she went full tilt killing nearly everyone associated with her.

Tilda was right, Mariah was not a good person. She was insane. She was cold. She was a murderer and she was the only one willing to take her out.

Mariah did try to be good in S1 but then realized she couldn't escape her family's dark roots.

Tilda tried to be good in S2 but then realized the same thing in killing her own mother. She thought she was doing a good thing.

They didn't do a great job of explaining this but Mariah did leave her something: the piano.

The piano of the boy, Cornell, that Mariah raised like a son that she truly loved. He went bad thanks to Ma Stokes. Years later, Mariah killed him.

The piano that her daughter, Tilda, also loved to play. Only this time it was Mariah that helped turn Tilda to the dark side. Tilda killed Mariah.

Also the daughter is very important R106. She even appears in her look as Deadly Nightshade at the end of the series. She'll likely be the bad guy in S3.

Yeah I didn't realize she was being set up to be a villain. You're probably right about her being the bad guy - or a bad guy - in Season 3. I could see her as propping up someone else with her potions until they fail her and she takes matters into her own hands, the way she did with Bushmaster.

The one thing that shocked me the most after I had finished the second season and went to read the comments on the AV Club was just how much people disliked Tilda. I was completely fine with her, especially because the actress is pretty competent.

The musical numbers I also skipped because they brought the story to a halt and seemed out of place. Though I just assumed the music held special importance for the black audience and so didn't complain about it in my initial thoughts here.

Oh, and Danny Rand remains the fucking worst. I'll never be down with a straight white bro sauntering in and enlightening the black guy about eastern traditions like they're his own.

R111 go back to Everyday Feminism where you can tremble with rage over "cultural appropriation" and focus on Danny Rand's offensive whiteness with like-minded souls.

Luke could stand to learn how to fight. When he's up against a better fighter like Bushmaster he seems like a big slow lummox. And he's clearly having some issues mentally. I enjoyed the episode with Iron Fist. It'd be fun to see them as a duo with Misty and the karate woman, what's her name.

R110 I found them just like any other musical numbers in shows, unnecessary space filler. I'm sure the songs are appealing if you like that sort of music and know the singers involved, regardless of race. Other shows like Buffy have used that club trope with singers but it hasn't been a focus of every single episode. They clearly want the club to be a character in the show, although it should have been killed off by now IMO.

Frankly the only thing I would change about the season is to chop off 2-3 episodes. These Netflix+Marvel shows always seem to go on for slightly too long (Jessica Jones is another with that problem).

I have to say I'm loving Season 2. It's a very slow burn at first, but by episode 4, it starts to pay off.

That scene where the two guys are sitting in the barbershop waiting for Luke Cage to show up, back to back, in the dark … talking about what happened in prison. That was masterful.

Alfre Woodard is at the top of her game. And she really is the star of the show, the center of everything.

R113, yes... every single series went on at least one too many episodes (most more like 2-3). Except "Defenders" which seemed at least an episode too short.

They should target 10 episodes a season, that seems to be a sweet spot. When they're 13-14 episodes, it's just too many. When they're only 8, it's too little.

My only problem is honestly with the whole Misty's Arm thing. It seems like that should have been a huge deal. And it was just sorta... there. No big deal. It really feels like a bunch of stuff that would have and could have been interesting was just skipped.

Honestly, I think Misty seems like someone who deserves her own series.

The one episode with Danny... I really likea like him and Luke together. It's not so much 'chemistry' as they compliment each other well. And that conversation they had in the restaurant together, was really well done.

In fact, I have to point out that even in an action-packed TV show like this, the most dramatic moments are all just conversations between two people in a room. Shades/Commanche in the barbershop. Mariah Stokes and her daughter in the Rand building/safe-house. Danny and Luke in the restaurant. All very memorable conversations, and just three of several.

I love that everyone is so complex and layered, and you can see the motivations and UNDERSTAND them. It's not just some 'evil' guy out to be 'evil' for the sake of being 'evil', with shit just happening to service the plot.

Why so little fanfare for season 2? I didn't even hear about it until a week after it was released...

I feel as if they think the Marvel Netflix shows have their built in fanbase r117, and that they don't need to spend a lot of money on marketing.