Finally re-upped on Netflix and watched both Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. I think JJ was better overall in terms of story and pacing, but I just loved the feel of LC. Maybe because I felt very much like an outsider peeking into a different world, as a white dude from the suburbs watching a show about black/Hispanic Harlem. Obviously I know it’s over-dramatized, but still.
The villains were weaker than I’d have liked. I thought Cornell was solid if not great, but things went way downhill on the bad guy front once he was gone. Hopefully they’ll come up with some better choices in season 2.
Agreed. I completely bought he was psychotic, I just didn’t care.
I liked the series well enough, I just thought it was the weakest so far of the Marvel Netflix shows. Which is too bad, I liked the settings and general message but it was too ham fisted. I flinched every time they mentioned hot coffee, and groaned in disgust over the Cuban coffee line. That was too stupid to ever say out loud. Poking fun at the line in the show itself was not a valid defense.
I just finished this, so I am bumping it back up because I want to talk about it now! It’s true that Diamondback was not strong enough a villain to keep the show interesting for his part of the season. They really dragged out Luke’s injury and recovery and being afraid of the superbullets just to keep Diamondback a plausible threat. But Cottonmouth also clearly was not going to be able to carry the whole season with just his sarcastic smile, so I don’t know why anyone would say he was a better villain overall. Only the first year of Daredevil had a season-worthy villain. Is that a byproduct of a Netflix budget, or of the original material?
Maybe it would work better if they had made the whole first season about Luke versus a version of Diamondback with the same powers. I think Luke’s struggles about who he should be and what he should do with those powers would have a foil in Diamondback, a person who presumably would have no qualms putting them to use. Then you just drop the whole magic bullet thing.
Whether Cottonmouth could carry the whole season or not is unrelated to whether or not he was a better villain. As the adversary to set things up, he was excellent, and when his role was over, someone as compelling should’ve been ready to take his place. Black Mamba looked poised to from what we saw, Diamondback sounded like he could have from what we were told, but then neither really rose to the occasion.
That’s why I think Cottonmouth is a better villain overall.
That’s Frank Whaley, who was kind of a late Brat Packer back in the day (Career Opportunities with a young Jennifer Connelly is the one film I can name from the period). He was also in Hoffa with Jack Nicholson (I won’t spoil what his role was). The latter was from around the time of Pulp Fiction.
BTW are the events in Luke Cage supposed to happen before those of Jesica Jones?
So I’m about half way, and so far I’ve loved what’s been going on. However they just introduced the idea of the magic bullet, and that bugs me.
Now many of you probably saw the Film Crit Hulk article about Luke Cage, but it was interesting to me. It’s a broader topic, but the idea that Luke Cage has any arc betrayed by the magic bullet strikes hard with me.
Earlier in Episode 2/3 Luke says something that I think would be a fantastic concept for a season long exploration. The gist was that you don’t go after Cottonmouth by beating up his thugs, or simply taking money. No, he wanted to hit Cottomnouth where it hurts. And you hurt him by going after his reputation, by bringing him down publicly. That’s why he sets up the raid without taking more than a single bag of money.
The idea of how do you hurt a man who seems untouchable is interesting. Its why when Cottonmouth sends his thugs on a shakedown of town, and tells people to blame Luke Cage? It’s a brilliant thematic resonance. It is a power struggle in the background, just like the conversation at the funeral parlor sparked with words unsaid in a battle of wills, so too was this. And it is amazing. That theme has some power, and should be what the series focuses on.
But then they talk about magic bullets in a power struggle between Cottonmouth and Diamondback (via Shades). And that scene still crackles, but I see the trouble. That’s a lazy genie that can’t be put back. The tension and the charisma of the fight for Harlem has power, but then reducing it to magic bullets will sap that energy.
Anyhow so far through 6 episodes it may be my favorite of the Netflix series (I’ve not watched more than 1 episode of Jessica Jones). The conflict between Cottonmouth and Luke? That’s got fire.
Nah, I’ve already read the FCH article which basically spills how it falls apart, as well as this very thread (partially). So I know that the second half is dramatically weaker.
And you should know by now I am on the extreme opposite end from Tom when it comes to spoilers, so spill away ;)
