Welcome back to our review of Luke Cage Season 2! Luke’s star is rising in the media but he may have made things more difficult for himself, Mariah’s financial fortunes are falling, and Misty had a really bad day at the office.
1. Not just bulletproof
After walking away from a direct hit from a Judas bullet last episode, Luke is puzzled over the extent of his abilities. When he discusses this with Claire, she recommends a test.
This leads to an entertaining scene after Bobby arranges for Luke to meet Todd Bowles, head coach of the New York Jets, during a Harlem Jets practice. Seeing the head coach of a New York NFL team and the Harlem Jets banners on what I am pretty sure is Wagner Playground, just a few blocks from the Harlem River, is another example of how Luke Cage and all of the Marvel Netflix shows make New York City a part of the show.
Of course, the Harlem’s Hero App turns the tests into a media circus, and former ESPN hosts Jemele Hill and Michael Smith provide us with color commentary as Coach Bowles takes Luke through an extreme Crossfit workout. It’s a fun moment, and Smith’s comment “Swear this dude’s faster than Usain Bolt” sets up a well-executed running gag.
2. Shades don’t like the shade
Shades doesn’t want Mariah to sell the gun business. He tells her to “flip the Basquiat,” which is something she refuses to do. Despite his misgivings, he goes along with the deal out of loyalty for his partner and lover. But after Comanche needles him about his relationship, and Arturo insults Mariah to his face, Shades kills Arturo and ruins the deal.
Did Shades’ feelings about the sale make it easier for him to pull the trigger? He claimed it was about Arturo’s “lack of respect,” but even if that’s true, Mariah wants the money! She’s made it pretty clear that’s what’s important to her. Hell, get the money and then kill him if defending her honor is worth risking a murder charge.
At the same time, Mariah reaches out to her estranged daughter, Tilda, with an eye toward boosting her image. After an awkward conversation at her boutique, Tilda comes to the Paradise, and Mariah quickly sends Shades away so she can spend the evening with her daughter.
“Baby girl took your slot, son.” quips Comanche. Shades watches the two women, looking very angry.
How long is Shades going to be able to deal with the current situation?
3. Listen to the music
In the premiere episode, Mobb Deep told us “You all alone in these streets, cousin” as Luke raided a heroin operation. Gregory Isaacs sang to us about his “Night Nurse” as Luke danced and romanced with Claire.
Gary Clark Jr. plays for the final 10 minutes of “Straighten It Out,” opening with If Trouble Was Money as Mariah waits to hear from Shades about a deal with the Jamaicans that will replace the one lost when he killed Arturo.
As the camera shifts from Shades entering the club to pensive Mariah, Clark sings “Worry, worry, worry, woman. I’ve had worries all my life.” Later, his rising guitar solo is our soundtrack as Mariah kicks Shades out of her balcony and he sulks at a table on the main floor.
Clark plays in the background as Luke’s father, portrayed by the late great Reg E. Cathey in his final role, tells us his version of the parable of the Two Wolves. As he wraps up the tale with “It’s the one you feed,” we get a close up of Luke walking down the street, staring angrily at us. Clark strums the opening to his blues anthem, Bright Lights, and the rising guitar and throbbing bass accentuate his glowering.
As Lukes bursts through the door of Cockroach’s apartment, Clark sings the end of the first verse; “You gonna know my name by the end of the night.” When Luke slaps him across the room, we hear the refrain; “Bright lights, big city going to my head.”
The music in Luke Cage is part of the story. In these examples, it’s almost part of the script. Much is made about the musical guests that the show features in the episode, but I think the way the music is woven into the stories deserves even more acclaim.
Continued below4. Misty Knight gets her due.
Misty returns to work and is immediately shut out by her fellow officers. Despite her protests, the captain has her on light duty. Nandi, an old frenemy from High School, is at the precinct now and assigned to interrogating Arturo Ray. By the end of “Straighten It Out,” the situation escalates from passive aggressive to openly hostile, and Misty ends up calling Luke and feeding him a tip.
Misty gets a lot of screen time in this episode, which is excellent news. She’s a favorite character, and while some promotional stills have made it clear that one of the things we’re all waiting for is going to happen in Season 2, it’s also great to see that’s she a lead on the show and we’re going to see more than a devastating right hook.
5. Luke loses his cool
Cockroach is Luke’s only lead for getting to Mariah. He tracks him down with Misty’s help and ends up launched out of a second story window. Later he catches up with Cockroach in the act of beating his girlfriend and her son. Luke loses control and nearly kills him, stopping only after he sees the looks of shock and fear on the faces of the people he is supposed to be saving.
How much of this beating was about protecting Drea and her son, how much was about his shoulder, and how much was about, well, everything else?
This is the closing scene, and it forms a startling framing sequence. At the start of the episode see what Luke is capable of, and at the end, we see those capabilities unleashed on a normal man. When Claire asked him how he felt after the tests, he said: “Like it’s good to be me.” But by the time he answered his phone and headed for Cockroach, he was very unhappy about his relationship with Claire.
The Marvel Netflix series are, for the most part, 11+ hour movies that are roughly structured and edited into 50+ minute bites, but this seems like a bit of deliberate and very deft storytelling.
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That’s it for “Straighten it Out.” What did you think of Misty’s trials and Luke losing his temper? Let us know below.
