Marvel's Luke Cage: 10 Ups And 2 Downs From Season 1

6. The Twist Prevents The Typical Midseason Slump

So far, the Netflix Marvel shows have suffered from a slight dip in the middle. After a great first act, it then needs to reshift its focus ahead of the final run of episodes, and things can get a little muddled or bloated. Daredevil Season 2 took a bit of a dive with introducing and fleshing out Elektra and the Hand, and Jessica Jones wasted time at the house; even Daredevil's first season had a little more fat to it than it should've. It's not a problem exclusive to Marvel shows, and something the Netflix model could do with fixing pretty much across the board.

Although not free of issues with pacing and plot, Luke Cage circumnavigates a midseason dip with a huge twist: the death of Cottonmouth. Up until then he'd been the central villain (and a truly captivating, chilling presence), so it was a huge shock when he was killed off. It provided a big thrill, and coupled with the other twist - Luke being shot - helped keep the show's momentum going over the next couple of episodes.

I don't think killing off Cottonmouth was the right move, or at least not the way they replaced him, but the double twist worked as a means of keeping the show moving and allowing the series to really start exploring Luke Cage's vulnerabilities.