Marvel's Luke Cage Season 2 Review: 4 Ups And 5 Downs

Harlem's Hero is back, but is that a good thing?

Luke Cage Season 2
Netflix

After a break of almost two years - and a part in last year's disappointing team-up event series The Defenders - Harlem's Hero is back on the streets, and back on Netflix.

The first season of Luke Cage was really one of two halves: the first was a slow-burner, sure, but still as gripping as we'd come to expect from the Netflix corner of the MCU by that point - helped in no small part by the charming yet dangerous Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) - and served as a fascinating story about being a black superhero.

The second, though, was more indicative of what the universe would become, stretching its story out and dropping the ball in the villain stakes by replacing Cottonmouth with Diamondback. All throughout, though, the main cast of Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Alfre Woodard et al continued to shine, even if the plot didn't.

Now Season 2 arrives to remind everyone of who Luke Cage is and bring a new challenge to the streets of Harlem, but also try and restore some of the fading glory of this universe. Does it manage it? In parts, yes, but not quite enough.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.