MCU: Every Netflix Marvel Season Ranked Worst To Best

If there's one lesson Luke Cage's second season learned from season one, it's to not make the same mistake of creating the sort of tonal divide that followed Cottonmouth's death. Season two went all in on utilizing Mariah Dillard to her fullest, something that gave Alfre Woodard a real chance to shine, such as in her devastating admission to her daughter, Gabrielle Dennis' Tilda Johnson, about why she could never love her.

Even beyond that, the introduction of Bushmaster was great, the character stealing scenes left and right as he held his own against Luke in his quest to destroy Mariah. With Luke caught in the middle - protecting Mariah because it's the right thing to do even though he hates her - it gave our hero an interesting moral dilemma of his own to overcome throughout the season, challenging him and irrevocably changing his view of the little corner of the world he inhabits.

Like season one, Harlem continued to be a character all its own, fueled by some great musical choices, and the cast proved even more comfortable in their roles than before, even Finn Jones' Iron Fist, who turned up for a single episode late in the season and was better characterized than in his own show thanks to a great dynamic with Luke.

And while it could've benefited by being trimmed, perhaps, down to 10 episodes, season two really improved on season one in a lot of ways, its only truly disappointing aspect being an ending we may very well never get closure to thanks to its cancellation.