Months after Luke (Mike Colter) took down Cottonmouth (Mahershala Ali) and Diamondback (Erik LaRay Harvey), the titular hero returns as a Harlem icon, making appearances on ESPN and various social media platforms. He’s a superhero without a mask, which is a nice change from some other heroes that hide in the shadows, like Daredevil and The Punisher.

Luke Cage: Season 2 Photos 33 IMAGES

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Netflix Spotlight: June 2018 8 IMAGES

While the premise of a friendly neighborhood Luke Cage sounds promising, sadly, the story’s execution is uninspired, and sometimes downright boring. Series creator Cheo Hodari Coker is still searching for that villainous magic he found in Ali’s portrayal of Cottonmouth last season.In an attempt to fill that void, Coker gives Luke his next challenger in the form of one John ‘Bushmaster’ McIver, played by Mustafa Shakir. Bushmaster is a Jamaican gangster hell-bent on controlling Harlem. He has a mysterious past and some serious strength that makes him a formidable opponent for Luke. To his credit, Shakir delivers a solid performance as an imposing figure that can give Luke a run for his money, but he’s a poor substitute for Cottonmouth, even if he can throw a powerful punch.As the season progresses, Bushmaster and Cage’s rivalry becomes less interesting and more redundant, as the two begin to compare the pain they’ve each endured throughout their lives as if it’s some kind of competition. Any sympathy one might feel for these two emotionally broken men is diminished by an excessive amount of brooding, especially from Luke.In the first season, Luke was a shining beacon of hope for Harlem, encouraging young African-American men to stop using the “n-word,” but now, he uses that same word he once vilified. As Luke’s anger builds, he becomes someone who’s difficult to recognize, and simply, not fun to watch. But what about the rest of Season 1’s returning cast of characters?Claire Temple is still around but has little to do as Luke’s love interest. Rosario Dawson has been the anchor for these Marvel Netflix shows, but her character is running out of steam. There’s only so many ways she can talk Luke, Matt, and Danny out of doing something stupid. She’s the voice of reason amidst the chaos, but even she can’t save Luke from giving into his anger. It’s no surprise that Dawson is unsure if she’ll return for another Marvel TV adventure Other Luke Cage alums like Mariah Stokes (Alfre Woodard) and Shades (Theo Rossi) are back in action in Season 2 as well. Along with Bushmaster, Mariah is the other villain Luke has to contend with and is one of the sources of his anger. As Luke’s popularity grows in Harlem, so does the pressure to keep it safe, and Mariah is making Harlem a dangerous place to live. Luke is wrestling with the Batman-Joker dilemma when it comes to Mariah: Killing Mariah would make life easier for Harlem, but he knows that it’s the wrong thing to do.Woodard is one of the best actors in the business, but even she can’t make Mariah interesting this season. Her counterpart, Shades, has become a caricature of himself and is more silly than threatening; a sinister smile and wearing sunglasses indoors will only get you so far.While there aren’t many reasons to watch Luke Cage this season, there are some fun musical performances at Harlem’s Paradise, like Jadakiss, Faith Evans, and Rakim. Also, the stunt and fight choreography teams do a great job during the action sequences, which are usually accompanied by some classic Wu-Tang jams. Luke’s punches land with more power than before, like he’s picked up a few new tricks from his time spent with The Defenders. Other than these outlying highlights, Luke Cage Season 2 is a misfire.