Liam Hoofe reviews the eighth episode of Luke Cage season 2…
Luke Cage takes a back seat in episode 8 of season 2, as tensions continue to grow between Mariah and Shades and we learn a little more about Bushmaster.
The biggest strength of Luke Cage season 2 so far has been how well padded out the supporting characters are. Returning characters like Misty, Shades and Mariah have all been given plenty to do, while new characters, like the season’s antagonist, Bushmaster, have been given plenty of space to grow into their roles.
Episode 8 mostly focused on the aftermath of Bushmaster’s attack on Mariah, and on Shades’ killing of Comanche and Ridenhour, spending at least 40 minutes of its runtime inside the police station.
Once again, Shades continued to be the season’s strongest character in this episode and seeing him try and worm his way out of what he had done, while also wrestling with his own demons made for great viewing. Mariah is also falling apart at the scenes, and for the first time in the show, she feels incredibly vulnerable. These two are heading towards some sort of explosion and it will be interesting to see who survives. Shades’ speech to Mariah about being a gangster in this episode felt particularly inspired, and it will be a shame to see either of them leave the show.
As for Bushmaster, he continued to take over Harlem this episode and slapped a bounty on both Luke and Mariah’s heads upon discovering that they had both survived the events of the last two episodes. We also learned a little bit more about his family history and his motivations. We also got a little insight into how he has his powers, and it will be interesting to see if the characters can figure out a way around them.
Luke basically popped up for an extended cameo at the end of the episode when his father’s church was attacked by some of the Stylers. It’s nice to see him and his father back on the same page, though, the Netflix Marvel Universe has a track record with father figures, so don’t expect their bond to last all that long. Having saved Mariah and Misty from an attack, Luke ended the episode with the words that no Marvel fans wants to hear ‘Hey Misty, you got Danny’s number?’ So it looks as though Iron Fist will be making an appearance in the next episode.
Eight episodes in and Luke Cage season 2 is still going strong. The shows have a tendency to go off the rails around this point normally but this season is still holding its own. There’s still plenty of time for Iron Fist to ruin things though.
Liam Hoofe
