I really, really liked season two of Luke Cage because of…

The Villains

• The main villain Bushmaster, like Erik Killmonger in Black Panther, is a wicked, tortured soul. And like Killmonger, his motivations are understandable to some extent, which makes his clash with Luke Cage carry that much more weight;
• The “second” villain, Black Mariah, the conniving cousin of the late Cottonmouth, brilliantly portrayed by Mahershala Ali in season #1, is this season’s scene-stealer. Her arc ranges from the well-meaning defender of Harlem, NY (even if her tactics aren’t exactly angelic) to the vicious defender of her money, restaurant, and turf, by any means necessary! Although she is harder to empathize with compared to the revenge-filled Bushmaster, she too has a boatload of personal demons (inherited by family ties) which drive her tyrannical actions throughout the series.
• Villain #3, aka Shades, starts off like an unnecessary accessory to stories of the two aforementioned villains. However, as each episode passes, we get a deeper glimpse into his backstory. His longtime friendship, loyalty and ultimate confrontation with the scene-stealing Comanche, deftly portrayed by former NFL star Thomas Jones, show a side that season one only skimmed. And his topsy turvy lover/mentee relationship with Black Mariah further illustrates that Shades isn’t some cookie-cut villain, but a bad guy who still loves, hurts and regrets like anyone else;

The Immortal Iron Fist

• Danny Rand finally gets it right! Yes, I said it. The whiny guy who starred as Iron Fist in the worst show that the Marvel Netflix universe has offered to date, is a pleasant surprise in Luke Cage’s season two. Continuing the chemistry that he and Cage began demonstrated in the Defenders, Rand really shines in the handful of episodes he shows up in. His comic timing are a nice contrast in a season that is very dark and brooding. His performance has me also warming up to the idea of a Heroes for Hire spin-off series,

It’s a Rap!

• The music bumps! I’m a diehard hip-hop fan. In particular, I loved the late 1980s/early 1990s “Golden Age” of rap. Although not as raw as the early 1980s in terms of production quality, the socially-conscious lyrics and themes of the period were similarly grounded in the New York City street culture and social. It’s a perfect fit for s show like Luke Cage which tackles similar issues in a similar setting-but 30 years later. From the mural of the late Notorious BIG to the in-show performances of hip-hop legends Ghostface Killah, KRS-1 and Rakim, the music of Luke Cage plays as pivotal a role as any character on the show. Harlem, which is just around the corner from rap’s birthplace in the Bronx, is the perfect setting for superhero show prominently featuring hip-hop. And it works splendidly.

From the villains to Iron Fist’s cameo to the music, there’s a lot to like about Luke Cage, Season 2. I’ve spared many details to avoid spoiling it for those who haven’t seen the series yet. It’s my third favorite Marvel Netflix series behind Jessica Jones: Season 1 and Daredevil: Season 1. That’s no small feat.