WIRED Pilot Program: Luke Cage

The third installment of the Marvel television universe is finally here. With a stellar cast and a killer soundtrack, it's this weekend's must-binge show.
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Myles Aronowitz/Netflix

Each fall, most of the broadcast and cable networks debut a ton of new shows in the span of a few months, making it difficult to sort out which ones to make time for and which to skip. So we’re starting the WIRED Pilot Program, where we highlight what you should continue watching, and what you can just let sit on your DVR until it automatically deletes. Today's entry: Luke Cage

The Show: Luke Cage

The Premise: The titular Cage (Mike Colter), an escaped convict who underwent a prison experiment that accidentally gave him bulletproof skin and superhuman strength, lives as a fugitive in Harlem. He works two jobs, sweeping up at a barbershop, and washing dishes at a newly-renovated club owned by gangster Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes (Mahershala Ali). Cornell’s cousin Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard) is the local councilwoman, working to improve her community while also helping her family. Cage just wants to keep a low profile, but as tensions rise in Harlem, he decides to use his powers for good and protect those who can’t defend themselves from the corrupt forces in the neighborhood.

The Pilot Program Take: Ever since Colter signed on to play Cage in last year’s first season of Jessica Jones, it has been common knowledge that a standalone series for the character was forthcoming. As such, this first episode functions less like a pilot—which typically tells an encapsulated story and gives viewers an idea of overall tone—and more like an introductory chapter. It moves slowly, introducing Luke Cage’s status quo—his boss at the barber shop, Pops (Frankie Faison), knows his secret—and and establishing that he mostly stays out of sight. But bit by bit, Cage is drawn into situations where he can see the criminal forces affecting innocent people and cannot in good conscience sit idly by.

Cage and Misty Knight (Simone Missick), a police detective who encounters him at Cornell’s club, have some chemistry issues, since they mostly flirt awkwardly without knowing much about each other. But hopefully they’ll eventually develop a better rapport. Woodard and Ali, on the other hand, are spectacularly matched as Cottonmouth and Mariah. Cornell needs his cousin’s legitimate prominence to help his business interests, and she needs his street-level power. But both resent the other for perceived slights. Cornell thinks Mariah is ashamed of him, Mariah hates that Cornell believes he has the real power behind her achievements.

Just like all the trailers showed, the best moments of Luke Cage are the fight scenes, which contain such ludicrously unbalanced matches that they create slapstick comedy. This isn't the visual dynamism of Daredevil, who trained for decades to overcome his blindness. Cage is impenetrable, and the impossibility of his dominance offers so many possibilities for comic beats. There’s only one funny fight in the pilot, but there will surely be more as Cage rises to full hero status.

The Verdict: It starts slow and deliberate, but that’s just because it doesn’t want to overplay a strong hand. A stellar cast, a sumptuous visual aesthetic, and a killer soundtrack are all here for another powerful entry in the Marvel television universe.

TL;DR: Sweet Christmas! Binge it all this weekend. You know you want to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymw5uvViqPU