Pop’s Barber Shop served as Luke Cage’s base of operations throughout both seasons of Luke Cage. Characters referred to the establishment as “Switzerland” because whatever else might have been going on outside, it was a safe space for everyone. This status held until Tone, a rogue henchman of Cottonmouth, opened fire on the barber shop, killing Pop and opening the door to further violence within Harlem’s former sanctuary. At the end of Season 2, D.W. Griffith, Luke’s self-appointed chronicler and merchandiser, declares his intent to purchase the barber shop and make it Switzerland once again. While this is a good impulse, Luke has the opportunity to take the idea to another level by making Harlem’s Paradise serve a similar function.
Shortly before her death in the Season 2 finale, “They Reminisce Over You,” former councilwoman turned crime boss Mariah Dillard amends her will in order to leave the nightclub Harlem’s Paradise to Luke. She does this in the hopes that the power will corrupt the previously incorruptible hero. Indeed, the episode ends by suggesting the beginnings of that corruption.
By taking over as the owner of Harlem’s Paradise, Luke becomes the de facto leader of Harlem. His deals to keep out various external criminal organizations, such as the Italian mafia, leave him more or less in charge of crime in the neighborhood. Luke describes this role as sheriff. He merely wants to use his power and status to keep the peace in the neighborhood he loves so much. Other characters—and many viewers—see things differently. Detective Misty Knight warns him against becoming a dictator, and D.W. points out that, by controlling crime the way he has chosen to, Luke has, in fact, become a crime boss.
Given the otherwise heroic nature of Luke Cage throughout the "Defenders Saga," many viewers were disappointed to see the character go down this path. The fact that the series was canceled before the writers had a chance to resolve this storyline compounds that disappointment. Had the show been able to continue, the creators could have used Luke Cage’s ascension to “King” of Harlem to explore the nature of power and heroism before returning the character to his more familiar role as a street-level champion of the people.
Still, Luke falling prey to the seductive power of Harlem’s Paradise and the status it carries feels like a betrayal of the character that developed through Jessica Jones, The Defenders and Luke Cage Season 1. Certainly, it makes sense that the ability to wield almost complete control over Harlem’s criminal element would tempt Luke. After all, his primary motivation for most of the series is to protect his community and its people. At the same time, he’s seen, firsthand, the corrosive nature of that kind of power. Cottonmouth, Mariah, Diamondback, Shades, Bushmaster and even Mariah’s estranged daughter Tilda all either compromised their previously held values to gain the power Harlem’s Paradise represented or abused that power once they got it. After seeing so many people fall from that position, Luke Cage should have been wary of putting himself there.
A more interesting and character-faithful approach would have been for Luke to accept ownership of Harlem’s Paradise, but rather than use the nightclub as a seat of power, convert it into a community center. This would enable him to combat neighborhood crime through means other than fear and intimidation. As an even larger “Switzerland,” Harlem’s Paradise could truly live up to its name by providing the community with a sanctuary that is bigger and more versatile than a single barber shop.
Mariah Dillard bequeathed Harlem’s Paradise to Luke Cage because she believed he was more like her than he wanted to admit. If the power could corrupt her, it could corrupt him. The end of Luke Cage Season 2 seemed to show that she might have been right. Hopefully, if Disney greenlights a Season 3, the writers will prove her wrong. The Luke Cage that stood alongside the other Defenders was a street-level superhero for the people. No matter what kind of transformative power it might grant him, he would never seek out or accept the position of king. Rather, he would take the keys to the kingdom and return them to the people. By turning the nightclub into a community center, Luke Cage could help turn Marvel’s Harlem into a real paradise.