As critically acclaimed and popular as Luke Cage was in its server-crashing first season, it suffered from problems common to Marvel's Netflix dramas, with uneven pacing, an unnecessary road trip and a disappointing third-act antagonist. However, most of those shortcomings are firmly in the past with the arrival of the impressive second season, which projects a confidence that Luke, and his father, would undoubtedly call swagger.

To characterize Season 2 as The Godfather Part II to the first season's Godfather doesn't lean too hard into hyperbole, because not only is this the rare sophomore outing that improves upon the original, but the influences of Francis Ford Coppola's seminal crime saga on the story are apparent, and celebrated.

RELATED: "Harlem Doesn't Need a Hero" in Final Trailer For Luke Cage Season 2

Following the events of Marvel's The Defenders, Luke (Mike Colter) has returned as "Harlem's hero," even if no one -- least of all Luke -- is certain what that means. But while he previously operated as somewhere between an urban legend and a folk hero, now he's a celebrity whose every move can be tracked using an app, and whose name and catchphrases are plastered across sweatshirts (available for purchase at Pop's Barber Shop). The burden is almost too much for even Luke, who, without the benefit of Pop's moral compass, finds the line between right and wrong becoming blurred, even as he wonders whether Harlem needs a sheriff, a king or, in Mariah Dillard's view, a queen.

luke cage season 2

Misty Knight (Simone Missick) has her own struggle as she comes to terms with the loss of her arm in The Defenders finale, and how that affects her sense of self and her work at the New York Police Department, where she's viewed as a rising star by the top brass, an untouchable troublemaker by her immediate supervisor, and with a mix of pity and scorn by her co-workers. Much like Luke, she questions whether the ends can justify the means, all the while attempting to escape the shadow of her late, dirty partner Rafael Scarfe (Frank Whaley).

RELATED: Misty Knight & Colleen Wing Team Up in Luke Cage Season 2 Clip

But as much as the second season is Luke's story, naturally, it also belongs to Mariah Dillard (Alfre Woodard), who here surpasses Daredevil's Wilson Fisk to become the most compelling antagonist of the Marvel Netflix shows, and arguably of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like Michael Corleone, Mariah wants nothing more than to go legitimate, even if she has to get her hands dirty to do it. However, this is Luke Cage, so nothing is that easy. Mariah is haunted by her past -- not only by the specter of her grandmother, the larger-than-life Mama Mabel, and by her own murder of cousin Cornell (Mahershala Ali), but more tangibly by new rival John McIver, aka Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir), who's fueled by a deep-seated hatred for the Stokes family.

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Shakir's relentless Bushmaster is menacing yet relatable, the kind of fully realized antagonist that invites comparisons to Killmonger from Black Panther, and largely makes viewers forget Diamondback, who nearly derailed the first season. Just as importantly, he forces Mariah into a corner, resulting in an incredible showcase for Woodard, who deserves an Emmy nomination for her performance, and places Luke in an untenable position, caught between two enemies.

luke cage season 2

Although characters have long crossed over from one Marvel Netflix drama to the other, most consistently with Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple and Rob Morgan's Turk Barrett, it's never felt more natural than in it does in Luke Cage's second season. Sure, all the key players came together last year for The Defenders, but that was very event-driven, focused on the looming threat of The Hand. Here, it's more of a throwback to the classic Marvel Universe of the comics, with Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson, Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing and Finn Jones' Danny Rand seamlessly weaving in and out of the story.

Of course, it's the latter who's the most anticipated, not only because fans have pined to see Marvel's Heroes for Hire together onscreen, but because Danny's depiction in the first season of Iron Fist made him an object of ridicule. If The Defenders began the reformation of Iron Fist, then the task is largely completed by Luke Cage, in which Danny is thoroughly likable -- he wears a hoodie emblazoned with the words "Sweet XMas" -- and Colter and Jones exhibit a chemistry that will only intensify calls for a Heroes for Hire spinoff.

But despite the heavy-hitting antagonists and parade of guest stars, Luke Cage remains at center stage, at war with himself even as he attempts to head off a showdown that threatens to tear apart Harlem. While the first season put Luke through the wringer physically, in large part because of the Judas Bullet, he's at his most emotionally vulnerable in these 13 episodes. Together, they represent Colter's most nuanced performance as the Hero of Harlem, particularly in those scenes he shares with the late Reg E. Cathey, in his final role as James Lucas.

Guided once again by showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, Luke Cage Season 2 is slowly but deliberately paced, taking the time to delve deeper into what motivates both its protagonists and its antagonists. It all builds to a genuinely surprising finale that stands to change the game for not only a potential third season but for the other Marvel Netflix dramas.


Arriving on June 22 on Netflix, the second season of Luke Cage stars Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Alfre Woodard, Theo Rossi, Rosario Dawson, Mustafa Shakir and Gabrielle Dennis.