The 11 most important moments in Luke Cage season 2

Marvel’s Luke Marvel’s Luke Cage season 2 production still. Photo: David Lee/Netflix

The second season of Marvel’s Luke Cage features vibrant characters, lots of action, and a story that sometimes goes on too long. We break down the most important moments from season 2.

Marvel’s Netflix series are known for their gritty settings, darker tone, and complicated characters. Luke Cage is no different, telling the story of a bulletproof black hero who stands against a wave of crime in his beloved Harlem.

The series’ first season was primarily an origin story, establishing Luke as Harlem’s hero and introducing us all to the major players in that universe. Things get much more complicated in season 2, as Luke’s mission gets messier, Harlem’s politics become more complicated, and the lines between heroes and villains blur just a little bit further.

Yes, the show’s story is often clunkily handled — there are pacing problems aplenty, and the show drags in many places, particularly during the season’s first half. Characters appear and then disappear as it suits the story. And the action sequences can occasionally feel stale, thanks to the fact that few people seem capable of doing anything other than shooting at Luke. Despite all this, Luke Cage season 2 swings for the fences in way few superhero series on TV manage. It interrogates issues of black culture, examines the thin line between good and evil, and questions whether we can ever leave our pasts behind.

Yes, Luke Cage’s second season makes more than a few mistakes. But its ambitious tone and stellar performances are more than worth of praise. Here are 11 of the most important things that happen this season.