Luke Cage’ Season 2 Officially Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

Luke Cage season 2 is now streaming on Netflix, and the early consensus among critics is that it is yet another great piece of Marvel Netflix entertainment. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, Luke Cage season 2 is certified fresh at 84%, after thirty-one reviews that have been posted onto the site.

Read on below for a sampling of the good and bad things critics are saying about Luke Cage season 2 – starting with our own Comicbook.com official review!

Comicbook.com

Here’s what Kofi Outlaw had to say in his Comicbook.com review of Luke Cage season 2: 

“Luke Cage arrives for Season Two fully intent on living up to the demands of a sophomore season. The story gets deeper and darker, while the characters get even more complex. In this more mature approach to a black superhero story, the fantastical Marvel Cinematic Universe tropes often take backseat to a much deeper drama, which takes unflinching look at some serious cultural and social issues.”

Hollywood Reporter

Critic Dan Fienberg says: 

“The second season of Luke Cage is far from a disaster. It’s a step up from other recent Marvel/Netflix shows when it comes to a memorable villain with season-long objectives. It’s still a season with wildly fluctuating spikes and valleys in energy. One moment it walks with the same swagger and purpose and ideology that carried the initial seven episodes of the first season, the next moment it slumps into a fallow funk as if saving its energy and budget. There’s some suggestion that Luke Cage knows where its biggest problem lies.“

Washington Post

Critic David Bentancourt thinks it’s the villains who carry season 2 to greatness: 

“[Alfre] Woodard’s transformation from reluctantly corrupt politician to queen of Harlem crime is Season 2’s outstanding breakaway performance. There is no Netflix/Marvel villain more ruthless, not even the Kingpin over at “Daredevil.””

Daily Beast

Critic Ira Madison III loves the real-world parallels: 

“Imagine Drake or Beyoncé or Donald Glover not only returning to the communities they grew up in, but allowing the public to have near-unfettered access to them and you can imagine Luke’s new life as not only Harlem’s resident strongman but now also as a member of The Defenders.”

Forbes

Critic Merill Barr breaks it down succinctly: 

“When the first round of Defenders connected Netflix series appeared from Marvel Television, there were none more anticipated than Luke Cage – the first live-action arrival of fan-favorite character, Power Man. Now, heading into its post-Defenders season, two things are clear:

1. The show is more confident in itself than ever before.
2. It has no qualms about taking however much time it wants to tell the audience that.”

Black Girl Nerds

Critic Jamie Broadnax says: 

“A sophomore season of a new show is a pendulum that could swing in either direction — you could either love it or hate it.  In the case of season 2 of Luke Cage, I would weigh in on the former and say that this season was far better and stronger than season 1. The chef’s finger kiss that made this season so incredible was how the story arc meanders and develops from one character to the next and builds a solid foundation that ties back to personal ulterior motives developed back in season 1.”

Screen Rant

Critic Kevin Yeoman says: 

“Part of what makes season 2 work and makes it an improvement over season 1, as well as much of what Marvel TV has produced in recent years, is how Coker repositions Luke Cage as a single figure on a much larger canvas, rather than as the central figure in a story about him…. who Luke is now, how the persona he’s built and… brand he’s cultivating fits into the show’s version of a Harlem that’s in the midst of a similar evolution. It’s a matter Coker and the series’ writers are interested in exploring from a variety of different angles, as Harlem’s hero comes to terms with the concept of celebrity and the idea that being a “Hero for Hire” raises questions as to what Luke is meant to represent.”

Collider

Critic Allison Keene thinks that Marvel pacing issue is still… an issue: 

“There are plenty of things this season does well, really well, but there is so much filler and narrative dragging of feet in between that it’s hard to recommend it outright. Here’s the bottom line — if you’re still watching all of these Marvel / Netflix series and you’re a dyed-in-the-wool fan, then Luke Cage Season 2 will give you more of what you’re used to. If you didn’t like Luke Cage Season 1, I don’t think you’ll really care for Season 2, but overall it is a stronger story. So if you were ok with Season 1 but are hoping that Season 2 improves, you should feel pretty satisfied by it. Maybe that’s all we can ask for (that and a Misty Knight-focused detective series, of course).”

Slash Film

Critic Chris Evangelista keeps it clear and basic: 

“Marvel and Netflix’s Luke Cage returns for a complex, emotional season that increases the stakes while also suffering the same pacing problems of every other Marvel/Netflix show.”

Empire

Critic Olly Richards has a hot comparison to make: 

Most of Marvel’s superhero series suffer a mid-season sag, without enough plot to fill their episode quota. This season never succumbs to that because it’s not rooted in plot but character. There are episodes where little happens in terms of event, but characters deepen and crack, becoming less who they want to be and more who they have to be, even Luke. Luke Cage could now remove any superhero elements almost entirely and still function as a series. It’s become Game Of Thrones-esque in its battle for Harlem, and like that show, whoever claims the prize will do so with bloodied hands.