Luke Cage SEASON ONE

 

Taking place five months after the events of Jessica Jones, Cage moves among the shadows not wanting to draw attention,  he has found a job working for his late wife’s father, at Pop’s barbershop during the day and as a dishwasher after hours at a night club called Harlem’s Paradise to make ends meet. The night he is asked to cover for an absent bartender, his life is forever altered.

Showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker blends music with a compelling drama over 13 episodes.  As an inside  heist  sparks a war between the Stoke’s family who are the town’s top gangster and his council woman sister, the Puerto Rican gang looking to buy the Stokes’ guns, a mysterious gun supplier named Diamondback and his Lieutenant named Shades , with the people of Harlem becoming collateral damage in the process. 

Cheo Hodari Coker

What was set to be a harmonious trade between factions ends in a vicious bloody reckoning to reclaim what is perceived to be rightfully theirs.  Compounding the unrest is Stoke’s Lieutenant named Tone and his ambitious misfortune; Tone’s ambition leads to a domino of effect of crooked cops, murders and cover ups, and the inevitable showdown between the rising hero of Harlem Luke Cage and the most dangerous man to threaten all of Harlem Diamondback.

Carrying on from season one of Jessica Jones; Cage continues to mourn the loss of his wife Reva. In his journey he is joined by nurse Claire Temple, to discover the secret of his unbreakable skin, and what truly went on behind the scenes at Seagate prison.  In that process, he learns about an unspoken family secret that has carried over a deception making him a wanted fugitive.  

Each episode features a different musical act performing an entire song, with the inter-cut of characters overlooking and carrying on with their story arcs.  Music becomes more profound as each episode is named after a Gang Starr song.  Coker is careful to curate a cultural renaissance of music and the art that is Harlem in each episode, coming out of watching the series, in Cokers own words 'the audience would have experienced a full album of music'.

Exploring race and politics that fuel the story to move forward, Coker was aware of the black lives matter movement; not to the critical mass of 2020/2021, but the racial undertones that has existed for generations.  The show deposits how does a bulletproof black man change the overall ecosystem of his neighborhood? From the police force to street level crime, and the many causes and effects of such an implication. 

 

 

Daredevil SEASON TWO

 

For its second season, it’s clear the show shares a co-spotlight with its additional heroes for our lead to work off of.  The first four episodes is strictly Frank Castle, his back story, and his mission to eliminate the three rival gangs that inadvertently massacred his entire family and left him for dead.  Picking right up at the conclusion of Castle’s story the series explores the history of Matt Murdoch and Elektra Natchios, of when they first met in an ambitious solo story.  The episode focuses on Elektra’s nefarious dealings with the Roxxon Corporation and its affiliation with the Yakuza.  The remaining episodes balance parallel running stories with Frank and Elektra. Beginning with Castle’s incarceration; his day in court, to how he is freed and believed dead, to finally how he dons his trademark bulletproof skull vest.  While running in rhythm with Elektra’s true purpose of being back in New York; glimpsing the woman behind the aristocratic grin, and the war brewing beneath the city of New York.  

With a change of showrunners and bringing Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk Character late into the story, The season keeps tabs on all the main characters while keeps the world of Matt Murdock off balance as the nights as daredevil interrupts his days as an attorney. 

The series brings back its iconic one take single camera shot, for another dynamic choreographed fight sequence, this time down a spiral staircase of a building, with DareDevil single handedly fighting an entire biker gang with one hand taped to an unloaded hand gun.  This world is exhilarating with the hand to hand combat that’s not only refreshing with each encounter; it tries to elevate the game, having stakes and meaning behind each bone crunching chop and punch.  The season takes its time to draw out conversations and questions the merits of vigilantism juxtapose to the judicial system.

It transforms Karen Page with the spirit of Ben Urich for uncovering a journalistic truth from an unprecedented conspiracy; a conspiracy at the D.A’s office and possibly higher levels of government, which sees Karen pursing this truth at the New York Bulletin.

On a broader picture, the series sets up portions of future shows, Karen Page establishing a trust and bond with Frank Castle for the spin off season of Punisher.  The scene motivated by the gunfire in D.A. Reyes office, brings Matt Murdoch face to face with Wilson Fisk in prison and recklessly creates the catalyst of what season 3 ultimately becomes.  Claire Temple leaving her job at Metro General upset when money clouds moral obligations which prompt’s her decision to move back home, close to her mother in Harlem and the world of Luke Cage.  Foggy Nelson joins Jeri Hogarth law firm, and assistant D.A. Blake Tower’s social climbing in the political arena sees him in higher position of power to making his presence known from a hostage crisis at Harlem’s Paradise to an election voting campaign in Hell’s Kitchen.

Jessica Jones SEASON ONE

 

Jessica Jones – Debuted on Netflix on Nov. 20, 2015, and in the Marvel Netflix universe it is the 2^nd installment of the franchise, existing sometime after the events of Season one of DareDevil.

As a member of the Defenders, Jessica Jones inhabits the core city of New York; her region is regulated to the business and thrifty sectors of the city like Greenwich Village; though her office of Alias Investigation is located in Hell’s kitchen.  The cameo appearance of District Attorney Reyes in the final episode confirms the placement of this season to precede Daredevil season 2; as assistant D.A.  Blake Tower reveals late in season 2 of Daredevil that a file on vigilantes and super humans were on Reyes’ list with Jessica Jones leading the pile; as result from Jessica’s confrontation with Killgrave, and the devil of hell’s kitchen to be on a short list down to follow.

Season one is ground zero for the character; the logo has her name appearing like broken glass, to most likely represent her story and her journey.  She is a meta-human by all accounts, but is suffering from PTSD from being under the mind control of a super villain. The result of which was her taking the life of an innocent woman, and the violation of her own body.  A year has passed since escaping the ordeal, as Jessica uses a mantra to centre herself; an intimate memory of childhood streets of where she lived to help gain a footing of control of her life whenever she feels building anxiety. 6 months into her recovery, she stopped seeking therapy moved out of her adopted sister’s penthouse apartment and went on with her life as newly licensed private investigator. In the last 6 months Jessica has taken several assignments from defense lawyer Jeri Hogarth’s firm, capturing incriminating photos of infidelity by suspecting spouses in an attempt to gain the upper hand for a clients divorce settlement. The seventh client was a referral from the precinct, a couple from Omaha seeking the return of their missing daughter; the discovery leads the pilot episode to the revelation of Killgrave the super villain who victimized Jessica a year ago, and the revelation becomes Flight or Fight.  In the end, she has to face her fears head on, every step of the way to save her client’s daughter.  That daughter whose mind was controlled and manipulated into killing her very own clients, thats leads to life imprisonment without proof to the contrary..

The rapport with Lawyer Jeri Hogarth was civil and professional, until Killgrave forces Jessica’s hand to ask for favors aggressively.  The mutual need between Jeri and Jessica hinders on uncontrolled circumstances to accommodate the other’s obstacle of problems, though progressively rocky, their relationship endures as the season progresses.  Similar to Jessica’s relationship with her adopted Sister Trish Walker, keeping her at arm’s length, to prevent Killgrave of harming her or by making Jessica harming her.  The combination of worry and living in fear with flashing nightmares is what makes Jones’ a tough as nails private investigator on the surface, but so deeply fractured internally.  

 

Jessica Jones sole motivation is to free the daughter of her Omaha clients from a living hell she could not stop herself the first time.  This journey takes on additional victims of baggage with police officer Will Simpson, Malcolm Ducasse, and upstairs neighbor Robyn.  All of whom play a part in shaping Jessica Jones to being a flippant, hard edge private investigator, who has a high tolerance to liquor.

The series is compelling because it’s a drama disguised as superhero genre.  The flashback sequences  are sparing and does not slow down the experience, it’s a necessity to give further context of the story once certain communication  or interaction between characters unfold.  Early in the season one brief flashback appears insignificant as a standalone flashback, but serves the basis of the trilogy of Trish’s desire to be a superhero and Jessica not gripping that notion; a childhood substance abuse and addiction was the reason of Jessica’s adoption, to spin bad press for child star Trish Walker. The mother who we only see in small doses in the latter half of the season is played by Rebecca DeMornay who sheds her sultry Hollywood persona for a character who is controlling and manipulative.

The first season won a daytime Emmy, but its highest award winning accolade was winning a Peabody Award.  It’s an award given for excellence in their field of television for their quality of storytelling over popularity or commercial success.  The series is in fact a modern day noir, with themes of post-traumatic stress disorder, assault, rape and suicide.  The show handles these themes with respect and dignity as it tackles a character coping with these themes and not dismissing them as a story of the week, but an ongoing struggle like mental illness, which cannot be cured or remedied in one miracle episode.

Chadwick Boseman

There is nothing I can write that any news and media outlets haven‘t already published, or highlight bodies of work, or in-depth profiles that can’t already be seen of the late actor Chadwick Boseman.

In recognition of a month, that is used to educate and provide reflection of black history and culture, we are going recognize Mr. Boseman for being an ambassador of humanity.  On the global stage he will be remembered as King T’Challa the Black Panther.  The first king in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but his body of work in film, offers us an inspiring guide of man who was humbled, honorable, and filled with integrity; that the people he portrayed though flawed, all strived  to be better than what was expected of them.

Graduating from Brown University, he returned to his alma mater to give a commencement speech to the graduating class.  He spoke about his first real paying and respectable acting gig, working for a soap opera, and playing his role so well that the producers wanted to extend his role beyond the initial 2 or 3 episodes arc.  The role wasn’t based on character merit, but simply the color of one’s skin and stereotypical assumption.  He made a difficult decision of either continuing to being a struggling actor and finding a role that would challenge him by his performance, or accepting a role that gave him financial security and networking opportunities but deprived him of moral dividends.

It took ten years of guest spots on television, landing only one or two gigs a year, before transitioning and finding work in film. The Jackie Robinson story “42” was his overnight success story.  It was one of three high profile biographical roles he took on. James Brown and Supreme Justice Thurgood Marshall are roles he coveted and took on with integrity, raw honesty, and humility.  Roles amplified in his iconic depiction of King T’Challa, that the ideals of a man is neither bound nor dictated by the color of one’s skin. The reality is minorities and  those in lesser groups struggle with inequality; and black lives matter and the me too movement are reminders of the ongoing deep rooted issues that every nation faces.  Mr. Boseman's work offers a glimmer of hope that we have a power collectively in ourselves to see brighter and safer day tomorrow.

There is a group press interview, where Mr. Boseman spoke about a child whose dying wish was to see black panther, his response has now magnified in meaning, as he kept his personal life away from the spotlight, while becoming more self aware of the cultural impact that the role has taken on, and how he not only pivoted himself as an actor, but extended his association with the movie and his character, beyond the film’s publicity trail and into further daily fan interactions.

Barack Obama was the first black American president, a title referred to as the highest position of office; once a dream is now a tangible achievability by any man or woman.  Juxtapose, Wakanda could only be found in comic books, described as a highly advanced civilized Utopian society where its people live in balanced harmony and understanding.   Any and every culture or community can rise above its difficulties with understanding and harmony and strive to be better.  This sole belief is more commonly achievable than a single person running for office and was visually realized on the big screen with Black Panther. Mr. Boseman's portrayal and a realized culturally relevant world became questioned by millions of Americans, of why not, are we not like Wakanda?  in a country who chants we are the greatest country in the world.

Mr. Boseman’s final two movies were released in 2020, on the streaming service Netflix. Spike Lee’s Da Five Bloods, and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Both are fictional characters and much less altruistic than any of the biographical roles he had previously assumed.    The character of Levee is the furthest away of all his previous film characters.  Levee is said to be subtle reflection of all of Boseman’s skill as an actor, challenging himself again by playing a tragic character, ambitious and strong willed, but lacking a business awareness of his own value.  Ma Rainey understands this balance, and tailors her survival on what gave her a position and market value, and protecting what makes her still viable.  On the film’s progression we learn about Levee's difficult childhood upbringing and his desire to succeed in music.  It is his ego, ambition and lack of business awareness, that contributes to an explosive and charismatic portrayal of reckless youth.  Levee as a character, works in opposite from all of Mr. Boseman's previous film roles.  Articulated in a refinement that playwright August Wilson had initially devised, the movie showcases the powerful action of the spoken word.  A contemporary example can be found in the writings of Aaron Sorkin’s Trial of the Chicago 7, which came out earlier in the same year.