Luke Cage needs to rely on its more interesting characters instead of the well-trod plot

Even a mediocre episode of Luke Cage feels like a really good episode of any police
procedural. It makes sense that the most satisfying moments to be had here involve
watching Simone Missick as a solving crime and kicking ass. She’s consistently one of the strongest
players on Luke Cage but it still
often feels like the series doesn’t know what exactly it wants to do with its
characters. The series did a lot of work in the early episodes to create interesting
and nuanced characters but over the past few episodes, character development has
stalled while the show focuses on much less engaging plot. It feels like the show
isn’t serving its characters that can save a middling episode and, instead,
focusing more on characters or storylines that are boring or poorly executed.

The character that baffles me most at this juncture is
Tilda. We are supposed to believe that her relationship with her mother is one
of the most important emotional threads of the season, but it feels like we
missed a piece of information or a character beat shared between Tilda and
Mariah to explain how close their relationship is now. When it comes to Tilda
specifically, I can’t tell if the writing or the performance by Gabrielle
Dennis is the problem. Tilda spends much of this episode wildly veering between
shell-shock and wide-eyed confusion. Any trace of the savvy, seductive, and
intelligent woman we met earlier in the season is gone.

The writing infantilizes Tilda. She keeps referring to
Mariah as “Mommy” when there had been so much tension and anger around the
language the two used to refer to each other. The pleading performance from
Dennis feels juvenile. It doesn’t help that Dennis is playing against Alfre
Woodard for most of her scenes. Even when you feel like Woodard is playing it
more casually, her stately charisma & poise are unmatched. She is electric
to watch. Dennis is in her mid-thirties and so is Tilda, but everything about
the character plays like a woman under the age of twenty-one.

Then there’s all the stuff with the herbs. There’s just no
way to make that cool.

Shades has the most interesting character arc by far at this
point in the season. He just killed his best friend and former lover and feels
abandoned by Mariah. The scene between Shades and Comanche’s mother is very
well done, but more time spent exploring Shades’ vulnerability apart from his
relationship with Mariah would benefit the character and this show greatly. An
episode focused on Shades attempting to heal from this trauma or a flashback to
his teenage years with Comanche would be spectacular. Instead, we’re treated to
scenes like Shades and Mariah arguing in her burned-up brownstone before
furiously making out. It feels tired, it feels played out, and Shades deserves
better (not to mention Theo Rossi, consistently delivering stellar work despite
less-than-stellar material).

Watching Misty slink around an interrogation room in Shades’
shades is fun and she elevates the “long suffering and noble detective” trope. Theo
Rossi plays Shades with considerable restraint. It would be easy for either of
these characters to become clichés. Unfortunately, any character development or
exploration is always sidelined for the intrigue. The thirteen episode seasons
tend to stretch out the plot for longer than necessary and a few diversions
into the characters would be more than welcome. Fortunately, this episode moves
at a quick pace and we finish with a big action set piece that can carry us
into the next episode.

• There has been conversation on Twitter about Netflix
  changing the captions on shows like Queer
  Eye. Fans are saying that Netflix is removing swear words from the
  captions. Can we get a deep dive on Netflix caption policies?
• I feel like if Luke Cage and Bushmaster just agreed to leave
  each other alone, this would all be over.
• No special musical guest this episode. The heightened style
  of the musical performances are another element that can help out a mediocre
  episode.
• Let’s play a drinking game for the rest of the season: Drink
  every time Mariah says that Tildais all she has left.
• James saying “you can’t be shooting my baby” made me full
  body cringe.