The Archetypal Power of Luke Cage

I discovered that Season 2 of Luke Cage was out yesterday, and it threw my working schedule into a bit of chaos. Instead of getting done what I originally planned to get done (a starter adventure for my roleplaying game Hammercalled), I spent most of my downtime today watching Luke Cage.

I personally think that Luke Cage is the best of the Netflix Marvel shows, and there are a few reasons for that, but one of the things that I think it does best is the focus on storytelling that fits really well into the Hero's Journey archetype.

For reference, Jessica Jones and Daredevil both fit a sort of altered Hero's Journey; I feel that the first seasons of each get a little too bent out of shape and wind up wavering back and forth. I loved the second season of Jessica Jones, but I also felt like it had a lot of stuff that didn't really build the story. The Punisher's good too, and it's also a good example of the Hero's Journey, but it falls into trouble with some of its villains feeling too flat and mustache-twirling.

Luke Cage, on the other hand, plays really well into the archetypal Hero's Journey.

It should go without saying that if you haven't watched Luke Cage, you'll be spoiling Season 1 for yourself (and part of Season 2; I'm only a few episodes in, so I can't speak for the rest of the Season but I think I can see where it's going relatively well).

If you haven't seen Luke Cage, then hopefully the trailer will convince you to do so:

So, let's talk about the archetypal stories of Luke Cage and how it does such a good job at really making things work.

The thing that I find compelling about Luke Cage is the development it gives to all its characters; there are several protagonists (each of whom take a secondary role to Luke Cage, but are still well-developed in their own arcs) and several villains.

One of the things that makes Luke Cage's villains special is that they have the chance to develop and clearly understand the way to do so not in the megalomaniac fashion of Killgrave faking growth, but in the actual authentic learning of lessons.

This makes them not only much more human–you can sympathize with them as tragic figures controlled by the Shadow of their persona–but it also gives them more of a rational approach to their actions. Even though they are occasionally capricious, they never focus too far from their goals.

The result?

The characters that Luke Cage fight drive the storyline more than pajama-clad ninjas could; they are a part of the story on a fundamental level, they show the themes and the lessons in their own lives with self-awareness of the society and systems that reflect and channel their struggles.

Luke Cage gets to choose to go on his Hero's Journey, because there are countless opportunities where he could call it off. It would be convenient for him to just disappear, or even to negotiate a truce, at many points throughout the story, and he wouldn't necessarily be pushed beyond it.

But it is the image of Harlem–the image of a thriving and intrinsically successful African-American community–that drives Luke Cage, and sets him as the diametrical opposite of Mariah Dillards, an amoral politician who wants to enforce a cycle of dependency that enshrines her as de facto queen, worsening and elongating dependency, crime, and racial divides.

The thing that makes Luke Cage great is that it treats each character as multifaceted; even seemingly minor characters can get a lot of depth, and as much as one wants to despise the villains (Shades is particular odious, in my opinion), there is also a level of humanity in each of them, the spark of potential redemption and brighter opportunities.

And this is where the archetypal power shines; the Hero is put in context by others, whether they take on other archetypal roles (like the Mentor or the Adversary), attempt to be a lesser Hero themselves, or even shift and change as needed for the story.

Doing this puts the power of the Hero into context. Luke Cage is incredibly powerful, not simply for being stronger and tougher than everyone else but because he is forced to confront his Shadow and overcome it; he must confront his pride and his ego, seek redemption for the offenses he has committed in their name, and only then can he become who he is meant to be: Harlem's Hero.

Author's note: This is sort of a review of Luke Cage in the sense that it's a slightly more wordy way to say "It's awesome, and you should see it."

It's also just a really well-done show; the camera work, dialogue, and acting is phenomenal, and it's part of the Defenders, so it's worth watching for its rich interactions with the other shows it shares a universe with.

Season 2 is really blowing my mind so far, and I'm looking forward to the bittersweet moment in which I finish it.