Luke Cage is the newest entry in the Netflix Defenders family of tv shows. It follows in the footsteps of Daredevil and Jessica Jones, both of which were excellent, but I think managed to outdo both of them. Insomuch as Daredevil is the Iron Man of Hell's Kitchen, and Jessica Jones is the Hulk with a worse attitude, Luke Cage is Harlem's Captain America. Not only did they call him that at one point in the show, but he is the most morally centered hero of the Defenders so far. Though he frequently says "I'm not the hero type", he is really the only one so far acting out of altruism.
I think that Luke Cage was a higher quality television show than the others because it made excellent use of social commentary. It used the story of Luke Cage as a finely crafted metaphor for social ills of our time, all without losing sight of the superhero show I wanted to see. It espoused a similar view of the world to Zootopia, and like Zootopia kept its eye on the ball, making good use of allegory without sacrificing the story.
The show was also the best so far at tying itself into the larger universe. Not only did they name drop when appropriate, but minor characters (very minor, but memorable too) from the other Defenders shows were sprinkled liberally at the edges of the show.
All in all, I really honestly think it was the best one yet. Even if you haven't watched the others, you don't really need to have. While it uses some of the same characters (especially Claire Temple), it isn't super important for you to already know who they are.
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