As Netflix continues to add original shows, new series Luke Cage premiered with significant excitement. Unlike many other Netflix originals, the new Marvel series lived up to the hype.

The show stars Luke Cage, a former convict-turned superhero with super strength and skin impervious to knives and bullets. As a man on the run, Cage has taken refuge in Harlem, where he is working two jobs and maintaining a low profile as a simple, hard working average Joe. With Harlem in a state of rebuilding, crime boss Cotton Mouth and his cousin, councilwoman Mariah Dillard, have taken over much of the city and are using it to traffic and sell drugs, guns, and a variety of other illegal items. After the death of a close friend and mentor, Luke is forced to come out from the shadows and combat the rising forces of the Harlem criminal underworld.

“I thought it was good because it’s a pretty straightforward show with predictable outcomes, due to it being a Marvel show. Most of the time I don’t like that, but this time it was nice because you don’t have to get too invested. It’s just some A1 entertainment.” Harrison Burke ’18 said.

After receiving significant hype and an unusual amount of advertising on Netflix, I was unsure of what to expect, somewhat assuming the show would be a bust. However, the show did a great job of living up to the hype. The creators of the show impressed with their in depth developments of major characters while using mystery to add intrigue and keep the audience engaged. With a number of twists and turns throughout the season, I struggled to stop watching, always wondering what was going to happen next.

Netflix has been creating an assortment of new shows lately, many of which have turned out poorly. However, their latest Marvel series, Luke Cage, has exceeded the standard set by previous shows. Anyone in search of a new show should tune in before the Netflix original is the talk of the town.