Luke Cage Season 1, Episode 4 "Step in the Arena" (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Kane52630]

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[flickchick85]

Ha, I love how they gave us the [blackout]classic costume[/blackout]!

Also, this episode has done a good job getting me invested in Reva and their relationship.

 

[TheVileOne]

Spoiler

I was amused how he had the classic costume on, even thought it was like five seconds. However, they keep giving him stuff evocative of the yellow throughout the season.

Something confuses me though. What was it about Reva that got her involved with Kilgrave that wanted her murdered. Was Kilgrave's testing as a child done at Seagate? I mean that was the same flash drive that was recovered in Jessica Jones right? IMHO, it was never really clear what the connection with Reva and Kilgrave was.

 

[Mister J]

Spoiler

"You look like a damn fool."

 

[Slick]

Lol nice call back. Another great episode.

 

[Pokkle]

A good episode.

Spoiler

I liked the flashback.
Reva look more involved than she said.
I wonder if Shades also got something, he look way more confident in the present.

 

[TheVileOne]

Spoiler

Well Reva obviously lied to Luke multiple times about the experiments in group. She gave him his word and all that. Well that was a lie.

But where did Kilgrave figure into all this? Did they mention him getting tested at Seagate? Where was the connection of Reva and Kilgrave?

 

[Web-Head]

Cool to see flashbacks and Luke, or should I say Carl's origin?

I really liked Squabbles and the Jet Li/ Bruce Lee thing was pretty funny.

"Just like a**holes, everyone's got one"

Nice homage to the original costume.

Overall, pretty good episode although it was probably my least favorite so far.

Spoiler

Especially since we didn't really get any further along in the plot.

 

[BarryAllen]

Spoiler

Well Reva obviously lied to Luke multiple times about the experiments in group. She gave him his word and all that. Well that was a lie.

But where did Kilgrave figure into all this? Did they mention him getting tested at Seagate? Where was the connection of Reva and Kilgrave?

Spoiler

Probably the experiments at Seagate were funded by IGH, the same company that did the experiments on Kilgrave.

About the episode:

Spoiler

It was a decent episode, but a bit confusing and kinda underwhelming and rushed. I would've preferred if they stuck closer to the original source material regarding the origin, because what we got here seems kinda flimsy.

This episode could've really had more of a focus on the corruption in the prison system, illegal experiments, and Cage's relationship to Shades and Comanche rather that Squabbles and Reva.

 

[Chance Jackson]

I thought they were only going to go as far as gauntlets and headgear...
"You look like a damn fool"
Lmao
I thought this was also a great episode

 

[TX85]

Not the overall best but definetly still a great episode

 

[Mike Murdock]

This is a slower, more subdued episode (reminds me of DD season one where DD's trapped in that room). It works interspersing the origin with the bottle episode - particularly towards the end with the punching through the wall. I also loved the beginning when he gets punched. It's weird seeing him vulnerable and that contrast stood out so well - it makes his current state somehow even more impressive.

I thought the whole Gladiator fight thing was a bit weird. Granted, Seagate's always a crazy stereotype. Regardless, the music for the fights was great (music continues to be a highlight). Also, I laughed outloud with the outfit.

Four Stars

 

[chamber-music]

This was certainly a interesting take on Seagate. They changed some stuff from the comics.

Spoiler

Little Alcatraz. The secret millionaires line was seemingly a nod to Justin hammer being in Seagate.

First rule of Prison fight club is don't talk about prison fight club.

Rackham was more of a corrupt scumbag rather than racist bullying sadist.

Everyone seemed corrupt in Seasgate. The Warden Stuart wasn't in on Seagate's shady practices. Warden Stuart's sons were supervillains Stiletto and Discus who went after Cage because their father was fired after Cage escaped/ 'died'.

Reva has a more expanded role in the show than she ever had in the comics. Reva was dead by the time Cage was in Seagate. Noah Burstein was the one who befriend Carl and believed he was innocent. Burstein seems more morally dubious in the show from the little we saw him.

Reva mentioning her brother who is dead. In the comics he was a adolescent friend of Cage who introduced him to Reva when they were both hoodlums in Harlem. He later betrayed Cage.

Carl spiral felt more earned in the comics because so much terrible stuff happened to him while he was locked up. Reva was killed, he was framed, wrongly convicted, told his father had dies, his family wanted nothing to do with him, Rackham abused him and other prisoners tried to beat him up when he would not join their gangs. You really understood why he felt Carl Lucas 'died' and he was a different man as Luke Cage. The name was more than just a new identity.

I'm now calling Zoë Kravitz Godfather Part 2

Commanche and Shades.

Nice nod to the comics with Cage escape look.

 

[Sundancer]

Was Seagate in NY in the comics?

 

[Web-Head]

Was Seagate in NY in the comics?

No, Georgia.

 

[Sundancer]

OK. I recently re-read Power Man #48 and #49 where they go to Seagate. It felt like New York. Maybe it was back then? IDK.

I thought they were only going to go as far as gauntlets and headgear...
"You look like a damn fool"
Lmao
I thought this was also a great episode

I geeked out when I saw that. Awesome.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I think the biggest difference is it was Federal prison in the comics, which explains why New Yorkers would be sent there. I think it's fair to say there's more than one Seagate, which is OK (particularly for a private prison).

 

[metaphysician]

Spoiler

I was amused how he had the classic costume on, even thought it was like five seconds. However, they keep giving him stuff evocative of the yellow throughout the season.

Something confuses me though. What was it about Reva that got her involved with Kilgrave that wanted her murdered. Was Kilgrave's testing as a child done at Seagate? I mean that was the same flash drive that was recovered in Jessica Jones right? IMHO, it was never really clear what the connection with Reva and Kilgrave was.

Spoiler

Not likely. I suspect its a matter of Reva being tied to IGH, whose research was being done at Seagate. Reva knew about Killgrave ultimately either because:

1. IGH found out about Killgrave, and Reva got the files

2. Reva ran across evidence of Killgrave while investigating superhuman experiments for Luke

Basically, Reva knows stuff because she's a scientist at least collaterally connected with an unethical superhuman experimentation program. This gives her both skills and relevant contacts, albeit obviously not enough to keep from being killed by an OCP like Killgrave.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

I liked the episode but it was the obligatory flashback one. They did a good job contrasting the past with the present though. It was very well done but as someone else said it did nothing to advance the main plot which is okay since it seems like they could've wrapped up the Cottonmouth thing this episode had they wanted to.

I really liked the "I'm Luke Cage" moment at the end which was a nice callback to RDJ in IM1.

That old school costume though haha, that was great.

 

[Lencho01]

I liked the episode. It was nice to see some background info and some more connections to JJ. The reason for his name is cool too.

Loved that we heard this at the end...

[YT]ixir3vte4Ow[/YT]

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Read Luke Cage: Hero for Hire #001 before watching this episode, and in the issue Reva Connors died, she had no degree of any kind.
Diamond Back was a pal of Carl Lucas, he betrayed him after Carl saved him from the syndicate.

Spoiler

So yeah, cop Carl is new, just like the Black Sky stuff in Netflix Daredevil.

Favorite quotes have to do with Jet Li vs Bruce Lee.

 

[Dark Raven]

I thought this was the best episode so far. I liked seeing his origin. I wish he kept the yellow shirt and blue jeans and head band though.

The actress who plays Reva is pretty. She kind of looks like a young and half-black Jane Kaczmarek though. Who is she?

 

[Iceman]

The Seagate flashbacks were cool to see.