Why Diamondback Doesn't Work as Luke Cage's Arch-Foe

During my first watch of Luke Cage, I noticed not long before he died that Cottonmouth had become a pretty pathetic villain, always on the run. I thought Mariah should replace him as the arch-villain. I felt vindicated when she killed him. In some ways it was a shame, since their relationship was just starting to get interesting to me, with the flashbacks to their upbringing.

But Mariah did not become the arch-villain. At least not this season.

It's a little over halfway through the season before we even meet Diamondback. Plenty of time to spend trying to suss out who, exactly, is supposed to be our biggest bad.

And the reveal of Willis Stryker was, I felt, ultimately disappointing.

( I am your brother )