This past week, we established that I am a huge fan of the Power Man himself, Luke Cage, so we have already established that objectivity is not going to be in great supply here. That being said, as someone who has been a longtime fan of Luke Cage, I still want to give my opinion on the first episode of the Netflix series I have been anticipating the most since this "Defenders" push was announced, "Luke Cage."

I do want to tell you how it came about that I became such a big fan of the Mr. Cage. I began reading mainstream Marvel comics back in 2006. Back then, I was a huge fan of Spider-Man, and "Amazing Spider-Man" was the comic I started off with. Marvel’s original "Civil War" story was just beginning. My dad was and is still the world’s number-one Captain America fan, so naturally, when my dad let me read that story, I gravitated towards Captain America’s side of the conflict. This is where I was first introduced to a lot of heroes who are still among my favorites: Captain America, Spider Woman, Iron Fist, Hercules, the Falcon, and, yes, Luke Cage. In Luke Cage, I saw a fiercely loyal hero who would stand up for what he believed in until the bitter end.

After that story ended, I continued following Luke Cage in what is still among my favorite comic series, Brian Michael Bendis’ "New Avengers." He led them after Captain America died and the group was forced underground by Iron Man’s "Initiative" and Norman Osborn’s subsequent "Dark Reign." Other favorites of mine came from this book, too, like the Winter Soldier (though I first became a fan of him in Ed Brubaker’s "Captain America") and Ms. Marvel (now Captain Marvel). Luke Cage never stopped fighting for what he thought was right, even when things got harder and the world stood against him and his friends.

So, yes, despite the backlash against these writers, Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis are responsible for crafting the version of one of my favorite heroes. I still don’t get why people are so down on Bendis, honestly. He’s a great writer.

I say all this so you know the version of Luke Cage I first knew. I have since gone back and read some of his more classic stories. I am aware how this character has transformed over the years from snarling street-tough to valiant, unbreakable family man and team leader. I honestly love both versions, though I do prefer the modern version of the man.

So, how do I feel about the first episode? It was really good. I will say the second and third are better, but the first was a solid start.

The first episode shows us where Mr. Cage has been since the events of "Jessica Jones." He’s a hair-sweeper at a barber shop belonging to a man called Pop, and he’s a dishwasher at a night club owned by another man called Cottonmouth. He’s surviving, but he doesn’t really seem to be living. He is trying to stay unattached from women, and the only man he connects with is Pop.

The first episode is a bit scattershot. The plot wanders forward and introduces the principal players, namely Cage himself, Cottonmouth, Pop, Mariah Dillard, “Shades” Alvarez and Detective Misty Knight ("Daughters of the Dragon" for life). Whereas "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" wove the introductions into a fluid narrative, "Luke Cage" seems a bit more content in giving a setting for each of the characters more so than a story. This doesn’t really work to its benefit, but it doesn’t completely sink the ship. The performances are good, and the characters seem interesting.

This show is definitely trying to be about something, and it maybe tries a little too hard to make that known in the first episode. People expound their ideologies a little bluntly, and characters randomly say really philosophical and potentially contentious things. Frankie Faison’s Pop and Alfre Woodard’s Mariah are particularly guilty of this, though the former is allowed to do it a bit more smoothly. There are a couple of discussions on the use of "the N word" that, while interesting, feel a little stunted in narrative flow.

I do not want to give you the wrong impression here. I like that this show has something to say. I think most art, particularly a show about a black hero living in Harlem at this pivotal moment in time, should say something. The problem is that the first episode wavers at doing so inorganically.

Though I love Luke Cage, his comics have a history of really weak antagonists. In fact, he might have one of the worst rogue’s gallery in comics. That may work to the show-runners’ benefits, as this allows them to do what they want with the characters. This shows how good of a job they did at making Cottonmouth, Black Mariah, and Shades really interesting. Mahershala Ali is intimidating as Cottonmouth, Alfre Woodard is promising as Mariah, and Theo Rossi is delightfully slimy as Shades.

Mike Colter’s Luke Cage is a little understated and pushed into the background. I was a little perplexed by this until I realized that it’s sort of the point. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” as the saying goes, and Luke Cage is doing everything he can to do nothing. He is just trying to keep his head down and survive. He doesn’t want to be a character in this play of brutal crime lords and corrupt politicians. He just wants to survive, and it’s going to take something big to get him to act. Worry not, something big happens.

In the subsequent episodes, without giving too much away, he does become a more pronounced character, and I love it. He hasn’t said “Sweet Christmas” yet though, and I’m waiting.

Simone Missick is really awesome as Misty Knight. She is cocky, clever and charismatic. As I hinted at earlier, I am a fan of the Daughters of the Dragon, and they have always been closely connected to the Heroes for Hire, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. I’m glad that Misty showed up. I’d like to see Colleen Wing at some point too, but I can sort of understand it if she doesn’t show up.

The music is awesome in this show, and it makes itself more noticed than in "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones." It’s a perfect blend of Hip-Hop, R&B, Jazz and the Blues, each implemented at the right moment. The funky transitional music and the tone do harken back to some of the old “Blaxploitation” films like "Shaft" and "Dolemite," which is appropriate, as those films were clearly a big inspiration for the original character of Luke Cage. Pop even discusses those movies at one point with Luke, and that was an awesome throwback.

The show has a really good start and an even better continuation in subsequent episodes. By the time this article goes up, I will likely have finished all of them already. This is the Luke Cage show I was hoping for, and I think many people will love it. Give it a try.