This morning, as I was sipping on my coffee, I started skimming through The Defenders again on Netflix. I binged watched all 8 episodes on Friday and did my audio review on Sunday. But after re-watching a few episodes I started remembering things I forgot to mention in my review. I still thought it was great, but there are certain things that bug me. So I guess you can call this an epilogue to Sunday's review, but here are a few things that just didn't sit right with me:
STRIKE 1) I stated this on my audio podcast, but I think it's worth repeating. I hate Danny Rand. Iron Fist is one of my favorite Marvel characters, but the portrayal of Danny Rand in this Netflix universe is not the one I enjoy reading. He's a whiny little bitch who takes himself way to serious. Danny in the comics loves to crack jokes, often with his best friend; Luke Cage. The Finn Jones and Michael Coulter conversations where, I think, Danny's best scenes. Which is why I don't want a Luke Cage and Iron Fist season 2; I just want Heroes for Hire.
Now, we can say that this is all still "origin" stuff, which is why Danny isn't the IF we know from the comics, but what the hell is up with his iron fist impotence? In the Iron Fist series Danny couldn't harness his Chi because he wasn't focused. I thought we solved that problem? Danny couldn't call on his glowing hand when he was being tackled by Hand goons in the board room, but he had it working just seconds later when Luke showed up. What's the difference aside from it being an obvious plot convenience?
I think I've already expressed my feelings on Danny later on in the season when the team discovers what The Hand wants him for. He becomes irrational, and makes me hate him more. By the end of the season it looks like he may take over as the new Guardian of Hell's Kitchen. I just hope it's a better direction for the character.
STRIKE 2) While there is no doubting Sigorney Weaver is a great actress, her character of Alexandra started out interesting, but she wasn't really that menacing to me. I mean, we learned that she's lived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. And yes, she seems to be the leader of The Hand, with hundreds of soldiers at her disposal. But I have to ask "why?" Aside from just being a bitch who wants to keep on living, what was her power? Madam Gao and the rest of the Fingers seem to have some power and skill. When did Alexandra use an ability that would make we, the audience, really fear her? After a while I was kind of relieved when Elektra killed her and took her place. I think Elektra's journey was far more interesting than an immortal business woman who bosses people around just because she's the meanest one.
STRIKE 3) Throughout the series we know The Hand wanted Danny. He was to open a door at the bottom of Midland Circle Financial that allegedly another Iron Fist closed(I'm hoping for Orson Randall). There were several mentions by the Fingers that they really wanted to "go back home" or back to K'un-L'un. This made me believe the door was a passage to(still missing) K'un-L'un.
But when the door opens we see that it's bones of Shao Lao, the dragon that gave Danny his powers, or at least a dragon like Shao Lao. The Hand begins taking the bones to make more "substance." That's it? They kept talking about how all of New York is in peril if Danny opens that door. So once they had mined all the bones then New York would, I'm guessing, collapse from a weak structure? The build up of this "terrible thing" made it seem like some dark power was underneath New York. But it was just dragon bones.
I just think the payoff was a bit week. So the Fingers continue to be immortal and a pain in the ass. Stick made it seem like an atomic bomb would go off. But actually, an old Chinese lady just gets to live a few more lifetimes. Am I missing something? Did I just not get what the place really was? If I am wrong, someone please tell me.
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