News Iron Fist season 2
- Thread starter Turtletrekker
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Hm, no make-up? Mind you, I've only ever read one issue with the character, in a Spider-Man story back in the early 90s, but my impression was she usually wore make-up while "in action."
I just finished the episode with Danny myself. I loved the lighthearted moments and the references to Power Man and Iron Fist. Luke Cage (the series) is much stronger in season 2 so I'm sure there is hope for Danny Rand as well. Looking forward to it.
IGN's Terri Schwartz and David Griffin have shared their spoiler free thoughts on the first 5-6 episodes of Iron Fist Season 2.
They both enjoyed it a more than season 1, and Terri said that she liked it more than Jessica Jones Season 2.
They both enjoyed it a more than season 1, and Terri said that she liked it more than Jessica Jones Season 2.
A.V. Club's Danette Chavez rates the six episodes she saw a "C" and notes that Iron Fist is the least interesting part about the show. She further highlights the interactions between Jessica Henwick and Simone Missick as the best parts of the season and suggests that we really should just get the Daughters of the Dragon series we all want instead of another Iron Fist season.
Four episodes in and I'm largely enjoying the second season. For the most part, this season is better than the previous one but it's still fairly by-the-numbers predictable. The fighting choreography is considerably better as is the directing in general, particularly Rachel Talalay's episode. Like the previous season, Colleen is the best part of the show, especially when Misty is around. Typhoid Mary's character is a slow burn but in a good way and Alice Eve steals every scene she's in, while the Meachums continue to be boring between Ward's pathetic psyche and Joy's petty vendetta.
I hated the director's cut of Daredevil. Everything that was cut out of it for the theatrical version was cut out for good reason, imo. I'd take Elektra over it any day. I actually do think Elektra had the makings of a decent movie buried in there, but unfortunately the running time was pared down so heavily that all of the characters became cardboard cutouts and even the all-important war felt like some tiny, obscure little feud.
I thought the director's cut of the DD movie was a much more coherent story. The theatrical cut was trimmed so severely that the plot barely even made sense. To be sure, the director's cut is still far from being a great movie, but it does hold together better, at least for me.
I think Elektra is underrated. No, the story isn't great, but it's a gorgeous movie with marvelously stylized direction and terrific action choreography. After the terrible CGI in the DD movie's action climax, it was refreshing to see a sequel/spinoff built around actors doing their own stunts for real. I've never been that impressed with Jennifer Garner's acting, but I did admire her physical training and skill in pulling off the action scenes, which she did extremely well.
That seems to be the classic complaint against DD, but I've never understood it. I had zero difficulty following the plot from the very first time I watched it. And I'm no huge DD fan, or anything, so I certainly wasn't filling in the blanks mentally (or no moreso than any general audience member could've done). Strikes me as primarily a classic case of people demanding everything be spelled out for them in neon lights, regardless of whether it actually helps the film or not (which the whole extra court subplot most definitely did not do, in no small part because the actor playing DD's client was terrible).
I agree Elektra looked nice, as well. I blame that one on the studio's lack of confidence. With a decent running time/budget, I think it would've been a better movie than DD.
It's not a matter of ability to follow it, it's just that there's so little there that it doesn't feel like a complete story. The issue is not comprehension, but satisfaction. If you get a jigsaw puzzle with a big chunk of pieces missing in the middle, you can still solve the puzzle and recognize what it depicts, but it isn't a fulfilling experience because you can see it isn't all there.
Ok. I just really don't have that problem with the movie at all.
And I do. People are different. Who knew?
Huh, I could've sworn this was the Iron Fist season 2 discussion thread, not the pre-MCU crappy movies thread. 
The second half of the season improved in some ways but not in others. Much to my own surprise, the Meachums actually became sympathetic, particularly Ward on his path of trying to find himself.
Overall, I enjoyed season 2 far more than season 1. The fighting choreography was much better, the characters were much better defined (aside from my issues with Davos), Danny was rarely an idiot, the dialogue was considerably better (I rarely rolled my eyes at anything), and all of the female characters really shined. The greatest flaw for the season was how most of the plot was often predictable and pedestrian. Not terrible, but lacked the deeper thematic challenges that Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage regularly brought up.
Netflix series ranking:
Jessica Jones season 1
Daredevil season 1
Luke Cage season 1
Luke Cage season 2
The Defenders
Jessica Jones season 2
Daredevil season 2
Iron Fist season 2
The Punisher
Iron Fist season 1
The second half of the season improved in some ways but not in others. Much to my own surprise, the Meachums actually became sympathetic, particularly Ward on his path of trying to find himself.
The Colleen and Misty dynamic continued to be best thing about the show, and by the end, the season all but set up for Daughters of the Dragon with Colleen taking on the mantle of the Iron Fist and Misty due for a significant upgrade to her bionic arm while also considering a different beyond the police force. While I don't expect it to happen (more than anything else, it's probably a logistical nightmare), the season ended with just enough of a clean break to retool Iron Fist as Daughters of the Dragon with Danny going over to Luke Cage to help set up Heroes for Hire.
My favorite storyline of the whole season was Mary Walker and her struggle with dissociative identity disorder. Alice Eve did a terrific job in bringing both personalities to life with subtle body language and voice modulation, while treating the disorder respectfully and not glamorizing or vilifying it. Initially, I was disappointed the season didn't jump right into her full madness, but by the end, I loved how her story slowly played out with just two of her personalities before eventually revealing her third personality in the background. I'm guessing they're saving the third personality (and hopefully the manic make-up) for the next season or possibly if and when she crosses over to Daredevil. We already know Daredevil season 3 has Kingpin, Bullseye, and Rosalie Carbone, so I'm betting she's not appearing in that already crowded season. Hopefully she'll be in season 4, assuming that show is renewed.
Another favorite storyline was one that mostly played in the background to the the Triad gang war and the Danny/Davos fued: Colleen's street relationship with BB. It started off antagonistic because of his street life and how it jarred poorly with Colleen, but with each encounter, their relationship grew stronger as they slowly respected each other. I'm saddened (but unsurprised) by his tragic death at the hands of his former friend, but I loved how his death tied in with Colleen's season-long struggle with staying away from being actively involved on the street with weapons, pushing her to accept the Iron Fist...and returning to her katana!
Davos really went around the bend this season. Mind you part of that was because of the red Iron Fists that drove his mania, but even before he stole Danny's powers, he was definitely not thinking clearly. He never listened to reason regarding why Danny did what he did (whether or not it was smart or not), nor did he listen to Colleen when she repeatedly made it clear that she had nothing to do with The Hand anymore. The flashbacks tried to redeem him a little by showing his greatest motivation was to seek approval of his disappointed mother, but even that nugget couldn't overcome his raging jealousy. Between that jealously and his mindless, murderous rampage ("They're guilty by association!" Davos declared of the Bayard community center full of children), I found it very difficult to feel sympathetic of Davos. Hell, when it became clear that he wasn't listening to reason and he murdered the restaurant owner (blanking on his name) even though it was obvious to everyone else the guy was just scared shitless, Davos became a one-dimensional trope. That's a terrible shame because Sacha Dhawan is a great actor (not always evident here, but it is in other productions) and I hate to see him wasted in a poorly realized character.
While I'm still sorry Claire didn't return, for the most part her absence wasn't felt. There was one natural point for her to appear, even if for just one episode, when Danny was brutally assaulted by Davos, but the show decided to write around her and instead brought Bethany in to do a quick fixer-upper (a bit too fast but I'll get to that later). Claire remains one of the best things about all of the Netflix shows so it's disappointing that she was rather shortchanged in Luke Cage season 2 and almost entirely absent here aside from a few name drops. I really hope this isn't the end for the character.
With this season, Turk is now the only character who has appeared in all of the Netflix shows! I never thought Claire would be eclipsed on this mark but here we are. Now if only we can get him to appear on Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D....
Granted this is a flaw in all of the Netflix shows, but it's amazing how quickly Danny recovered from his injuries. First his brutal stabbing (which was quickly dealt with some staples...and that's it?!) and then his broken leg. Even with the advanced Rand Technologies brace, it's hard to believe that Danny was able to get back in to fighting shape so quickly. Hell, after the stabbing, he was up and walking around like nothing happened a few hours later. Danny wasn't the only quick healer: Joy's miraculous survival onto concrete floor was hard enough to believe, but the fact that she was up and walking around on a crutch with no overt brain damage in her apartment instead of a hospital just a day later (she told Mary she nearly died "yesterday") is really hard to believe. Not a big criticism, but boy this stuff jump out at you, especially if you binge.
My favorite storyline of the whole season was Mary Walker and her struggle with dissociative identity disorder. Alice Eve did a terrific job in bringing both personalities to life with subtle body language and voice modulation, while treating the disorder respectfully and not glamorizing or vilifying it. Initially, I was disappointed the season didn't jump right into her full madness, but by the end, I loved how her story slowly played out with just two of her personalities before eventually revealing her third personality in the background. I'm guessing they're saving the third personality (and hopefully the manic make-up) for the next season or possibly if and when she crosses over to Daredevil. We already know Daredevil season 3 has Kingpin, Bullseye, and Rosalie Carbone, so I'm betting she's not appearing in that already crowded season. Hopefully she'll be in season 4, assuming that show is renewed.
Another favorite storyline was one that mostly played in the background to the the Triad gang war and the Danny/Davos fued: Colleen's street relationship with BB. It started off antagonistic because of his street life and how it jarred poorly with Colleen, but with each encounter, their relationship grew stronger as they slowly respected each other. I'm saddened (but unsurprised) by his tragic death at the hands of his former friend, but I loved how his death tied in with Colleen's season-long struggle with staying away from being actively involved on the street with weapons, pushing her to accept the Iron Fist...and returning to her katana!
Davos really went around the bend this season. Mind you part of that was because of the red Iron Fists that drove his mania, but even before he stole Danny's powers, he was definitely not thinking clearly. He never listened to reason regarding why Danny did what he did (whether or not it was smart or not), nor did he listen to Colleen when she repeatedly made it clear that she had nothing to do with The Hand anymore. The flashbacks tried to redeem him a little by showing his greatest motivation was to seek approval of his disappointed mother, but even that nugget couldn't overcome his raging jealousy. Between that jealously and his mindless, murderous rampage ("They're guilty by association!" Davos declared of the Bayard community center full of children), I found it very difficult to feel sympathetic of Davos. Hell, when it became clear that he wasn't listening to reason and he murdered the restaurant owner (blanking on his name) even though it was obvious to everyone else the guy was just scared shitless, Davos became a one-dimensional trope. That's a terrible shame because Sacha Dhawan is a great actor (not always evident here, but it is in other productions) and I hate to see him wasted in a poorly realized character.
While I'm still sorry Claire didn't return, for the most part her absence wasn't felt. There was one natural point for her to appear, even if for just one episode, when Danny was brutally assaulted by Davos, but the show decided to write around her and instead brought Bethany in to do a quick fixer-upper (a bit too fast but I'll get to that later). Claire remains one of the best things about all of the Netflix shows so it's disappointing that she was rather shortchanged in Luke Cage season 2 and almost entirely absent here aside from a few name drops. I really hope this isn't the end for the character.
With this season, Turk is now the only character who has appeared in all of the Netflix shows! I never thought Claire would be eclipsed on this mark but here we are. Now if only we can get him to appear on Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D....
Granted this is a flaw in all of the Netflix shows, but it's amazing how quickly Danny recovered from his injuries. First his brutal stabbing (which was quickly dealt with some staples...and that's it?!) and then his broken leg. Even with the advanced Rand Technologies brace, it's hard to believe that Danny was able to get back in to fighting shape so quickly. Hell, after the stabbing, he was up and walking around like nothing happened a few hours later. Danny wasn't the only quick healer: Joy's miraculous survival onto concrete floor was hard enough to believe, but the fact that she was up and walking around on a crutch with no overt brain damage in her apartment instead of a hospital just a day later (she told Mary she nearly died "yesterday") is really hard to believe. Not a big criticism, but boy this stuff jump out at you, especially if you binge.
The aforementioned break would've been a lot cleaner if not for the final scene in Hokkaido...with Danny possessing two Iron Fists that he channels energy into bullets? What?! Is there any precedence for that in the comics? Seeing Colleen channeling energy into the katana was cool, but seeing the guns and bullets light up and intercept another bullet looked hokey as fuck (the goofy look on Danny's face didn't help any).
We get a brief glimpse of Matt Murdock in his old black duds with a bloody face while sitting in a confession booth. He tells an unseen listener that he would rather die as the Devil than live as Matt Murdock.
Here's hoping we get a premiere date for season 3 sooner than later! While Jessica Jones season is definitely my favorite season among the Netflix shows, Daredevil remains my favorite show. I can't wait to see the next step of Matt's journey.
Here's hoping we get a premiere date for season 3 sooner than later! While Jessica Jones season is definitely my favorite season among the Netflix shows, Daredevil remains my favorite show. I can't wait to see the next step of Matt's journey.
Overall, I enjoyed season 2 far more than season 1. The fighting choreography was much better, the characters were much better defined (aside from my issues with Davos), Danny was rarely an idiot, the dialogue was considerably better (I rarely rolled my eyes at anything), and all of the female characters really shined. The greatest flaw for the season was how most of the plot was often predictable and pedestrian. Not terrible, but lacked the deeper thematic challenges that Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage regularly brought up.
Netflix series ranking:
Jessica Jones season 1
Daredevil season 1
Luke Cage season 1
Luke Cage season 2
The Defenders
Jessica Jones season 2
Daredevil season 2
Iron Fist season 2
The Punisher
Iron Fist season 1
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I thought Season 2 was very much better than Season 1. Alice Eve, Jessica Stroup, Jessica Henwick and Sasha Dehwan all knocked it out of the park. Particularly Eve, who I'd only ever seen in Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Finn Jones was serviceable. But the show isn't really Danny's anymore. He's the MacGuffin to inspire all the better characters to do their thing. Although, at least this time Danny being largely without character was kind of the point of the thing. He's kind of the anti-Captain America. It's not about the impact his steadfast, inspiring personality has on others. It's about the way a lost, stranded soul is influenced by others to walk their paths.
Better fight scenes, richer, more intense character work.
Yes! This is purely comics discussion, but I'm going to put it behind spoiler just in case it's where the show is headed next season...
It's all contained in the truly excellent Immortal Iron Fist run by Matt Fraction (initially co-authored by Ed Brubaker, of Winter Soldier fame). Absolutely worth reading, probably my single favorite solo Iron Fist run ever.
Finn Jones was serviceable. But the show isn't really Danny's anymore. He's the MacGuffin to inspire all the better characters to do their thing. Although, at least this time Danny being largely without character was kind of the point of the thing. He's kind of the anti-Captain America. It's not about the impact his steadfast, inspiring personality has on others. It's about the way a lost, stranded soul is influenced by others to walk their paths.
Better fight scenes, richer, more intense character work.
Yes! This is purely comics discussion, but I'm going to put it behind spoiler just in case it's where the show is headed next season...
The guns, and channeling the Iron Fist power through them, are the signature ability of Orson Randall. Their apparent owner in the show, from whom Danny and Ward stole them. Randall is the Iron Fist of the the First World War, and has used his power to live an unusually long life. He rejected his responsibilities to Kun Lun and went his own way, and had been living a life of adventure and mischief until he re-entered the scene in the present day. He came to Danny to help teach him about the long legacy of the Iron Fists (such as Wu Ao-Shi, the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay, referenced in the show as well).
Basically, the comics used Orson Randall to show how little Danny truly knew about the mantle he held, it's secrets, it's history, and it's true power.
Basically, the comics used Orson Randall to show how little Danny truly knew about the mantle he held, it's secrets, it's history, and it's true power.
It's all contained in the truly excellent Immortal Iron Fist run by Matt Fraction (initially co-authored by Ed Brubaker, of Winter Soldier fame). Absolutely worth reading, probably my single favorite solo Iron Fist run ever.
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