The Defenders
Aug. 26th, 2017 10:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrasteDespite having watched The Defenders within four days of its release, I feel like I'm well behind the rest of the internet in commenting on it. Still, here are my thoughts!
Brief, non-spoilery version: I enjoyed it a lot, despite not finding the central plot very interesting. However, even though I was over the Hand two Netflix series ago the character interaction was great and I adored what they did with the soundtrack and the colour palette. (Some people mind find the colour scheme too obvious and attention-grabbing, I guess, but every colour-coded frame delighted my vidder heart. Can't wait to see what fans do with the footage ...)
Netflix and Marvel have been promising us this team-up for literally years, and it's the relationships we see forming or developing here that make it worth watching for fans. Both inside and outside of the core team, there's a lot of interesting conversations going on here.
First of all, the series once again confirmed that Jessica Jones is one of my favourite Marvel characters of all. Practically everything she did delighted me, from her reluctant commitment to her case to stealing beer from a homeless man on the subway. (I mean, to be fair, she was on her way to save everyone in the city, so if he knew that he might not have begrudged it to her.) And her driving through the wall to knock over Elektra with a car might have been my favourite thing in the whole show <3.
(Speaking of which: oh, that poor, poor restaurant. I hope Danny did better than paying six months of their rent, given that their building is no longer structurally sound and covered in ninja blood.)
I really enjoyed seeing Luke again, too, and seeing him get back to his life. (There were a lot of interrupting ninjas, but at least he's not in prison any more?) His rapprochement with Jessica was very well done, too, and I love how the show quietly underlines how much they have in common, in moments like their joint reaction to Daredevil's costume.
On the down side, I didn't find Claire and Luke very interesting as a couple. Of course, they didn't get a whole lot of screen time, so maybe they'll be more interesting in Luke's own show? I really hope we're not heading towards a boring Luke/Jessica/Claire love triangle - if Luke and Jess are going to get back together, I'd like him to break up with Claire for some other reason first.
Danny Rand is a lot more tolerable when surrounded by the rest of the Defenders. That moment where he's rocking back on his chair finishing off the dumplings while Luke marvels at his appetite even got me to feel some affection for him! He does serve a role in the story, both by providing a contrast with his less naive new friends and by being the designated McGuffin. Even if he's dumb enough to punch the wall that he has been telling everyone he would not punch. (Nice job breaking it, hero.)
I mostly enjoyed seeing Matt again, too, although I'm hoping that he gets along better with his supporting cast after he comes back from the apparent dead. One of my wishes for Daredevil Season Three is for Foggy and Karen to accept that Matt is not going to stop dressing up and running around rooftops punching people, because I feel like that vein of conflict is well and truly played out. I'm not sure how they're going to get there, though, after actually grieving for him. I guess we'll see when we get there.
It was nice to see most of the Netflix/Marvel supporting casts assembled, though, even if they weren't all getting along with the main characters. I even wished that Ward had appeared in the scene where they went to Rand Corp, and I don't even really care about Ward! It just would have been nice to really have everyone in the show. (Well, everyone who would comfortably fit. I can see why they did not drag in Frank Castle or Davos or anyone else our heroes would have to fight with.) I really wish they'd talked more when they were all stuck at the police station, though! Karen and Trish, especially, should have bonded faster than they did. And I am going to miss Stick and his 'why don't we just kill everyone?' approach to problem solving.
Speaking of the supporting players, it felt wrong to cheer when Misty's arm got cut off, but I couldn't help it - surely this means that she's going to leave the police force and Daughters of the Dragon is just around the corner, right? Also, in this universe Claire has to be an official or unofficial Dragon Daughter, too, because I love her friendship with Colleen and I need to see Misty and Claire have a conversation about the fact that Misty gave up a limb to save Claire's life.
Meanwhile, the villains manage some interesting interactions, too, even if I'm no more attached to the Hand as a whole than I ever was. I'm crossing my fingers that it wasn't just Daredevil who found his way out from under that rubble, because I'd be sorry to see Madame Gao go. Wai Ching Ho does sterling work here, especially in her interactions with Alexandra, and I may have actually cheered when she started punching things. (I've had suspicions ever since Daredevil Season One that she was secretly deadly! I mean, physically, obviously she is already deadly in every other possible way.) Alexandra was an interesting character, and her relationship with Elektra was engaging, but I also thought her death came at exactly the right moment. The most truly shocking plot twist in the whole show!
All in all, a fun time, and I wouldn't mind if they repeat it or do some other team-up combination. They could have done more with Elektra, but then, there's no indication that she's really did if Matt got out of there, so maybe that will be in Daredevil Season Three as well.
But I really think that last shot of Iron Fist should have had him wearing the costume - it makes sense that he's going to start wearing one, in tribute to Matt and to hide his identity now he's going to be superheroing around New York on the regular. And also because he thinks the Daredevil suit is so cool and who doesn't want their own superhero suit? (OK, Luke and Jessica can bond over that.)
Brief, non-spoilery version: I enjoyed it a lot, despite not finding the central plot very interesting. However, even though I was over the Hand two Netflix series ago the character interaction was great and I adored what they did with the soundtrack and the colour palette. (Some people mind find the colour scheme too obvious and attention-grabbing, I guess, but every colour-coded frame delighted my vidder heart. Can't wait to see what fans do with the footage ...)
Netflix and Marvel have been promising us this team-up for literally years, and it's the relationships we see forming or developing here that make it worth watching for fans. Both inside and outside of the core team, there's a lot of interesting conversations going on here.
First of all, the series once again confirmed that Jessica Jones is one of my favourite Marvel characters of all. Practically everything she did delighted me, from her reluctant commitment to her case to stealing beer from a homeless man on the subway. (I mean, to be fair, she was on her way to save everyone in the city, so if he knew that he might not have begrudged it to her.) And her driving through the wall to knock over Elektra with a car might have been my favourite thing in the whole show <3.
(Speaking of which: oh, that poor, poor restaurant. I hope Danny did better than paying six months of their rent, given that their building is no longer structurally sound and covered in ninja blood.)
I really enjoyed seeing Luke again, too, and seeing him get back to his life. (There were a lot of interrupting ninjas, but at least he's not in prison any more?) His rapprochement with Jessica was very well done, too, and I love how the show quietly underlines how much they have in common, in moments like their joint reaction to Daredevil's costume.
On the down side, I didn't find Claire and Luke very interesting as a couple. Of course, they didn't get a whole lot of screen time, so maybe they'll be more interesting in Luke's own show? I really hope we're not heading towards a boring Luke/Jessica/Claire love triangle - if Luke and Jess are going to get back together, I'd like him to break up with Claire for some other reason first.
Danny Rand is a lot more tolerable when surrounded by the rest of the Defenders. That moment where he's rocking back on his chair finishing off the dumplings while Luke marvels at his appetite even got me to feel some affection for him! He does serve a role in the story, both by providing a contrast with his less naive new friends and by being the designated McGuffin. Even if he's dumb enough to punch the wall that he has been telling everyone he would not punch. (Nice job breaking it, hero.)
I mostly enjoyed seeing Matt again, too, although I'm hoping that he gets along better with his supporting cast after he comes back from the apparent dead. One of my wishes for Daredevil Season Three is for Foggy and Karen to accept that Matt is not going to stop dressing up and running around rooftops punching people, because I feel like that vein of conflict is well and truly played out. I'm not sure how they're going to get there, though, after actually grieving for him. I guess we'll see when we get there.
It was nice to see most of the Netflix/Marvel supporting casts assembled, though, even if they weren't all getting along with the main characters. I even wished that Ward had appeared in the scene where they went to Rand Corp, and I don't even really care about Ward! It just would have been nice to really have everyone in the show. (Well, everyone who would comfortably fit. I can see why they did not drag in Frank Castle or Davos or anyone else our heroes would have to fight with.) I really wish they'd talked more when they were all stuck at the police station, though! Karen and Trish, especially, should have bonded faster than they did. And I am going to miss Stick and his 'why don't we just kill everyone?' approach to problem solving.
Speaking of the supporting players, it felt wrong to cheer when Misty's arm got cut off, but I couldn't help it - surely this means that she's going to leave the police force and Daughters of the Dragon is just around the corner, right? Also, in this universe Claire has to be an official or unofficial Dragon Daughter, too, because I love her friendship with Colleen and I need to see Misty and Claire have a conversation about the fact that Misty gave up a limb to save Claire's life.
Meanwhile, the villains manage some interesting interactions, too, even if I'm no more attached to the Hand as a whole than I ever was. I'm crossing my fingers that it wasn't just Daredevil who found his way out from under that rubble, because I'd be sorry to see Madame Gao go. Wai Ching Ho does sterling work here, especially in her interactions with Alexandra, and I may have actually cheered when she started punching things. (I've had suspicions ever since Daredevil Season One that she was secretly deadly! I mean, physically, obviously she is already deadly in every other possible way.) Alexandra was an interesting character, and her relationship with Elektra was engaging, but I also thought her death came at exactly the right moment. The most truly shocking plot twist in the whole show!
All in all, a fun time, and I wouldn't mind if they repeat it or do some other team-up combination. They could have done more with Elektra, but then, there's no indication that she's really did if Matt got out of there, so maybe that will be in Daredevil Season Three as well.
But I really think that last shot of Iron Fist should have had him wearing the costume - it makes sense that he's going to start wearing one, in tribute to Matt and to hide his identity now he's going to be superheroing around New York on the regular. And also because he thinks the Daredevil suit is so cool and who doesn't want their own superhero suit? (OK, Luke and Jessica can bond over that.)
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-27 12:47 am (UTC)I imagine that Elektra carted Matt out of there in one of those handy wheelbarrows that they were dumping bits of dragon in, and Madame Gao grabbed a few bits of dragon and escaped too, after making sure that Murakami was properly dead.
Luke is the absolute emotional hero of this show, though. He's so kind to everyone, takes no bullshit from the three bullshitters, and doesn't want anyone dead, not even ninjas.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-27 09:56 am (UTC)I think that the other Netflix Marvel series could actually benefit from having fewer than thirteen episodes per season, although I guess the people who decide these things know more about the economics of TV production than I do. (Well, I certainly hope they know more than me.)
I actually shrieked out loud when Misty's arm was cut off, both in horror and also excitement!
It feels wrong to squee over a character losing a limb, but OMG I WANT THE KNIGHTWING DETECTIVE AGENCY NOW!!!
Also, I appreciated that the ninjas were now faceless people of all races, not just Asian.
Yes, that was a welcome change, and it makes more sense given their MCU origins. I guess each 'finger' mostly recruits in their home country, which would explain why Gao's people are Chinese and Murakami's are Japanese while Alexandra's reflect American demographics more.
I imagine that Elektra carted Matt out of there in one of those handy wheelbarrows that they were dumping bits of dragon in, and Madame Gao grabbed a few bits of dragon and escaped too, after making sure that Murakami was properly dead.
You know, assuming she got out with enough dragon parts to keep her going, this whole thing actually ended perfectly for Gao. She's got a much more stable power base than Elektra (even if Elektra still wants to run a ninja cult which she may not) and there's no-one else left to fight her for it. If she got what she wanted from New York, she can go back home where there are fewer superheroes to bother her. And it would be so appropriate for her to land on her feet while all her rivals die!
Luke is the absolute emotional hero of this show, though. He's so kind to everyone, takes no bullshit from the three bullshitters, and doesn't want anyone dead, not even ninjas.
I love that he's the only one who sticks to his 'no killing' policy in the face of the Hand, when even Claire things that blowing them all up might be the better option. And that he's the one who stands down so they can get everyone out of there before the building blows up. In many ways, he still has the soul of a cop. (Um, in a good 'protect society' way, obviously, not in the less admirable qualities too often found in the souls of cops fictional and otherwise.)
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-27 11:43 am (UTC)it felt wrong to cheer when Misty's arm got cut off
Maybe, but you weren't the only one who was excited. Daughters of the Dragon! My body is ready!
Alexandra was an interesting character, and her relationship with Elektra was engaging
I really liked Alexandra - and yeah, I agree, she left at exactly the right time. I was so surprised, and then I wasn't, because Elektra. Oh, Elektra.
I really think that last shot of Iron Fist should have had him wearing the costume
So much yes! I was surprised he wasn't in it, honestly - in the same pose, on top of a building.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-28 02:47 am (UTC)I will admit to being a tiny bit disappointed when Misty's arm was injured during Luke Cage but she came through the show with it still attached, but having it happen when she intervenes to help Claire and Colleen was way better than that would have been.
I was so surprised, and then I wasn't, because Elektra. Oh, Elektra.
That girl is like a walking encyclopedia of bad ideas. I look forward to finding out what's on the page after 'let's literally die in a hole together!'
I was surprised he wasn't in it, honestly - in the same pose, on top of a building.
All I can think is that they want to save the scene where he tracks down Melvin Potter for his next series. Or maybe there's going to be an intermediate phase like Daredevil's black costume, only probably more yellow because Danny.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-28 04:34 pm (UTC)re: Danny, maybe one reason why he's not yet in costume is that he's going to moonlight as Daredevil for a while until Matt is back? So that Daredevil = Matt Murdoch isn't toooo obvious to the cops, because if it were, as Foggy points out, all of Matt's cases would have to be reopened.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-29 02:40 am (UTC)Yeah, nobody wants her to end up fighting ninjas with the DTs. (Somewhere - in fanfic if nowhere else - she and Matt should have a conversation about actually being an alcoholic superhero vs. being a superhero who lets their friends thing they're an alcoholic to cover for all the bruises.)
I love the idea of Danny pretending to be Daredevil! It might help him get over his habit of telling everyone he meets that he's the Iron Fist (protector of K'un-Lun and destroyer of the Hand.)
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-29 09:08 am (UTC)Jessica and Matt about pretend vs real alcoholism: I would love to read that! As I would love to read any stories where the two of them fight crime as a lawyer and detective while commenting on each other's dysfunctions. (Special issue: Stick vs. Trish's mother.) Or, well, anything - I really liked their interaction on the show.
(no subject)
Date: 2017-08-30 12:56 am (UTC)Matt and Jessica turned out to be one of my favourite parts of the show - hopefully they will get the chance to bond more in one show or another.