What I’m Watching: The Defenders

The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 4 “Royal Dragon” (B+)

Now we’re getting somewhere, with the show’s top villain coming straight to where our heroes are, offering a form of peace, and then unleashing her ultimate weapon upon them when they refused her invitation. What was most worthwhile about this episode was the way in which it enabled our characters to bond and get to know each other. I love that Danny was excited about his ability to throw down his black card, pay the guy’s rent for the next six months, and then be forced to enjoy four orders of everything while they hid out. Jessica kept giving Matt a very hard time, and taking off her scarf to reveal his face showed that he’s willing to trust him even though he doesn’t know a lot about them. While Matt feels a sense of purpose and duty to those unable to defend themselves and both Luke and Danny are eager to use their powers for good, Jessica doesn’t have such impulses, and her immediate departure was a sign that she wasn’t in this for the fight. That all changed, of course, when she triumphantly returned to the restaurant not by driving a car through the entrance but by throwing it, getting in line with everyone else to fight the Black Sky. Stick’s arrival was helpful because he explained a lot of things, and now we’re at a point that, whenever and however this battle ends, these guys can band together and get stuff done rather than struggling to understand their motivations and whether they’re all fighting the same enemy.