The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Defenders” (B-)
I think Jessica said it best: “Let’s just get this shit over with.” It’s not as if this entire series took us anywhere new that we needed to get these four characters together, and I think every fan is probably excited to get back to the original standalone shows that made these characters (or most of them) great in the first place. I’m thrilled that Malcolm restored the Alias Investigations office, also known as Jessica’s apartment, and I’m so eager for that show to return since it’s much better than this one. And I liked the reference to their relationship that Luke made when he ended up on top of Jessica in the middle of all the fighting. This show was much more focused on regularly-incorporated elements of “Daredevil” and “Iron Fist,” and the destruction of the Hand in an explosion after some unnecessary hand-to-hand (no pun intended) combat doesn’t feel particularly impactful, surprising, or satisfying. Elektra survived, as did Matt since there’s no way he would have died, and the only casualty on the good side was Misty’s arm, which was just part of the seamlessly brutal violence on this show, like Colleen slicing off Bakuto’s head. I think that, with different villains, this show could have been more worthwhile, but I also don’t know that it’s necessary to team these four up. It was just announced that “Iron Clad,” as I might now call him thanks to Jessica, will appear on Luke’s show this coming season, and my hope is that this will mean that Jessica can show up to improve the other series as well. I don’t think a second season of this show is expected, but I’m not sure I’d be all that excited for it given that this season wasn’t so bad but also just didn’t need to be made considering it didn’t really take us anywhere. If the Hand – an element of “Daredevil” I never liked and a big part of the awfulness that was “Iron Fist” – is truly gone, I’ll be happy, but that’s it.
Season grade: B-
Season MVP: Krysten Ritter as Jessica
Showing posts with label The Defenders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Defenders. Show all posts
Monday, October 9, 2017
Monday, October 2, 2017
What I’m Watching: The Defenders
The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 7 “Fish in the Jailhouse” (B)
I’ll never understand why law enforcement on superhero shows always has to assert that vigilantes shouldn’t be allowed to executive justice on their own, thereby prohibiting any progress and putting everyone in harm’s way under the pretext of maintaining law and order. Misty at least got with the program part of the way through in this episode, but they managed to waste enough time so that K’un-Lun can now be recreated or whatever it is that they’re trying to accomplish, which I still don’t quite get. Danny has never been too bright, and he should have understood that Elektra was just baiting him into punching her so that she could duck and use his fist to open the gateway. Colleen showed up to save the day as the other three heroes took on the three big villains, which I guess is a tribute to those without powers and their importance in the fight against evil, though it means that they’re all still out there somewhere. We’re just one episode from the end of this show, which signals that we won’t go nearly as deep as I’d like, and we didn’t get much of a chance to see the supporting characters on each of the shows interact since they mostly kept to themselves, with Foggy and Karen chatting and Claire chilling with Colleen. I don’t think a second season is necessarily in the cards, but, as I worried ahead of this show, I’m much more excited for the second season of “Jessica Jones” than anything else since the quality is just that might higher than this crowded amalgamation of four different series.
I’ll never understand why law enforcement on superhero shows always has to assert that vigilantes shouldn’t be allowed to executive justice on their own, thereby prohibiting any progress and putting everyone in harm’s way under the pretext of maintaining law and order. Misty at least got with the program part of the way through in this episode, but they managed to waste enough time so that K’un-Lun can now be recreated or whatever it is that they’re trying to accomplish, which I still don’t quite get. Danny has never been too bright, and he should have understood that Elektra was just baiting him into punching her so that she could duck and use his fist to open the gateway. Colleen showed up to save the day as the other three heroes took on the three big villains, which I guess is a tribute to those without powers and their importance in the fight against evil, though it means that they’re all still out there somewhere. We’re just one episode from the end of this show, which signals that we won’t go nearly as deep as I’d like, and we didn’t get much of a chance to see the supporting characters on each of the shows interact since they mostly kept to themselves, with Foggy and Karen chatting and Claire chilling with Colleen. I don’t think a second season is necessarily in the cards, but, as I worried ahead of this show, I’m much more excited for the second season of “Jessica Jones” than anything else since the quality is just that might higher than this crowded amalgamation of four different series.
Monday, September 25, 2017
What I’m Watching: The Defenders
The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 6 “Ashes, Ashes” (B+)
Listen, I agree that this show and its universe would be better off without Danny Rand – he’s a weak link who doesn’t compare to the other three members of this team. Yet I have to say that I’m disappointed in the others for their failure to see that deciding to imprison or even kill one of their own is just what the Hand wants and hardly the way to proceed. There’s a lot more going on, of course, and Matt provided a wealth of previously withheld information in this episode by briefing everyone about the hole and about his relationship with Elektra. Jessica and Matt do seem to actually get along pretty well as partners now that they’ve gotten through the initial unfriendly banter, with Jessica telling him that she doesn’t read heartbeats but she reads people, and 92% confidence is still a lot. Matt playing the piano to discover that there was something in there was pretty cool too. Elektra did come in handy when she showed up to stop Stick from killing Danny, but then she went and killed him, which shows that she remembers some of her past but not enough to put her on the good side of things. Alexandra was ready to control the dissent on her side, getting back to K’un-Lun and having the Defenders killed before then, but Elektra showed up to ruin that party too and take the reins of this evil group, presenting a more formidable enemy than they were facing before.
Listen, I agree that this show and its universe would be better off without Danny Rand – he’s a weak link who doesn’t compare to the other three members of this team. Yet I have to say that I’m disappointed in the others for their failure to see that deciding to imprison or even kill one of their own is just what the Hand wants and hardly the way to proceed. There’s a lot more going on, of course, and Matt provided a wealth of previously withheld information in this episode by briefing everyone about the hole and about his relationship with Elektra. Jessica and Matt do seem to actually get along pretty well as partners now that they’ve gotten through the initial unfriendly banter, with Jessica telling him that she doesn’t read heartbeats but she reads people, and 92% confidence is still a lot. Matt playing the piano to discover that there was something in there was pretty cool too. Elektra did come in handy when she showed up to stop Stick from killing Danny, but then she went and killed him, which shows that she remembers some of her past but not enough to put her on the good side of things. Alexandra was ready to control the dissent on her side, getting back to K’un-Lun and having the Defenders killed before then, but Elektra showed up to ruin that party too and take the reins of this evil group, presenting a more formidable enemy than they were facing before.
Saturday, September 16, 2017
What I’m Watching: The Defenders
The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 5 “Take Shelter” (B+)
If there’s one thing you can’t argue with this show about, it’s that it has a solid cast. I’m not a fan of anything related to Danny Rand and his particular superhero show, but Colleen is far from the most idiotic of the characters in his world. After they realized that the lives of their loved ones were in danger, it was great to see Matt go warn Karen, Luke find Misty, and Jessica grab Trish to ensure that they would all be safe. Claire, the one who connects them all, seems to me to be the most likely to fend for herself, though we’ve seen all of those people stand their ground when confronted by much stronger and more superpowered enemies. Luke’s captivity didn’t last long, and he even returned with a hostage of his own, who proved to be difficult before stupidly trying to harm the Iron Fist, resulting in Stick cutting off his head, which was a bit brutal. Matt does seem to be getting through to Elektra, which is a good thing, though Alexandra and her buddies, including Bakuto, are only renewing and doubling-down on their efforts for world domination as they realize that the Black Sky may indeed be a defective weapon. Matt’s back in the Daredevil costume, and I like that Jessica told him the scarf looked better. With just three episodes left, I now do feel like I’m getting into this show, though I’m not as pumped about the action as I am about all the different character interactions, particularly between Matt and Jessica.
If there’s one thing you can’t argue with this show about, it’s that it has a solid cast. I’m not a fan of anything related to Danny Rand and his particular superhero show, but Colleen is far from the most idiotic of the characters in his world. After they realized that the lives of their loved ones were in danger, it was great to see Matt go warn Karen, Luke find Misty, and Jessica grab Trish to ensure that they would all be safe. Claire, the one who connects them all, seems to me to be the most likely to fend for herself, though we’ve seen all of those people stand their ground when confronted by much stronger and more superpowered enemies. Luke’s captivity didn’t last long, and he even returned with a hostage of his own, who proved to be difficult before stupidly trying to harm the Iron Fist, resulting in Stick cutting off his head, which was a bit brutal. Matt does seem to be getting through to Elektra, which is a good thing, though Alexandra and her buddies, including Bakuto, are only renewing and doubling-down on their efforts for world domination as they realize that the Black Sky may indeed be a defective weapon. Matt’s back in the Daredevil costume, and I like that Jessica told him the scarf looked better. With just three episodes left, I now do feel like I’m getting into this show, though I’m not as pumped about the action as I am about all the different character interactions, particularly between Matt and Jessica.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
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.
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.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Take Three: The Defenders
The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 3 “Worst Behavior” (B)
After finally introducing our four characters to (some of) each other at the end of the last episode, why wait a whole twenty or so minutes before showing any of them this episode? I guess that’s because Elektra, who was a pretty decent character when she was on “Daredevil,” has been reborn as the Black Sky, who seems just as skilled but infinitely more deadly. I don’t love the idea that only the Iron Fist has the power to defeat her since he’s the least impressive of all the characters on this show, but there’s no denying that him punching through her sword was pretty damn cool. With all roads pointed to Midland, Danny wasted no time in revealing that he was the Iron Fist, information that Stick had to crawl through a vent to protect, as Alexandra plainly told him that they weren’t hiding, and it turned out that all the members of the board were actually ninjas, leading to an extensive fight scene at the end of the episode. Following his lecture about privilege, Luke teamed up well with Danny, and I love that Jessica took the elevator after Matt, who she told looked like an asshole, ran up the stairs. He was able to recognize who Elektra was, which is helpful, and now we’re finally going to have a chance for these four to realize who they all are and make some productive decisions together to save the world. Let’s get started already - we’re almost halfway in and it’s time to get going.
After finally introducing our four characters to (some of) each other at the end of the last episode, why wait a whole twenty or so minutes before showing any of them this episode? I guess that’s because Elektra, who was a pretty decent character when she was on “Daredevil,” has been reborn as the Black Sky, who seems just as skilled but infinitely more deadly. I don’t love the idea that only the Iron Fist has the power to defeat her since he’s the least impressive of all the characters on this show, but there’s no denying that him punching through her sword was pretty damn cool. With all roads pointed to Midland, Danny wasted no time in revealing that he was the Iron Fist, information that Stick had to crawl through a vent to protect, as Alexandra plainly told him that they weren’t hiding, and it turned out that all the members of the board were actually ninjas, leading to an extensive fight scene at the end of the episode. Following his lecture about privilege, Luke teamed up well with Danny, and I love that Jessica took the elevator after Matt, who she told looked like an asshole, ran up the stairs. He was able to recognize who Elektra was, which is helpful, and now we’re finally going to have a chance for these four to realize who they all are and make some productive decisions together to save the world. Let’s get started already - we’re almost halfway in and it’s time to get going.
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Round Two: The Defenders
The Defenders: Season 1, Episode 2 “Mean Right Hook” (B)
I still found this episode to be awfully expository, but we finally have our heroes meeting each other, and they’re hardly the warmest of initial interactions. It was somewhat satisfying to see Danny flail around as he repeatedly tried to inflict some damage on Luke to no avail, and I suppose an Iron Fist punch to the face was decent payback for being thrown around like a rag doll. Matt marching in to tell Jessica to stop talking since he was her lawyer was a more exciting moment, and I look forward to hearing more of their conversations. We saw two familiar faces from Matt’s world in this hour where he ran out to save some people without his suit, Stick as Alexandra’s captive and Elektra back from the dead as an enemy hunting John Raymond who was able to make Jessica bleed. There’s plenty of nefarious goings-on at work here, with Trish tasking Foggy with keeping an eye on Jessica and Trish being told that she can’t talk about the earthquake on her show. It’s still not clear what Alexandra is up to in between private symphony performances in her penthouse, and there’s so much darkness present on this show that it’s hard to make out who all the bleeding bodies belong to in each scene. Bringing the protagonists together, at least in pairs, is a positive development, since we’re now a quarter of the way through this season and not much has been accomplished. Bring on the team excitement – let’s get this show on the road!
I still found this episode to be awfully expository, but we finally have our heroes meeting each other, and they’re hardly the warmest of initial interactions. It was somewhat satisfying to see Danny flail around as he repeatedly tried to inflict some damage on Luke to no avail, and I suppose an Iron Fist punch to the face was decent payback for being thrown around like a rag doll. Matt marching in to tell Jessica to stop talking since he was her lawyer was a more exciting moment, and I look forward to hearing more of their conversations. We saw two familiar faces from Matt’s world in this hour where he ran out to save some people without his suit, Stick as Alexandra’s captive and Elektra back from the dead as an enemy hunting John Raymond who was able to make Jessica bleed. There’s plenty of nefarious goings-on at work here, with Trish tasking Foggy with keeping an eye on Jessica and Trish being told that she can’t talk about the earthquake on her show. It’s still not clear what Alexandra is up to in between private symphony performances in her penthouse, and there’s so much darkness present on this show that it’s hard to make out who all the bleeding bodies belong to in each scene. Bringing the protagonists together, at least in pairs, is a positive development, since we’re now a quarter of the way through this season and not much has been accomplished. Bring on the team excitement – let’s get this show on the road!
Monday, August 21, 2017
Pilot Review: The Defenders
The Defenders (Netflix)
Premiered August 18
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time – me and everyone else who enjoys the Marvel universe. This is the reason that I suffered through all thirteen episodes of “Iron Fist.” I fear that this show is designed more than other to be binged, since this opening hour did little if nothing to indicate what it will be about – we have no idea what the purpose of this earthquake planned by Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra was – or how our four heroes (not that they use that word) will come together. There’s a good amount of talent be found here from all three shows (as well as some holdovers from the fourth awful one), and some easy ways to see how they’ll be united. Claire is the obvious connector since she’s appeared on all four shows, and even though she doesn’t really know Jessica, Luke sure does. I’m most thrilled to see Jessica and Trish back, though I still feel that show is so much better than the other three that it will be weird to see her in the same place and universe as the others. This is a direct continuation of the first season of “Iron Fist” picking up a decent amount of time after we left the other three shows, and all four are coming back for another season after this, so let’s hope it’s all worthwhile. I think things will improve once they have the chance to find each other and realize that they’re the only ones who can stop Alexandra from fulfilling her nefarious plan, whatever it may be. There’s no way I’m not watching now, but this wasn’t the thrilling start I was anticipating.
How will it work as a series? All four of the protagonists here are very different in how they approach things, with two being invulnerable and extremely strong and the other two possessing important secret abilities. I’m curious to see how they interact since, like “The Avengers,” that’s probably going to be the most fun part. And, with any luck, Danny Rand won’t be featured much.
How long will it last? Given the success of the Marvel brand on Netflix and that fact that all shows that fed into this one are returning for another go, I’m sure that this show will be back for a second round as well regardless of ratings and whether it’s deemed creatively sound. Good reviews don’t hurt, and so I’d consider this one very primed for a renewal.
Pilot grade: B
Premiered August 18
We’ve been waiting for this for a long time – me and everyone else who enjoys the Marvel universe. This is the reason that I suffered through all thirteen episodes of “Iron Fist.” I fear that this show is designed more than other to be binged, since this opening hour did little if nothing to indicate what it will be about – we have no idea what the purpose of this earthquake planned by Sigourney Weaver’s Alexandra was – or how our four heroes (not that they use that word) will come together. There’s a good amount of talent be found here from all three shows (as well as some holdovers from the fourth awful one), and some easy ways to see how they’ll be united. Claire is the obvious connector since she’s appeared on all four shows, and even though she doesn’t really know Jessica, Luke sure does. I’m most thrilled to see Jessica and Trish back, though I still feel that show is so much better than the other three that it will be weird to see her in the same place and universe as the others. This is a direct continuation of the first season of “Iron Fist” picking up a decent amount of time after we left the other three shows, and all four are coming back for another season after this, so let’s hope it’s all worthwhile. I think things will improve once they have the chance to find each other and realize that they’re the only ones who can stop Alexandra from fulfilling her nefarious plan, whatever it may be. There’s no way I’m not watching now, but this wasn’t the thrilling start I was anticipating.
How will it work as a series? All four of the protagonists here are very different in how they approach things, with two being invulnerable and extremely strong and the other two possessing important secret abilities. I’m curious to see how they interact since, like “The Avengers,” that’s probably going to be the most fun part. And, with any luck, Danny Rand won’t be featured much.
How long will it last? Given the success of the Marvel brand on Netflix and that fact that all shows that fed into this one are returning for another go, I’m sure that this show will be back for a second round as well regardless of ratings and whether it’s deemed creatively sound. Good reviews don’t hurt, and so I’d consider this one very primed for a renewal.
Pilot grade: B
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pilot Review: The Defenders
The Defenders (CBS)
Premiered September 22 at 10pm
Both watching this and writing this review right after doing the same with "The Whole Truth," I'm once again thinking that this show isn't quite as bad as "Outlaw," but it does come a little closer than ABC's Wednesday night legal offering. The main problem is the pairing of Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell. Only the longtime star of the critically-reviled "According to Jim" could make the absurd O'Connell look a little less ridiculous. O'Connell does just fine for the first few minutes, introducing a new legal aide as a judge and leaving her to fend for herself with a client, and it's only when Belushi begins moaning about how he's discovering that his ex-wife is cheating on him does O'Connell start to look like the sane one. This show is of course designed to be ridiculous, and so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. To pay a rare compliment to "Boston Legal," this show is hardly the caliber of that show in terms of zaniness and potential humor (I try not to crack a smile when I accidentally come across the James Spader series). Belushi's Nick Morelli does things like spilling water on an epxert witness in the middle of court, and this show hardly seems like it's supposed to be a drama. Unfortunately, it's not funny or interesting enough to be a comedy, and for some reason, the Vegas factor is used to absolutely zero effect, which is just puzzling. Jurnee Smollett's fight to be taken seriously mirrors this show's fight t be taken seriously: neither one is going to go well. The do-gooder newbie fighting her stubborn bosses has been seen on so many other shows, and no new ground is going to be covered here. I was surprised to find that the amazing Natalie Zea, who was hands-down the best part of the pilot, is only a guest star, but I suppose that's good so tht she can easily get a new part when this show gets cancelled pretty soon. Zea isn't the only one being squandered here - Gillian Vigman, onetime star of the fantastic but short-lived "Sons & Daughters," is wasted as Nick's ex-wife. What a pity.
How will it work as a series? We've only grazed the tip of the iceberg regarding the lengths Nick and Pete will go to in their efforts to win cases, and therefore it's reasonable to expect future episodes to show them doing even crazier and more deplorable things. It would also make sense for Las Vegas to become much more integrated with their cases in the future.
How long will it last? Though I would be tempted to cancel it immediately, this show may have a longer life than CBS' previous ill-fated foray into non-CSI Vegas, the Rob Lowe show "Dr. Vegas." The show trounced "The Whole Truth" in the ratings, and until it goes up against "Law & Order: Los Angeles" this coming week, it's looking pretty good to finish out the season, at the very least.
Pilot grade: F
Premiered September 22 at 10pm
Both watching this and writing this review right after doing the same with "The Whole Truth," I'm once again thinking that this show isn't quite as bad as "Outlaw," but it does come a little closer than ABC's Wednesday night legal offering. The main problem is the pairing of Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell. Only the longtime star of the critically-reviled "According to Jim" could make the absurd O'Connell look a little less ridiculous. O'Connell does just fine for the first few minutes, introducing a new legal aide as a judge and leaving her to fend for herself with a client, and it's only when Belushi begins moaning about how he's discovering that his ex-wife is cheating on him does O'Connell start to look like the sane one. This show is of course designed to be ridiculous, and so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. To pay a rare compliment to "Boston Legal," this show is hardly the caliber of that show in terms of zaniness and potential humor (I try not to crack a smile when I accidentally come across the James Spader series). Belushi's Nick Morelli does things like spilling water on an epxert witness in the middle of court, and this show hardly seems like it's supposed to be a drama. Unfortunately, it's not funny or interesting enough to be a comedy, and for some reason, the Vegas factor is used to absolutely zero effect, which is just puzzling. Jurnee Smollett's fight to be taken seriously mirrors this show's fight t be taken seriously: neither one is going to go well. The do-gooder newbie fighting her stubborn bosses has been seen on so many other shows, and no new ground is going to be covered here. I was surprised to find that the amazing Natalie Zea, who was hands-down the best part of the pilot, is only a guest star, but I suppose that's good so tht she can easily get a new part when this show gets cancelled pretty soon. Zea isn't the only one being squandered here - Gillian Vigman, onetime star of the fantastic but short-lived "Sons & Daughters," is wasted as Nick's ex-wife. What a pity.
How will it work as a series? We've only grazed the tip of the iceberg regarding the lengths Nick and Pete will go to in their efforts to win cases, and therefore it's reasonable to expect future episodes to show them doing even crazier and more deplorable things. It would also make sense for Las Vegas to become much more integrated with their cases in the future.
How long will it last? Though I would be tempted to cancel it immediately, this show may have a longer life than CBS' previous ill-fated foray into non-CSI Vegas, the Rob Lowe show "Dr. Vegas." The show trounced "The Whole Truth" in the ratings, and until it goes up against "Law & Order: Los Angeles" this coming week, it's looking pretty good to finish out the season, at the very least.
Pilot grade: F
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