Is that a Defenders and Daredevil pun? In the same sentence? With my Hand over my heart, I will admit that it is.
Now that this review is off to a wonderful start and I’ve probably lost every reader by now, let’s get into it.
Marvel’s The Defenders is the show to watch on Netflix. Bringing together the heroes of the four Marvel Netflix shows thus far, The Defenders is a culmination of the stories introduced in Daredevil and Iron Fist, and is a brilliant culmination at that.
The first interesting feature of this show is that it is only eight episodes long, rather than the staple thirteen that every previous Marvel series has had. While this does leave you painfully longing for more, it is good for the show, because it’s a compact, no-nonsense punch from start to finish.
The Defenders is a show that has been anticipated for a little too long, and usually this does bring with it disappointment. I never tend to put anything I’m excited for on a pedestal, so I am thoroughly satisfied with this show. Anybody who expected an eight-episode team-up, though, will be disappointed, because this show takes its time to bring the four heroes in question together, and this is really a plus point for the show. All four are given equal importance at the start, of course, but they are all pursuing their own stories, which come together by coincidence. It isn’t like all four of them just decide, at the start, to get together to deal with something. This is a smart, rather mature way of writing this story.
In doing so, it also establishes that all of these characters are faithful to themselves and none of them have to be written out of hand to suit the story. Luke Cage is still just out to help. Danny Rand is still not-quite-so-mature and is only out for The Hand. Matt Murdock is trying to deal with the loss of Elektra and understand how to live his life after the events of Daredevil season two. Jessica Jones is still stuck up and trying to stay away from as much complication as possible. Everything about the way these four characters are written is so truthful to themselves, it’s wonderful.
Throughout all of this, everyone – including Finn Jones, although I really never understood why anyone would think his performance in Iron Fist wasn’t good – delivers powerful performances. This includes the great supporting cast as well, in which Claire Temple, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing and Stick are the most important. While the focus of the show really isn’t on them, the way they are used is smart.
Another excellent performance comes from Sigourney Weaver, who plays The Hand leader Alexandra. Her character is also something the Marvel Netflix shows have been consistently boasting with their villains: compelling.
In general, The Hand is an aspect of this show that I thought was handled (I can’t stop with these puns. I’m sorry) surprisingly well. The organisation is not one in which they have a dimly lit villainous round table conference room where everyone laughs hysterically as their leader spills out evil information. They are humans (well… The way they work together, at least). The greatest antagonists are those that are vulnerable, and The Hand is no different. Alexandra goes in a direction that many may not like, but having seen the whole show and having observed it overall, I think everything that happens is for the best.
What’s even more surprising is the role that Elektra (previously seen dead at the end of Daredevil season 2) has in this series. The character receives a lot more justice in this than in Daredevil, at least, in terms of being interesting.
On that note, I do feel the need to feel happy in saying that Iron Fist is probably the most important Defender in this series (bar maybe Daredevil). This isn’t something that can’t really be avoided. This is The Hand. He is the immortal Iron Fist. Ultimately, this is his fight above everybody else. But having everyone else does help. It helps his character itself in a few ways. Iron Fist himself is really great in this show. I think it’s a good thing that he is so immature. You can see the character grow over his own show and this. Of course, every character is really good in their own way. This isn’t a team-up series. This is a series about four incredibly written individual characters that are then incredibly written together.
The relationships and arcs between the four heroes can be called cliche, but I would call it necessary. Knowing all four characters, there was nothing else that could have been done. But it was done very well.
Finally, on a technical note, the action is generally well choreographed, as usual, but also, the score is masterful. All shows leading up to this have had decent scores (Daredevil the best, Iron Fist the worst), but with this show, listening to it makes the series so much more epic, and it’s exactly what it needed. Marvel scores aren’t always the best, but this one sure is.
The Defenders is as perfect as it could possibly be. It is written particularly well, and in its eight episodes it has a story that is so cohesive and gripping, only intricate planning and effort by everyone involved could have made it as great as it is.
On a scale where M is the lowest and R is the highest possible rating, with the highlighted letter being the rating:
Marvel’s The Defenders: MIHIR
I am truly upset that I finished it, but the last episode has a post-credits teaser for The Punisher that is just mouth-watering. Damn it Marvel, how do you keep doing it?
The Geeky Critic 