REVIEW: The Defenders Season 1
We’ve finally come to the crux of it all, the endgame of the Marvel-Netflix universe, The Defenders. All four leads come together to take down an ultimate evil. After some fantastic seasons and a few lackluster ones, can this show balance out the high expectations? Aside from a few missteps that prove that the shows still haven’t learned that many lessons, I’m happy to say the answer is mostly yes.
When it comes to action sequences and meaningful team-ups, The Defenders is a fantastic closer to the buildup we’ve been waiting for two years. While they don’t boast the instant chemistry of the Avengers, we’re treated to four well-developed (or semi-developed) characters strong enough to interact with each other. Once they’re all gathered together for their first fight, you can’t help but get a little excited. It might also be from the shortening of episodes to eight instead of thirteen, but the flow is oddly smooth, moving from one event to the next without too much drag. Perhaps they should consider that for future seasons.
Looking into the season, I think it’s best to start with the most important character here. No not Danny Rand, no matter how much the show wants me to think that, or Matt Murdock, though he tries. I’m talking about Jessica freaking Jones whom we haven’t seen since there were only six Star Wars movies. Almost two years later, and her snarky, reluctant heroism reminds us all why her show easily reigned as one of the best Marvel series alone. While she is probably the least connected to the overall plot connected to the zombie ninjas, it only adds to her strength being the only character able to call out how nonsensical the whole plot is. And ending the season following her new sense to move forward gives a perfect new launchpad for season two that I can’t wait to see.
Luke Cage also remains the morally upright character he’s been since the beginning to the point of him being the dissenting voice in blowing up Midland Circle. And it made sense! A new sense of purpose, being the hero of Harlem, gives him a stake and emotional connection that the other characters sometimes struggle with in parts. Plus, easily being the most powerful character in the show, he provides some of the best action sequences bouncing off the others, especially as he stands against Danny’s iron fist.
Okay, I’m going to address Iron Fist now. On the one hand, I don’t see him as the insufferable moral stooge he was in Iron Fist anymore. On the other hand, I still see him as an insufferable child. How is it that the character who spent half his life raised by strict Buddhist monks end up being the least mature member of the team? His fighting has improved, but his lashing at the others for simply disagreeing with him hardly puts him on the level of hero. Unfortunately, since he becomes the lynchpin of the team and the villain’s plans, we’re forced to hear how important he is and watch the others risk their lives to save him. Heck, he’s stupid enough to actual help the villains in the end! Remind me again, how was his series renewed faster than Jessica Jones?
Of course Matt wasn’t going to die. That’s all I really need to say about his material in the season, but really, he still wasn’t as disappointing as Danny. The retread of his relationship with Elektra, while with some emotion to it, just kept reminding me how overall badly their relationship was done anyway. I’m sorry, but when your lady love can’t help but kill people, that’s not the time for the love. It’s the time for help. Still, Matt’s willingness to die to protest the others from the bomb, coupled with his attempts to better his life for Foggy and Karen, shows a sense of character that actually matches the mantle of hero that he wants to make of himself. I just can’t help but feel a little unsatisfied since we never saw the aftermath of the season two finale. We get hints, especially with Matt and Karen’s new “finding themselves” stage, but never a full picture.
In response to all the talk of heroes, let me go to the villains, which surprisingly has some layers to them as well. I give some credit to Sigourney Weaver for given some level to a stereotypical uninteresting Marvel villain. She doesn’t have the intensity of Kingpin, the threat of Kilgrave, or even the passion of Cottonmouth and Mariah, but she still feels there. That doesn’t come from acting but presence, so much to the point that the shift to Elektra is a downer. I have the feeling that others will be angrier at the rise of Elektra as a villain, but neither one was going to go down in history. At least Elektra had some buildup. For the record, that does not me I enjoyed watching a decent grey character dissolve into a kill-seeking villain.
But where does this leave us now? Surprisingly, the shows provide some interesting directions for the characters to go. Luke and Jessica are back to their regular things, though Misty is ready for that bionic arm now. Danny might start to be a little less stupid to make Matt’s sacrifice mean something. And season three of Daredevil has just become a lot more interesting to see them walk back from his “death.” I would hope that this is the last we see of the zombie ninjas, but unfortunately that much buildup can’t just disappear. If we could see K’un L’un for real, I might be able to take that.
In the long run, The Defenders won’t beat the heights of the first season of Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but in spite of some recent failings of the Netflix shows, it manages to still be a good time with the heroes of New York. And since I’m still excited for other seasons, I probably can’t call this season anything other than a success. Defenders, assemble.
