Marvel's The Defenders - Episodes 6-8 Review
***SPOILER-FREE***
I think it's best to list pros and cons here, because believe me when I say that I loved The Defenders, but its a noticeably imperfect show. The problems don't cause the series to be bad per say, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed that we don't have a show to rival the brilliant storytelling of the first season of Daredevil or the genre-bending intensity of Jessica Jones. With all that being said...
Every single member of the cast is fantastic. Krysten Ritter is undoubtedly a highlight, with Charlie Cox and Mike Colter, as always delivering pitch-perfect performances. Finn Jones manages to cope well with the character of Danny, but one can't help but feel that Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing is the MVP of Iron Fist - a shame really, because all they needed to do was give her a glowy fist and we have a much better fourth member to the Defenders team. Damn, I'm almost going into the cons here. Rosario Dawson is great, Simone Missick is great, the supporting players get little to do, but are nice inclusions for the whole world/city-building the series cements, and Sigourney Weaver gives the series' villain some much-needed gravitas.
Despite some arguably rough production values, the direction is stellar throughout, with some wonderful shots and brilliant use of colour symbolizing each of our main heroes. The interactions and banter are a lot of fun, and the series could easily be the conclusion to all of the shows...if it wasn't for the leftover plot-threads to the solo series'. I love the title sequence, but the music feels a bit flat and generic for the most part. The main theme is fine, but its a little too...predictable, I guess for a series like this. Damn! I've just gone into the cons now! Okay then, cons with The Defenders...
The pacing is wonderful, but there's so much plot to cover in eight episodes that I just wish more had been covered in Daredevil 2 and Iron Fist 1. The mystery element is fine, but when all is said and done I wanted more character building, and got more "let's save New York" stuff, which is fine - the show's never, ever boring - but this shorter run clearly would have worked better for the solo series, and not this crossover event. Because of this, Sigourney Weaver's character isn't developed as much as I'd like. There's some much-needed flashbacks missing with her, and her ultimate exit from the show is a little...well, almost anti-climactic. We also get a...surprise villain, but for the sake of avoiding spoilers I'll just say that it's worse than you think and the ending doesn't feel earned...but part of that is the fault of the other shows before it. The fight sequences are good, but there's lots of dark lighting and quick-cuts that stop most from being anything amazing.
Damn...I'm making this review much more negative than it should be, aren't I?
Overall, The Defenders is a cracking show. It's one that resolves everything surrounding the Hand from the previous shows, it gives us some strong character beats and interactions, and is a hell of a lot of fun to watch. It's clearly got more on its plate than it wanted or needed to, but it does ultimately succeed...one just can't help but wish it was a bit less plot-heavy overall. But, considering pace has been a problem with the previous shows, hopefully the eight episode format will be brought back for the solo series' - and maybe 13 episodes for another Defenders run. Cracking stuff, but the previous shows let the guard down. For one, you actually have to watch and pay attention to Iron Fist if you want to understand any of it. As for where it falls in the broader scheme of the shows, I'd argue it's better than Luke Cage and Iron Fist, not as overall solid as Daredevil 1, but never reaches the dramatic heights of Jessica Jones and Daredevil 2 (in places). That being said, it's a lot of fun, and definitely recommended.
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