Marvel’s Netflix Iron Fist Season 1 came out on Friday and just as it happened my friend from uni was over for the weekend he’s also a fan of Marvel. Since we loved all the other Netflix shows so we were hoping this would keep up the same level. Sadly we were disappointed, after we had read the reviews we said to ourselves that we didn’t care and the critics were probably wrong anyway as they are 90% of the time (they all slated it). We thought we would stay true to the Marvels fans we are and get through the entire season and come to our own conclusion. Half way through the season my friend admitted that the only reason he was carrying on was because the main character’s girlfriend was nice eye candy, I on the other hand admitted the only reason I was carrying on was because it has to set up the new Defenders show.

This opinion is my own, I know some people enjoyed it but for me it just wasn’t what I expected. This will be spoiler free albeit for who Danny Rand is and what he becomes however there will be a spoiler filled review at the bottom. I had to start off with saying that the only real exposure to Iron Fist I have from the comics is very limited and only in a few cartoon TV Shows. But the show itself just felt flat and couldn’t get any pace, there were good parts but these were out weighted by the dull, slow and sometimes downright cringe worthy scenes. Every time you thought there was a decent bit and it felt like the pace was picking up, you’d switch to some boring dialog where all that pace just came to a halt and take another full episode to have some excitement. To give the show its dues it picked up near the last quarter of the season where the story was finally getting somewhere and there was more action scenes. Those action scenes however while not as explosive or impressive as some of the other Netflix shows. The scenes weren’t bad, one particular one was just hilarious where Danny was hit in the face with his foe’s bum, because that’s a real fighting style ;). These scenes while needing some work were still enjoyable to watch and as no special effects were clearly seen, it looked like actors and stunt doubles were doing it all. It’s a nice surprise to the obvious CGI filled world of most TV shows and movies these days.

To give the actors some acknowledgement Finn Jones who plays the main character of Danny Rand tried to best to bring the not known character of Iron Fist to life. Throughout his performance he kept Danny trying to see the good in the world and trying to make it a better place. The first episode was hard to watch though as Danny had just come back from ‘the dead’ and was just telling people… “hey it’s Danny, it’s me”, while giving people no reason to trust him or believe that’s it really him. Around episode 3 he finally goes to someone and tells them personal details he did as a child, and they realise only Danny would have known that… why he didn’t do that in the first place is beyond me. However Finn while needing some improvement tried his best, I only hope he will improve in his performance portraying Danny Rand. Tom Pelphrey who played ward was just sometimes awful, the dialog was hard to watch and sometimes you just wanted him to jump out of the window if the high-rise, might be his best acting in the whole season. However in the last half his performance was so much better while Ward was going through issues he pulled it off very well sometimes thinking that the actor must have gone through something similar but you’d hope he hadn’t. Then there was Jessica Stroup who played Joy, Wards sister. While her performance was stronger, the dialog with Ward sometimes just made you want to go back to K’un-Lun, it felt flat and not at all how you’d expect brother and sister to be, sometimes just feeling awkward. Wai Ching Ho reprises her role as Madame Gao and as always you know she is evil, however after already seeing her in other shows we know what she can do. However the shining role in this was not that of Iron Fist’s Fist or The Hand army it was David Wenham as Harold Meachum, Joy and Wards ‘dead’ father. He was cunning, calm and controlled everything with an Iron will – see what I did there. After seeing him as Faramir I did not know this Ranger of Ithilien could even play a villain, I can however confirm he can be one of the best.

Overall Iron Fist’s first introduction in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels flat, boring even with the few sections that make you think it can make a recovery it still fails to keep the watcher engaged. If I didn’t know it was part of the MCU I would not have carried on after the first episode. Hopefully with the rest of the Defenders in the next show Iron Fist will feel less like a Billionaire running around saying I’m the Iron Fist, I am the Iron Fist and not really proving anything to a Hero that people want to know more about.

Iron First Plot

The first episodes starts off with Danny Rand coming back from ‘the dead’, we find out that he is actually the son of a billionaire and own 51% stake in Rand Enterprises. For the entire first season we see him running around the people that knew him as a child saying “it’s me Danny, however never giving them any reason to believe it is actually him. We also find out that Harold Meachum who is the father of Ward and Joy and Danny’s fathers business partner is alive, however he was thought to have died of cancer.

We find out that Harold is under the control of the Hand which is a dark organisation you might remember from Daredevil. Danny is sent to a mental home. He escapes using the power of the Iron Fist, which is revealed to be a title held by the most powerful warrior in K’un-Lun, this is shown to be Danny. Throughout the show he keeps telling people this, which is repetitive and boring.

Danny gets a lawyer to help get back his company and they find a finger print match that reveals the Danny was telling the truth and they give him the controlling stake of the business. During his time there Danny continues to mess things up in the company which sees Ward and Joy find annoyance with him. However Danny is doing some research and finds out there are some people working within Rand Enterprises using it as an undercover for a heroin business. Which Danny now wants to destroy (main plot of the show).

It is also revealed that Harold was revived by the Hand in order to do their bidding; however Harold wants free and uses Danny. It is also shown that Harold can be revived time and time again; however each time he is revived he comes more psychopathic and attacks people close to him.

The heroin business is being run by The Hand, which is revealed to be the sworn enemy of Iron Fist, so it is his duty to take them down. By this point Ward has been taking drugs and is suffering withdrawal symptoms which Joy notices there is something wrong. The board decides to get rid of Ward, Joy and Danny from the board of directors at Rand. Ward is willing to accept the $100 million which is the same deal they offered Danny to start with, however Joy wants the company back and finds ways to blackmail the directors.

Danny travels to Japan with Coleen and Claire and they kidnap Gao and take her back to Coleen’s Dojo. They attempt to use a truth serum on Gao however it doesn’t work. Coleen is seen to having poison running through her veins and asks Danny to Ring someone called Bakuto. Bakuto arrives and teaches Danny how to heal through Chi, he saves Coleen’s life but falls unconscious taking so much out of him.

Danny wakes up at Bakuto’s academy and starts doing some investigation. He later finds out that this is in fact the real Hand. He fights his way to freedom with his friend Davos from K’un-Lunn. At the penthouse Joy has discovered her father is alive and attempting to get back at the Hand by taking the money back that the Hand has been stealing from Rand enterprises. Bakuto arrives shortly after Ward, who has made a deal for his and Joy’s life.

Danny arrives at the penthouse and hands himself over to Bakuto, Baktuo reveals the only way to kill Harold is to decapitate him. Danny is taken downstairs in restraints, however in the lobby he manages to break out using the power of The Iron Fist. A fight ensures with Danny, Davos and Coleen against The Hand. Bakuto escapes outside but is pursued by the trio. Coleen and Bakuto have a one to one battle and Coleen wins. However it is Davos who stabs Bakuto through the heart. Davos and Danny have an argument and a fight breaks out by these two former friends, Davos thinking it was his birth right to have the Iron Fist. After the battle ends, it is seen that Bakuto’s body has gone.

Harold has framed Danny for the Heroin business and the DEA come after Danny, later they find out with Wards help, the only way to clear Danny’s name is to get the tablet that Harold has with all the data, on which he keeps in the safe. Danny arrives at the company with his team, Ward gets the tablet but Danny chases after Harold to the roof. The worst fight in the show takes place with Danny not using the Iron Fist or any martial arts against Harold. Harold ends up being impaled, pulls himself free only to get shot in the head by ward. He then falls to his death – they cremate the body to make sure he can’t come back.

Danny and Coleen start on a mission to K’unn-Lunn however they find it destroyed with bodies of The Hand lying scattered around. In a meeting with Joy, Davos tells Joy, Danny must be killed which is overheard by Gao.