The Defenders

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Finally, the promo trailer for The Defenders, unveiled at San Diego Comic Con.

Daredevil. Jessica Jones. Luke Cage. Iron Fist.

Remember when The Avengers gave us a superhero movie like none which had ever come before it? Well, The Defenders is going to give us a small screen superhero experience like none before it. Well, that isn't exactly true--Legends of Tomorrow was a small-screen super team but, truthfully, the writers for those shows--and this includes Arrow, Flash, and now Supergirl--really need to step up their game. hrm....actually, I have to correct myself twice--Heroes did it first, but even though Tim Kring had an amazing concept which was ahead of the curve that show needed better writers, as well (not to mention the bad timing of a writer's strike which killed Season 2 after only 6 episodes).

Anyway....this is going to be an amazing show and I really can't wait to see it. I haven't been into TV shows this much since Babylon 5 ended its run.

The peeling papers mention Rand Industries, which has to do with Iron Fist. Also Seagate Prison, currently housing Kingpin, who is in the process of rebuilding his empire.

Good old Stick, always ready with a sarcastic comment. "You think you can save New York? You can't even save yourselves." Likely threats include The Hand and whatever corporation it was that was conducting all those experiments on kids, the ones which gave both Jessica and Luke their powers; this is probably also the same corporation behind whatever compound it was that Dr. Koslov was giving to Simpson.

[sgt.null]

an explanation video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoX4-Koc8Eg

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Forget that gives-you-nothing elevator "trailer", the real trailer for The Defenders is now here.

I still feel a little sorry for Iron Fist--they rushed his show so they could start production on Defenders...but let's be truthful--everyone who enjoys these shows is looking forward to Defenders much more than they were looking forward to Iron Fist.

August 18.

[aTOMiC]

let's be truthful--everyone who enjoys these shows is looking forward to Defenders much more than they were looking forward to Iron Fist.

That's how I felt.

Got through all 8 episodes this weekend.

I enjoyed the series. It all went down pretty much the way I expected.
A few small surprises but for the most part it was a fairly entertaining by the numbers story line. Admittedly I was hoping for something a little more unexpected and compared to the Kingpin the villain(s) were a little sub par.

Overall though it was a win. IMHO

[Hashi Lebwohl]

I binged through all 8 episodes in one sitting, myself. The show was definitely worth the wait--I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yes, the villains were sub-par compared to Kingpin and Killgrave...but in their defense there were 5 of them (well, make that 6), so they couldn't get as much development. Except for the primary villain--she got a lot of development even if all of it wasn't within the confines of this show. Well, and Madame Gao--she is the only one wise enough to know when to walk away and we definitely haven't seen the last of her yet.

I don't care how gifted a martial artist he might be--there is no way that Sowande could knock Luke back like that.

There is no way that Murcock's identity remains unknown after this show, though. Not only were Luke, Jessica, and Danny seen in the company of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but Matt was picked up at that one crime scene along with the others and Misty is not stupid--she will figure it out, presuming she hasn't already.

[aTOMiC]

Yes, the villains were sub-par compared to Kingpin and Killgrave...but in their defense there were 5 of them (well, make that 6), so they couldn't get as much development. Except for the primary villain--she got a lot of development even if all of it wasn't within the confines of this show. Well, and Madame Gao--she is the only one wise enough to know when to walk away and we definitely haven't seen the last of her yet.

Agreed. I did give them a pass with regard to focus and character development given the circumstances.
To rate a Villain's Menace potential I give the Hand a 5.7.
For reference I would give Vincent D'Onofrio Wilson Fisk an 8.5. The way he raged out on the guy using a car door was downright chilling. Didn't quite get a moment like that with the Hand. Not that they weren't capable just that it never happened.

I don't care how gifted a martial artist he might be--there is no way that Sowande could knock Luke back like that.

Couldn't agree more.

There is no way that Murcock's identity remains unknown after this show, though. Not only were Luke, Jessica, and Danny seen in the company of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, but Matt was picked up at that one crime scene along with the others and Misty is not stupid--she will figure it out, presuming she hasn't already.

Misty has to know by now. I imagine the story going forward will still have us believe that only a select few are aware of the truth but we'll see.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

Trish will figure it out, as well. She knows who Karen Page is; with Trish being Trish she will dig into her background a little and put the pieces together. She can be trusted not to reveal the secret, though.

The Stan Lee cameo was a face on a poster attached to a light pole during one of the daytime downtown scenes.

[aTOMiC]

The Stan Lee cameo was a face on a poster attached to a light pole during one of the daytime downtown scenes.

Hah! Damn, I didn't catch that.

[Fist and Faith]

Only halfway through, but loving it. Closer to the quality of DD than Iron First. (Being the biggest IF fan in the world, I was looking forward to IF more than anything.)

Matt's fights with Elektra are great.

I have no problem with a centuries-old martial artist who practices who-knows-what other mystic crap (what's with the bear?) punching Luke the way he did. Hell, Gao can apparently do it without making contact.

Gotta love a guy who cuts his own hand off to escape.

My main problem is that the Hand should be powerful enough in the legal, financial, and political arenas to have had these four taken out instantly without throwing a punch. Danny just came to understand such possibilities, but it should be old hat for the Hand. They used the last of their resources on Elektra? How about that bajillion dollar company?

[Hashi Lebwohl]

The only resources which actually means anything to The Hand is the resource they were trying to collect. Money is ephemeral, fluctuating as economies flourish then collapse.

[Fist and Faith]

They have been gathering economic power for centuries. Jessica was following their centuries-old trail, and the Defenders met when they all ended up in that building, which was the Hand's corporate hq. They bothered building that power, because it is an important power in the world. But they didn't bother putting it to good use against the heroes.

[dlbpharmd]

All in all, we enjoyed this series, although I still think the first season of DD and Jessica Jones were far superior.

It's apparent now that there's more to blame for the season of Iron Fist being so terrible. That actor is positively shitty.

Madame Gao is my favorite of the 5, so I was glad that she survived.

A gripe that I have is that we rarely saw Jessica using her strength, until the finale, when she held up the elevator car.

[aTOMiC]

although I still think the first season of DD and Jessica Jones were far superior.

I agree about DD and I'm really looking forward to the Punisher.
Luke Cage was good, Iron Fist was shite.
I only watched the first episode and a half of JJ. I found her acerbic personality grating without being at least bit charming. Even Gregory House was charming some of the time.

Jessica Jones reminds me of what I think Linden Avery would be like as a live action character.

However I'm willing to bet if I had stuck with the series I would have fallen in line with the rest of you.

Surrounded by less annoying characters (Not Danny Rand, he was annoying for a wholly different reason) I thought Jessica Jones was fine in the Defenders.

[I'm Murrin]

I really enjoyed this series. It was a little weaker than the individual shows (I've not seen Iron Fist so can't compare there) but it held together well enough.
I found the colour coding around the characters a bit much - constantly lighting scenes to match their signature colours, and Luke Cage always wearing yellow when he never did in his own series.

[Hashi Lebwohl]

I concur--they will have to step up their game with Season 2 of Iron Fist. As I noted before, they rushed that show just to get it out of the way for Defenders, which probably hurt production value.

After the showdown in the restaurant, Jessica causally flips over a large dumpster then shoves it to block the door. Don't foget, also, than in the very first episode she unhooks Trish's car from the police tow truck and drags it backward to prevent it from being towed.

I think everyone likes Madame Gao, which is why she got away. An unnaturally extended life didn't give the others much in the brains department but she was already crafty before--she had her escape plan plotted out before the final plan was enacted. Now, of course, there is no one to whom she has to answer so she can do as she pleases--don't forget that she was eavesdropping on Joy and Davos at the end of Iron Fist.

[MsMary]

I enjoyed the series a lot.

I have to admit that I didn't even notice the color coding, though.

I pretty much binge-watched this.