Final Defenders Preview

I posted a preview for The Defenders a few weeks ago, following it up with a thorough chronology of events leading up to it. Since then we've had another full trailer dropped as well as various teasers, so I thought prior to release (in about ten hours from when I'm writing this) I'd take one last stab at interpreting what we've been told and presented. First of all, here's when the various trailers have dropped:
First Trailer (May 3)
Second Trailer (July 21)

Third Trailer (August 13)

Featurette (August 14)

Fourth Trailer (August 17)
In addition there was the Stan Lee promo video from SDCC (which at this point has no new content) and a number of short teasers that have been posted on Twitter: 1) black and white camera with all four on an elevator, 2) Alexandra talking to Gao, 3) Matt Murdock in the confessional both with Father Lantom, 4) Jessica freeing Trish's car from being towed, 5) Foggy talking to Luke Cage, 6) Misty talking to Colleen at the police station, 7) Alexandra confronting a captured Stick, 8) Trish talking to Karen Page. Most of the teasers are without context so are hard to pin down, but we can safely say #3-#5 are early, #7 at the midway point, #1 the office sequence when they all meet for the first time. There are a few other teasers that are directly pulled from the trailers so I'm not including them here.

We know from comments that the script for the show was finished in May, 2016, long before the release of both Luke Cage and Iron Fist. We also know that:

[E]ach Defender begins to investigate a mystery separately, with the four all converging on the same location after "following their own trail of bread crumbs". Ramirez added, "We wanted them all caught off guard [by seeing one another at the same location]. Once they're in that room together, it's kind of like, 'Oh, shit, who are you?"

This is reflected in the trailers we've seen, as I'll get into below (for simplicity the trailers are referred to as T1, T2, etc, and the teasers as Te1, Te2, etc; the featurette is FE).

SPOILERS (for those who want to know nothing going in)

The Story of the Trailers

The simplest assumption here (Te5) is that this is episode one with Foggy, working for his new law firm as of the end of Daredevil season two (see the chronology above), getting Luke out of Seagate Prison. While most of us assumed Claire was referring to Matt Murdock in Luke Cage when she said she knew a good lawyer, she also knows both Foggy and Hogarth, so either she approached Matt and was rejected or else approached one of them and they got Luke out (at the end of Luke Cage Bobby Fish finds the evidence folder Shades and Mariah were trying to bargain with--the evidence that will vindicate Luke).

We know Matt's discussion about Elektra with Father Lantom (Te3) is from the first episode because that's revealed in the Tweet that released the clip. We know from comments made in interviews that Matt has retired from crime fighting since the end of Daredevil season two (after he revealed his identity to Karen Page), which is also at least part of the reason why he's not in costume in the subsequent Midlands Circle fight (see below).

There's good reason to think this scene with Alexandra and Gao (Te2) is early, as it's establishing both the plot and introducing us to the kind of person Alexandra is. In the clip Gao talks about a plant at the mayor's office and how it will be another three months to do whatever it is they are planning. This isn't fast enough for Alexandra, but we don't know why. Gao says "we all agreed" implying more people than just the two of them (so presumably Bakuto and others, as pictured above from FE). It remains uncertain if Alexandra is part of the Hand or simply using them. We have no idea who the man in the middle of the three is above, but he's seen several times opposing the Defenders.

We see an earthquake occurring and it's aftermath (T2, FE), which clearly is part of whatever the Hand is doing and likely happens early in the show (episode one or two, although there might be multiple earthquake effects). This is also clearly connected to the scene of Luke catching the lamppost before it hits the car (T2, FE).

From numerous comments we know Elektra is raised by the Hand with amnesia--no memory of who she was (something that slowly comes back). This clip (T2) is certainly early and likely part of Alexandra preparing her to be Black Sky--the weapon of the Hand.

Thematically Misty and Colleen's (Te6) meeting is similar to Misty and Jessica's below, although Colleen implies she could leave and she isn't in handcuffs, so it seems like officers picked her up and not as a suspect but as someone suspicious or in/around a crime scene. This seems solidly placed in the investigative part of the show and could be before or after the scene with Jessica below (likely before, as I'm guessing the meeting of the four leads is last).

We know from T1 that both Jessica Jones and Misty Knight are pursuing the same witness (although we don't know why there's a city-wide manhunt for him, or why Jessica was trying to help him). The witness dies, Misty arrests Jessica (presumably for stealing evidence from the crime scene), and Matt Murdock arrives as her attorney. As yet we don't know why Matt shows up to help Jessica (why not Hogarth, for instance, whom Jessica was working for in Jessica Jones?), as she does not know who he is in the clip. We don't know what's brought Matt to her--it could be related to the various activities of the Hand, or it could be that he, too, was looking for the man. There's a scene of Matt on a rooftop in his suit (T1), which could be Matt trying to find the same person and perhaps that's what leads him to Jessica. Given comments about plot having a slow burn, this could be anywhere from episode two to four in my opinion.

As for how the others get involved from comments it seems as though Luke gets involved because Harlem criminals are hired as support for the Hand; from T1 Luke and Danny run into each other while Danny is chasing a man through an alley; Claire talks them through their initial conflict in what looks like Colleen's dojo. Interestingly, Colleen is absent from most of these scenes--that might just be a trick of the trailer (we see her enter the building with Danny (T1) that he subsequently chases the man out of before having his fight with Luke), but it's also possible she's run into trouble (eg Te6 above). Incidentally, the two pairings (Jessica and Matt, Danny and Luke) make sense not just thematically but also logistically--the former two both operate in Hell's Kitchen, while Colleen's dojo is near Luke's territory (and thus a place Danny would spend time at).

There's a shot of a building on fire (T2 and T4)--while this could be the Midland Circle building after the big fight (see below), I think it's something that happens earlier--possibly a triggering event for Jessica and others. There's a shot of Claire next to a fire truck (T2) and Luke near sirens that might be connected to this.

This brief clip (Te8) could happen before or after the initial team-up--it reflects what Alexandra says to the group when they're at the Royal Dragon restaurant (T1-2 and T4, about the Hand going after everyone they know)--has this already started or was Alexandra saying it would be starting? Trish says in the clip that she thought Jessica was exaggerating the danger, so it could be after the Royal Dragon fight. What she and Karen are doing together is hard to say, but it looks like they are in Karen's office at The Bulletin--the two did not meet in Jessica Jones, but Karen is a reporter and likely investigating what's going on.

The event we've seen the most footage of is the Midlands Circle fight (the location confirmed by Entertainment Weekly's teaser article from January, but also FE; the site was last seen in Daredevil season two). In T2, FE, and T4 we see Danny being attacked in a corporate boardroom chaired by Alexandra--this scene appeared without that context in T1, but is clearly the one that leads to the hallway fight we've seen in all trailers (as well as the elevator shot we got in Te1 months ago). At first it seemed that all four entered the building on their own, but now I think Danny arrives with Luke backing him up, having met earlier. Jessica runs into Matt before the fight (FE), with her knowing him only as a lawyer. Danny's comment in FE ("who are you people?") seems to include Luke, but it's clear that he's encountered Luke before this, so he's referring just to Matt and Jessica. Elektra, now resurrected (see below) fights them here (multiple trailers). I think this is at least the mid-point of the series.

The foursome then goes to a Chinese restaurant (the Royal Dragon) to rest. This is where Danny attempts to bring them together as a team (he mentions the Hand hunting their friends and family, saying it in a way indicating all four already know this is actively happening, T2). Stick then arrives (T1, from T3 we know it's unexpectedly) to tell them to get it together, but is followed by Alexandra and Elektra (T4), who wants to talk first. One interesting note is that, while clearly Jessica knows who Matt is, he still has the scarf on in the Chinese restaurant to begin with, but not later, so I wonder if Stick is the one who gives away his secret identity or if he tells them himself. It seems as though Alexandra leaves before her people attack. It's incredible to think that two large fight sequences would occur virtually back-to-back like this, but presumably the show has a massive amount of frenetic energy (the Midlands might be the end of one episode with the Royal Dragon beginning another).

I believe Alexandra's verbal confrontation with Stick (T2 and Te7) happens before the Midlands Circle fight, as she believes the battle is over (presumably against the Chaste; it's possible that they have this talk after she's sent people to attack the allies and friends of the Defenders and believes them neutralized). What we don't know is why she isn't afraid of the Avengers stopping her (this might not be explained).

It's difficult to say when the brief scenes we get of friends looking worried is given that Danny says it's already happening and Alexandra threatening it in roughly the same sequence (the Royal Dragon)--there's a shot of Foggy comforting Karen, Jessica rescuing Malcolm (FE), as well as Claire's shot of concern (when she's next to the ambulance, T2).

When exactly Matt decides to put on his costume back on and resume being Daredevil isn't clear, but it's after the Royal Dragon confrontation. He's in costume in a fight between he and Danny (T2 and T4), something that Jessica stops--in T4 it's clear Danny is angry about something and punches Matt first. This is part of a sequence seen in most trailers that seems to be training of some sort, but I wonder if this escalates because of a debate over what to do about Elektra--Matt undoubtedly wanting to save her, with the others (perhaps goaded by Stick) believing she must die (we've seen clips of a couple of fights between Danny and Elektra). I also think Stick might help teach Danny better ways to control and use his abilities--we know from comments made by Bakuto in Iron Fist that there's much he doesn't understand about his abilities.

A later fight scene, one with Matt in full costume, appears to be in the tunnels underneath the city (likely the hole below Midlands Circle). This was barely seen in T1 (Danny fighting Elektra), but several shots appear subsequently. It's uncertain the context of the fight, but it contains the biggest Iron Fist moment we've seen from Danny since the money shot in his final episode, as one punch blows back a group of Hand fighters. Whether this fight is leading towards the show's climax or not can't be parsed from what we've seen.

There are a number of scenes that lack enough context to safely place them, but here's what I think we can squeeze out of them. The subway scene (T2) smacks of being towards the end of the show (it might even be the end), but it could be shortly after they've all met as well.

There's a scene of Colleen Wing fighting the resurrected Bakuto (T2), which could be at almost any time in the show.

There are a pair of disconnected Luke and Jessica scenes (T2) that could be in the middle or late: one where they are fighting as a team, another where an upset Jessica is storming away from Luke (presumably the latter is earlier).

Finally we have two Daredevil scenes without context. One he's leaping from a building to rescue a falling woman; in the other he and Jessica are fighting in what looks like a club of some sort (T2). We know these are later in the show because Matt is in costume.

That's as far as the trailers take us. It's reasonable to expect the first episode to be a recap--reminding people where the characters are, and also introducing them for those who haven't seen all the shows. The second episode will likely go into establishing the plot and villain, as well as setting up the initial mystery all four heroes are investigating.

I'd guess the amount we see secondary characters declines as the show moves forward--other than Colleen none are really able to battle the Hand in their current incarnation (if Trish was Hellcat we'd see her here). What's still unknown is what Alexandra (or the Hand) is trying to do. One of the frustrations of Iron Fist is the uncertainty of what the goal of the Hand was (to control Rand and gain wealth, but for what purpose?). I also expect Elektra to change sides--it's cliche, but also what happens to her in both of her comic book origins--the only uncertainty is if she survives the series. I think the original hope for her (DD2) was that, like Frank Castle (the Punisher), she'd land her own series, but she just hasn't proven popular enough to warrant it. At a guess she survives but departs--available for future use should they want it. I'm interested to see if the show serves to get rid of the Hand as central villains--this will be their fourth appearance (DD1, DD2, and IF) and for me that's enough--but they've been tied strongly to Danny so we shall see.

The show will also serve as a way for Danny to evolve. In the comics Danny is a funny, light-hearted character, but to service the plot in his own series we saw none of the former and only a little of the latter. Given how cynical Matt and Jessica are, and how much of a loner Luke is, Danny is important connective tissue for the group.

We've been told there's a post-credit scene for the series--will it set-up The Punisher? I rather doubt it, but perhaps it will lead into season two of Jessica Jones, or even tease an entirely new series. We know Netflix is heavily invested in Marvel at this point.

Another interesting question is what impact this will have on the respective series'? Cheo Hodari Coker (LC) basically ignored the events of Jessica Jones, while both showrunners of DD have been quite faithful in dealing with events occurring in other shows. Given the not-so-subtle hints that Misty will be joining the second season of Iron Fist I'd like greater awareness throughout, and I think Netflix would do well to follow the MCU's example to have more crossover between the shows. Certainly the comments we've heard is that it will impact the future and that's my hope as well.

As I predicted long ago, reviewers have given the show a thumbs up despite all the hubbub over Iron Fist. The exact number on Rotten Tomatoes doesn't really matter so long as it's "fresh".

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

Marvel TV News

Jessica Henwick (Colleen Wing) says there's a scene featuring the four heroes and all their major supporting characters, which presumably is something that happens late in the show as they try to stop Alexandra. At a guess, given the known participants in the series, this would include Claire, Foggy, Karen, Stick, Trish, Malcolm, Misty, Colleen, and possibly Hogarth, Elektra (who will inevitably switch to the hero's side), and even Frank Castle. The nice thing about this idea is it opens up the door even further to characters crossing over to different shows.

Reviews of the first four episodes of The Defenders are out (some include spoilers, so beware!) and, as expected, are largely positive. I mentioned months ago that despite moral outrage at Iron Fist the same critics would find a way to give Defenders a thumbs-up. The criticisms for the show are those you'd expect: the ubiquitous and meaningless "slow", along with carping about Danny Rand--IGN and others complain about his naivete and privilege and cheering it being slapped down by others in the show, apparently unaware that the latter is dependent on the former. There's a lot of mentions about "course-correction" for Danny, but the show was filmed before the reviews of Iron Fist were out, so critical reaction had no impact on the story decisions (something I pointed out in my preview). Not surprisingly a show whose primary antagonists are mystical ninjas spends a lot of time on the guy whose job it is to fight mystical ninjas. One of my complaints about Iron Fist is that the evolution of Danny as a character was stalled awaiting The Defenders, meaning that most of the development in his show was reserved for side characters (a shout out to Ward Meachum because of how much I loved his arc). It seems that we'll get that development here.

The critical thumbs-up serves as a demonstration that reviewers can find themselves in a bind--as much as they want to judge shows independently, the less their views reflect the masses the less audience they attract, so while dumping on a show that bombs is fine, doing so on one that's popular and part of a connected and popular series is difficult.

I want to throw out a prediction I forgot in my Defenders Preview: Stick will die (as, indeed, will Alexandra). I would love, incidentally, if the next Defenders team-up was versus the Kingpin.

The SDCC featured a much better trailer for the Inhumans--CGI for Medusa's hair was shown among other things. While I'm not a fan of Rag'n'Bone Man's "Human," the song makes sense for the show as well as this version of Maximus. At the event there was confirmation of a connection with Agents of SHIELD (this might seem obvious given that they are both on ABC, but there were earlier rumours of it being disconnected from all other shows). I like the idea of Black Bolt using sign language as opposed to telepathy to communicate. The first review of the show (well, "show" meaning the first episode) has hit as someone at SpoilerTV trashed it (adding they were a fan of Iron Fist, wanting to signal there wasn't lingering hostility impacting the review). As one review of one episode it's nothing to run a temperature over.

Speaking of Iron Fist, the announcement of a second season was formalized at last--while long assumed, this was official confirmation (it's the most watched Marvel Netflix show thus far). What was surprising to hear is that production is beginning immediately, with filming rumoured to begin in December (which, if true, could be alongside both Luke Cage and Daredevil--with the latter's start date not yet announced). There's a new showrunner, Raven Metzner, who wrote the disastrous Elektra movie (2005), but has better things on his resume since (former showrunner Scott Buck remains with the Inhumans). Whether or not Metzner is better than Buck I can't say, but in terms of perception it's moving the needle for critics of the show (as is the hint that we'll get Misty Knight), these provide "outs" to like the second season. As the linked Screenrant post points out, this filming schedule would allow Netflix to air all four shows in 2018 if they wished (something I speculated about a month ago), which Deadline now seems to be confirming (along with indicating Luke Cage is shooting for six months, not the nine rumoured earlier, so should wrap in December). Incidentally, I'd pointed out there's not much Iron Fist material left to sift through from the comics, so it makes a lot of sense that they'd try to mine from Daughters of the Dragon stories in the second season (albeit that material is also in short supply)--for those unfamiliar that refers to Colleen Wing and Misty Knight as a duo (indeed, their original comic introduction has them as a team).

We had some Jessica Jones season two casting news, as J. R. Ramirez is playing Oscar (a single father and neighbour of Jessica's whose son admires her); he doesn't seem to have a comic book basis and it's unclear what his function will be. Shooting of the show should wrap in October.

Runaways is debuting November 21st on Hulu, this after speculation put the show sometime in 2018. I'm not sure what to make of the news that the Runaways will be connected with the Netflix shows (Armin believes it's only referencing the Father Lantom character from Daredevil, who in the comics is connected to Molly Hayes). Expanding interconnections is a good thing, but I'm not familiar enough with the property to know how well it fits with the gritty Netflix offerings. Incidentally, I forgot to mention the double casting of Tina Minoru (in Doctor Strange and the Runaways), which is the second split between the MCU and Marvel Entertainment (alongside the double casting in Luke Cage and the Black Panther film). The showrunners were dismissive of the MCU casting, saying it was just a name in the credits (ie, an easter egg rather than a developed character).

Rumours that a Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) show is coming to TV have cropped up recently. John Ridley has long been working on an untitled Marvel project and the thought is that it's been delayed because Captain Marvel has also been delayed (the one presumably requiring the other--for those unfamiliar with the character, Kamala is inspired by Captain Marvel, thus her hero name). I'm not sure how well her powers would translate on the small screen, but otherwise she seems like a great addition to the Marvel TV lineup. If they are waiting for the MCU movie to drop (2019) Kamala is still a few years away.

Midnight's Edge has a video debunking the idea of superhero fatigue. The idea itself is ridiculous--what other category of movie is this question ever asked about? For those interested in the numbers behind it, it's worth watching (for those who don't know, the box office has been in decline for years; one of the only kinds of movies that are consistently profitable are those based on comic books--which is part of the reason Sony and Fox are reluctant to sell their properties back to Marvel, as well as why Warner Brothers is pushing so hard on the DCEU).

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

The Defenders Chronology

After I posted my preview for The Defenders I came across The Timeline, a great site devoted to presenting timelines for various shows (including the MCU). While very useful, it's form of citations lacks explanations making it difficult to understand some of their decisions. The site is also trying to make everything fit into the broader MCU, which causes some problems. I've taken what's included for the Netflix shows and done a considerable amount of checking to provide something a bit clearer than my original chronology. For convenience and to break up the walls of text I've colour-coded the information--for characters who crossover I've linked it to the show it's given in). What follows isn't comprehensive for everything that happens in the shows, but rather covers everything with time references (specifics and ones we can make a reasonable guess about). There's a few confusions within the shows, but the biggest is Elektra in DD2, which is impossible to reconcile with DD1 (I get into that below).

SPOILERS BELOW

"Centuries Ago"
Stick tells his story about the origin of the Hand, Black Sky, and the Chaste (DD2.8), including the Hand's ability to resurrect; the Warring States period in China (over 2200 years ago) is far too ancient given the context, so if this indeed has some truth to it, the Warring States period in Japan (1467-1603) seems most likely

17th century
Gao claims to have spent much of this time as a prisoner (IF.9)

1948
Chinese soldiers encounter an earlier Iron Fist (IF.10)

1972
Wilson Fisk's flashback when he was 12 (his father's election campaign and subsequent murder, DD1.8); while the year is never stated, the New York City Council elections occurred then, giving context to 1971's "Brown Sugar" which is heard introducing the flashback; we also see an overdue gas bill that says September (without the year shown) for added context; afterwards Wilson is sent to live on a farm with relatives.

1975
Fisk's mother re-marries (DD1.10, husband #2 who turns out to be gay, but there's no timeline for their divorce or her marriage to her third and final husband)

1985
(October 31) Recording of the medical treatment of Kilgrave (JJ.8); another specific '85 comment comes via Kevin's rugby hero (JJ.9); these were on Reva Connors' flashdrive, which she obtained from Seagate Prison (LC.4)

1984-86

It's unclear when Luke's flashback of his father's infidelity is, although he says he was 7 years old when he noticed (LC.10); The Timeline situates it in '86, despite not using that as the point of reference for when Luke is 17 (see below); thus far Luke is the only Defender whose year of birth can't be clearly deduced (Jessica 1984, Matt 1985, and Danny 1991--these do not match their actors, incidentally, who are all three years older--Mike Colter is 1976, which is likely why Timeline has Luke Cage's DOB as 1979--Jon Bernthal is also that year, but 1979 doesn't work for Frank Castle's timeline)

1986-89
-There are no specific dates provided for the Mama Mabel flashbacks, but we have some clues: Mabel opposed the drug trade and crack specifically (LC.7), with crack hitting the inner cities around 1985; Shades references David Dinkins and Pappy Mason as showing Mama Mabel respect (LC.7)--Dinkins had an extremely long political career, but the most likely times implied are his term as Borough President of Manhattan (1986-89) or Mayor of New York (1990-93); Mason was a drug trafficker in the 1980s (he was in arrested in 1989 and sentenced in 1994)
-Cottonmouth is 14 during these flashbacks (as he says to Mariah, LC.7)

1988
Kilgrave's parents flee; Kilgrave says he was 10 when this happened (JJ.9)

late-1980s
Harold Meachum contemplates pushing Wendell Rand off their building (IF.13); we know this is before Danny was born and while the complex was being built, but nothing else (from 85-90 Harold would have been 22-27 years old)

1994
-Matt is 9-years old (he tells Karen, DD1.1; Stick also references it, DD1.7), with the year determined when he tells Stick it's been 20 years since he's seen him (DD1.7)--while this could be an approximation, there's no other specific to work with; we see his life before and after the accident, along with his father's death (DD1.1 and DD1.2); Stick is called in to help Matt by the orphanage, although he claims he arranged this; he leaves when Matt starts feeling attached (DD1.7)
-Stick trains a 12-year old Elektra, including killing a member of the Chaste to protect her (DD2.12); we're given no year for this, but it seems thematically tied to Matt

1994-98
Luke is 17 and Diamondback 19 when arrested (LC.10), their ages given on microfiche Misty looks at; Diamondback references Prince's "Little Red Corvette" (1983) when telling the story (LC.11); he says he killed a man who attacked him in juvy, so he was moved to an adult prison; he mentions seeing the movie New Jack City (1991) in a context that suggests it's before he went to jail (DC.11); Diamondback says Luke was sent to the Marines because his father convinced the judge that it was better for him than prison (LC.11), something alluded too by Luke when he tells Misty that he learned how to deal with injuries via Force Recon (LC.11); Luke tells Method Man that "P.L.O. Style" (1994) was a favourite song (LC.12), which is likely why The Timeline puts all of this in 1994, despite it not matching their date for when Luke is 7; Diamondback mentions that the bible and The 48 Laws of Power got him through his time in prison (LC.9), Robert Greene's book came out in 1998, meaning at minimum he was in jail at or after that time

1995
(summer) Misty's lemonade story while being interrogated by Krasner (LC.9); it's implied she was a teenager at this time, but it's such a vague timeframe it's hard to place when Misty was 9 and met Pops (LC.3)--likely between 1989-1993, leaning towards the later side

late 1990s
Priscilla Ridley says that Shades was an associate of Cottonmouth's at this time and subsequently served time at Spofford (a juvenile detention center only so-named from 1998-99) and Sing Sing (a maximum security prison)

1998-2004
The earliest Luke Cage could have left the marines and become a police officer (most first-term enlistments are for four years); we're told nothing about his military history and very little about his time on the force (Pops says Luke used to find people (LC.2), presumably referring to his time as a cop (he finds Chico in four hours), while Cottonmouth refers to Luke as a "sheriff" (LC.7) once he's learned his past, but I doubt he's being literal)

2000
(April 13) Jessica's family car crash (the date can be seen on medical bills, JJ.12); Kilgrave says she was 14 when it happened (JJ.8); IGH paid for her care (JJ.12); Dorothy Walker adopts her--she and Trish were schoolmates beforehand (JJ.11)

2001
-The Rand plane crash was 15-years ago from the show's present; Ward was 15, Danny was 10 (IF.1), Joy was 10 (IF.2); there's a continuity error in IF.3 as you can just see 1999 on the tombstone as the date of Danny's death, but this matches nothing else in the show; Danny eventually realises his father and the pilots were poisoned (IF.8)--a poison asked for by Harold and provided by Gao (IF.13); the same poison was used on Elektra (DD2.8), who is cured by Stick, and Colleen Wing (IF.8/9), who is cured by Danny; prior to the crash Harold had set-up a heroin operation in China at Gao's behest (IF.13), something Wendell Rand was investigating (IF.8, 9, 13, Danny said Wendell never went to foreign sites so must have needed a special reason, then Gao says Wendell found out about Harold's arrangement in some fashion); given that Rand is about to expand into China in 2016 (IF.1), it implies this operation was off the books
-At this time Hogarth is an intern at Rand (IF.3), which was her first job; we know that she was already in a relationship with Wendy Ross since she paid her way through school (JJ.4)

2001-05
-Ellison says Frank Castle enlisted as a "kid" (presumably 18-years old) (DD2.6), but with no clues to when Frank was born this is just a reasonable estimate given other information
-There's a Marine Corps graduation certificate on the wall of Frank's home (DD2.4)--the date on it is almost impossible to see, but seems to range anywhere from 1995-99; from other information that seems too early

2003
12-year old Joy wants to be a horse-breeder (IF.8)

2004
There's a lot of confusion about when Harold dies; we're told he dies 3 years after being diagnosed with cancer (IF.4), which makes a lot of sense given that Danny doesn't know he has it when the plane crashes, but three other times in the show (IF.9, 12, 13) Harold has been dead for 13 years (so 2003)--normally I'd go with majority, but it's really hard to make that fit anything else, so I prefer the initial timeframe; his age is listed as 41 in the NY Bulletin article (IF.1); the Hand resurrects him as promised (3 days after his death); Harold tells Danny he met Gao on his death bed (IF.7), but we know this is a lie

2005
-Misty tells Perez its been ten years since she became a detective and that she was paired with Scarfe (LC.6); prior to that, Priscilla Ridley was Misty's lieutenant at the 31st (LC.7)
-Elektra (not a student) is sent by Stick to persuade Matt to join the Chaste (DD2.5-8); while this year is given it creates an issue with the DD1 timeline because Matt meets Foggy in 2010 as a senior, but here they are seen together; Matt would also be 19 or 20 at this point, but if anything he and Foggy look older than they were in the DD1 flashback); Elektra says she left Matt (DD2.5); Foggy says Elektra nearly got Matt expelled (DD2.7), neither of which matches Foggy's comments about Matt only having short-term relationships in DD1.5

2006
-The Ranskahov brothers are in a Siberian prison (DD1.4 with an "eight years ago" tag)
-The Blacksmith says he's known Frank Castle for the better part of a decade (DD2.8), which is most of the time he was a marine (exactly ten years would be 2005)--this doesn't match him telling Frank he taught him how to hold a gun (DD2.12), which might have been hyperbole, but the general framework of Frank's military service isn't something he'd lie about as it's public record
-Karen says Frank was a lieutenant and was awarded the Navy Cross in Afghanistan (DD2.5), both events tied to when he was with the Blacksmith; it's undated, but Frank becomes a scout sniper (DD2.6)
-Frank says he served in Iraq and Afghanistan (DD2.3), Matt adds Pakistan and Iran to the list (DD2.8)

2009
-The Ranskahov brothers get out of prison (DD1.4)
-Mariah says Damon Boone arrived on the Harlem political scene six years ago to challenge her (LC.7)

2010
(fall semester) Matt meets Foggy in his senior year in college (Matt would be 24), as we see Foggy signing up for Fall, 2010 courses (DD1.10); Foggy also has a Bolts Conference Champs sticker on his laptop (representing the 2009 San Diego Chargers) (DD1.10); Elektra is a fellow student in his Spanish class (DD1.10); Foggy later tells Karen Matt's never been with a girl more than a month or two (DD1.5) and it seems uncharacteristic for him to lie

2012
-Matt and Foggy intern at Landman and Zack while working on their law degree (3-years in the US); we're shown Matt's initial efforts as a hero right after he quits; they agree to establish their own practice (DD1.10); after the duo quits Foggy's ex-girlfriend Marci Stahl joins Landman and Zack (DD1.5)
-Luke Cage goes to jail; we know the timeframe because Shades goes to prison for three years (mentions this to Luke, LC.2), and later tells Cottonmouth he did time with Luke when he first got to Seagate (LC.5), implying they were incarcerated around the same time; the only references we get inside Luke's flashback (LC.4) are a conversation with Squabbles' about the 1988 cover of Rolling Stone with Lisa Bonet, with Luke bringing up Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and Zoe Kravitz as more current hot women; Luke's driver's license is shown (LC.7) but what's on it makes no sense (his DOB isn't included properly, as 12-05 doesn't mean anything; the date of issue, 12-07, could be used as an argument that he got out in July of this year, but as a fake ID isn't strong evidence of anything)
-When Luke escapes, the project Burstein is running is shut down completely (LC.9)

"The Incident" (Avengers); Ellison tells Karen all the servers at The Bulletin were wiped during it (DD2.5); Scarfe saw the incident up close (LC.3); Bakuto references a student of Colleen's who was orphaned by the incident (IF.11)

It's difficult to date Fisk's return to the city, but he approached Gao first (DD1.10); Wesley approached crooked cops Hoffman and Blake 18 months before the show's start (DD1.13, so roughly the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013); we know he recruited the Russians last, DD1.6, using Gao's heroin as a lure; Wesley mentions that Rigoletto's books have been recently acquired by him (DD1.1; Fisk had Rigoletto killed DD1.3); there's no timeframe for when Fisk made Melvin Potter his exclusive armourer, but we know that prior to that Melvin used to outfit other criminals (DD2.4); it's unclear how quickly Fisk pushed out the Irish (DD2.1), as while Nesbitt suggests it was a long time ago, from the timeline it can't earlier than sometime in 2012 (as Fisk's moves all post-date "the incident"); Nobu's connections to Roxxon (DD2.6) are never mentioned by Fisk, but are something he was presumably aware of--despite the setbacks of Nobu's people they are still in operation (IF.7) under Gao

2012-13
There's no context to how long Luke Cage is in prison, but it can't have been for long given that there needs to be enough time for he and Reva to invest in the bar they own (blown up in JJ.11) and for a meaningful marriage

2013
-Frank Castle is awarded the Navy Cross in Afghanistan (DD2.5)
-There's almost no context for the office job and bar scene with Jessica (JJ.5) other than Trish mentioning Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred (which came out in 2008); in context it seems reasonably close in time to what follows below
-Jessica saves a little girl from being hit by a car; Trish shows Jessica a mock-up of a costume with the hero-name "Jewel"; Kilgrave finds Jessica heroing (JJ.5)

2014
-(January 20) Jessica kills Reva Connors and breaks Kilgrave's control (JJ.6), with the exact date shown thrice on three different medical reports (JJ.2); it's implied Jessica moves in with Trish afterwards for a time (JJ.2); Reva had left Luke instructions on where she'd buried the USB drive (JJ.6); we learn via Claire and Doctor Burstein that neither Kilgrave nor Jessica had complete access to the files (LC.9), as it required Burstein's password
-(July) Kilgrave begins having Malcolm photograph Jessica (he'd been doing it for six months JJ.5)
-(summer) Ben Urich was told he could get an extension on his wife's care a month ago (DD1.3)
-(summer) Beginning of DD1 (there's a New York Bulletin article that provides us with September 5, 2013 (DD1.8), but clearly the year is in error as we're told two years of reconstruction (from "the incident") have revolutionized things for Union Allied, DD1.1; Matt also references the New York Mets bullpen DD1.7 which seems to match-up with the 2014 roster's performance when the show was written/filmed); when Foggy and Matt show up to represent Karen Page (DD1.1) they tell her they've been in practice for 7 hours; this fits with them graduating that spring and then passing the bar

-(summer) ADA Elliot James takes the fall for District Attorney Reyes after she mishandles informants (DD2.3); others (Nicole Kent and Chris Davidson) had similar falls, but no dates are referenced
-(summer/fall) The Ranskahov's and their gang are destroyed (DD1.6), but the Russian mob has re-emerged about two years later (IF.7)

-(summer/fall) Blacksmith appears on the drug scene (DD2.10); I think fall is more likely, as around that time Gao left as Fisk's consortium was disintegrating; when Gao leaves she tells Owlsley that heroin was never her true concern, only a convenience and that it no longer matters (DD1.12), but it's exactly what she's doing subsequently (in DD2 and IF)

-(December) Kilgrave takes Hope Schlottman (JJ.1; we're told it has been a month a few times--by her parents, roommate, and then Jessica when she talks about the anniversary night)

-(winter) Fisk goes to jail (DD1.13)--it's winter as Owlsley is shivering in the cold
-(winter) Marci loses her job at Landman and Zack (it's unclear if she was fired or left); she's rehired by Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz (DD2.5)

2014-15
(spring) Joy Meachum finishes law school (IF.8); based on her age, 2015 seems most likely (she'd be 24), but given her dialogue makes it seem like she's been at Rand longer than a year, so 2014 remains a possibility

2015
-(January) JJ starts--it's been a year since Kilgrave (JJ.1, Trish says so specifically)
-Trish hadn't heard from Jessica in six months; in that time she's become a PI (JJ.1); Trish says she began her martial arts training "when you left" (JJ.3), which could mean when Kilgrave took Jessica, but in context seems more like when Jessica moved out
-Luke tells her he's been at the bar "awhile" (JJ.1), although given the timeframes we get in Luke Cage it couldn't be more than two years; he later tells her the bar was in Reva's name (JJ.12)
-(winter) Luke tells Kilgrave while under his control that there's something between he and Jessica (JJ.12), which runs contrary to Pops calling her his rebound girl (LC.1)
-(May) JJ season ends (this month fits the timeframe Luke provides when he says how long he's been working for Pops, LC.2); Marci tells Foggy that Reyes has been keeping a close eye on Jessica Jones as yet another vigilante to shut down (DD2.5), with the two having met when Hogarth got her off for killing Kilgrave (JJ.13)
-(c.May) Claire says she has worked for a month with no breaks as punishment for helping Luke (DD2.3), but not in a way to be sure she means it's literally been a month since that event
-(spring) The last time Marci heard from Foggy between seasons (she says "months", DD2.5, which is very unspecific, but this is the least amount of time that it could describe)
-(c.April) Grotto executes a man for the Irish and then kills an elderly lady because she see's his face (DD2.3)
-(April 13) Frank Castle comes home (from DD.4 we know it's the day before the massacre); the Blacksmith implies Frank was given the same offer as Gosnell and other former soldiers (D2.12), but it's difficult to believe Frank would have said he was a character witness if that was the case (or when this offer could have occurred)

-(April 14) Frank Castle and his family are gunned down in the firefight between the Irish, Dogs of Hell, and Mexican Cartel (DD2.5); the sting operation was arranged by Reyes to catch the Blacksmith (she admits this in DD2.10), but Dutton (who actually set it up) tells Frank he knew it was a trap (DD2.9); this means that Dutton is imprisoned only a short time before Fisk

-(May/June) Blake Tower becomes Reyes' ADA (he says he came on board well after the Castle cover-up started, DD2.10)
-(June/July) Brett tells Matt and Foggy that the Dogs of Hell were hit (we learn later by Frank Castle) a week before the Irish (DD2.1); despite the attacks here and later, the gang is still in operation a year later (IF.7)

-(July) DD2 begins (heat wave, DD2.1); Nesbitt's comments suggest Fisk recently lost his court case (DD2.1)
-(summer) Shades is released from Seagate; Shades got out of Seagate "awhile ago" (LC.1), but Cottonmouth thought he was still in Seagate; Shades then tells Luke he "just got out" (LC.2)
-(fall) Fisk mentions a conversation Dutton had on the 22nd (DD2.9) without saying the month--it's sunny and seemingly warm, so I'd guess it's August or September
-(September) Misty shows Chico her phone (LC.3) and it says September 23, which fits with the other time references we get (Pops mentions the Knicks 2015 draft (LC.1), which was at the end of June, Mariah mentions Fisk's incarceration (LC.1), and Luke tells Misty he's been working for Pops for five months (LC.2), putting his departure from Jessica's apartment in May)
-(fall) Reyes is killed by men hired by the Blacksmith to implicate the Punisher (DD2.10); Blake Tower remains an ADA afterwards (LC.11)
-(fall) Matt speaks with Gao, who Tower said was a new rival on the scene for the Blacksmith (DD2.11), indicating Gao has been gone for less than a year (she tells Matt she never left, but that seems implausible given what she says to Owlsley in DD1)
-(fall) Matt discovers "the farm" where children are being drained of blood (DD2.9); Bakuto attempts to do the same thing to Colleen (IF.11)
-(fall) The Hand attacks the hospital (DD2.11) and Claire quits because of the cover-up (she then goes home to Harlem, LC.5, referencing both events to her mother and later Danny Rand, IF.5); Claire tells her mother that her former employer is making it impossible for her to find work
-(December 1) Cops try to apprehend Luke Cage (the date is seen on the dashcam, LC.9)
-(December 4) Claire says it's been 28 hours since she found a wounded Luke in her mother's restaurant (LC.10)
-(c.December 6) Luke Cage returns to prison
-(December) Foggy joins Hogarth, Chao, and Benowitz (DD2.13)

-(December) Just before he dies the Blacksmith references something dark in Frank's past regarding Kandahar (DD2.12)

-(Christmas Eve) Ellison says that it's Christmas Eve to Karen; Frank burns his home and takes a CD with "Micro" written on it; Matt reveals his identity to Karen (DD2.13); when Claire talks about Matt's final battle against the Hand she says it didn't go well (IF.8), presumably referencing Elektra's death

2015-16
Joy Meachum hires Jessica Jones to follow Rand board members to find incriminating information, doing so in the fear that Ward's pill-popping will lead to trouble down the line (IF.8); the timing here is inference based on when Joy would have started with the company, how long Ward might have been taking extra pills, and Jessica's own career

2016
-(spring/summer) Danny buys a fake passport in Morocco (IF.2); he also fought in illegal fight clubs making his way to America (IF.4)
-(June) IF begins (June is a reasonable guess, as the article discussing his death 15 years ago is also from June, as seen in a NY Bulletin article with no year attached IF.1, and it can't be 2015 because it takes place after DD2); the Chinese festival we see (IF.1) could be the Dragon Boat Festival (June 9th)
-Joy drugs Danny and he winds up in the Birch Psychiatric Hospital that doubles as a place for Rand to keep people (IF.2)--the longest has been there for 15 years, which matches Gao's influence at Rand
-(mid to late June) A NY Bulletin article says it's been two weeks since Danny was accepted back into Rand when he demands a new medicine be sold at cost (IF.4)
-(July) Joy tells Harold it's been a few weeks since Danny appeared (IF.11)
-(July) It's only a day or two before Ward's attempted deal with Bakuto backfires and Davos kills the Hand leader (Joy mentions "last night" to Ward, IF.13, in reference to being shot by Bakuto, IF.12)
-(July) The next day Ward helps Danny get to Harold (IF.13), ultimately killing him and incinerating the body

Any errors or corrections please let me know.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

The Defenders Preview

The Defenders is less than a month away and with what looks like the final trailer now out I thought it would be useful (and fun) to go through everything we know (excluding spoilers for the first episode, which was shown at SDCC). For convenience (and my sanity) I'll refer to the seasons of the various shows by acronyms (so that DD1 refers to Daredevil season one, etc), and for trailers it will be trailer one (T1), trailer two (T2), Stan Lee's trailer (SLT)), while the teasers are Te1 (featuring the group on an elevator), Te2 (featuring Gao and Alexandra), Te3 (Matt Murdock and Father Lanthom).

SPOILERS ahead for all the previous Netflix seasons

[UPDATE: I've found a decent chronology online that creates some errors with what's below, so here's a more accurate and comprehensive one.]

Let's start with what's happened in regards to the Hand throughout the other five seasons of Netflix prior to the team-up (with a few other tidbits thrown in). Here are the events in chronological order (as best as I can determine--we know Marvel has an actual timeline for all this, but given we don't have access to that, I made do with citations in the shows and what I could gather online, such as here--the point is less about absolute accuracy and more a general tenor of events); I've colour-coded it to break up the wall of text:
-1979 Carl Lucas (Luke Cage) is born
-1982 Jessica Jones is born
-1985 Matt Murdock is born; Elektra is also born around this time (DD2)
-1990 Danny Rand is born
-1994 Matt is blinded by chemical goo via an overturned Rand Corps truck; Stick shows up to teach him how to properly use his abilities, but this relationship is short-lived, as Stick abandons him when he starts to feel attached (DD1)
-around the same time Stick finds Elektra, intended to be Black Sky, but he decides not to kill her because he's become attached to her, instead training her to be a member of the Chaste (DD2)
-late 1990s Jessica's parents and brother are killed in a car accident and she gets her powers via the treatments by IGH for her injuries; she's then adopted by Dorothy Walker (JJ)
-2000 Gao's faction of the hand makes a deal with Harold Meachem--in exchange for curing his cancer (which required his death and resurrection), he allows them untrammeled influence at Rand Corps; Danny Rand survives the Harold-arranged plane crash and vanishes into K'un-Lun (IF)
-c.2004 Elektra is sent to Matt by Stick to recruit him; she develops feelings for him, but he eventually rejects her because of her violent nature (DD2)
-late 2000s Luke Cage is put in jail for a crime he didn't commit (the timing is an inference based on the pop icons he references to Squabbles)--the lower limit seems to be about 2006, as that's when the youngest (Zoe Kravitz) turned 18 (LC); it's unclear how long he spends in jail, when he breaks out, or how long he is married to Reva

-after the "incident" (ie, The Avengers), 2012, Gao, Nobu, Owlsley, and the Ranskahov's come to dominate the New York crime scene (DD1)

-within this time period Colleen Wing is recruited by Bakuto to join his faction of the Hand (IF)
-sometime between 2012-2013 Wilson Fisk returns to New York and persuades the various criminal factions to work together; it's unclear if he understands that Gao and Nobu work for the Hand, but he's solicitous to both, particularly Gao (DD1)
-2013, Jessica briefly attempts to be a hero, but is found by Kilgrave who seizes control of her (JJ)
-January, 2014, Jessica Jones escapes Kilgrave's clutches and Reva dies (JJ)
-autumn of 2014, Matt Murdock is able to confront and shutdown Fisk; in the process the Ranskahov's die and the Russian mob loses power; Nobu is killed and his faction of Yakuza are forced to change tactics (DD1); this change in the criminal landscape leaves space for both Cottonmouth and Diamondback to become more powerful (LC), as well as the Black Smith (DD2), who is able to out-compete Gao's heroin operation; it also indirectly leads to the death of Frank Castle's family (DD2)
-early 2015 the events of Jessica Jones unfold (JJ; nothing Hand-related happens); Jessica's reputation as a PI is heightened by the end and, among other things, she works for Joy Meachem subsequently (IF); it's at this time that Frank Castle's family dies in a botched sting operation (DD2)
-a few months later (spring or summer of 2015) the events of Luke Cage unfold (nothing Hand-related happens); Luke returns to jail until the proof he's found can be used to prove him innocent (LC); he writes letters to new love Claire (IF)
-around the same time the now recovered Castle destroys the Irish Mob, Mexican Cartel, and the Dogs of Hell within New York (DD2); Castle also kills the Black Smith, eliminating Gao's competition for heroin--subsequently Wilson Fisk let's Castle escape from jail in order for him to kill off his competition; Elektra returns to Matt to stop Nobu's (now resurrected) faction of the Hand, who are using the Roxxon Corps to assist them (among the things they are doing is digging a giant hole in Midland Circle); in the process she dies and Nobu is killed permanently by Stick (DD2)
-A couple of months later Danny Rand returns to New York (summer or fall 2015); he comes into conflict with Gao's faction of the Hand (which has just completed work on a new kind of heroin) and is ultimately able to defeat her; he then gets entangled with Bakuto's faction; Bakuto is killed and the Hand is pushed out of Rand Corps with the help of Ward and Joy Meachem, but Gao is freed (IF)

What is the Hand trying to accomplish? Nobu's focus was Black Sky and securing the building the Hand wanted to dig it's hole (which Fisk provides him). Gao, up until this point, has done little more than sell heroin (all her actions, including using Rand to acquire a pier, are related to this--the heroin, presumably, is a method of control as well as being incredibly lucrative). Bakuto seems to be an echo of Nobu, but uses different methods (when he briefly seizes control of Rand his only action is to drain Gao's accounts to his own). I presume all three serve (or served) Alexandra, but we don't yet know why she tolerated their divisiveness. Reviewers have compared her to Wilson Fisk, but Fisk was preemptive in trying to avoid internal strife.

What We Know

The scripts for the show were completed in the summer of 2016 (written by DD2 showrunners Ramirez and Doug Petrie), which is before both Luke Cage or Iron Fist debuted. The show was filmed after The Punisher (even though it will premiere first) and immediately following Iron Fist. This means there was no consideration for how those shows were received. The writing duo also wrote DD2, so that gives us some idea of what we can expect (unfortunately the elements regarding the Hand and Elektra are the weakest parts of that season). We also know that the main villain was slightly re-written once Sigourney Weaver was cast.

In terms of what's happened to the heroes between their shows and the series, we've been given some information:
-Daredevil has given up the mask after Elektra's death and is trying to be just a lawyer (Te3 relates to this); as the Hand has featured in both his seasons, he's intrinsically linked to the plot
-Jessica Jones is struggling to deal with success and the aftermath of Kilgrave; the lingering plot element from her show is about IGH (how she and others got their powers), which isn't likely to matter here; from T1 her PI work links her to events
-Luke is getting out of Seagate Prison (perhaps with the help of Matt Murdock, who presumably Claire meant when she said she knew a good lawyer), and returning to his life as the hero of Harlem; the unfinished business he has is with Mariah and Shades, but is unrelated to the team-up, so from trailers it's unclear what's connecting him to the Hand (non-spoiler reviews indicate that criminals from Harlem are some of those being used to handle the grunt work for the Hand, which acts as his connection)

-Danny is continuing to try and deal with the Hand--that's his objective as the Iron Fist--Gao is free and the organisation in general remains strong
-among the various secondary characters slated to appear in the show the biggest changes are with those from DD, as Foggy is now a partner in Hogarth's law firm and Karen is now a reporter at the New York Bulletin (DD2)

Showrunner Marco Ramirez said "Every one of [The Defenders] is following their own trail of bread crumbs, trying to unpack a mystery in New York." Ramirez has also described the show as a mystery or crime show, making a fairly sharp distinction from what shapes The Avengers, even though this team-up is inspired by it.

The Story of the Trailers

We know from T1 that both Jessica Jones and Misty Knight are pursuing the same suspect (although we don't know why there's a city-wide manhunt for him or why Jessica was trying to help him). He dies, Misty arrests Jessica, and Matt Murdock arrives as her attorney (T1). As yet we don't know why Matt shows up to help Jessica (why not Hogarth, for instance?), as she does not know who he is, so he's doing it for his own reasons (perhaps related to the various activities of the Hand, or it could be that he, too, was looking for the man--there's a scene of Matt on a rooftop (T1) looking down that might be related). I think this could be the second episode of the series, given that the first will largely be a recap for where each hero is at, but it could also form the climax of the first episode.

As for how the others get involved, prior to seeing reviews I thought Luke might get involved because of Misty's work or more probably Claire, but it seems outside the footage shown something is going on in Harlem that gets his attention; from T1 Luke and Danny run into each other while Danny is chasing a man; Claire talks them through their initial conflict. Interestingly, Colleen is absent from most of these scenes--that might just be a trick of the trailer (we see her enter the building with Danny (T1) that he subsequently chases the man out of before having his fight with Luke), but it's also possible she's run into trouble. Incidentally, the two pairings (Jessica and Matt, Danny and Luke) make sense not just thematically but also logistically--the former two both operate in Hell's Kitchen, while Colleen's dojo is near Luke's territory (and thus a place Danny would spend time at).

There's a shot of a building on fire (T2)--while this could be the Midland Circle building after the big fight (see below), I think it's something that happens early--possibly the triggering event for Jessica and others. There's a shot of Claire next to a fire truck (T2) and Luke near sirens that might be connected to this.

The event we've seen the most footage of is a fight inside a big office building (the offices of Midland Circle according to Entertainment Weekly, last seen in DD2). In T2 we see Danny attacking or being attacked in a corporate boardroom chaired by Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver's character)--this scene appeared without that context in T1, but is clearly the one that leads to the hallway fight we've seen in both trailers (as well as the elevator shot we got in Te1 months ago). From T1 it seems as though Jessica and Matt go into the building together (since he borrows Jessica's scarf), but it's not yet clear what brings Luke there (Danny is alone when he either confronts or is confronted by Alexandra). Elektra, now resurrected (see below) fights them here (as seen in T1). While this is clearly early in the series, I'd guess it's at least a few episodes in.

The foursome then goes to a Chinese restaurant (the Royal Dragon) to rest. This is where Danny attempts to bring them together as a team (he mentions the Hand hunting their friends and family and says it in a way indicating all four already know this is actively happening). The various rebuffs to Danny from both trailers come from this sequence. Stick then arrives (T1) to tell them to get it together, but is followed by Alexandra and Elektra. One interesting note is that, while clearly Jessica knows who Matt is, he still has the scarf on in the Chinese restaurant to begin with, but not later, so I wonder if Stick is the one who gives away his secret identity or if he tells them himself--subsequently it's clear the other Defenders know who he is. It seems as though Alexandra talks to them before the fight occurs (T2; given the broken state of the restaurant after the fight). At a guess I think they lose this fight and Alexandra gives them the option to quit (I suspect this because that tends to be how stories like this go--the threat needs to be firmly established). It's incredible to think that two large fight sequences would occur virtually back-to-back like this, but presumably the show has a massive amount of frenetic energy.

Prior to all of this Elektra is resurrected as Black Sky (teased in DD2 and whose purpose we learned in DD1); from comments made she returns with no memories of who she was (this is quite different from the other resurrections we've seen, that of Nobu in DD2 as well as Harold Meachem in IF--seemingly also Bakuto). She's intended to be the instrument that brings whatever Alexandra's plan is to fruition (she speaks of getting back what was once ours, as in the Hand's, but we don't know what that is). Speaking of that plan, from Te2 we know that it's being rushed by Alexandra--Gao councils her to wait, but is told to proceed immediately. This tells us that Alexandra is both in charge of the Hand (as expected) and that her situation is urgent. I believe her verbal confrontation with Stick (T2) happens before the Midlands Circle fight, as she believes the battle is over (presumably against the Chaste; it's possible that they have this talk after she's sent people to attack the allies and friends of the Defenders and believes them neutralized). What we don't know is why she isn't afraid of the Avengers stopping her (this might not be explained, but I expect it will be--for those keeping track at this point both Hulk and Thor have left Earth).

It's difficult to say when the brief scenes we get of friends looking worried is (probably early)--there's a shot of Foggy comforting Karen and another of Trish looking at what's presumably her car either smashed into the ground or slipping into a sinkhole (I'd guess the former, both T2). We've had no shots of Malcolm or Hogarth yet, both of whom we know will appear, while I think Claire's shot of concern is definitely early in the show.

When exactly Matt decides to put on his costume and resume being Daredevil isn't clear, but we see what seems to be a fight between he and Danny (T2) while he's in the costume (minus the mask) that Jessica stops. This is part of a sequence seen in both trailers that seems to be training of some sort, but I wonder if this escalates because of a debate over what to do about Elektra--Matt undoubtedly wanting to save her, with the others (perhaps goaded by Stick) believing she must die. I also think Stick might help teach Danny better ways to control and use his abilities--we know from comments made by Bakuto (IF) that there's much he doesn't understand about what an Iron Fist can do and who better to teach Danny than a member of the Chaste (also sworn enemies of the Hand)?

A later fight scene, one with Matt in full costume, appears to be in the tunnels underneath the city (likely the hole below Midlands Circle). This was barely seen in T1 (Danny fighting Elektra), but several shots appear in T2. It's uncertain the context of the fight, but it contains the biggest Iron Fist moment we've seen from Danny since the money shot in his final episode, as one punch blows back a group of Hand fighters. Whether this fight is leading towards the show's climax or not can't be parsed from what we've seen.

We've had it confirmed that the Punisher will appear in the show (SLT and elsewhere), but how much we don't know. Outside making an appearance we have no idea how much (or little) he'll contribute to fighting the Hand (or how this will connect to his own show, which was filmed beforehand). I'd guess he appears briefly--the show wasn't really designed for him and it makes more sense for his own show that he doesn't have a group of superfriends on-tap.

Beyond this there are a number of scenes that lack enough context to safely place them, but here's what I think we can squeeze out of them. The subway scene (T2) smacks of being towards the end of the show, but it could be shortly after they've all met.

More definitively is the scene of Matt weraing a suit fighting in an alleyway (T1). This seems part of the same phase, albeit beforehand, of the big Midlands Circle fight.

There's a scene of Colleen Wing fighting the resurrected Bakuto (T2). I'm assuming this is earlier in the show, as thus far it doesn't seem like Colleen fights with the group as a whole.

There are a pair of disconnected Luke and Jessica scenes (T2) that could be early or in the middle; one where they are fighting as a team, another where an upset Jessica is storming away from Luke (presumably the latter is earlier).

Finally we have two Daredevil scenes without context. One (SLT) he's leaping from a building to rescue a falling woman; in the other he and Jessica are fighting in what looks like a club of some sort (T2). We know these are later in the show because Matt is in costume.

That's as far as the trailers take us. It's reasonable to expect the first episode to largely be a recap, the second establishing the plot and villain, and things heating up beyond that. I think the dose of secondary characters will be light--we'll visit them all, but other than Colleen none are really able to battle the Hand in their current incarnation (if Trish was Hellcat we'd see her here). What's still unknown is what Alexandra (or the Hand) is trying to do. One of the frustrations of Iron Fist is the uncertainty of what the mystical ninja's were doing, but at last we will get some answers. I also expect Elektra to change sides--it's cliche, but also what happens to her in both of her comic book origins. I'm not sure how the show will make this interesting as it's entirely expected--perhaps she does it for selfish rather than romantic reasons (I don't think the show-romance between she and Matt has worked, so they're better off moving away from it).

The show will also serve as a way for Danny to grow up. In the comics Danny is a funny, light-hearted character, but to service the plot in his own series we saw none of the former and only a little of the latter. Given how cynical Matt and Jessica are, and how much of a loner Luke is, Danny is important connective tissue for the group. I'm also interested to see if the show serves to get rid of the Hand as central villains--this will be their fourth appearance (DD1, DD2, and IF) and for me that's enough--but they've been tied strongly to IF so we shall see.

Another interesting question is what impact this will have on the respective series'. Cheo Hodari Coker (LC) basically ignored the events of JJ (other than Luke's relationship with Reva; it was one of my major complaints about the show), while both showrunners of DD have been quite faithful in dealing with events occurring in other shows. Given the not-so-subtle hints that Misty will be joining the second season of Iron Fist I'd like greater awareness throughout, and I think Netflix would do well to follow the MCU's example to have more crossover between the shows. Time will tell.

Reviewers have seen the first four episodes of the series and the sentiments have been generally positive (the negatives coming from those who've been routinely negative about the shows previously). For those of you used to that catch-all criticism of MCU films being the colour-palate, here the default is "slow". Any time someone is reduced to things like that as a criticism they're simply looking for ways to criticise. In general I expect the show to both review well and be well-received by fans.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)