Defenders Review

Background

The idea of The Defenders goes back to the deal struck between Netflix and Marvel Entertainment in 2013. The original plan was for individual Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage series' to lead into an Avengers-like team-up. While the specific path to the ensemble changed over time (a second season of Daredevil added and Iron Fist and Luke Cage swapping places), the eventual team-up never changed. Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez, showrunners for Daredevil season two, were picked to write and run the series in April, 2016. The pair completed the script in May of 2016, getting impute from the showrunners of the other four shows. Petrie left the project in October, just before filming began later that month (31st, a few weeks after Iron Fist wrapped, although Finn Jones said he only had a week off; The Punisher was being filmed at the same time, beginning October 3rd); filming wrapped in March of 2017.

For convenience I frequently refer to the various shows by acronyms (so Daredevil season one is DD1, Luke Cage is LC, etc); the same idea is used to cite episodes (so The Defenders episode four appears as D.4).

Writing

Showrunners Marco Ramirez and Doug Petrie wrote the bulk of the show, with Lauren Schmidt given credit for contributing to five episodes (she also wrote three episodes of Daredevil season two), and original Daredevil showrunner Drew Goddard is credited on one episode (D.6). I've brought up repeatedly that the show was written before Iron Fist or Luke Cage came out and was filmed before Iron Fist was released, but there were plenty of articles claiming elements of the show are a "reaction" to the reception of IF--I suppose if you're going to push a narrative it might as well emphasize your own influence. Whatever you think of the direction they took Danny Rand, it was decided long before the reception to his character was known. On the whole the writing itself is very good, although there are some issues with the plot (which I delve into below).

Directing

We were told the best directors from the various shows would be used to shoot The Defenders, so this is who they chose:

• S. J. Clarkson - taken from Jessica Jones, having directed the first two episodes; was given the reigns for "Mean Right Hook" and "The H Word", also the first two episodes
• Peter Hoar - directed three episodes of Daredevil season two (4, 10, 13) and one of Iron Fist (10); he shot "Worst Behaviour (episode 3)
• Phil Abraham - directed the first two episodes from each season of Daredevil along with one of Luke Cage (12); he directed "Royal Dragon" (episode 4)
• Uta Briesewitz - directed an episode of Jessica Jones (11) and Iron Fist (5); she helmed "Take Shelter" (episode 5)
• Stephen Surjik - a director on every series (including the upcoming Punisher), DD1 (8), JJ (5-6), DD2 (9, 11), LC (10), and IF (13); he shot "Ashes, Ashes" (episode 6)
• Felix Enriquez Alcala - is the exception to the rule as he was not on any of the previous shows; he directed "Fish in the Jailhouse" (episode 7)
• Farren Blackburn - two episodes in Daredevil season one (5 and 10) as well as one from Iron Fist (7); he helmed "The Defenders" (episode 8)

Collectively the least amount of impact comes from the directors of Luke Cage, while Daredevil has the biggest (which isn't surprising given the showrunner). I mentioned in my Iron Fist review that the fight choreography improved in the second half of the season and it's not surprising that three of the four directors who took part in that show shot episodes after the first half (Hoar, Surjik, and Blackburn). On the flipside, the best parts of Luke Cage are early, but the two involved with it (Abraham and Blackburn) were from the latter half.

SPOILERS for all the Marvel Netflix shows below

Notable Easter Eggs

I was curious what sort of larger MCU tie-ins we might get--they've mostly served as background material or subtle hints previously--and there's no change here. There are no nods to the Sokovia Accords (from Civil War), to Agents of SHIELD (whose mentions have been confined to Daredevil), and no comments about Frank Castle, eg The Punisher (albeit the teaser trailer is attached).

These are the Easter Eggs in order: on the bus Luke Cage exits can be seen "Harlem Renaissance" (D.1), which is a reference to Mariah Dillard's initiative in Luke Cage; Trish Talk mentions "the incident" (D.2), ie, the attack on New York in the Avengers; in the same episode the framed photos that were on Ben Urich's wall in Daredevil season one are still there now that Karen Page has taken it over (with references both to the Avengers and The Incredible Hulk); Matt plays The Defenders theme song on piano (D.6); Jessica's joke in calling Iron Fist "Ironclad" references a Hulk villain; there's an L. Carter (ie, Linda Carter, ie, the original Night Nurse) reference on the wall of Misty's room at the hospital (D.8)--on the same chart is E. Wirthman, the name of Spider-Man villain Cardiac; Sister Maggie (D.8) is a reference to the "Born Again" storyline in Daredevil (Maggie is Matt's mother)

Cast

We knew from the outset that the four heroes would appear (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist), along with Claire Temple (the only person to meet them all); I've listed the heroes first, followed by the villains:

• Matt Murdock/Daredevil: retired his superhero persona after the end of DD2; Matt doesn't put on the horns until D.5; he faces two struggles in the show--wrestling with whether he wants to be Daredevil or not (ultimately he does) and dealing with his feelings for Elektra (which get him "killed")
• Jessica Jones: retired as a PI--it's implied that she's been unemployed since the end of JJ, but we can't be absolutely sure of the timeline (I discuss it more below); she's uncomfortable with her fame and her primary struggle in the show is to decide to get involved and return to an active life; the fact that she calls Matt a friend (D.6) is a pretty big step for her
• Luke Cage: gets out of prison as the show begins (he was locked up at the end of LC); Luke's struggle is both working as part of a team and expanding his help beyond the confines of Harlem; we also finally get the reconciliation and friendship between he and Jessica (I think there's no hope for the comicbook relationship, however)
• Danny Rand/Iron Fist: continues to hunt the Hand, which is where he left off in IF; the show in many ways is the completion of his origin story (something Finn Jones agrees with)--Danny's struggle with who he is, what being the Iron Fist means to him, and his desire to have a family all get resolved (he can let go of "my only purpose is to defeat the Hand"); Matt's sacrifice at the end is Danny's call to action--echoing Pops death for Luke Cage; we also get the interesting parallel's between himself and Elektra brought up (both taught to be the weapons for others; this seems like a logical continuation of a conversation Danny has with Colleen in IF.11); some of the best dialogue for him is his initial conversation with Luke Cage in Colleen's dojo and his subsequent chat with her afterwards (D.3), with Danny being forced to recognise who he is beyond simply his title
• Claire Temple: was unemployed and Luke's love interest at the end of LC, which seems to be unchanged in IF; here we learn she's working at a shelter (D.2); there's no arc for her in the show per se, but she serves as emotional support for Luke and Colleen especially; there's no real payoff for her knowing all the heroes (only her relationship with Luke and Danny are relevant)
• Colleen Wing: Danny's love interest and partner in IF, which continues in the show; her journey is moving beyond her past with the Hand and overcoming her creepy mentor Bakuto; she also has to overcome being shuttled to the side by the other heroes (put particularly bluntly by Luke Cage, D.7) and stand on her own
• Misty Knight: since LC she's become part of a city-wide taskforce, taking her focus away from just Harlem; she's mostly used as connective tissue for various characters and plots, but she gets to help directly in the end (D.8), losing her arm in the process (echoing what happens in the comics), doing so while helping Colleen against Bakuto (an appropriate scenario given their friendship in the comics); she gets a connection to Danny by being helped at his hospital (D.8), although their comicbook romance is unlikely to be serviced; we're getting the beginnings of the Daughters of the Dragon (Colleen and Misty as a duo), which Jeph Loeb telegraphed will appear in IF2 at SDCC
• Stick: when we last saw him in DD2 a number of the Chaste had been killed (a continuation of the attrition we saw in DD2); he'd been unable or unwilling to kill Elektra and had left to continue his war against the Hand; when he reappears all the Chaste are dead except for him (the implication is Elektra is hunting them, cf D.1) and he's been captured; his primary purpose is both to provide info about the Hand/Chaste and the Iron Fist; he also serves as character motivation; Elektra ultimately kills him, saving Danny in the process (in an odd way this echoes both Colleen killing Bakuto (D.8) and Ward killing Harold Meachem in IF--part of the process for these characters freeing themselves from a controlling mentor)
• Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, Trish Walker, Jeri Hogarth, Malcolm Ducasse, Nicole, Father Lantom, Turk Barrett, Marci Stahl, and Josie: these characters (from DD and JJ) appear to varying degrees (some are just cameos), but don't have actual arcs in the series. Karen and Foggy continue their struggle to accept Matt as Daredevil (which is getting tired at this point), while Trish and Malcolm continue to try to convince Jessica to help others; ultimately Foggy is the most active through his legal help for Luke (D.1), having Matt help Jessica (D.2), and bringing Matt his costume when it matters (D.7)
• Elektra: I have a lot to say about her which I'll save for my review below; since DD2 she's been resurrected and Danny fights her in the opening sequence of the show (D.1); as Elektra tells Danny (D.7) she's been trapped her whole life by people telling her who she is (Stick, Alexandra, and Matt), but she finally knows who she is--a sociopath who wants to die with Matt or else live forever with him (D.8)--it's very Romeo & Juliet (so it works if you buy their chemistry)
• Alexandra: created for the series as the leader of the Hand; from her (and Stick) we learn of the group's origin and their ultimate goal of immortality (they have a conditional kind when we meet them); her goals differ from the other four fingers of the Hand somewhat, both due to her impending death from cancer and simply her own goals--this creates internal conflict; her downfall is due to her arrogance--her belief in Elektra as both the key to her success as well as in keeping her from feeling alone--this confidence and trust leaves her vulnerable
• Madame Gao: last seen in IF, but also a Daredevil antagonist, the savvy Gao continues to scheme, openly serving Alexandra, but having her own agenda; it's likely she escaped the fate of the other leaders, using her powers to escape the hole under Midland Circle (it's left ambiguous); she was teased as an IF2 villain and she's available should they want to continue with that (those plans might have changed with the new showrunner, however)
• Bakuto: the most eccentric Hand leader, he returns from IF after having been killed but not beheaded by Davos; his primary function is as an antagonist for Colleen, whom she needs to kill before she can move on; his appearance here clears up some confusions about his motives in IF
• Murakami: created for the series, we're told he was Nobu's boss (who appeared in both seasons of Daredevil--eventually killed by Stick in DD2); much like Bakuto his abilities are somewhat ambiguous; he's the most openly hostile towards Alexandra, threatening to kill her (D.5), but ultimately he dies at Jessica's hands at the bottom of Midland Circle; he doesn't have an arc in the show and serves as the primary internal problem for Alexandra
• Sowande: the final leader of the Hand; he gets a couple of good speeches while captured, but ultimately he's the most ephemeral of the five fingers; Stick beheads him when he takes Danny hostage

There were also references to Mitchell Ellison (DD1-2), Kilgrave (JJ; not named but referred too), Blake Tower (DD2/LC), Bobby Fish (LC), Mariah Dillard (LC), Shades (LC), Diamondback (LC), Candace (LC), Claire's mom (LC), and Ward Meachem (IF). Invented for the series and given prominence are the Raymond family and Candace's brother Cole (who dies). I think it's very unlikely we ever see the Raymond's again (not due to performance, but I just doubt JJ2 will bother with them).

Comic Book Story Influences

There hasn't been a story quite like this in the comics, but it borrows most heavily from Daredevil's arc "Shadowland" (by Andy Diggle). All the Danny Rand/K'un-Lun stuff is invented for the show, as the Hand has no place in Iron Fist (many of these elements are carried over from the first season of Iron Fist).

The Plot

Long ago the elders of K'un-Lun learned how to harness the power of dragons for healing and used it to create the Iron Fist. Five of their own wanted to use that power for selfish purposes--immortality--and were banished for it (the problem seems less that they wanted extended life, but that attaining it required the death of others, cf draining the blood of the living in DD2 and IF). These five formed The Hand, whose activities transformed the role of the Iron Fist from healer to champion--a weapon able to destroy The Hand (D.4). The leaders of the Hand survived the centuries by using a formula of powdered dragon bone, blood, and ritual to both prolong their lives as well as come back from the dead (something only abrogated if they are beheaded or their bodies destroyed). Because K'un-Lun only appears on earth every 15 years (cf IF) a group of earthly warriors called the Chaste formed (Stick's group) to continue their battle against the Hand when the immortal city is elsewhere. By the time the show starts, Alexandra (leader of the Hand) has used the Hand's last remaining dragon powder to resurrect Elektra (who died in DD2), creating the Black Sky, a warrior created to destroy the Iron Fist (she's like a negative echo of the Iron Fist). The Black Sky idea is Alexandra's--she is the one who came up with the process for creating one. The only remaining earthly reserve of dragon bone is buried beneath New York, which Alexandra desperately needs as she's dying of cancer (D.1). Access to these reserves were secured by Nobu through his alliance with Wilson Fisk (DD1)--a deep pit was dug (DD2), over which was placed a building designed by John Raymond (Midland Circle, home of Midland Circle Enterprises). The Hand used the corporate side of the location to funnel much of their money via Rand Corps (cf IF; 243 million according to Danny, D.3). These final dragon remains had been sealed away by an Iron Fist long ago and only another Iron Fist can open the door that protects them (something Alexandra figures out early on, D.2).

It's worth noting that the above is not clearly spelled out in the series, but has to be pieced together from things said (both in the show and the previous series'). Part of the problem is that this plot was invented after the events of the other shows and it creates a few retroactive continuity problems. While I didn't find this confusing to follow, I've heard enough questions to realise that for some it's hard to follow.

When the show opens Danny Rand and Colleen Wing are continuing to battle the Hand wherever they can find them, having already chased them out of his company (IF). In so doing Danny encounters a dying member of the Chaste, who tells him the real threat is in New York.

Various circumstances lead all four Defenders to Midland Circle--Danny through research at Rand, Luke through investigating the Hand's activities in Harlem, Jessica by following her case (the architect John Raymond), and Matt through Jessica (having been asked to watch her by Foggy--who had been asked by Hogarth). They meet, fight off the Hand, and capture Sowande, one of its leaders. Stick realises that the Hand's real interest is in Danny and it's decided the safest thing to do is hide Danny away. This is a pretty odd plan given that he's trained to defeat the Hand (I think it's contrived in order to have the heroes fight one another)--he refuses to hide, but is overwhelmed by his teammates who refuse to let him simply leave.

While Danny is their prisoner Matt and Jessica learn of John Raymond's plan to blow up the structure and bury the hole the Hand has dug, but on their way back with that information Stick tries to kill Danny as a way of preventing him from being used by the Hand. Danny is saved by Elektra, who kills Stick and takes Danny away as a captive. The other Defenders are all defeated by her as she escapes, but she leaves them alive and they wake up at Misty's precinct. Danny is taken to Midland Circle where Elektra kills Alexandra and takes control of the Hand.

The three Defenders escape the precinct and hurry to save Danny, being followed by Colleen, Claire, and Misty. They agree to blow up the building, deciding the leaders of the Hand are too dangerous to let live. The three heroes descend to rescue Danny while Colleen and Claire plant the C-4 Colleen stole from the evidence locker. Elektra tricks Danny into opening the door and he is recaptured by Gao soon after. When his friends arrive he frees himself and the four battle the Hand while Colleen's former teacher, Bakuto, attacks her in the building--Misty arrives to help out and Colleen kills her sensai, but the timer on the bomb is triggered in the process. Jessica, Danny, and Luke flee while Matt chooses to remain in an attempt to make Elektra remember who she was. The others escape before the explosion, but Matt is believed killed.

In the aftermath Danny embraces Matt's request to help his city (which seems to be a nod to a time in the comics when Danny Rand took on Daredevil's identity), while Jessica and Luke return to their lives. The post-credit scene shows us Matt alive in a nunnery, hinting at where his third season will go (some version of the "Born Again" storyline that features the Kingpin, presumably).

Danny turns out to be the MacGuffin of the show (Dan Wickline thinks Midland Circle is the MacGuffin--an interesting idea, but we do know what the Circle is). This is a clever turn, since he's both the driving force to bring the group together and the one whose predicament keeps them together.

Review

The basics: cinematography, directing, acting, etc are all excellent. With one exception I liked the music (I discuss that exception below). The writing is good, but the story itself (the plot) has some issues, which I'll delve into below. Overall I really enjoyed The Defenders--it's has it's own vibe, but still faithfully echoes all the elements that feed into it. The best parts are undoubtedly the interactions between the heroes and their supporting cast; I also liked the infighting within the Hand.

All the previous Netflix entries explored, either at their core or as a key part of their story, serious issues. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are the easiest examples of this, but even Iron Fist looked at the corporate world, the top 1%, and exploitation by big pharmaceutical companies. We can debate how effective these various efforts were, but they made the shows move beyond simply being heroes punching villains. The Defenders did not follow this trend, instead going with a very comic bookish plot featuring The Hand (attempting, I think, to echo the larger threat from the Avengers). While I don't think this is inherently a negative, I do think staying more grounded would have been the smarter choice (there's a reason the Punisher got his own series and Elektra did not--that grounded feel is what sets the Netflix material apart).

The principal question the series addresses is one of identity--who do the heroes want to be? Only Luke Cage has fully embraced being a hero ("I just want to help people," he says repeatedly)--all the other Defenders (along with Colleen and Elektra) have other people trying to define their role and they struggle with figuring it out for themselves. This is the lens through which the show needs to be viewed, because this is the fundamental journey the main characters go through.

One of the distinctive elements to the ensemble is that there's a lot of humour--Jessica in particular is given some great lines (hard to pick a favourite--calling Danny "Karate Kid" is a good one--you can see more of them here, albeit that list is not comprehensive). The comedy is sprinkled throughout the series and it's the most humorous of any of the Netflix shows thus far.

Character foibles are kept and cause friction--Matt's need to keep secrets causes problems, Jessica's desire to not get involved comes up frequently, and Danny's temper and impatience get him into trouble. For Luke there are fewer issues, but his desire to stick to Harlem causes some friction.

While the moment is brief Luke Cage brings up Danny Rand's privilege (D.3) and spells out issues that applies to other wealthy heroes (Iron Man, Batman, Green Arrow, Moon Knight, etc--billionaires who prefer to fight crime physically rather than use their wealth to combat its causes). What I liked about it is Danny immediately takes this to heart--he takes action and tries to do things a different way, which is a nice change from his general portrayal as stubborn. Of course, the reason comics don't follow Luke's advice is there's not much drama in someone trying to force governments and corporations to change how they do business through legislation and meetings (and if they succeeded their world would no longer be recognisable--for verisimilitude they can't truly pursue those things). Generally fans want heroes punching people or at least outsmarting them.

While I'm not a fan of the Hand as antagonists (they just don't mesh well with the gritty realism of the Netflix universe), this is the best version we've seen of them (as compared to DD1, DD2, and IF). We get clarification on who the Hand is and what they want, which is smartly tied to K'un-Lun and the Iron Fist (putting all our mystical ninjas in one basket). One of my few frustrations with Iron Fist were its ambiguities and these are finally put away. We also get a better explanation for the Chaste, initially introduced with a preposterous story from Stick in DD2, it now makes much more sense (rather than a nebulous founder somehow fighting off the Hand, it's a group working to help and support K'un-Lun). As for the Hand itself the name is given sense with its the five leaders; the in-fighting between Bakuto and Gao from Iron Fist is explained (with references to various attempted coups over time), and all the Hand plotlines in Daredevil and Iron Fist are tied-up and connected to what happens in The Defenders (as Gao says, there are no more dragons (D.8) and the New York deposits are their final remains). The way resurrection is framed is good, although it creates a backward inconsistency with Harold Meachem's immortality (IF)--his should have required some of the "substance", but that's clearly not the case. The continuity error isn't a big deal, as all the other resurrections conform to this expectation (Nobu, Bakuto, and Elektra). I'm happy that the story of the Hand is over--Marco Ramirez said: "Particularly for Iron Fist, we wanted to close that chapter [of the Hand’s story.]" Netflix needs a break from ninja antagonists.

I haven't enjoyed the Netflix version of Elektra (I delve into why here), and Marco Ramirez admits part of the reason Elektra remained a villain was due to audience response to the character (something oddly I can't find discussed in the press, despite the lack of enthusiasm being pretty obvious). This is a better version of the character than in DD2, but she struggles from the same foibles. One of the lines Elektra delivers is, I think, the primary problem, "This is who I've always been", as in, she has no real character development. Despite the efforts of the writers I still find her unsympathetic and don't think she and Matt have chemistry; regardless, I expected her to turn against the Hand, but instead she simply uses them for her own purposes. She functions as as a problem for Matt within the Defenders, as him keeping her secret and then constantly focusing on her causes friction with the group. She also makes an interesting comparison between herself and Danny (D.7)--it's apt and she's right that Danny has let himself be trapped by how others have defined him (just as she has until she kills Alexandra); I was correct that she'd survive the show (there seems no reason to doubt that she is the one who dragged Matt out of the pit (D.8)--Gao certainly wouldn't save him). I hope this is the last we see of the character for quite some time.

I was surprised at the quick pace of the show--this entirely because I'd read early reviews of the first four episodes calling it "slow." This boggles my mind--and not just mine, as even conventional coverage has questioned that critique (for instance). Other than the first episode, intended as both a recap and introduction for new viewers, the show is frenetic compared to the feeder series'. As for reviews in general, despite the pacing complaints and the ad nauseam attacks on Finn Jones, it was given a thumbs up as anticipated (moral outrage over white washing does, apparently, have an expiry date--only hatred of Scott Buck is forever)--even the backpedaling about the actor has begun.

There's no question the show is a success, but how does it compare to the others? I slot it as #3 amongst the various seasons--it doesn't reach the heights of the first Daredevil or Jessica Jones, but it's better than DD2 (also weighed down by the Hand and Elektra), Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Alexandra as a villain isn't as good as Wilson Fisk or Kilgrave, but she's miles above Diamondback or Nobu. When it comes to the heroes I think Jessica Jones stole the show--she gets the lion share of great lines and she maintains an outsiders point of view longest--saving the day memorably several times. Overall the writers did an excellent job keeping the characters true to themselves--each felt faithful to the shows they came from. Matt and Jessica have fantastic chemistry and I'd love to see them in a show together. While we only get a small taste of it, the Iron Fist/Luke Cage chemistry shows up in little moments (specifically the Royal Dragon, while Danny is tied up, and in the final fight). Stats from Netflix apparently also show fans liked what they saw from these combos.

I correctly predicted Stick and Alexandra's death and I thought both deaths were well executed--Stick's pathological need to defeat the Hand driving him against the heroes and his inexplicable attachment to Elektra getting him killed; Alexandra's pride and arrogance leading to her own death.

Criticisms

Critically the show sits at 74%, roughly the same score Daredevil season two achieved (via the exact same showrunners); I've pointed out before how absurd these ratings have become (Agents of SHIELD's pair of perfect scores illustrate the problem), but they are at least reasonable in this case. Popular opinion hasn't settled (the number of votes on RT and IMDB are far too small to judge it yet), but I expect it to settle somewhere in the middle of the other shows. As for myself, I have a number of criticisms despite very much enjoying the series.

As I mentioned above, I think they could have given Alexandra a moment to display her power--what it was that made her the leader of the Hand beyond simply her intellect and charisma (I believe the reason we don't see it is the writers never settled on what her powers were). Without that demonstration all we have is implication and a brief, awkward fight with Elektra--there's nothing visceral to make us really feel her strength. It's also not clear how Bakuto shrugs off being shot by Misty (maybe that's something they all can do?)--albeit ambiguity is not always a bad thing (this isn't a roleplaying game where we need to see Bakuto's stats).

I like Danny Rand and I enjoyed his series, but a problem from Iron Fist carries over to The Defenders: Danny loses too often (I have to wonder how much of this was to avoid the accusation that he's a white saviour)--in his own show he fails to protect K'un-Lun, gets outsmarted by Gao and Harold Meachem, surrenders to Bakuto (whom Davos ultimately kills), and Ward kills Harold. This means that while Danny is critical to all these events, he's never resolving them--it requires other characters to fix his problems. I think in an origin story this is something you can get away with (even if it's not ideal), but in reading reviews it underlies a lot of the complaints about him. The Defenders, while giving him more "wins", keeps adding up the losses: he gets captured by Sowande (D.5), his allies (D.6), Elektra (D.6), and Gao (D.8); twice his friends have to save him (Midland Circle and at the bottom of the hole). Stick calls him an idiot for calling Colleen (D.4; granted in terms of plot this is the only way Stick can find them), Elektra tricks him into opening the door (D.7), Gao calls him naive (D.8), and virtually all members of the Hand tell him he's the worst Iron Fist they've ever seen. All of this creates an impression of a bumbling fool (it also colours Finn Jones' performance, which is actually fine--he believably does the things the script wants him to do). Despite all this he does get some truly heroic moments (fighting off Elektra D.1, saving Matt from Elektra D.3, and blasting back the assembled Hand D.8), but it doesn't counterbalance the foibles. I suspect the main reason Danny is the one making all the mistakes is that it would be hard for audiences to accept Matt, Jessica, or Luke making them. Writers for Iron Fist season two are going to have to make Danny a smarter, more formidable opponent (and I think where we leave him at the end of The Defenders is the perfect place for that to happen).

As for the other characters, Matt's struggles are not new (the battle between his identities and his feelings for Elektra come straight out of DD2). The latter has never worked for me, but at least the consequences of it are more tangible than in DD2, while the former is bordering on tiresome (I'm glad it seems like this is the last time we have to deal with it). As for Luke and Jessica, the main complaints you could make is not much changes for either, but I'm not sure what could change in the context of this storyline.

The method of resurrection for the Hand is an interesting innovation, but it's unfortunate the showrunners didn't decide on this until so late, because it's clear prior to this that the idea was simply a three-day wait (very Biblical) and the person would come back--this is how it functions for Harold Meachem and it meshes with Nobu's return as well. It also puts aside the impact of resurrection (IF)--the impact that it has, losing more and more of the self until only unthinking violence remains.

Another minor complaint is that it's never quite made clear why Elektra let's Jessica live when she knocks out she, Matt, and Luke (D.6). We know why she won't kill Matt and she can't kill Luke conventionally (she could suffocate him, but thus far his vulnerabilities along those lines have been underutilized), but why spare Jessica? At a guess it's due to Matt's attachment to her, but it remains a bit nebulous.

It's a minor point, but the hip hop music used in the final team fight under Midland Circle didn't work for me--it's jarring and doesn't fit as seamlessly as when we hear it in the initial Midland fight tied to Luke's arrival.

I'll address a few other specific criticisms I've seen in reviews:
-Ramirez creates one of his own where he says Gao used the substance to create heroin; this makes no sense whatsoever (why would she waste something so precious on something so superfluous?); fortunately this is never stated in the show, so it can safely be ignored (we're told in IF that its synthetic and there's no reason to complicate that with dragon bone)
-Gao says she, Bakuto, Murakami, and Sowande just want to go home (to K'un-Lun), not pursue the same goals as Alexandra, and this makes their motivations confusing: taking Gao at her word is problematic--in the show she tells Alexandra she has her full support, but this is a lie as she's part of Murakami's decision to kill her until Elektra returns with Danny. All the Hand leaders are shown to be power hungry--they pursue power for its own sake and this is why they've repeatedly tried to kill one another
-Where are the Hand's soldiers? Sowande talks about the Hand having an army (D.5) and we see a lot of ninjas in DD2, so where are they now? The show doesn't give us an answer, but on a story level just how many do you need? Beyond the attrition the group has suffered over the last couple of years (from the Chaste and, briefly, the Punisher), the Hand can't just put hundreds of ninjas on the streets--police and army would cut them down easily (guns beat swords), and it would destroy the secrecy the group needs (lest they attract the attention of the Avengers); when the destruction is mentioned it's clear they mean collapsing blocks of the city from below, not through pajama-clad warriors
-Why doesn't the Hand use poison like they did in DD2 and IF? The show doesn't provide an answer, but given that both Danny and Stick have cured their poison without difficulty (Matt knowing how to do it as well), it's not much of a threat (Luke Cage can't be cut either)
-if raising Elektra used the last of the Hand's resources, how was Bakuto resurrected? This comes from the assumption that Elektra was raised immediately (or soon after) the end of DD2, but the only indication of timeframe when Sowande hands her over to Alexandra (D.3) is "months", which could easily be after Bakuto is raised (see the chronology below)
-Danny's fight choreography: a near universal complaint about Iron Fist (whose choregrapher, Brett Chan, was not used in The Defenders--it's worth noting that Finn Jones was given no time for training here or in his own series, whereas he's getting four-five months in preparation for the second season of Iron Fist), here it's "better, but" with the "but" dovetailing into complaints about the quick cuts in his fights; I don't have a huge problem with it (it's not dissimilar to what's done for Matt Murdock's fights without the mask), but for fight-fans this could still be an issue
-Some of the fight scenes are too dark: I didn't have this problem so I can't really address it

I don't think any of these complaints are particularly serious, but it is of note that some of the answers are not directly provided by the show and it can be legitimately accused of being overly vague.

Chronology

In terms of Netflix chronology Iron Fist wrapped up sometime in July of 2016; the only specific reference we get to the time that's passed since then is that Colleen and Danny have been chasing the Hand for months (D.1; Alexandra says Danny's been "off the grid" for that time, ergo, after his show, D.3), with a list of six cities they've visited over that time: Sao Paulo, Berlin, Moscow, Paris, Miami, and Phnom Penh (D.3). "Months" can cover a large swath of time, anywhere from three to eleven months (or October to June), but given other comments it's on the earlier side of that.

-Pompeii (79 AD): Stick says the Hand was responsible for its destruction (D.4)
-ancient times: Alexandra makes a couple of references to how old she is, but the oldest is mentioning Constantinople (D.3), which got that name in 330 AD and kept it until 1453 (the other is to Johannes Brahms who lived in the 19th century)
-Marseilles Fire (D.6): I'm not sure which fire this is referring too, but the cutoff point is the wine Murakami gives her related to that fire--in the right conditions wine can be as much as 170-years old and still drinkable, putting the terminus point for the reference at 1846 (assuming the writers know or cared about accurate wine longevity)
-before Stick was born: Sowande says he was captured by the Chaste (D.5), but they all wound up serving him
-Stick spent 10 years in jail before becoming a member of the Chaste (D.6)
-1986 (Chernobyl): Sticks says the Hand was responsible for its destruction (D.4); this is also likely the last time all members of the Hand worked together (something Stick saw for himself, calling it "a culling" when Alexandra asks him about it, D.4)
-May, 2015 (the end of Jessica Jones): Trish implies Jessica hasn't been working since Kilgrave's death (D.1), but that would be hard to jive with the work she did for Joy Meachum (IF.8)
-June 3, 2016 (D.1); Matt mentions this date in court as when the corporation was notified there was a problem with their product
-July, Bakuto is raised (Davos kills him in IF, but doesn't behead him)
-months ago: Sowande informs Alexandra they have Black Sky, aka Elektra (D.3); the Hand gets her in December of 2015, and "months ago" sounds like long after this and must be after Bakuto was raised in July; the gap seems to indicate Murakami (whose faction took her in DD2) took his time handing her over to Sowande (which makes sense given his hostility towards her)

-several months before the start of The Defenders: Misty says youth are being recruited in Harlem (D.1), which we learn subsequently is working as clean-up crew for the Hand

-September 29, 2016, Matt enters this date into court, D.1, as part of the evidence at the trail

-Luke looks at a parking stub from Midland Circle (D.3), but the date on it is not clear

-a week before the show Matt mentions a school board scandal story Karen wrote (D.1)

-a week ago architect John Raymond disappeared (D.1)

-November/December (show start), Matt tells us he was investigating the Hand "a year ago", meaning late 2015 (D.8), which locks the show into late 2016. We can see the leaves have mostly fallen from the trees, so I'd guess it's November/December. From comments within the show the entire eight episodes takes place over just a week (Claire says Luke met Danny days ago (D.5), Luke says its been a couple of days since the Midland Circle fight (D.7), Jessica references it having been about a week (D.8), and Foggy says its been days since the explosion that buried Matt (D.8)).

The writers dodged the irreconcilable Elektra timelines set up in DD1 and DD2 by being deliberately vague about when Elektra and Matt first met (D.7)--this despite the two prior specific date references (DD1.5, DD2.5).

The Future

Matt's apparent death came as a surprise to me, but it's a clear nod to Frank Miller's "Born Again" (1986, #227-#233), which is a Kingpin storyline (and a very controversial turn for comicbook Karen Page that I don't think we'll see on screen). Speaking of Karen, Matt's death provides space for Karen to interact with Frank Castle in The Punisher (showrunner Steve Lightfoot was aware of how The Defenders was going to end before he started filming, but potentially not before he was writing--granted it's not clear it matters if the show is chronologically after The Defenders).

Dan Wickline's suggestions for the future are good ones (Renaldo Matadeen has virtually identical suggestions): give us the various expected team-ups, like Heroes for Hire and Daughters of the Dragon, and expand the universe by adding characters like Moon Night, White Tiger, Hellcat, and Shang Chi (the first two suggestions have been heavily rumoured, eg here and here). The only thing I disagree with is Shang Chi, at least on the surface, since I think the ninja thing is already tired. Something not mentioned that I believe in strongly: Marvel needs to stop introducing villains halfway through a season--it doesn't work (Nobu, Diamondback. Bakuto, etc).

When we get a Defenders season two I think (and I've seen this opinion reflected elsewhere) that the Kingpin is the right villain for the heroes to face. He's based in New York, he's grounded, and he can easily impact all four heroes.

In terms of how it set's up other characters:
-Jessica Jones: is ready to take clients again, but in terms of where we left her in JJ this doesn't feel like a change--what The Defenders does for her is update us on her connection to Hogarth and give her connections to the other shows
-Luke Cage: not much change here either--we get a tease for Mariah's continued activities (which were in motion at the end of Luke Cage), Misty's future as a cop is up in the air, but otherwise there's just him being free with his old conviction overturned
-Daredevil: huge changes since he's thought to be dead; this circumstance can't last long, but it might mean Wilson Fisk's threats against him (DD2) are postponed; one clever turn to avoid Fisk making the Murdock-Daredevil connection is that Daredevil was retired for almost a year while Murdock was still practicing law, meaning their mutual disappearance is less suspicious
-Iron Fist: huge changes as Danny has finally adopted New York as the city he protects; we also preserve Gao as a potential villain for the show; Colleen has cut the cord with Bakuto and her old life with the Hand, and we are on our way to the Daughters of the Dragon with Misty Knight

One interesting dance showrunners will now have to do is explain why the heroes don't call on one another for help (something the MCU has lot's of practice doing), but whatever the reasons given, at least we'll get references more frequently (and, hopefully, more crossovers).

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)

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)