So I've tried to avoid reading too much of this thread, and reaction towards the show in general, because it is a giant bummer to see just non-stop high octane shitting, even if it is totally warranted which a good deal of it is, on a character I dig enough that I have a dang tattoo from them.
But I got some thoughts on the show's version of Danny, sorry if these have already been covered.
I think one of the fundamental problems of the show is that it misunderstands Danny Rand pretty hard. Comics Danny is a kung-fu billionaire white guy, but he is a well meaning goofball who is acutely aware of his privilege and both tries to expand his horizons as much as possible and use that privilege to help those without his lot in life. Show Danny is an arrogant assertive hippie as whole who thinks he knows everything and almost revels in his role as MAGIC KUNG-FU GENIUS BILLIONAIRE.
There are two particular contrasts between this and Immortal Iron Fist (easily the best comic starring him and what made me fall in love with the character) that came to mind with scenes from the show. The first is when Danny orders fucking gourmet five star "takeout" with waorwr service for Colleen. In IIF there's a scene with Danny and Luke after Danny wakes up from getting his ass kicked where they are eating shitty delivery Chinese and Luke asks how Danny can dig it so much when he can buy the finest shit around and Danny says he knows it is shitty, but it reminds him of hanging with Luke and being with his friends and thats why it is his favorite.
The second is how whenever Danny is offered up a new viewpoint or wrinkle to magic Kung-Fu shit or gets his ass kicked in the show he just throws a goddamn tantrum about how he's THE IRON FIST I AM DESTINED TO BE BETTER THAN ANYONE and doesn't learn much at all. Comics Danny takes his lumps, realizes he isn't king shit of poop mountain and goes from there. Like, first round of the Heavenly Tournament he gets his ass beat easily and loses. First round. and he picks himself up and goes "yup, that dude is way better than me." and moves on.
I think there are glimpses of this Danny in the show, and that's where Jones is at his best, when he gets to just be a total space cadet dumbass but there aren't nearly enough of them and the rest of the performance is almost diametrically opposed to them.
I don't hate the show, I don't love it either, and I have a few episodes left, but I cannot recommend enough that folks check out either Immortal Iron Fist or the current Power Man and Iron Fist book to see what this character totally could have been and why it is such a bummer they didn't do it right.
So I'm quoting myself because there's a scene in the final episode that so hilariously precisely targets my issues with a scene in particular here that it feels like the show was listening to me
Danny goes back to the dojo during Colleen and Claire's training. This time packing a regular ass pizza, saying he wants to learn more than just what his father showed him. Then he says that, in response to Colleen not having any students left, she's a great teacher for downtrodden kids and he will set up a Rand Scholarship Fund to help with that. And then he admits that he has a whole lot left to learn about being The Iron Fist and that while he was raised to think he would become a weapon, he instead wants to be an inspirational light to those trapped in darkness.
And it is capped off with Claire pointing out how fucked up and violent Danny and Colleen have been and how they need some help, which they don't deny.
It's like goddamn bullet points of my problems
The finale was okay from a story perspective, the final fight was lame as hell, but as far as Danny's character I feel much better about Show Iron Fist having finished the show than I did going in.
+3
Options
MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
Non-Stop High Octane Shitting is the name of my Speed metal band
These pages are cooler than anything I have seen in 9 episodes of Iron Fist and anything I expect to see in the remainder of the show
Episode 10
Oh hey, Orson Randall shows up briefly
Wait a minute,
Bakuto said that the video was from 1948. But the way to K'un Lun opens every 15 years. Iron Fist takes place in 2016 and Danny's plane crashed in 2001.
These pages are cooler than anything I have seen in 9 episodes of Iron Fist and anything I expect to see in the remainder of the show
Episode 10
Oh hey, Orson Randall shows up briefly
Wait a minute,
Bakuto said that the video was from 1948. But the way to K'un Lun opens every 15 years. Iron Fist takes place in 2016 and Danny's plane crashed in 2001.
Just because the way is open doesn't mean there is always an Iron Fist to guard it
When there is an Iron Fist they are there, but it ain't like they are on an assembly line
These pages are cooler than anything I have seen in 9 episodes of Iron Fist and anything I expect to see in the remainder of the show
Episode 10
Oh hey, Orson Randall shows up briefly
Wait a minute,
Bakuto said that the video was from 1948. But the way to K'un Lun opens every 15 years. Iron Fist takes place in 2016 and Danny's plane crashed in 2001.
Just because the way is open doesn't mean there is always an Iron Fist to guard it
When there is an Iron Fist they are there, but it ain't like they are on an assembly line
My point is that
the Iron Fist couldn't have appeared in 1948. The Iron Fist doesn't leave K'un Lun. So he can only appear in the world every 15 years, coinciding with the opening of the path to K'un Lun. The path to K'un Lun couldn't have been open in 1948 so the Iron Fist should have been in the other dimension with K'un Lun.
These pages are cooler than anything I have seen in 9 episodes of Iron Fist and anything I expect to see in the remainder of the show
Episode 10
Oh hey, Orson Randall shows up briefly
Wait a minute,
Bakuto said that the video was from 1948. But the way to K'un Lun opens every 15 years. Iron Fist takes place in 2016 and Danny's plane crashed in 2001.
Just because the way is open doesn't mean there is always an Iron Fist to guard it
When there is an Iron Fist they are there, but it ain't like they are on an assembly line
My point is that
the Iron Fist couldn't have appeared in 1948. The Iron Fist doesn't leave K'un Lun. So he can only appear in the world every 15 years, coinciding with the opening of the path to K'un Lun. The path to K'un Lun couldn't have been open in 1948 so the Iron Fist should have been in the other dimension with K'un Lun.
Do we know if the Iron Fist stays with K'un L'un? The duty is repeatedly described as guarding the path into K'un L'un. Having the IF have to maintain a solo vigil for 15 years makes more sense as a ceremonial role versus just being a glorified door guard, to me.
the Iron Fist couldn't have appeared in 1948. The Iron Fist doesn't leave K'un Lun. So he can only appear in the world every 15 years, coinciding with the opening of the path to K'un Lun. The path to K'un Lun couldn't have been open in 1948 so the Iron Fist should have been in the other dimension with K'un Lun.
it's 15 years, 'give or take, depending on the celestial tilt' (paraphrased).
I don't recall them specifying the current year in the show. The two dates given in the netflix mcu suggest that these shows take place no earlier than the year they air:
- Daredevil (s1, 2015) has a news story dated 2015
- Jessica Jones (2015) has a death certificate dated either 2014 or 2015
which would place Iron Fist in 2017, or later.
I vaguely remember 2001 being used as the year he broke his arm skateboarding. I don't recall it being used for the plane crash.
I don't think we're given information on how long the way stays open, either. That may be highly variable.
+1
Options
TrippyJingMoses supposes his toeses are roses.But Moses supposes erroneously.Registered Userregular
Danny with the nunchaku is strangely reminiscent of Halle Berry with a basketball.
0
Options
masterofmetroidHave you ever looked at a worldand seen it as a kind of challenge?Registered Userregular
In fairness
At least one major plot point in the comics was a way to exit K'un L'un outside the time limit, so that could be foreshadowing
I think the best episodes are 6 through 9. The show peaks at 8 and goes back downhill until the end.
The Madame Gao parts were the best. I wasn't fond of her being a part of the Hand but the mind games she plays with everyone was great.
Bakuto was bland. He wasn't very charismatic, he wasn't mysterious. He was like a lame summer camp leader. Even though they didn't flesh out his goal, I didn't even care. But Davos and Claire helped prevent those episode from being really bad.
I liked the plot about Harold trying to get out from under the Hand but that got boring once Bakuto took over.
The final episode was bad. I can't believe the final fight was against random goons with guns and Harold Meachum with a metal pole.
netflix doesn't care, and marvel isn't going to turn down extra money
it's entirely possible to do well-paced 13 episode stories, they've just got to, you know, do that. stop doing the whole "it's almost more of a movie that's much longer," thing and just...embrace that they're in a serialized medium
I was really hoping that in the last fight with those 3 hitmen that the last guy would be a karaoke battle, based on his intro
+5
Options
David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
Finished it. Yeah, I can see why people were saying that the back half was better, but a big part of it fell flat for me because I just didn't care the slightest about any of the Meachums.
Which made it doubly disappointing that the big finale was a slap fight on a roof between the Living Weapon, the Iron Fist, guardian of K'un Lun and sworn enemy of the Hand and a middle-aged businessman with a gun.
I feel like the show is kind of boring and clearly rushed, but at no point is it ever as bad as Luke Cage
You're crazy, man
I like you
But you're crazy
The first arc of Luke cage is easily their best offering to date. The back half of the season isn't as good, but it's also dipping more into the blaxploitation side of his character and I could appreciate it.
Like
"Always forward. Forward, always"
Is basically a with great power mantra for Luke cage that the show invented. It should be used for him on all media.
They didn't really even bother to flesh out two of the plots in Iron Fist. All the Hand stuff was complete filler.
Other than the fact that the Hand does evil stuff, they tell you nothing about what their motivations or goals are. They don't even tell you what the deal is with the different Hand factions, other than that they have different methods.
Posts
And it is capped off with Claire pointing out how fucked up and violent Danny and Colleen have been and how they need some help, which they don't deny.
It's like goddamn bullet points of my problems
The finale was okay from a story perspective, the final fight was lame as hell, but as far as Danny's character I feel much better about Show Iron Fist having finished the show than I did going in.
Wait a minute,
When there is an Iron Fist they are there, but it ain't like they are on an assembly line
My point is that
I don't recall them specifying the current year in the show. The two dates given in the netflix mcu suggest that these shows take place no earlier than the year they air:
- Daredevil (s1, 2015) has a news story dated 2015
- Jessica Jones (2015) has a death certificate dated either 2014 or 2015
which would place Iron Fist in 2017, or later.
I vaguely remember 2001 being used as the year he broke his arm skateboarding. I don't recall it being used for the plane crash.
I don't think we're given information on how long the way stays open, either. That may be highly variable.
pretty sure it's hormone-related as it usually happens in puberty
how does that translate if, like me, you have assigned nothing a rating?
Yeaaaah
So I guess it's four decent episodes. That's not very good.
Bakuto was bland. He wasn't very charismatic, he wasn't mysterious. He was like a lame summer camp leader. Even though they didn't flesh out his goal, I didn't even care. But Davos and Claire helped prevent those episode from being really bad.
I liked the plot about Harold trying to get out from under the Hand but that got boring once Bakuto took over.
The final episode was bad. I can't believe the final fight was against random goons with guns and Harold Meachum with a metal pole.
You're crazy, man
I like you
But you're crazy
That or Jessica Jones.
All their netflix shows have 3-4 more episodes a season than they need. And folks have been telling them this for a while.
they probably had more leeway with defenders since it was always branded as a miniseries
it's entirely possible to do well-paced 13 episode stories, they've just got to, you know, do that. stop doing the whole "it's almost more of a movie that's much longer," thing and just...embrace that they're in a serialized medium
The first arc of Luke cage is easily their best offering to date. The back half of the season isn't as good, but it's also dipping more into the blaxploitation side of his character and I could appreciate it.
Like
"Always forward. Forward, always"
Is basically a with great power mantra for Luke cage that the show invented. It should be used for him on all media.
If he can't commit to Take On Me, how can he expect to take on the Iron Fist?
someone needs to punch Ward in the face already
The universal constant of Marvel shows
They need to write storylines that justify the amount of episode they are given, not just pad the fuck out of them in order to make quota.
Every one of the series has been guilty of it to some degree, Iron Fist is just the most obviously egregious.
Hell, maybe they should go an Agents of SHIELD route and keep the number of episodes they have but tell two story-arcs a season.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
I think JJ is the only show that didn't tell two story arcs per season. Every other show has some mid-season change.
That doesn't mean it's an actual story arc change, though. And it always feel like they end up spinning their wheels twice a season.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
JJ had the whole Nuke thing going. Which, imho, was utter crap.
It's kind of endearingly stupid
Lewis Tan would have been such a better choice for Danny it hurts
Apparently he auditioned for the role as well, such a shame.
That fight and the whole of episode 8 were actually pretty good, I thought
PSN- AHermano