We finally come to it: the final Defender, Iron Fist. By now, you’ve been treated to the full live tweet of Iron Fist, led by our very own Alice W. Castle. Now sit down, get some tea, and get ready for these full breakdowns of each episode. In “Bar The Big Boss,” everything really comes to a head and Danny faces down his destiny in a big way. Let’s jump into this but be warned, there will be spoilers.
1. Oh Hey, Ward
Ward is back you guys and not a moment too soon because he has lots of things to disrupt. Bakuto comes to visit Ward in the hospital and helps him escape as long as Ward complies with what Bakuto has planned. When they get to the penthouse, Bakuto betrays Ward and holds all three Meachums together as hostages to lure Danny to him. He shoots Joy and is about to take out Harold for good when Danny swoops in to save the day. This whole thing really lets us get a good last chance with all three of these characters together before the finale. I have to admit, I like to watch Ward and Harold go at each other. They have such a complex relationship that could have been explored even further. Joy, however, has become incredibly naive (more than before) and is only there to serve as a victim. Joy started off with a lot of potential but has just become a deer in headlights, which is really a shame.
2. Bakuto Vs. Colleen
One of the biggest glaring issues with this show is how unfocused it is. It brought in all these different relationships but didn’t really go into them much. Bakuto and Colleen is a perfect example of this as anything we learned about them is simply just told to us. It gives context but not an emotional connection to make us care so much about this final showdown between the two. What Iron Fist struggles with is its inability to care about the characters. It puts plot first which doesn’t always really work. I wanted to see Bakuto and Colleen work together. I wanted to see her time at his compound. We didn’t get that so this fight doesn’t pack the emotional punch that it could have had. It does do one thing and that’s show how far Colleen has strayed from her origin in The Hand, which is a good thing as it sets her, finally, on her own path.
3. Danny vs. Davos
Davos is another character introduced late into the series but unlike Bakuto, we get a little more context for his relationship with Danny. This fight between them reads more like brothers having a huge falling out and that’s why it works more than the previous fight. I still believe that Davos has a real bone to pick with Danny that’s bigger than the two of them and there’s a hint of jealousy that really works. However, I don’t think we’ll see what Davos is capable of until a second season, if we get that. This fight also enables Danny to forge his own path the same way Colleen does but unlike her, he has a bigger responsibility that comes with his power. I want to see how he’ll reconcile the two and hopefully we’ll see that in the finale.
4. Improved Fighting
Iron Fist has struggled to create good action and this is kind of a huge deal when you’re making a Kung Fu show. This episode shows a very noticeable improvement from the beginning of the series. Despite not having the emotional connection I wish I had with it, Colleen and Bakuto’s fight was very well done. It wasn’t flashy but it moved well and each actor put everything they had into it. Danny and Davos had a much better match up as well but I wish this didn’t come so late in the show.
5. The DEA???
What? That’s Harold’s big plan for Danny? Is this a show about heroin again? I’m confused. We got one more to go folks. Let’s see how this shakes out.
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments below!
