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 “Under Leaf Pluck Lotus” Iron Fist shifts into another gear and becomes a different show. Let’s jump into this but be warned, there will be spoilers.
1. This Is A Show About Heroin Now
Remember in my previous reviews how I commented on this show switching gears and not really knowing what it wants to be? Yeah, we’re sort of in a different show now. Now we’re deep into the drama with The Hand and now heroin is a huge part of this plot. My problem with this is that I feel a lot is being left on the table. They began the season with Danny adjusting to a new life back in New York and being an outsider in a life that he does have a right to live. His relationship with Joy wasn’t really examined as much and now we’re just moving on to the bigger picture that will undoubtedly lead into The Defenders. It feels a bit messy and a little disjointed.
2. Danny Rand, Corporate Hero
Now this here is something I genuinely like about the show but it might be projecting my own feelings onto the series. I absolutely love Danny Rand being the corporate outsider who rules with his heart instead of his wallet. The company has a plant that’s caused a young boy to get cancer and Ward doesn’t want to settle. Danny gets approached by the mother of the boy and makes a mess of things (from a corporate standpoint) by taking responsibility. Superheroes should bring out the best in all of us. Someone like Danny Rand has more money than he’ll ever need in his lifetime. Seeing him use the power and money he has to fix a wrong, is the most refreshing thing I’ve seen in a superhero adaptation. Tony Stark wouldn’t do this and Bruce Wayne doesn’t even know what his company does anymore. The series may be a mess but this was a great plot point in this episode.
3. More Lackluster Action
At the tail end of this episode we get Danny and Colleen at the pier Ward bought on behalf of the company. What could have been a high energy smackdown ends up being a little too quiet. The only heat is the heat building between Danny and Colleen as they get closer. This wasn’t shot in the most effective way and just comes off a bit basic, once again. The fight inside the truck is yet again very frantic and we don’t really get to see the fight develop.
4. Ward’s Spiral
Last episode, I commented on how I don’t care about Ward and his problems because he has no redeeming qualities and that still stands in this episode. Ward now has a drug problem but he’s just the worst so it’s hard to get behind wanting him to be better. This could still turn into a redemption story but it’d take a miracle to get there. Ward has just kept digging his own hole deeper and deeper and I don’t know if he’s salvageable as a character on the more good guy side.
5. Finally, A Character I Care About Appears
Claire Temple is finally here and Iron Fist just got a bit better. Claire and Colleen are friends and Colleen is teaching her to fight, which given all that Claire has seen and been a part of, it makes sense. Claire also serves to provide more miraculous and genius medical attention but more importantly to the plot, she fills Danny in on what The Hand has been up to. I still think it’s bizarre that everyone knows more about The Hand than the guy literally empowered for the sole purpose of taking them out but here we are anyways.
What did you think of this episode? Let me know in the comments below!
