1.08: The Defenders
While the Defenders are getting ready to blow up Midland Circle their friends and loved ones wait for news back at the precinct. The crossover show makes it possible for not just Luke Cage and Danny Rand team up, but also a scene where Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) swap war stories. It makes the world feel real and developed as well as letting some of our favorite characters from different shows interact.
The plan for our heroes is this: Matt, Jessica, and Luke fight the Hand in the pit that only has one way in and one way out via elevator while Colleen (Jessica Henwick) and Claire (Rosario Dawson) set the charges to blow the building. Sounds simple, right?
The Defenders head down the elevator into the pit to take on Elektra, Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho), Murakami (Yutaka Takeuchi), and the rest of the Hand. Upstairs Claire and Colleen are joined by Misty to fight Colleen’s old mentor Bakuto (Ramon Rodriguez). It’s fun to see the heroes fighting together, but like many Marvel properties the stakes don’t feel that high. With season 2 of both Jessica Jones and Luke Cage currently in production and Iron Fist season 2 and Daredevil season 3 not far behind, you know the characters are never really in any danger.
Not everyone is completely safe though. Misty does lose her arm, but even that was a fate predestined by the comics. However, it is nice seeing Marvel going there and expanding on this fan favorite character who is sure to have a large role now that she is set to appear in Iron Fist season 2.
There’s No Elektra In Team…
As the Defenders fight to stop the Hand from collapsing NYC (or at least that seems like their plan?) Matt is forced to confront Elektra once more. He believes that the woman he loves is still in there. And while Elektra doesn’t seem to be the Black Sky anymore, she certainly isn’t the same. But Matt just can’t let go. As the rest of the Defenders head back up in the elevator he chooses to remain underground with her.
This is the most infuriating part of The Defenders. Jessica, Luke, and Danny just let Matt stay. No one fights him. No one tells him he’s being stupid. They don’t try to physically overpower him (which all of them could easily do). It makes no sense that the whole show is focused on building a team and then they just leave a man behind. Especially because last episode Luke was so adamant about no one getting hurt.
Elektra is Matt’s blind spot (pun intended). He makes all the worst choices when it comes to her including basically sacrificing himself in order to stay with her. Again, in a show that was supposed to be about the formation of a team, the amount of time spent on Elektra in the finale is a let down.
How It All Ends
However, the final episode of The Defenders does nicely set up the next seasons of the Netflix Marvel shows. Jessica reopens Alias Investigations with a promise to get coffee (or “coffee”) with Luke later. Luke heads home to Harlem. And Danny seems poised to take on the role of protector of Hell’s Kitchen following Matt’s last request.
As for Matt, he somehow miraculously made it out of the explosion alive and was rescued by a group of nuns. And comic fans were very excited to hear that one of these nuns was named Maggie- AKA Matt’s mother.
Overall The Defenders was a fun show that allowed for some of our favorite characters to come together to fight and share quips on screen. Hopefully the characters’ relationships only grow from here as the Netflix Marvel world expands.