Marvel’s Iron Fist Review: Iron Foot Rewards Patience (Season 1 Episodes 4-6)

Danny’s dealings with The Hand are getting contentious just as he regains his birthrightful place in corporate America.

Iron Fist is a roller coaster, but not in a Six Flags way. More in a middle class, suburban way; there are boring days and there are less boring days, but overall, life is just dull and there’s no escaping it so drink wine until you pass out.

Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 4, “Eight Diagram Dragon Palm” represents one of the more dull days, the story surrounding Danny’s ascension to Crowned Prince of Rand Enterprises.

Within the first few moments, he finds that his surrogate father is still alive, which should be cathartic, but the pacing of the scene moved so slowly, dragged down by exposition and repetition, I couldn’t help but get the sense that this was placed because Netflix demanded the writers fill in about 10 more minutes.

This happens again on Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 5, “Under Leaf Pluck Lotus,” as Colleen and Danny sneak into the pier recently co-opted by Rand Enterprises (at the behest of the aforementioned surrogate father). The amount of time it takes them to cross the pier is almost comical, made all the more remarkable when Danny says to Colleen, “Sorry if it seemed like I was prying earlier.”

Bruh. That was 15 feet ago.

“Earlier,” like he mentioned it this morning over pancakes. No, ma’ams, that was back at loading zone 5 and we’re now in loading zone 7.

It’s this time issue that makes Iron Fist unbearably unbingeable. I finished Jessica Jones and Seasons 1 and 2 Daredevil over the course of a week. Luke Cage I completed over a long weekend. Ordered Thai food and didn’t move.

Those shows all had their own distinctive voice worth listening to, constantly drawing me in for more, and while there were a few episodes in each show that seemed out of place at best, unnecessary at worst, it was almost immediately rectified in the following episodes.

Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 5 is the only one that ends on any sort of remarkable (as in “able to be remarked”) cliffhanger and that’s only because I’m curious to see how the unflappable Claire is going to handle the dying man in her care.

Iron Fist Season 1 Episode 6, “Immortal Emerges From Cave,” stands out, however, for being the best episode of Iron Fist thus far.

Finn Jones’ acting is still sh*t and the writing is sh*t-adjacent, but the stunt choreography and the imagery, combined with (FINALLY!) some expansion on the Iron Fist mythology made for an almost Daredevil-caliber episode.

Danny Rand in the corporate world, Rand Enterprises, everything basically that has anything to do with capitalism are all the weakest parts of the show (flaws made even more obvious when the writers have no idea how the business world works).

Thus, it’s no surprise that once Danny and Ward leave the office and start dealing with street-level things like drug addiction, gang beheadings, and talking to ghosts, my interest grows considerably. I literally wrote down, “this is a bomb ass episode.”

I could hope that while breaking (that means crafting and writing) “Immortal Emerges From Cave,” the writers finally hit their stride and will move away from Rand Enterprises, but as I have stated in many a review, I have been burned before.

Overall, this block of episodes gets an average of 3 stars.

Focusing the Glow

Episode 4 – 3 stars.

• Danny Rand wearing this ill-fitting suit has got to be some sort of intentional metaphor. Whether by the writers or the costume designers, we’ll never know.
• He is a grown-ass man. You’d think the press would at least call him “Daniel.”
• I get that Danny was supposed to be dismissing Megan because he’s overwhelmed, but just appears  rude.
• Danny’s acting like a ten-year-old would be funny if I hadn’t met a bunch of dudes that behave like this in real life.
• Colleen fighting two guys at once is my current mood.
• Boy, if you don’t get your feet off that couch…!
• Why… would they kidnap Joy from Danny’s apartment? What if Danny had opened the door? Y’all would’ve looked real foolish.
• Almost as foolish as this scrawny labradoodle does speaking Mandarin.
• Does anyone know the name and contact information of the buddy in the arm sling in this final scene? I have some choreography I’d like to teach him.
• Now, see, this Iron Fist tattoo reveal would have been a far more significant cliffhanger if y’all bothered to set up the mythology AT ALL. Currently, it just looks like the director has a fetish for ink on bird chests.

Episode 5 – 2 stars

• The opening shots of this episode piqued my interest. (Update: I was let down. So, so far down.)
• I promise you in the real world that if a man walked up to a woman and asked, “you basically have to do whatever I say?” he would not receive the oblivious courtesy that Megan gives Danny. Origami flower or not.
• I am in love with this blazer, Joy! You betta werq.
• Why are we following this conversation for so long, tho… The whole elevator ride and the walk to the car? Bruh.
• CLAIRE!!!!
• Colleen’s sudden romantic interest in Danny is more unbelievable than a skinny white man-child mastering kung-fu.
• Blah blah blah corporate blah blah business blah blah. Idk how Mr. Robot makes capitalism look interesting, but follow their lead, guys.
• Claire taking all the leftovers without shame is the example every unemployed millennial should strive toward.
• “I bought your building so now you have to help me.” Is that the rich way of saying, “I bought you dinner, so now you owe me sex”?
• Hey, it’s Clifton Powell. What are you doing here, my friend?
• WHYYYYYY ISSSSSS THISSSS PIIEEEEEERRRRR SCEEEEEENNNNNEEEE SSOOOOOOO LOOOOOOONNGGGG???
• Danny, you literally couldn’t stop a man from getting stabbed in an 8×10 foot room, but you’re supposed to stop The Hand? Sure, Jan.
• When I write scenes, I think about the logistics first. For example, a man jumping safely from the back of a high-speed moving truck onto the hood of a moving car while carrying a much larger, critically-injured man is something I would have immediately tossed out as nonsense. And yet…

Episode 6 – 4 stars

• The opening of this episode is vegetarian propaganda and I am 100% behind it. Don’t eat meat, folks. It’s being prepared by evil Russians.
• Ooh, a spider lady. I am cautiously intrigued. This teaser looks pretty interesting. (Update: not a spider-lady. Just a kick-ass scientist using spider venom. Booo!)
• Only addicts throw pills in the trash and only an idiot would be satisfied with an addict throwing the pills in the trash.
• Monastery Boy in an Aston Martin is the alternative title for this show.
• “So you’re saying I have more experience fighting The Hand than you do?!” BAHAHA! Drag him, Claire!
• More YouTube views than the “big green guy?” A video of some random guy apologizing to some random woman got more views than the Hulk tearing up an entire city? 

 

 

 

 

 

• My favorite trope is villains wearing white. More of this, please.
• I’ve actually stopped taking notes because… I’m actually enjoying this episode. Who am I??
• Claire: “You make it look easy.” Colleen: “It is easy.” If y’all don’t give these two their own show…
• These fight scenes—the final one in particular— are visually captivating. I’m confused why they aren’t always this well-done. God.
• “Sweet Christmas!” I love it. Claire’s been drinking a little too much coffee, #ifyouknowwhatImean
• Ward walks into a clinic, stoned AF and the receptionist—another black woman guarding the gates like in episode 1—was NOT. HAVING. IT.
• Madame Gao casually backhanding Danny into a wall is also my current mood.
• More episodes like this, please!

What did you think of this episode of Iron Fist? Have you gotten through all of it and have some good news to share about its improvement? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Marvel’s Iron Fist is currently streaming on Netflix.

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