Deadly Troubadour

I kept wondering that if this were episode 2 or 3 instead of episode 11, would I be getting more out of it. Maybe I would be able to focus on the little mysteries instead of all the missed opportunities. Maybe.

Iron Fist s01e11: Lead Horse Back to Stable

writer: Ian Stokes

director: Deborah Chow

Netflix

Quick Review:

This is a hard episode to review. I do like some of the story elements they are introducing, like Davos, and I like the parallels that are being shown between Danny and Colleen. But, at the same time I don’t feel the show has earned any of the emotional ties they are trying to exploit. This being near the end of the series means that the pace is being boosted to the point where none of the new elements, as appealing as they might be, will have any room to breath.

Spoilers Lurk Below

Analysis:

Here we are. Episode 11. This whole time I’ve been hoping for more scenes of K’un Lun. And now we get them. Kind of. Because what we get is two guys in costume talking in the woods. Not quite the City of Heaven I was hoping for.

And then there is Davos. I wish I could say I liked this character, because in some way I do. Anyone familiar with Iron Fist comics likely knows that Davos is one of his main villains. Still, the speed at which this character is introduced and shown to be a jealous, soon-to-be villain is striking. Especially since the show is relying on the pain of betrayal. At least that betrayal will be unexpected.

Speaking of unexpected betrayal, Colleen. Okay, what she is doing isn’t exactly betrayal, but it is the old “heroes at odds” thing. But, we again run into the problem of establishing connections. This show has never really convinced me of the romance between those two. It can tell us, through Claire, that they have something special, but they still haven’t shown us that this is a real relationship.

And not to re-hash past critiques, but seeing Danny’s pain at what Colleen is doing, I really do wish that they had shown Danny as being inexperienced and naive, with Colleen being more worldly. Mix around what is typically depicted as “masculine” and “feminine” by having Danny go through the first love motions, instead of showing him as Mr. Suave and Modern. That would go a long way to making his reactions here more sympathetic.

Also, with Colleen, shouldn’t there have been more set up to how important she is to the Hand? Or at least how active she is guiding the lives of her students? These are all things we have been told, but none of them have been shown. They haven’t been earned.

There are so many interesting little threads here that haven’t been allowed to develop, but yet are now being pushed to prominence. But, hey, we’ve been given hours of the business plotting of the Meachums. Yay?

Wrap Up:

While this might be a better episode, it is really suffering from the weak progression of the earlier ones. There really is a lot of meat here, but it has just been allowed to rot on the bone.

More Iron Fist reviews:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
Episode 6
Episode 7
Episode 8
Episode 9
Episode 10

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