Marvel's The Defenders

© by Gerald So | 10:00 a.m.

I binged all eight episodes of The Defenders, which premiered on Netflix yesterday. By way of spoiler warning, I'll assume those interested in this review have watched the shows setting up The Defenders, including both seasons of Daredevil.

In a nutshell, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand, and Matt Murdock cross paths after each encounters a small part of The Hand's grand scheme. P.I. Jessica takes on the case of a missing husband and father whom she discovers is the architect of The Hand's Manhattan headquarters. Jessica is present when The Hand finds the architect, who kills himself rather than get killed by The Hand's secret weapon, The Black Sky, a resurrected Elektra Natchios.

The major revelation, which the previous shows hinted at well enough, is Madame Gao, Bakuto, and three other "fingers of The Hand" were banished from Iron Fist's extradimensional city of K'un-L'un. In using The Black Sky, they hope to gain control of Danny Rand's iron fist to open a portal to K'un-L'un, so they can retrieve the key to their immortality and return home.

Initially, Luke, like Jessica, just wants to help the person who got him involved, a boy unwittingly hired by The Hand. Matt Murdock, who has quit being Daredevil when we find him, has perhaps the strongest, most personal motivation, yet the most difficult task: trying to recover Elektra while working against her and her masters.

The Defenders didn't change my mind about any of the characters. Daredevil and Elektra are still my favorites. Jessica and Luke are cool, and Iron Fist is the weakest link, but I particularly enjoyed Matt and Jessica's chemistry.

I don't expect each Defender to pop up more often in the other's main shows, but it's pretty to think they know each other a lot better now.