Iron Fist has finally been released, and if I can get away with it today I will attempt to give SPOILER-FREE’ish updates throughout the day! I have been waiting for this for awhile, and while we have seen nothing but negative reviews, it is up to us, the readers, for the final decision!

EPISODE 01 + 02

The first episode has a very “Bruce Wayne returns” type of feel to it, as Danny Rand shows back up after being missing and presumed dead for most of his life, after training in a mystical place that “can’t be reached from here.” The Meachums kids have taken over the company after their father’s death from cancer, but it should actually be Danny’s company. Rand does not seem to want money, just some answers. He attempts to go to a Dojo to train, which doesn’t work as planned. At the end we get a surprise as someone is still alive. Danny befriends a bum, but things end poorly. So far so good! Not sure what the huge criticism is at this point, and Danny Rand is a badarse and a much better fighter than Daredevil.

Episode two has Danny starting off in a certain place against his will, after some events that occurred in episode one. He attempts to explain why people think that he is dead, but is fairly confused himself. One cool note is that the Dojo-master, Coleen Wing, walks around town with a Samurai sword (or perhaps it’s a bokken, but either way) strapped to her back. Now, here in Georgia, not only can you strap a sword on, but you can carry a firearm on your side with a M-4 assault rifle strapped to your back and nobody will look twice at you. I’m not sure this is the case in New York. Danny is trapped in this place for the episode, but he is able to meditate and give us more of his backstory. Slower episode, but the buildup, I feel, is important for the series. The episode ends with a surprise visit, and Danny relates his mission in life as the Iron Fist!

EPISODE 03 + 04

In episode three, Rand now free of his confinement with the help of a certain weapon he has hidden away, shows up at the Dojo. Danny, using his Chi is able to convince Colleen to let him stay, but he “must use the bathroom at Starbucks… and should take a shower.” Meanwhile the Meachums are figuring out that Danny is who he says he is, and the sister is getting suspicious of her brother. A certain attorney returns, and agrees to help get Danny his company back for free, as she knew the Rand family, with her only request is to be placed on permanent retainer. Also, and this is not a spoiler because this was in the trailers, but the leader of The Hand shows up to a Meachum family member, and puts him in his place. Danny’s attorney puts him  up in a luxurious hotel, but he is more comfortable sleeping on the floor, and we get more flashbacks. This is about all I can give for this episode without telling you too much, other than we get a great fight scene at the end.

Starting episode four, Danny is knocked unconscious after a “fall from grace,” and wakes up in the Meachum’s suite where he discovers that his mystery guest from episode two was not just a dream. After talking with him, Danny gets his 51% stake back in his company, and shows up to a board meetinng finally dressed like a business man, and gives a speech to the press. His first order of business is to not allow a pharmacetutical to be raised to skyhigh prices, because people would not be able to afford it, and they would die. This shows his good nature, and heroism. During this time, Colleen has found her own personal fight club, and she is KICKING ARSE. I love this character. Now we get back to Danny, and Joy Meachum (the sister to Ward) is in trouble, and The Hand (we think) finally shows up. I believe I can safely say that by now Danny’s powers as the Iron Fist are manifesting. One guess as to what happens here. The Triads (Japanese mafia) are involved in some way, and Danny resolves the issue with them, in a manner of speaking. The episode ends with two groups confronting each other, with one group easily displaying their superior power. Also Danny gets a special message.

EPISODE 05 + 06

This episode starts with a guilt trip laid upon Danny, but we quickly get to… The Night Nurse. We knew she was going to show up, and where else but the Dojo. She then officially throws down the C-block between Danny and Colleen, much to his dismay. This episode so far is the slowest yet, and seems to center on a powerful illegal drug that is attempted to be released on the streets. We cut to the Dojo, where the sexual tension is rising with Danny and Colleen and the attempt to show off their weapon skills (which btw, Danny sucks with Nunchaku) only raises the attraction further. Danny and Colleen head off to investigate these drugs at the docks, and Iron Fist faces a formidable opponent. They escape with a certain refuge, and we cut to the Meachums where someone has taken too much medication. Again, this was my least favorite episode so far, but the last 10 minutes you will have to see for yourself, but I will say the Night Nurse suggests that someone else is needed to stop the hand.

Episode six, wow, we see our first true psychopath. You will have to see the opening scene for yourself. So far, as of twenty minutes in this seems to be about the corporate life now that Rand is in charge, and about Night Nurse trying to save someone that I have not yet mentioned, and won’t. Danny and Ward do some on-location research, and get to the “head” of things after investigating the back of a tractor-trailer. Back at the office, Ward Meachum seems to be losing it with his paranoia over The Hand, and yes, this show has made the group much more deadly than Daredevil did. At the dojo, Danny has a vision telling him he will face the toughest opponent of his lifetime — pure speculation, but I think it is a metaphor for himself. We see a familiar face from Daredevil Season 1, and Danny must take up a series of challenges. We now get the best fight seen of the series thus far. Then another. At the hospital, Night Nurse and Colleen are trying to save a life, and Colleen again proves she is a badarse, and Night Nurse says — get ready for it — “Sweet Christmas.” The end of the show ends with the aforementioned psychopath vs. Iron Fist. You will have to watch this scene to see the outcome, but Danny has to make a moral decision.

*Note, at this point, I have no idea why the critics do not like this show. My only complaiint is that we have yet to see the Iron Fist costume. At this point I am alost willing to put it above Jessica Jones, which I loved.*

EPISODE 07 + 08

With Episode 7, I must give a minor spoiler away about this “hidden character” as it seems he has become more relavent to the story. SO skip over this chapter or, at least a few sentences, if you do not want to know. It is not a HUGE deal anyways, as you learn about him in the 2nd episode. Ward and Joy’s dad, Harold, has been alive this whole time, and The Hand has had him hidden away in his luxury suite ever since they resurrected him. If you read the comics, you know this is within the power of The Hand. Colleen and Danny are getting closer to each other, and they are quite the cute couple. They finally kiss, and make sweet sweet love, so I truly hope it ends well for them. Danny further explains the mark of the Iron Fist on his chest, but also lets her know that once he uses his Chi, he is De-powered for awhile. Directly from sweet love making, we go straight into Harold doing his best impersonation of the Cannibal Corpse song “Hammer Smashed Face,” back at his suite. Ward can’t quite handle this when he shows up, and he appears to be taking more Xanax than I do, which is a BAD idea, especially since he is downing it with hard liquor. The leader of the hand shows up in Danny’s office to discuss some issues. (This is the person from Daredevil that need not be revealed yet.) The episode ends in a board meeting, a promotion in the Dojo, a recruitment mission, a warning, AND A HUGE DEATH — and that is all that I will say.

Episode 8 here we come. I intentionally left stuff out of episode 7. We start with our Night Nurse in the shower, that quickly escalates into something else. Cut from there we find Malcolm with a huge gallon of bleach — a death must be covered up. Jump to an airplane with Danny, Night Nurse, and Colleen; and we get a few more Danny flashbacks after some slight turbulence. Later, Colleen confers with a blind man, that reminds me of Stick, and Joy converses with Ward about criminal evidence on the rest of the board, thanks to a private detective that is “good when she is sober,” which is an obvious reference to Jessica Jones. Oh, and now the fun starts. We get a drunken master! This guys almost destroys Iron Fist, and perhaps my favorite new character of the show. The episode ends with the Iron Fist punching through the door behind the leader of The Hand.
 

EPISODE 09 + 10

Episode 9 sarts off with someone not being quite as dead as you thought they would be. Shocker, this is not sarcasm, I was shocked. Dany has captured the leader of The Hand, and wants to know about his parents, as the threat of turning him/her over to the police is laughable. I turns out that *again spoiler but, I would not worry about this* The person that Ward killed has been given the “Bullseye” treatment and has been made immortal, as he is alive an kicking, seemingly with no injuries. He attempts to make good with Ward, and we are back in the Dojo with Danny, Night Nurse, and Colleen giving the leader of the hand a bit of truth serum. Hah, I think we all knew this wouldn’t work as the leader of The Hand has been around since the 17th century. The Sensei must be called. The REAL Sensei. Someone attacks the Dojo and we ALMOST get an Iron Fist costume, but not quite. Back to the Meachum’s luxury suite, I have seen people killed many ways in TV shows, but never with an ice cream scooper. Small “lol” moment there. Joy finally meets with Harold, after presumed dead, and she breaks down into tears. At the Dojo a very young Sensei arrives and teaches the Iron Fist a new level of abilities. They all leave, with the exception of The Night Nurse, with an “assassin” looking towards her across the street.

Episode 10, I will skip ahead ten minutes, and Danny in now training with the Sensei. At this point I am still not sure who the villain of the show is. My guess is this is intentional by the writers of the show, but I am now in high anticipation of who the final showdown will occur with. I am beginning to wonder is this is a Diamondback thing, like in Luke Cage, but I am hoping against this. Is Harold the villain or a prisoner? We quickly learn that The Sensei is also part of The Hand. Colleen admits to being a member as well, but her intentions are more heroic. At the end of the episode we find out who the suspected villain just may be. Danny invades The Hand with a partner, that you will have to figure out by watching the show, and The Sensei is PISSED.
 

FINAL EPISODES

Episode 11: It seems now that Iron Fist has a new partner, and the clue I will give you is that he sounds like he shares the same name as someone on Game of Thrones. He is a polite fellow, and has a great talk with The Night Nurse. Colleen shows up, and clearly Claire(Night Nurse) ahs animosity towards Colleen. Danny an Colleen are now in disagrement, and and is unsure of what he needs to do with her, not that it matters, because Colleen has been taken prisoner by those she trusts the most. While The Hand may not be like Hydra (in Dc), where if a head is cut off two more form, they definetly have a far reach into almost everyone. Finally, Colleen has to make a choice when Rand confronts her.

We start episode 12 in the hospital, with Ward Meachum in withdrawal from the super heroin he was given, and The Sensei is willing to help, for a price. Soon after, Ward is begining to realize that Harold is not his actual dad and Ward takes his sister hostage to get her away from the “immortal” Harold. The Sensei shows up, and things do not go well. At this point I can say his name is Bakuto, and he appears to be the secret “Diamondback” villain of the show. Bakuo captures Danny, but Colleen and friend show up to rescue him, where Colleen has a one-on-one sword battle with Bakuto, for honor. She wins, but it is Davos, better known as the Steel Serpent, that finishes him off. Danny then battles Davos, only to find the body of Bakuto missing. It appears all is well, until another organization shows up for Danny, and Colleen and him go on the run.

Final Episode: It looks like Harold has set Danny up, blaming him for the super heroin. Harold was behind everything, including the plane crash from the very beginning. Danny must either kill Harold to unleash his true power, or walk the other direction with unknown results. Danny and Colleendecide to confront Harold and about 20 armed guards, in his building, looking for documnts to clear Danny’s name. The final battle occurs on the rooftop. Does Rand find the strength to kill Harold? You will have to watch for yourslf! We then get a major surprise at the end!

Grade: A-

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