With three shows and four total seasons under their belt, the Marvel Studios/Netflix partnership now comes with a fairly concrete set of expectations. You know you’re going to get something a cut above the average network superhero TV show in terms of production value, and there are places they can go that their broadcast counterparts can’t. Like its predecessors, Iron Fist establishes a slightly different tone (this one comes from Dexter showrunner Scott Buck) and is mostly self contained, with few connections to previous series that might put off a new viewer. It’s more complicated than it sounds, and weaving in Danny’s backstory proves a little trickier than it did in earlier Marvel/Netflix efforts. As usual, our main character’s origin is only hinted at and glimpsed in flashbacks and exposition. This worked well with the “accident of science” superhero origin stories we’ve seen on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, but when there’s an entire secret civilization being alluded to, and Danny’s actual motivations and the nature of his powers remain pretty obscure, it’s a tougher sell. If the show would commit to whether the audience is supposed to believe Danny’s outlandish story or not, that would be one thing, but it tries to have it both ways, particularly in its earliest episodes. It’s a shame, as this might have been a risk worth taking. Every one of these Marvel Netflix efforts has a breakout supporting character, and in this case, it’s unquestionably Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing. Like Simone Messick’s Misty Knight on Luke Cage, Henwick immediately gives the impression that she could carry her own show (and depending on how far Marvel and Netflix are willing to take their partnership, she may get her chance). In fact, the most spectacular fight scene in Iron Fist (so far) doesn’t even belong to the title character, but rather to Colleen Wing. Part of the problem might be that Iron Fist has something of an identity crisis. So much time is spent at Rand Enterprises that you almost feel like the show is trying to fool viewers into thinking it’s a corporate drama as it sidelines its mystical/martial arts elements. That’s actually a cool pitch, but none of the corporate stuff is intriguing enough to hang the show’s hat on. I’m certainly not a viewer who needs constant action or references to Marvel mythology to hold my attention (it’s admirable how much these shows play in their own sandbox rather than rely on Marvel’s increasing interconnectivity), but you need to give us a little more to buy Danny’s story and that he’s the king badass he’s expected to be. I kept waiting for Iron Fist to kick it into another gear, and that sixth episode aside, it never quite did. If nothing else, Marvel’s Netflix efforts have earned the benefit of the doubt, and I’m willing to believe that the next seven episodes make up for lost time. But it’s worth pointing out that both Daredevil Season 2 and Luke Cage took noticeably different turns in their second halves. Hopefully Iron Fist is just a slow burn, and the steady build that begins in episode three and blossoms in episode six continues for the rest of the series. Iron Fist might just be the unfortunate victim of the raised expectations that come with these projects. I’ll be back with a spoiler filled breakdown of all the crazy Marvel stuff in the show when those episodes drop. Hit me up on Twitter to talk superhero TV, but I’m not talking spoilers on there!
