Finally finished this. Gave it a 5. The show is really a mixed bag. Some parts are really good, whereas others drag the show down.
The good
Colleen Wing: Easily the best character on the show and the most believable fighter. Henwick brings her A-game, and at times I honestly wished Danny would be killed off or sidelined so we could just focus on her.
Ward and Joy Meachum: People have given this show flack for focusing too much on the corporate/family drama of the Meachums but I found these two to be engaging characters. Ward has perhaps the most interesting arc on the show, going from a Donald Trump. Jr.-type slimeball to an unhinged drug addict to a full blown psycho to ultimately a good person. Joy's character evolution isn't as interesting or dramatic but I feel like Jessica Stroup's sincere approach to the material really makes her character likeable. My only complaint is [BLACKOUT]her out-of-nowhere turn on Danny at the end. I could see her wanting to have Ward killed, but Danny? WTF?[/BLACKOUT]
Megan: "Who?" you're probably asking. Megan is the megahottie secretary at Rand. Forgive me for being a male pig here but GOOD LORD. She doesn't do very much but I found myself unable to take my eyes off her any time she was in a scene. I looked her up (her real name is Barrett Doss) and she's the female lead in Broadway's Groundhog Day, so she's got some chops. Marvel, bring this girl back in season 2 and give her more to do! Please.
The bad
Danny Rand: I tried; I really, really tried to like Finn. I gave him a lot of leeway here. But man, he just doesn't work. Maybe he'll grow into the character, but right now he leaves a LOT to be desired. He's very unconvincing in the fight scenes, as well as when he has to deliver lines like "I HAVE A VISION OF TOTAL VICTORY IN THE FACE OF DEFEAT!" or whatever. Now, granted, it's possible that NO actor on earth could make a line like that work but if there's one who can, it certainly isn't Finn Jones. But it's not all his fault. Obviously, the dialogue they give him is a problem but also his characterization is all over the place. One second he's this humble, chill Buddhist monk who seems totally at peace with everything, and the next minute, he's freaking out and attacking people who laugh at him like an ill-tempered child. They seemed to be trying to do this sort of Empire Strikes Back Luke Skywalker thing with him, in which he's close to being a master but is still immature and impetuous. That approach can work but given that he's already "the Iron Fist" it seems more like he should already be Return of the Jedi Luke instead.
The Hand: Okay, Marvel. Here's a newsflash. The Hand SUCK as main villains. They nearly ruined the second half of Daredevil season 2 and they DEFINITELY ruined a huge chunk of Iron Fist. Oh, and guess what! They're going to be back for The Defenders. Seriously, these guys make the Foot Clan seem interesting by comparison. And strangely, the only interesting member of the Hand (Madame Gao) is once again brushed aside for a less compelling villain (this time it's Bakuto... who annoyed me from the start but became even more irritating once I realized he was that stupid roommate character from Transformers 2). Marvel, take a hint. Let these guys go. You have so many better villains at your disposal. Use one of them.
Harold Meachum: I'm not sure why he didn't really work for me. It's a shame because I love David Wenham, but Harold just didn't make for a good "big bad", if you can even call him that. He mostly just sits around his penthouse moping. And the "epic battle" between Danny and Harold was pathetic. Danny and Colleen take out a fully armed team of DEA agents like it's nothing in the previous episode, yet Danny is running and hiding from a middle aged man with a handgun in the finale? WTF? Anyway, I don't blame Wenham for Harold's issues... it was just bad writing that brought the character down more than anything else.
