The Defenders Season 1, Episode 1 "The H Word" (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Kane52630]

Episode 1: "The H Word"



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[MoPlaYa]

About to make some Nachos and watch the 1st episode now!!!

 

[flickchick85]

Finn Jones remains the worst.

It's fun seeing the names of so many main characters from all the shows together in the opening credits.

 

[jokesonm3]

Luke Cage was my favorite this episode, goddamn rap music playing on nearly every scene he's scene

 

[Web-Head]

Jessica stood out for me in this episode

 

[kguillou]

So far so good. Really liked reconnecting with each of these characters to see whete theyre at. I LOVE how the cinematography plays with the lighting in each characters scenes. Matt's scenes have a red hue to it, Jessica a blue-ish/velvet, Luke yellow etc. It really gives you a distinct feeling for each character's world.

Jessica is my favorite, I love how Ritter plays her as such a hot mess. Finn Jones....he's still rough but hopefully improves.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

It's a bit of a slow start, but still a very cool episode none the less. The Luke Cage stuff was my favorite, but the real standout to me is easily the cinematography and how each character has a different color hue in the background.

I love how subtle it is in that you probably won't notice it unless your playing close attention.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Spoiler

I hate filming in dark with none of the important fight details being visually clear

Lovely intro, I enjoyed seeing the four and their neighborhoods.

I like that the cops did something to stop Matt from going in suit and keep him committed to the case he's working on.

Claire is not the best character in this episode, usually she's my favorite Netflix character.

I missed seeing Malcolm, nice to see him again.

I missed seeing the preacher, nice seeing him again.

Sick villain kinda reminds me of Walter White.

Nice editing from Luke hoodie on walking down the stairs to Jessica hoodie off walking up the stairs.

Tremor in Manhattan makes me want to see Hercules.

 

[kvz5]

Hah! So Deadline thought [blackout]that guy in the beginning was Frank Castle? That's embarrassing. [/blackout]

As mentioned, I really like the different hues for each character's world.

Jessica's scenes are my favorite but Cox brought out the best acting in this ep. It made me laugh that [blackout]he's the only one who dropped to the floor during the earthquake[/blackout]. But, really, it was great seeing everyone back and I liked every moment.

Oh... It's nice seeing Madame Gao [blackout]being dismissed like that. [/blackout]

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Hah! So Deadline thought [blackout]that guy in the beginning was Frank Castle? That's embarrassing. [/blackout]

[BLACKOUT]I see some resemblance[/BLACKOUT].

 

[Dr. Evil]

I liked the episode and Iron Fist wasn't bad in this one.

 

[Iceman]

This was a nice build up episode reintroducing us to all the characters and some of their buddies. Maybe we see some of them crossing paths next time.

 

[kvz5]

[BLACKOUT]I see some resemblance[/BLACKOUT].

Especially with how dark the scene is. I can somewhat forgive them for the mistake but still embarrassing nevertheless.

 

[Lencho01]

I thought it was an ok opening.

 

[Iceman]

Luke Cage was my favorite this episode, goddamn rap music playing on nearly every scene he's scene

Haha yes. Makes him feel like a superstar compared to the others.

 

[kvz5]

Haha yes. Makes him feel like a superstar compared to the others.

You just know the scene is going to be about him the moment you hear the beat start.

 

[Iceman]

You just know the scene is going to be about him the moment you hear the beat start.

I wish someone would do that for me. t:

 

[gohei_]

It's a bit of a slow start, but still a very cool episode none the less. The Luke Cage stuff was my favorite, but the real standout to me is easily the cinematography and how each character has a different color hue in the background.

I love how subtle it is in that you probably won't notice it unless your playing close attention.

Yeah it looks really cool but subtle is not the word I would use for it You could tell right away whose scene you were watching even before they showed any characters.

 

[Mike Murdock]

Time for my bar tending advice/review of Defenders episode one. If anyone has paid attention to my comments these past two years, they've hopefully noticed that I've made a different drink for each Marvel Netflix series. For this show, I'm making all four. Daredevil is a Manhattan. So I made my drink and started the show.

Manhattan
2oz Canadian Whiskey
1/4oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 tsp Maraschino Cherry Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Maraschino Cherry

I think it's an interesting choice to start off with Iron Fist. It makes a lot of sense despite the complaints about the show. At a minimum, you can start with a bit more of a bang with some Kong Fu Fighting, which I've heard everyone loves. My Manhattan feels a little less appropriate but there's a mysterious Hand swordsman that isn't all that mysterious (I suppose if you didn't watch the trailers, it's less mysterious, so I'm not going to fault them for revealing what they did). I do like that Danny is the one actually advancing the plot by hunting the Hand. After that, we get to the intro. The theme isn't all the memorable so far, but I love the visuals. My favorite is Iron Fist and Daredevil next to each other with the IF dragon visible. The street outlines really hammer home that this is a New York show first and formost.

Turns out I finished that Manhattan by the time the credits finished. Great for my trip down drink making lane, bad for my ability to coherently type. For Jessica Jones the series, I started with a shot of whiskey and a beer. I quickly realized that's not at all sustainable. So I decided to go with a drink that is purple. My drink of choice is a Gin Cassis, which is a tasty drink, but something I think Jess would hate. It's very sweet overall. I realized quickly the drink didn't make for a photogenic picture, so I doubled the recipe. I think Jess would approve of that. Her initial scene is fun, but very short.

2oz Gin
1/2oz Creme de Cassis
1/2oz Lemon Juice

I like Luke Cage's scene. The music stands out. It's here I noticed that they seem to be employing the different styles of the shows. Jessica Jones is a bit more of a handheld feel, Luke Cage has the music, etc. In a way, it's very much a comic book. I feel a bit bad for Foggy getting disrespected. Granted, as a Public Defender myself, I'm used to people not being overly grateful (nor do I expect them to be) and Foggy is a bit heavy on pimping his firm. But I do hope they meet again this season.

Finally, we get Matt Murdock. I'm going to use my lawyer knowledge to quibble, but I'll start by saying I'm happy to see Matt do well in the law field. It's very hollywood legal. The first question he asked was not objectionable, but almost every other question was (except his rephrased question which might have been ill-advised). There was also a sense that he was catching the other side by surprise, which is almost impossible in a civil case. That being said, his speech to the kid was great. I always like it when they show Matt's resiliance and ability to overcome a disability rather than pretend it doesn't exist. Apparently the case is a pro-bono case, which seems a touch weird (it should at least be a contingency fee. Given the money the case made, he should get something). Also, he apparently is no longer Daredevil. I like the way it is handled so far. There was a tinge of regret early, but not the sense that it's a nagging feeling. Of course, his honesty is always in doubt.

Luke Cage returns home. My only real thought is that table looks nice and probably isn't going to hold up. After that, we get a nice scene between Misty and Luke. I love that her advise is not to be a hero, but to be like Pop and mentor the youth. I like that he's an icon of Harlem that gives him such weight. Speaking of Luke Cage, we're in time for the third drink, a Harlem Cocktail.

2oz Gin
1/4oz Maraschino Liqueur
3/4oz Pineapple Juice
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Angasotra Bitters

Sigorney Weaver is being slowly brought in. She clearly seems in charge, but it's unclear on the details. It doesn't necessarily seem like she's asking the Hand for a favor (to save her from death). It seems she's selfishly moving the plan up regardless.

Finally, we have to finish up with my drink for Iron Fist: The Midori Sour. I mastered the recipe over the season until I found one I liked.

1 1/2oz Midori Liqueur
2oz Sour Mix
1 1/2oz Lime Juice
1 dash Sprite
1 Maraschino Cherry

The show is ending on an interesting note with the Earthquake. What's cool (besides showing the power of Sigorney) is that this is the first event experienced by all of them. I think it's a nice symbolic touch to tie everything together before the start of episode two.

Five Stars.

 

[samsnee]

This was a very slow start. I get they need to set up and show where everyone is since we last saw them but nothing really happens.

 

[Kane52630]

This and the 2nd episode was pretty good at setting up things, I dug the different perspectives.

 

[Iceman]

This was a very slow start. I get they need to set up and show where everyone is since we last saw them but nothing really happens.

I think it needed a slow start to gradually introduce everyone and their supporting characters. Just a shame that every episode counts when you only have 8 total.

 

[legendkillin]

For some reason Jones is my favorite. Maybe it is because she hasn't been seen in the longest and I like "Rude" characters.

I was kind of glad they didn't all meet in ep 1.

 

[Drizzle]

For some reason Jones is my favorite. Maybe it is because she hasn't been seen in the longest and I like "Rude" characters.

Same. It was refreshing seeing her again. I missed her smartassery.

 

[TheVileOne]

[BLACKOUT]I see some resemblance[/BLACKOUT].

Resemblance yeah, but seriously, how much of a passing knowledge would you have of these shows to actually print that on Deadline?