On this episode of Nation of Recap, Jordan returns to break down all the action from The Defenders Part 1
The Defenders Part 1
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Show Notes:
Jordan returns to break down The Defenders Part 1. He starts by giving a little background on each Defender. Then goes into the Part 1 breakdown, what each character is doing, the introduction of a new villain, and much more.
The Defenders is an 8 part miniseries that will air on Netflix. This series will bring together several superheroes from the MCU including Luke Cage, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist. These four superheroes will be combining their powers to fight The Hand.
Part One Summary:
Picking up right at the end of Iron Fist, The Defenders kicks off with Danny Rand (Finn Jones) and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) following a lead in Cambodia. Swords and sewers set the stage for a fight between two mysterious figures before Danny arrives, only to watch one of them perish at the hands of the other. The fallen character recognizes Danny as The Iron Fist and tells him to go home, that the war he is fighting is back in New York. Cue title sequence.
The intro uses the same style of other Netflix shows while assigning a different color to each Defender. The show uses a series of filters to denominate each character’s individual scenes, to maintain the comic book essence throughout.
Jessica Jones
Bluish hues find a boozed-up Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) being woken up by a bar patron as morning rolls in. Coming in full force as her less than likable self, Jessica meets up with Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) who encourages her to go public with her story and use her abilities to help others. After Kilgrave, Jessica’s popularity increased. The city hails her as a hero, a word she wants nothing to do with and the overarching thematic of the show.
Luke Cage
Luke Cage (Mike Colter) is finally being released from prison, with the help of Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). Luke’s scenes are adorned in a yellow tint and hip-hop, showcasing the calm and cool nature of the character. Luke is the mature one out of all our characters, keeping a level head while trying to see the bigger picture. Foggy offers Luke a chance at starting over using the firm’s resources, but Luke has other plans, moving forward. After reconnecting with Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) over “coffee” Misty Knight (Simone Missick) shows up to ask for Luke’s help in the way Pops used to, helping put at-risk youth back on the right track.
Daredevil
Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) red filters are the most prominent throughout the season, sometimes foreshadowing the character’s arrival. Matt uses his abilities to work a pro bono case for a paralyzed boy against a large pharmaceutical. Ever since Matt hung up his horns, he can dedicate all his attention to his day job, one he happens to be great at. A normal life, something that every character tries to grasp throughout The Defenders Part 1. The point is driven home when Matt gives the boy advice on getting his life back. After a somewhat harsh yet inspirational exchange, Matt agrees to go to lunch with ex-assistant Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). Matt lies to Karen about missing his life as The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
Iron Fist
Greenish tints take the screen, which means we’re back to Iron Fist. Danny is haunted by visions of slaughtered K’un Lun monks. Colleen wakes up a screaming Danny who blames his nightmares on the plane’s turbulence. Their relationship has strengthened off camera. Colleen serves as the voice of reason when Danny’s temper gets in the way, she stresses the importance of facing The Hand together.
The Hand Comes Out of the Shadows
After each Defender has gotten enough screen time we get a look at the show’s antagonist, Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver). She is The Hand’s leader, a character shrouded in secrecy. Sigourney Weaver serves as the perfect antagonist to the show as her scenes paint her in a calm demeanor. A bright white filters her stylish, elegant delivery. Alexandra is dying, and she doesn’t seem affected by it, given The Hand’s obsession with immortality, it’s clear that she has other plans. Alexandra and Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho) discuss speeding up their mysterious plans, a reluctant Gao attempts to persuade her to no avail.
Luke finds Cole, who refuses to share any information about what he’s gotten involved with. Terrified he tells Luke to tell his mom he’s sorry and that it’s too late for heroes. Recalling the thematic of the episode Luke tells him that Hero is not his word and leaves. Jessica takes on a case she rejected after someone tries to scare her off. Figures, Jones would be drawn into the mix by being stubborn. Danny and Colleen are on their way back to New York. Cut to Madame Gao who tells Alexandra that the plans are set in motion. Matt arrives at his apartment when an earthquake is felt throughout New York and all our characters can feel it.
It’s just a city
“It’s just a city. You’ll get used to watching them fall”, a calm Alexandra tells a newly resurrected Elektra (Elodie Yung) before the episode ends.
The Defenders Part 1 starts off strong enough to pique viewers’ interests. Not wasting time on exposition but rather setting the board for a much larger game at hand, pun intended. Everyone’s involvement in the battle for New York is handled in an organic way that doesn’t seem forced, despite our heroes never actually meeting in the first episode; in fact, they don’t actually come together until the end of the third episode.
Info:
Check out the rest of our The Defenders preseason coverage.
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