{"id":337,"date":"2017-08-15T21:24:01","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T11:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jcreid.net\/blog\/?p=337"},"modified":"2017-08-15T21:24:01","modified_gmt":"2017-08-15T11:24:01","slug":"essay-salvaging-iron-fist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jcreid.net\/blog\/2017\/08\/15\/essay-salvaging-iron-fist\/","title":{"rendered":"Essay – Salvaging Iron Fist"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote this in late march, then forgot about it between starting a new job and starting a blog.\u00a0 It’s not as polished as I’d like, and I’m not sure it adds anything new to the discussion, but if I don’t post it before the Defenders comes on, I may as well never post it.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Salvaging Netflix\u2019s Iron Fist<\/h2>\n

Fixing Danny Rand by acknowledging he is broken<\/h3>\n

Introduction<\/h3>\n

Netflix\u2019s Iron Fist is a mess. \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The critical consensus has been savage,<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> and the post show pile on has continued. \u00a0However Netflix will be pushing forward with the Defenders, and possibly with further Iron Fist seasons. \u00a0Rather than lament the Iron Fist we could have had, let\u2019s look at what can be done to salvage the character, using what we have on the screen.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to caveat this with the fact that I\u2019m not an Iron Fist expert, and pretty much the whole essay is a spoiler.<\/p>\n

The good<\/h3>\n

Colleen Wing and the woman of the Marvel Netflix Universe (MNU). <\/i><\/p>\n

Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing is the centre of the show. \u00a0She has a clear arc as the honorable samurai who comes to realise she serves a corrupt master, and believable character motivations in the competition between her code of honor, her loyalty to the Hand and students, and her desire to actually use her fighting skills. \u00a0In contrast to Finn Jones\u2019 Iron Fist, she looks believable in her fight scenes, and she even manages to sell the plot mandated romance in spite of the limitations of the hero, while still calling out his faults.<\/p>\n

Indeed, a number of critics and fans have suggested that the show would have been better focused on Colleen Wing\u2019s character, and it is hard to disagree. \u00a0The easiest fix to the show would be to kill Danny Rand and have Colleen Wing take his place, and the most damning thing that can be said is that if Jessica Henwick and Finn Jones had swapped roles, and every other piece of the show was the same, it would still be a better show.<\/p>\n

On top of Colleen Wing, we have Claire Temple, Jerri Hogarth, and Madame Gao who have all quite literally walked in as better characters from better shows. \u00a0In particular, Claire Temple is now the clear centre of the MNU: she has a personal relationship with each of the four defenders, and one of the smartest things this show does is give her an arc showing her learning to fight. \u00a0This makes her a proactive participant in the superhero world, and gives future writers no excuse to make her a damsel in distress. \u00a0Claire also makes a hugely important contribution to Iron Fist by acting as the voice of exasperated reason, pointing out that both Danny and Colleen\u2019s actions are reckless and stupid.<\/p>\n

If nothing else is learned from Iron Fist, it should be that the support cast of the MNU is its real strength. \u00a0If you add Karen Page and Misty Knight to Colleen Wing and Claire Temple, you have a foursome that is more heroic than the official Defenders lineup, and it will be a missed opportunity if they are not showcased as such.<\/p>\n

What Went Wrong<\/h3>\n

Everything?!<\/i><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not quite that bad, but no element is good enough to hide the flaws of the next. \u00a0Apart from Danny Rand, three elements derail Iron Fist:<\/p>\n