- Finn Jones and Danny Rand continues to be uncompelling. This man child chi-user seems out of place from his counterparts. I cannot fathom seeing this version of Danny becoming best friends with Luke Cage. Centering this show's entire premise was not a good idea.
- You would think with the episode order cut from the Netflix average of 13 down to just 8 that this team-up would need to pick up its pace in order to tell a cool and action-packed narrative for the first meeting of its heroes, but sadly this is not the case. The main plot moves at a snail's pace with a few dust-ups sprinkled in (Don't worry, the hallways and dark alleyway fights for which we have become accustomed are there). But unlike the current season of Game of Thrones, which also saw it's episodes cut, The Defenders is not using it's short schedule to make all 8 episodes exciting. The series so far just doesn't feel worth it. Maybe this should have a 2 hour Netflix movie instead?
- To the show's credit, it has delivered some great character moments. With at least a full season of stories devoted to each of the main protagonists (Luke, Matt, Jessica, and Danny), the audience knows these characters pretty well, but seeing them all finally interact with one another is exciting (even if it takes several episodes to finally happen). The side players (Foggy, Colleen, Claire, Misty, Rachel) are delegated to the background but each of them is always a welcome prescene, as is the great Scott Glenn's Stick, who plays an incredibly angry old man just the way Frank Miller intended.
Overall the show is just solid. So much of our media is thought of as either great or shit. Well guess what there is something called the middle and that is where The Defenders lies. My suggestion: Cut each individual show's episodes down to ten a piece and make the next Defenders a team-up movie. But hey I'm only mid-way through, maybe the second half is great and I'm just a whiny ass. I sure hope so.
P.S. Add in Blade, Punisher, or Ghost Rider to the mix for the next round.
