10 Reasons to Watch "The Defenders"

Disclaimer: I have not watched all of Daredevil or Iron Fist, mostly because they look really boring. I know that they have the most interesting powers of the group, but they look like two flavorless white boys, and I’m just not interested. I absolutely loved Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, which were both outrageously entertaining and featured intensely interesting characters. Of course this miniseries' plot is all wrapped in the other two shows' mythology, and I was a little lost throughout, but it was still pretty entertaining. Without further ado, here are ten reasons to watch The Defenders:

1. We Finally Get the Elektra We Deserve

Again, I have not seen the series, but I did see the 2003 film Daredevil, and holy moly has Elektra gotten the shit end of the stick, adaptionally . Elodie Young is well cast, and she packs a punch as the anti-hero assassin that we all love to hate. Seriously kickass and flawed, this is the iteration that legions of Marvel fans have been waiting for.

2. Sigourney Weaver Makes a Formidable Villain

There are several villains in this miniseries, but the main baddie is centuries old Alexandra, the leader of the Hand and a formidable foe for the newly formed group. Weaver has also highly performed in another miniseries, Political Animals, another portrayal of a political leader in a time of crisis. I will never not be excited when she appears in genre properties, as she has proved time and time again to be a real badass.

3. We Also Learn Who is in The Hand

From my extensive (Wikipedia) research, we learn about several members of The Hand in Daredevil and Iron Fist, but the entire roster of baddies doesn’t become apparent until this miniseries, including Alexandra and White Hat. Madame Gao reappears, and is honestly the best of the lot, ancient looking and supremely powerful. They reign as the evil that brings the crime fighters together, and prove a formidable foe.

4. We Get Some Resolution from the Ends of Other Marvel Shows

It’s been two years since Jessica Jones, and one since Luke Cage so I was honestly so excited to delve back into their stories. We get more time with the surly alcoholic PI and the wrongfully convicted Harlem hero, which is always great. As mentioned the other two shows have been building up this storyline for years so it will be especially exciting for their fans.

5. The Action Sequences are Well Choreographed

Of course a Marvel show would be full of action and chaos, but when you have such a large group of heroes, there’s sometimes a tendency to mass them together and create an incoherent fighting style. The best scene is during the initial meetup, but other settings prove to be just as explosively entertaining.

6. There Are Many Twists and Turns

The plot remains on its toes throughout, bending us between different villains, henchmen, and character development that get slowly revealed like the layers of an onion. Many times throughout I was impressed that the story didn’t shy away from taking a step back from exposition and action sequences to delve into psyches, making it needed viewing for fans of any one of the four foundational series.

7. White Privilege is Addressed in a Great Way

I don’t give the creator all that much credit for addressing billionaire Buddhist monk Danny Rand’s privilege, as it was the major reason Iron Fist tanked with critics, but it was still nice to see them go in the right direction. Luke Cage, whose show addressed many racially charged issues in today’s society, points out Danny's naiveté to the issues of class structures that exist in the relationships between bosses and henchmen in evil organizations. While not a big moment, it was nice to see it acknowledged in such a plot heavy show. It was annoying that Cage is used to educate a white person in something so obvious.

8. Claire Temple and Misty Knight, Again, Kick Some Serious Ass

But of course we have to give a shout out to Rosario Dawson and Simone Missick who return as the nurse who heals, Claire Temple, and the badass Harlem detective, Mercedes “Misty” Knight. Both women are well written characters who kick ass, screw, and take down baddies without a second thought for their own safety. It’s also great to note we get some great representation for women of color, in a franchise that is generally white male dominated. (Thank God for Black Panther coming out next February)

9. The Production Value is Outstanding (Except that Terrible CGI at the End)

All the way through there are great tracking shots, action sequences, and use of cinematography and principal photography to create a vivid and gritty action show. The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, is that terrible CGI in the last episode, which I cannot justify, no matter how well this show is directed.

10. There Are Huge Changes for Upcoming Shows

If you love any of the four foundational shows, you will need to watch this for updates on Matt Murdock’s status as Daredevil, Luke Cage’s future in Harlem, Jessica Jones reopening of Alias Investigations, and Danny Rand’s future path now that his quest is finished.