The City’s Not for Burning – S02E02
Episode Two of Season Two of Marvel’s Iron Fist gives every fan of the character the money shot we so deserve. Danny Rand is wearing the Iron Fist mask in the battle versus Davos for the right to fight the dragon Shou-Lao. That sentence alone should give you goosebumps.
The battle is through flashbacks throughout the episode which gives ‘The City’s Not for Burning’ a quick pace as tension builds. The struggle to save Chinatown continues which is a million times more interesting than the boardroom drama of Season One. All the chess pieces are in play, and we are just waiting for the reveal.
Again, the cinematography is what shines so far in the season. The darker setting, whether at night or the use of a cloudy day give the series a better feel. It helps to suck the viewer into the episode.
The fault in the episode and possibly the season is the development or origin story of Mary Walker (Alice Eve). The show is having a hard time capturing her dissociative identity disorder. Mary has the potential to breakout star of season two, but through two episodes it’s slow going.
Overall, the arrow is still pointing up, and there is no need to stop binging now.
The Fury of Iron Fist – S02E01
Marvel’s Iron Fist Season two hits Netflix Friday, and the first episode ‘The Fury of Iron Fist’ brings a refreshing new tone to the series as the drama moves from the boardroom to the streets of Chinatown.
‘The Fury of Iron Fist’ has excitement, with two major action sequences and a few quick spurts of hand to hand combat. The cinematography is what stood out most about the episode, with most of it filmed at night. There’s a gritty dampness to the scene selection, giving a feel of evil creeping into the city. The last few minutes of the episode had no dialogue and relied on the cinematography to convey the emotion, and it does. You will be compelled to watch the next episode.
The plot of the episode is straightforward and sets up the series well. The weight of the world is about to be dumped on Danny Rand, and it is up to the Iron Fist to dig himself out. Danny’s relationship with Collen evolves well to where you feel for the couple and want to see them succeed. As soon as you see Ward Meachum, you can’t stand him. It will be interesting to see what his story arc is for the season. Joy, on the other hand, is at the beginning of her origin story and the path she takes will be exciting to watch.
Finn Jones finally feels comfortable as Danny and the Iron Fist, and his surfer delivery fits the character. Jessica Henwick (Colleen) seems to have the most compelling on-screen presence, and Tom Pelphrey (Ward) has the ability to steal the show. The cast has grown in the acting craft since the first season.
The only issue is with Davos, it is hard to find him intimidating. The Steel Serpent needs to become pure evil and strike fear in the hearts of men. Sacha Dhawan is a good actor, but the size difference between Jones ruins all the tension. All the praise I gave the cinematography crew above, they need to work on finding a better angle when Davos and Danny are on screen together.
Overall, now that the show is past the origin the series will improve immensely. Season two can get to the good stuff like the Iron Fist battling it out, and the viewer can sit back and enjoy the binge.
After you binge watch the show come back and give us your thoughts in the comment section below.
