Netflix Month: The Defenders - Worst Behaviour/Royal Dragon

Welcome Back to our retrospective on the Defenders. I’m only doing recaps for Stranger things, alright, let’s get straight into this

Worst Behaviour

Months ago, Alexandra is being served at a Turkish restaurant. The staff all seem concerned about her reaction but they’re lucky, she really likes it. She’s joined in the restaurant by the guy in the white hat, who says they have the Black Sky, Elektra. Alexandra goes to see her body, she’s dead and it’s remarked that reviving her would use the last of their resources, Alexandra gives the go-ahead anyway and Elektra is revived, sans any memory of her being prior to that, with the exception of language and instincts used in fighting. Alexandra shows she can hold her own in a fight as she easily blocks some of Elektra’s moves and restrains her. The proceeds to talk her into serving the Hand with kind words.

Elektra trains, trying to regain her fighting instincts, she starts out sloppy but her technique improves, ans he becomes capable taking down an entire legion on her own without a scratch. I think they may be some of Bakuto’s students. The next legion comes armed with proper swords and with the lights down. Elektra kills all of them, taking their blades and Alexandra thinks she’s ready. 13 minutes in, we finally roll credits.

In the present day, White Hat summons Elektra talk with Alexandra, and Stick. They want to know where the Iron Fist is, and they have Elektra come up and hold a sword to his throat. He immediately recognises it’s her but takes advantage, grabbing her sword, and escaping by cutting off his own hand. Stick may be an ass but he’s a badass.

So, in a room with Matt and Jessica. She brushes him off and he begins to pry about how unusual the case may or may not be. She’s not buying any of it and Matt tells she’s free to go anyway, as the police don’t have anything to charge her on. Aside from all the things Misty said last time that she had to charge her on.

Back with Luke, he’s nursing a bruised ego at Claire’s and is guilty that Cole has ended up with the police. When he mentions who hit him, Claire immediately coins on and makes a phone call, and in the next scene Luke and Claire are with Danny and Colleen in the dojo. And Luke is barely comprehending anything they’re saying despite being a f*cking bulletproof juggernaut. Claire takes Colleen away for Danny and Luke to talk and boy do I have some words to say about this.

But before that we cut back to Jessica, consoling with John’s family. She doesn’t get much more information before the family arrive, but she does spot an award John has for work on a ‘Zero Energy Building.’ Jessica leaves but is suspicious that she’s being followed and she’s right as Matt is right on her trail. Losing track of her footprints, he doesn’t realise that Jessica’s circled behind him and is now following him. He heads into an alleyway, and heads to the rooftops. Jessica takes photos before taking a call, following up on a lead she’d set up earlier.

Ok, so this conversation… I hate having to do this, but I side with Iron Fist. They weren’t just cleaning up a house that needed work, they were spraying dead bodies. If the moral factor didn’t intimidate them, then they’re either far gone or terrified. Danny just assumed the former. And don’t bring white privilege into this.  Danny spent most of his life being beaten and abused, and when he returned he was put in a mental hospital. Is Danny a dumbass? Of course he is, and probably should’ve held back realising how young they were. But race wasn’t a factor here and Luke didn’t see the bodies. Also, he wasn’t looking for the grunt workers when he came to the warehouse, they came in and he tried to work with the hand (ha) he was dealt. F*ck you, Luke!

Luke talks to Cole but he’s blatantly terrified and knows that he can’t testify. And Luke Cage’s big flaw is underestimating the dangers of speaking out about people. Chico, Candace and yes, Cole will soon be among them too, it got them all killed. After Chico and Candace, Luke shouldn’t be this stupid. Not everyone in his circle is bulletproof and I feel he’s just as thick headed as Iron Fist on this point. I know it happens with Daredevil too, but there he makes a genuine effort to protect them.

Danny thinks about what Luke said, and realises he was right about one thing at least, he has other means to fight the hand outside of his first, particularly his wealth, influence and connections. Danny makes a call and meets with Ward’s secretary. Ward is out of the country so they don’t have to pay him for his cameo but the secretary is able to use data from the Hand’s shell companies to track what they own New York. And you’ll never guess but it’s Midland Circle, way back in Daredevil season 2 there was hole in the ground there. I don’t think construction was finished back in that season.

Meanwhile, Jessica talks with another architect that worked with John and guess what he was designing? Ten points if you guessed Midland Circle. Luke talks to Cole’s mother, bringing her the lotto tickets Cole requested. She gets a phone call and yeah, as I said earlier, Cole is dead. Luke finds a stash of money and a parking ticket for Midland Circle.

Colleen is meditating when Stick arrives at her doorstep, asking where Iron Fist is. Danny arrives in Midland Circle, noticeably p*ssed off but that’s nothing compared to Luke Cage. He begins his speech to the board, which is anything but diplomatic and rather goes against the point, Alexandra comes in. Jessica enters the building but Matt stops her, warning her she’s entering something sinister. Jessica calls him out and Matt smashes her camera.

Danny actually did a smart thing and has his company put together legal action to shut down the company. Although what's slightly dumb is he doesn’t have a lawyer with him. One of the people puts a gun against his head, Matt can hear the gunshot and decides to steal Jessica’s scarf and head up to investigate. All the board have stun sticks so time for a fight and because it’s Danny fighting it cuts every 5 seconds, reinforcements arrive with tranquilliser guns and pin Danny down but he’s rescued by Luke who got in somehow without being noticed, not even by Matt or Jessica. That’s almost funny.

Luke’s bulletproof skin provides some cover as they start shooting real bullets for some reason. Matt and Jessica arrive, but as the fight’s over, there’s only one person left in the ring for the Hand, Elektra. More reinforcements arrive and as the others take care of them, it’s Matt that goes toe to toe with Elektra. This is a poor take on a hallway fight because the camera is cutting every 5 seconds. It’s not impossible to follow or anything but it’s annoying after such a great showing from Daredevil before. Matt recognises her as Elektra but Danny saves him and they head into the elevator as a group.

This episode is where Luke’s aggrandising actually got on my nerves, but the fight at the end was at least entertaining and we’re at the point where their paths start to converge so we can gain some narrative momentum.

Rating 7.5/10

Royal Dragon

The owner of the Royal Dragon Restaurant is about to close up when our group of 4 burst in, they quickly get to work, blocking the door and turning off all the lights. Jessica thought Matt was sent to spy on her but isn’t so sure, and doesn’t really know the fight yet. Danny convinced the owner to let them stay by paying their rent for 6 months and ordering food. Luke is… for f*ck sake, really? He’s untrusting of Matt because he wears a mask.

Matt is ready to part ways with the group quickly and wants as little information given as possible. So naturally this entire episode exists for a blanket wide share of information. Except for the fact that Matt knows who Elektra is, the seemingly most crucial bit of information that should be on the table right now.

Luke and Matt come to blows again and before it gets to fisticuffs Jessica pulls Matt away. She knows he’s Daredevil, because as PI and it’s blindingly obvious from the flips and the way he fights. The others won’t be far behind figuring it out. Matt accept this damning evidence and takes off his mask. Roll credits.

Elektra is looking at her injuries, not from her fight but her previous lives. She begins to question herself but Alexandra spins her web of half-truths to keep her compliant. Back at the restaurant, Danny is trying to pull the group together, remembering Colleen’s advice. The problem is they’re coming at this from very different angles and agendas. Danny is involved with an ongoing fight. Jessica just wants to crack her case, Luke wants to stop them recruiting young men in Harlem and Matt would rather avoid them entirely after his last experience.

As they continue to discuss in comes Stick. Meanwhile we’re introduced to another head of the Hand, Murukami, he’s busy dissecting a bear for some reason. Oh, the white hat guy is called Sowande. She plans to have them all converge on the group. Bakuto’s on his way also, how he came back from the dead is anyone’s guess, since that was I think after Elektra's revival but that’s a matter for another time.

Elektra eyes her sais before hearing footsteps. Sowande confronts her with 2 of his guards, who she takes out easily. So Stick, we finally hear he’s part of the Chaste, and he’s the last of them alive. He also tracked Danny through his cell phone which he promptly breaks. I honestly don’t think ‘thundering dumbass’ does how stupid this is justice. Remember back in Iron Fist, Danny broke Davos’ phone for this exact scenario!

Matt tries to warn the others of Stick’s manipulations but there’s a lot at stake here, the Hand has engineered disasters like this before and they were covered up with names like Pompeii and Chernobyl and they’re the only 4 that can stop it. Jessica’s had enough and leaves. Luke tries to stop her but is unsuccessful.

Alexandra gets herself dressed up in a new dress for reasons of… reasons. She’s feeling week and takes some tablets. Jessica heads back to her apartment and finds a police notice, since it was a crime scene last we saw of it, she begins deleting a lot of clients before discovering a lot of those buyouts she saw have a signature with the exact same handwriting.

Stick gives his version of the origin of the Hand, they were a group of 5 Elders in K’un L’un that rather than using the power of chi to heal, wanted to use it to live forever and were cast out. One of them is the one who pulled the strings behind Nobu. Matt is still reluctant and points out repeatedly how much danger everyone they know about will be put in, something he knows first hand with losing Elektra. At least he accepts that something needs to be done.

Jessica pays a visit to her client, and says she might be right about her husband being a good man, it keeps getting weirder the more she digs into this, and she says she’s looking to get them extra protection, but her client thinks she already had, pointing out a car down the road. Luke and Danny talk and can at least not sound like complete dickheads this time around.

Matt is brooding at a window, bad place to be. And Stick decides to discuss Elektra, and they decide to keep it secret so this drama can come back to bite them later on. Stick tries to convince Matt that there’s nothing left of Elektra and they have to deal with her. They hear someone arriving as Jessica confronts and interrogates the guy in the car.

Alexandra manages to sneak in without being heard, somehow. Alexandra wants Danny, and says that if Danny doesn’t come along willingly, the Hand will descend upon New York and it’ll be a massacre. Elektra breaks in and is told to finish it but before that can happen she’s hit by a car pushes in by Jessica Jones. I hope Danny’s willing to pay the damage bill.

This feels like a bottle episode, it’s largely just the 4 of them, plus Stick talking in the restaurant. But whilst I don’t like some the ways they went with this, this was a necessary episode for the larger plot to move forward, although to be honest, it probably should’ve been episode 2 with the previous 3 condensed into a single episode. Now the team are together and know each other a little and are up to speed with what they’re up against more or less, we can get to the more exciting action... at least, in theory

Rating 7/10