Marvel Watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the beginning...

[Mel O'Drama]

Jessica Jones

AKA 1,000 Cuts / AKA I’ve Got The Blues / AKA Take A Bloody Number / AKA Smile
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The locations used have continued to be nicely atmospheric. Delaney Hall (the former church turned nightclub) and what looks like an old bank have been two favourites, while during the gloomy nighttime corridors of the Metropolitan General I’ve virtually been able to pick up that hospital smell.

Also continuing is the bravery to kill off characters who feel important to the series. Hope’s suicide was surprising because of the point at which it came, when she’d just been freed from prison. Oscar Clemmons’s death was the most viscerally shocking to me because I really didn’t see it coming until it had happened. More than any other character in this series I’m sorry to see him go because there was great promise for him to continue developing an understanding with Jessica in future seasons. Curiously, Kilgrave’s death was the least surprising, perhaps because it was inevitable. Even as their final scene began, it seemed obvious to me that Kilgrave would end up walking to Jessica who would snap his neck à la Wonder Woman/Maxwell Lord.

Claire Temple’s crossover from Daredevil was a nice touch. And Daredevil wasn’t actually mentioned by name (either of them) in what I assume was a conscious decision. It somehow seemed to make sense of earlier references to “the big green guy” and “the flag waver”. This series is simply too cool to start bandying about superhero code names.

The characters in this series are certainly resilient. As well as Luke Cage coming back from being shot under the chin at point blank range, there’s Jessica getting into scrap after scrap so soon after her broken ribs, and Jeri Hogarth’s cuts seem to be healing remarkably well also.

I’ve very much enjoyed the Nineties-sounding score to the series. The opening bars of the theme sound like incidental music from Twin Peaks. And whenever I hit “skip intro”, the wailing guitars that round off the theme never fail to make me think of Melrose Place.

The series itself has impressed me. I find it difficult to place compared with Daredevil because - despite their many similarities - each has its own identity so it’s apples and oranges. At this stage, both are scoring highly with me.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Daredevil

Season Two (2016)

Bang / Dogs To A Gunfight / New York’s Finest
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Despite the Kingpin storyline being concluded at the end of Season One, I must confess I’d expected Season Two to begin with Fisk’s escape from prison in order for the whole cycle to start over again. Silly, really. I wouldn’t expect to pick up an issue of a comic the issue after a story is resolved and expect to see it start over again. Nor would I expect a Marvel sequel to feature the same story arcs and antagonists. This is why I’m not a show runner.

My approach means I’ve been surprised by what we’ve been given. A double-edged sword. There’s an almost anti-climactic feeling that expectations haven’t been met. That thing I was looking forward to happening simply hasn’t happened, and it took me the first couple of episodes to adjust to the new status quo. On the other hand, the unexpected is usually a very good thing in such a twisty franchise, is it not?

I avoid spoilers as much as possible, so I didn’t even realise the antagonist was The Punisher until some time after the first episode. I am aware there’s a Punisher series as part of The Defenders Saga, but I hadn’t seen the character associated with other series and from the little I’d seen had got the impression it was somewhat more apart from the other series. I’m glad I was wrong. Part of me wishes I’d realised in order to savour his debut, but the opportunity to see a story unfold organically is a rare and priceless thing.

The subtle crossovers between the (then) two Netflix Marvel series have been very gratifying. Like the MCU, they’re in order for a reason ’m glad I researched the order in which to watch these as they’re adding layers of enjoyment to the experience.

In Jessica Jones I commented how I expected to see a Daredevil character walking round the corner and walking past another character on the street, or simply appearing in the background somewhere. It’s the same coming back from Jessica Jones to Daredevil. Following her time spent tending to Luke, Claire has crossed back to Daredevil and obliquely mentions her crossover experience to Foggy which is done in a way that is simply a little bit of dialogue for those watching only Daredevil while rewarding those who’ve followed both series in order. Meanwhile, after debuting in the final Jessica Jones I watched, Reyes the DA has marched over to Daredevil to screw over Foggy, Karen (and their client).

Foggy and Karen both seem to have been given standout moments in each of these Season Two episodes. Something that seems intended to encourage the audience to cheer at their resourcefulness and courage. Some of these work better than others, and I can’t help feeling less would be more. Foggy calling the bluff of Reyes and Blake Tower in order to represent and support Grotto was a really nice moment for the character. However, Foggy giving two scalpel-wielding opposing gang members who listen carefully to every word he says and then follow his instructions stretched credulity for me. Opening with “Hey arsehole” alone should have been enough for his days to be numbered, even if it was the less impactful American “asshole” variant.

Karen going to Tower with evidence of Reyes throwing her previous assistants under the bus fell somewhere in between the two. It showed resourcefulness and was played well enough for me to believe it, but there’s something I find very passive about either TV Karen or Deborah Ann Woll that make her more assertive moment feel almost out of character at times. Conversely, the manipulative, flirty way she interacts with both Foggy and Matt when she’s around them - and particularly when she’s alone with them - feels more convincing (there’s a sense she is crushing on Matt but wants to coerce him into taking responsibility for making the first move by giving out energy and meaningful little touches and words. Meanwhile, it reads to me that she’s not interested in Foggy as anything other than a friend but his low-key attraction to her - of which she’s aware - gives her a degree of power over him. It makes for an interesting dynamic).

Like Foggy and Karen’s power-scenes, the Daredevil fights feel more dominant this season. They’re certainly longer and more choreographed. The fights in the first season were great. So far this year it feels in danger of gilding the lily. A stairwell fight against multiple antagonists in particular felt as though it went on forever and looked a little artificial (to the point I started wondering if it was partly CGI). Another case of less is more. Hopefully it won’t be a “twice an episode, every episode” deal.

The dialogue is absolutely faultless. The exchange between Frank and Daredevil while the former held the latter chained on the roof is up there with the best of Season One.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Daredevil


Penny and Dime / Kinbaku

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Elektra has arrived on the scene and so far, so good. It’s good to see her and Élodie Yung looks the part. Her accent confused me since it sounded more British than Greek. It seems Élodie is French with Cambodian heritage, so she has that exotic beauty which I associate with the character, and I like that her accent falls down on the European side which is preferable to Jennifer Garner’s all-American thing (not that I disliked Garner’s portrayal. I even like the 2003 Daredevil film more than most, it seems).

Naturally, Elektra’s arrival came immediately after Matt and Karen’s first kiss. Karen is irritating me with her coy/coquettish/pushy/mousy dance with Matt as it all seems so disingenuous, but on reflection it’s previously been observed by Foggy that Matt himself can be a bit of a tart who uses his blindness as an asset when it comes to attracting women, so Matt and Karen are certainly a pair well matched in the disingenuous stakes. The interest here comes from trying to work out which one is being the most manipulative in their romantic scenes (and indeed, if either or both is being manipulative at all). This makes their courtship a more down to earth version of the one Matt had with Elektra in the flashbacks from a decade earlier, giving a nice parallel. And it must be said that the staging of their first kiss (Hell's Kitchen sidewalk in heavy rain during an evening lit by the colours of the city) was gorgeously staged.

The Punisher storyline is proving a great watch, with his background as a war hero and the execution of his family painting him in shades of grey even as he kills without hesitation. It’s felt rewarding to see Matt, Karen, Foggy and Mitchell Ellison* coming round to realise he’s not the one-dimensional monster he initially appeared. Jon Bernthal continues to give a great performance, including a lengthy discourse with Matt as Frank lay at death’s door after being tortured**. He is a bit of a mumbler and I didn’t pick up all the dialogue (a conversation for the Subtitles thread, perhaps) but the pain behind his eyes says it all. The Daredevil/Punisher team-up during Matt’s rescue of Frank felt like a seismic shift in their relationship and reinforced The Punisher’s role as an anti-hero rather than one of pure antagonism.





* It is nice to see more of Geoffrey Cantor as Ellison and he’s a great character, but watching the scenes between Ellison and Karen at the Bulletin’s “morgue” I couldn’t help missing Ben Urich. It seems the writers are aware of the void his absence leaves in the series and at least Ellison himself spoke fondly of Ben during this very scene.


** The violence in this series continues to feel natural as part of an unfolding story in recent episodes. Had someone described some of these scenes to me ahead of time I may have been less keen to watch (in the way that comments about the torture and violence in 24 have pushed that series further and further down my viewing bucket list), but watching it play out subjectively while invested in the story and having no idea what’s coming next it certainly hasn’t detracted from my enjoyment and has perhaps even made this a more intensely gripping experience. The icepick in the eye moment was rather stomach churning and unnecessary, but perhaps that’s the point.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Daredevil

Regrets Only / Semper Fidelis / Guilty As Sin

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Watching the opening few episodes of Season Two, I began making peace with the fact that it would probably never hit the heights of the first year, but could still be pretty darned good. At this point in the season, however, Daredevil is thrilling me again. It’s a different animal from the first season, but certainly no worse and threatens at times to actually top it. Perhaps it has.

There are so many rich veins going on and it seems to cover so many different genres, doing each one incredibly well. In addition to being a fast-paced superhero action flick, it’s also a tense psychological skein; a martial arts and espionage thriller, a romantic soap opera, a love note to Midtown Manhattan, a crime and legal drama.

Frank’s trial has felt particularly exciting, and it’s scenes featuring him which make this season feel so substantial. It brings out the best in all characters. One of Karen’s best scenes of the entire series so far was a lengthy dialogue with the hospitalised Frank, just as Matt’s best scenes saw him in isolation with Frank earlier in the season.

Foggy’s conflict over representing Frank is great, but it’s nothing compared with this season’s big fallout with Matt. Last season it was over the discovery of his secret identity. This time it’s over Matt’s behaviour and it feels as though there’s no way back. With the Elektra story in full swing, Matt has been almost isolated from the other two and I feel their frustration at his unreliability at the time when they have the biggest case of their career, with the eyes of the world upon them, and their resentment that he swoops in and takes the lead while they’ve worked their arses off covering for him. It was gratifying to see Foggy himself forced to represent Frank, winging it and scoring point after point in court. and Foggy and Matt’s angry, no holds barred, raised voiced fallout in the men’s room was absolutely electric.

Compounding this is the fact that Karen has walked in on Elektra recovering from battle in Matt’s bed - a stereotypically soapy scene which felt so cliched it was most unexpected in this series which avoids cliches like the plague. When something like this happens, it happens for a reason.

Guilty As Sin felt like a season finale, or at least a mid-season finale. It’s one of those episodes where one feels nothing can ever be the same, with twist upon twist: Karen’s discovery of Elektra and Matt; Frank’s damning outburst in court (which felt especially excruciating given the screen-time given for Foggy to paint Frank in a good light, undone in a heartbeat which just happened to be on Matt’s watch); the exciting reveal of Fisk in prison having summoned Frank to meet him; The Hand discovering Matt’s true identity and location, with the ensuing battle in which Matt is seriously injured; and Elektra slashing the throat of the assailant in front of Matt, covering them both in blood, with Matt on the verge of passing out from his injuries. It’s heart-poundingly thrilling.

At this point, anything could happen and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Apropos of nothing, I’ve decided that Charlie Cox with his American accent speaks exactly like Doug Savant. Even his mannerisms and delivery choices are similar. And there are certainly far worse role models for his performance.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Daredevil

Seven Minutes In Heaven / The Man In The Box / .380

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The series’ violence continues to challenge in a number of ways. It’s deliberately unpleasant to watch, yet I find myself rooting for the man perpetrating most of it. I’m not exactly cheering him on while he’s blowing faces away, stabbing out eyes and gutting people, yet there’s a sense that I don’t want him to get caught or defeated. Not just yet, anyway.

Moreover, I feel empathy for him during his quieter moments. Apart from putting me in the same position as Karen Page, I suppose the way I’m viewing him perfectly fits The Punisher’s anti-hero status.

Reinforcing this is the fact that Frank’s victims are more or less all guilty of crimes themselves: crimes that cause harm and pain. It’s the kind Old Testament/Right Wing/Hollywood thing where it’s fine to cheer at others’ misery without feeling guilt, so long as it can be justified. It’s a premise that usually ranks somewhere between a turn-off and offensive to me. I’ve never watched Dexter, for example, because it seems to be based on that very same premise of rationalised gratuitous violence. I really should be surprised to find myself this on board with Frank, but he’s so well-written and performed how could I not?

In every one of his episodes it’s guaranteed there’ll be one or two intense, intimate and powerful one-to-one conversations with another character. These have been incredibly good for the series and its characters.

At this point, for the first time, I’m very much looking forward to The Punisher series, because I’m finding this the most compelling arc of the season. Scenes with Elektra and The Hand feel like filler in comparison and even Matt is feeling relegated to supporting-but-essential status for the Frank Castle storyline.

It’s wonderful to have Wilson Fisk back, still pulling strings from prison, screwing over Frank after having him do his dirty work and beating up a certain blind lawyer in the prison visiting room for uttering Vanessa’s name. It’s a fascinating new angle for the character and I love how it’s been woven in with The Punisher story. Oh, and these episodes have seen him reference the “Kingpin” alias for the first time.

Incidentally, it’s been implied a few times that Frank knows Matt’s secret. This would not only make perfect sense, it’s actually the only option that makes sense. Having had lengthy conversations with both it seems a no-brainer that someone as observant and well-trained as Frank would know almost immediately. I’m curious to see if it’s built on or if it just stays where it is, adding an extra layer of tension and questioning.

The series seems very much about the dark underbelly of… everything. Even organisations that are ostensibly there to serve and protect are shown to be corrupt and self-interested. We’ve seen it in the police force, the District Attorney’s office and the legal system. These episodes extend that to the prison service and even the hospital. Claire quitting was a nice moment for her character, but I want more. I want to see her expose the hospital’s corruption and the truth about the cover-up and the mysterious new patients. Reyes also had her moment of redemption, and it was good to see her cornered, worn down and willing to collaborate. Of course, it was right before she was gunned down, so I’m glad I appreciated her softer moment while it lasted.

The colour palette of this series is truly beautiful. All the beautifully drab green, brown, blue filters. I’m reminded of a David Fincher film. A moment where Karen entered the car park beneath her apartment, entering a world of turquoise felt quite breathtaking.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Daredevil


The Dark At The End Of The Tunnel / A Cold Day In Hell’s Kitchen


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Perhaps because they were by necessity action heavy, I feel I have strangely little to say about these last two episodes. Both were great and both delivered, with tension aplenty and a couple of surprising twists.

It was wonderful to see Jeri Hogarth offering Foggy a partnership. These little crossovers enrich this world and I love how natural and low-key and character-driven it all feels. It is very much like the Marvel Comics guest appearances of the Sixties and Seventies where there may be an unheralded guest appearance from another character, reminding us that part of the same locale as well as the same universe. I love that this has been done with supporting characters. As mentioned previously, this is far preferable to me than the often-forced super powered “event” crossovers. Again, there’s no spoon-feeding with this. Her connection to Jessica was mentioned only very obliquely and let the audience spot it if they may. To those who haven’t watched Jessica Jones, Hogarth is simply an interesting and slightly mysterious new authority figure. It plays well on both levels.

I’ve only just realised that Stick is played by Scott Glenn - best known to me as Jack Crawford from The Silence Of The Lambs. The torture-by-bamboo sequence was just too much for my tastes. I don’t know that it adds anything but appealing to the lowest common denominator, but I suppose there is a market for that.

The series as a whole seems best-marked by the evolution of Nelson and Murdock and the season ends with an air of finality on that note. It’s good to see Foggy claiming back some authority and respect from Matt who spends much of his time talking down to Foggy. Even in their final scene in the office, it was all about Matt trying to psychologically gain the upper hand to feel better. His “did you want me to talk you out of it” question felt very much rooted in ego, and I found Foggy’s response pleasingly double-edged.

While Matt is far from the most interesting character in this series for me, I do find his relationships nicely textured, and find him often quite abusive in his relationships. The dynamic with Foggy above is an example and of course he’s treated Karen and Claire with similar vacillation between respect and contempt.

For this reason, the scene with Elektra where they planned to escape to London and live happily ever after simply didn’t ring true. I buy their history and the chemistry and all that, but the true love thing hasn’t felt authentic to me. It didn’t help that it was pretty obvious the scene was only happening because one of them was about to be killed off (and since the series isn’t called Elektra…). Elektra’s death didn’t feel as powerful as it could have, and of course it was a “have your cake and eat it” moment since she was immediately resurrected by The Hand, which is always a cheap move. At least the series has the decency to be up front about it, and to have foreshadowed with the post-post-mortem kids running round.

Matt revealing his identity to Karen felt very much all about him. Elektra’s gone and he’s remembered Karen exists. Showing Karen his horny helmet(!) not only re-creates the dynamic with Elektra (and, sans the lovey-dovey stuff, Foggy) via its air of collusion, it’s also the ultimate get out of jail free card following being caught in bed with another woman. It’s a sneaky move disguised as a romantic gesture. Matt’s running true to form.

Character aside, I didn’t really care for the reveal. I suppose it will create a new dynamic to have a season with Karen in on the secret, but I like my superheroes’ secret identities to stay secret unless it’s revealed accidentally or uncovered in some way. But I am pleased that after twenty six episodes so few people know. Since the mainstream MCU doesn’t seem to like secret identities, it gives Daredevil a USP that only adds to its appeal.

Well… looks like I had stuff to say after all.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Luke Cage

Season One (2016)

Moment Of Truth​

My question going into this would be the question of what this series’ “thing” would be. Daredevil had the extreme violence. Jessica Jones the soft core porn. Turns out Luke Cage has both these elements, and throws in some taboo language for good measure.

In theory, this should make Luke Cage feel more powerful, however because its older sibling series have already pushed the envelope those elements are less pioneering and so more workaday. Granted, we’re only one episode in, but the sex isn’t as full on as in Jessica (a good thing in my eyes. Luke Cage’s sex has erred on the side of good taste). And the violence feels somewhere between predictable and derivative. In particular, the scene where Cottonmouth beat a young robber to death echoed almost beat-for-beat the shocking moment in Daredevil where Fisk did something similar to someone who’d angered him. The result was that the remake felt a little like karaoke or pantomime.

As far as the language goes, there was one “f**k” and a number of n-words thrown round in this first episode. The latter is an MCU first, I think. Almost bizarrely, due to societal changes the very idea feels more daring in a 2016 than it did when it was occasionally dropped by characters in the comics thirty-plus years earlier. I’m with Alfre Woodard on this one: I don’t like hearing “reclaimed” epithets bandied about so glibly. However this dialogue simply feels truthful and organic. I believe this is how these characters speak in this place and time.

With the lead characters being black, there’s an acknowledgement of this in the references used. This first episode alone name-checked Malcolm X, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Nelson Mandela among others, and Alfre Woodard even dropped in the phrase Black Lives Matter.

There’s also a bit of an Empire vibe going on with the soundtrack and the locations (Cottonmouth’s club). There’s a lot of funk, soul, R&B and even a smidgen of jazz. It’s a heavier soundtrack than my preferences run to, but not a deal breaker. There was a singer at the club that I thought had a really good voice. Turns out he’s a professional singer-songwriter called Raphael Saadiq.

I found it difficult to get into the story to begin with - the first half of the episode felt like a lot of chatter about sports and whatnot, most of which went over my head. At one point I remember thinking that there were some great actors slightly wasted so far. But I do remember it took me a couple of episodes to get the feel for Daredevil and Jessica, so I’m reserving judgement. I do like the relationship developing between Luke and his landlords now that he’s rescued them and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Even though she hasn’t been named yet, it’s great to see Misty Knight. She’s close to how I’d imagine a live-action Misty to look, so that’s a plus.

Luke’s comment “I’m not for hire” felt to me like a bit of a dig at the character’s origins, but at least we know where we stand.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Luke Cage

Code Of The Streets / Who’s Gonna Take The Weight? / Step In The Arena / Just To Get A Rep / Suckas Need Bodyguards


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This series is a Curate’s egg for me. It’s nicely made and has a number of great little human moments, but there are also sequences that drag for me. Simply put, I don’t like a lot of the music and I find the gang stuff with its naff posturing and accompanying insecurities rather tedious. In short, I'm not a fan of the blaxploitation genre.

Just To Get A Rep is the episode that had both extremes for me. It opened with a lengthy montage of gang violence to a noisy, epithet-filled rap song that made me wonder if this series was for me. But Pop’s funeral, later in the episode captured the intimate, family and friends coming together kind of feeling with its little looks and hand touches and knockout monologues from both Cottonmouth and Luke.

In other words, there’s gold to be mined, but sometimes one has to dig deep to find it.

Shades seems to embody everything that’s irritating me. With his cheap-looking sunglasses, bling jewellery and perma-smirk. Everything about him seems to be trying too hard, while actually being singularly uninteresting. This extends to the mannered way the actor delivers dialogue with curiously placed spaces one could drive a bus through as he makes a show of acting. It’s fussy and ultimately lacking in efficacy.

I spent a couple of episodes thinking Rafael Scarfe was being played by Martin Freeman and found myself getting irked that he’d played two similar MCU supporting roles in a short space of time. It was only later that I realised it wasn’t actually Freeman playing Scarfe. Rafael was responsible for my favourite twist in the series to date as we discovered his true nature mid-scene when - out of nowhere- he suddenly violently strangled to death the character he was supposed to be protecting. If we’re talking about efficacy, this is a great example of less is more, because I didn’t see it coming.

I love that the MCU isn’t afraid to kill off characters which raises the emotional stakes. In the last episode I watched Scarfe himself died having had something of a redemptive arc by confessing his sins to Luke and leading Luke to evidence that could take down Cottonmouth. Meanwhile, Pop seemed like a natural to be a full-time supporting player, only to be killed off a few episodes in. He was a terrific character and I’m sorry to see him go, but his death continues to resonate and give great moments.

I wasn’t familiar with Luke’s origin and don’t know how accurate the one shown onscreen was, but it worked for me. I loved that some key iconography associated with the comic character was worked into the visuals with the bangles, tiara thingy and the yellow shirt. However, I didn’t like that this was marred by the choice to make Luke diss the look by looking at his reflection and saying he looks like an idiot. Talk about biting the hand that feeds.

The world is feeing very integrated and real, with wonderful little touches everywhere. Claire Temple seems to be ground zero for this world having appeared in all three titles now. Perhaps my favourite little “crossover” touch was the inclusion of Trish Talk, with Trish and her phone-in guests discussing Luke as the new man on the scene. No doubt a good gig for Rachael Taylor. Since it was audio only she probably got to lie in and avoid the whole make up trailer hassle.

In addition to the other Defenders Saga series there continue to be references galore to the Avengers - right down to more alien tech looted after the Battle Of New York. I still find it curious that apparently none of the Avengers can be explicitly named (they and their iconography are usually described in detail) and yet Justin Hammer of all people can be.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Luke Cage

Manifest / Blowin’ Up The Spot​

Another little bitchy quip about Luke’s comic book origins came when Claire commented how lame Luke’s father’s nickname for him was. And the nickname: Power Man. In fairness, I suppose this one is at least a little more warranted given the whole debacle over the name when DC introduced Earth Two’s Kara.

After the exposure of Cottonmouth and Black Mariah as crooks to the public, their comeback seemed a little quick. One episode ended with season finale, game-changing jeopardy and by the beginning of the next episode Cottonmouth was being freed from prison. Of course, there’s some residual fallout, but I feel it was oversold slightly as being more significant than it actually was.

On the subject of sudden turnabouts, I did not see Mariah’s murder of Cottonmouth coming. I feel a little sad since I’ve grown to really enjoy Cottonmouth as the series’ primary antagonist, but it’s certainly kept the audience on our toes and it’s shown Mariah as the real force to be reckoned with in this series. Her little exchanges with Misty are proving highly enjoyable, with this great moment where, after hugging Misty’s nasty superior, Inspector Ridley, Mariah gave Misty a quiet, sarcastic little “buh-bye”, knowing that Misty can’t prove her involvement in the death (showing the pressure she’s under, Misty’s had an even more volatile clash with Claire which got physical when Misty grabbed Claire by the neck).

Unfortunately, it’s not just Mariah’s role who seems to have become more important with Cottonmouth’s death. Shades is also more in the centre of things. I’m finding the actor’s mannered style more frustrating by the episode. I’m not sure what he’s going with the voice, but I wish Theo Rossi would just use something like his own voice instead of trying for villainously husky. I find him very samey in all his scenes. The smirk. The lowered speech tones with weird pauses. Taking his sunglasses off with a plastic click like Jessica Fletcher, and putting them back on with a plastic click. It’s more than a little tedious.

Now Diamondback’s on the scene and he’s found a way to physically punish Luke, which is interesting - especially given the fragmented bullet can't be got at due to Luke's impenetrable skin (a little of the science behind Luke's physiology discovered along the way by Claire was a nice touch). They had a confrontation in a contender for my favourite MCU location to date: the stunning United Palace Theatre, which photographs beautifully.

As it’s been just one episode and I’m missing Cottonmouth, I’m on the fence with Diamondback as a character, but every time Luke calls out his brother’s name I keep thinking of the Diff’rent Strokes catchphrase: “What’chu talkin’ bout, Willis?”

 

[Ome]

Now that you have passed the point of where I am, I can say what I wanted to say back when you started. It's nothing too exciting, but at the same time, I didn't want to influence any of your viewing experience. My thoughts from watching this back, way back whenever that I was, was of my complete lack of knowledge of all the characters and their nemesis. The series across all the heroes was pleasant. However, the overall enjoyment I had came from somewhere unexpected, which was the villain in all this. Especially Wilson Frisk and Kilgrave. Both Vincent D'Onofrio and David Tennant are brilliant actors, and I can't see/picture anyone else in those two roles. As much as we tend to root for the hero, I'm often a fan of the villain more because the heroes are nothing without them. I want to feel on edge with the bad guys, I want unpredictability, and there was plenty of that from these two.



Are you planning on doing IRON FIST, THE PUNISHER and DEFENDERS?

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Now that you have passed the point of where I am, I can say what I wanted to say back when you started.

Yay! I've been looking forward to your views on it.

The series across all the heroes was pleasant. However, the overall enjoyment I had came from somewhere unexpected, which was the villain in all this. Especially Wilson Frisk and Kilgrave. Both Vincent D'Onofrio and David Tennant are brilliant actors, and I can't see/picture anyone else in those two roles. As much as we tend to root for the hero, I'm often a fan of the villain more because the heroes are nothing without them. I want to feel on edge with the bad guys, I want unpredictability, and there was plenty of that from these two.

Spot on. I couldn't agree with you more. The best superhero stories have a troubled or tormented hero and a villain that's often equally troubled/tormented. Something I enjoy with this kind of stuff is feeling torn because I find the antagonist too fascinating or even likeable to want the hero to bring them down. Part of me roots for the villain because their motives are clear and I know it means a lot to them. So I'm feeling torn while watching, and sometimes I also feel a bit disloyal. Which is great. Luke Cage has had similar moments with its villains.

Based on what you've said, I suspect you may not have reached Season Two of Daredevil yet, but I felt even more torn with a the key antagonist in that season.

I'm not too familiar with the world of Jessica Jones, but I've read a lot of comics featuring Wilson Fisk over the years, and Vincent D'Onofrio is absolutely the perfect actor for the role. He's spot on, not only capturing what makes him work in the comics, but also fitting him into this darker, grittier, more grounded world.

Are you planning on doing IRON FIST, THE PUNISHER and DEFENDERS?

Absolutely. Wild horses couldn't stop me.

I'm nearing the end of Luke Cage season one, then it'll be on to Iron Fist in the next couple of days. After that will be The Defenders.

 

[Ome]

Something I enjoy with this kind of stuff is feeling torn because I find the antagonist too fascinating or even likeable to want the hero to bring them down. Part of me roots for the villain because their motives are clear and I know it means a lot to them. So I'm feeling torn while watching, and sometimes I also feel a bit disloyal. Which is great. Luke Cage has had similar moments with its villains.

Yes! That sums it up for me too.

Vincent D'Onofrio is absolutely the perfect actor for the role

While I had no idea who Frisk was, the whole appearance of Vincent D'Onofrio commanded my immediate attention, and I yearned to know more about him than I did about our hero. That's not to say I wasn't impressed with Charlie Cox, and I loved both his relationship with Karen & Foggy. I also liked how dark these were against other superhero series.

Absolutely. Wild horses couldn't stop me.

I'm nearing the end of Luke Cage season one, then it'll be on to Iron Fist in the next couple of days. After that will be The Defenders.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

That's not to say I wasn't impressed with Charlie Cox, and I loved both his relationship with Karen & Foggy.

A really nice surprise about these Netflix series is how they feel like a true ensemble. I'd expected Matt to feel like the central character in his self-titled series but that hasn't been the case. I do find him interesting, but he's far from the most interesting character. I find the "supporting" characters more endlessly fascinating.

I also liked how dark these were against other superhero series.

Yes. The tone of all three series I've watched so far has been great. I love their grim, gritty darkness and the way this is matched in the sets and the colour filters used. I really wasn't sure about the extreme violence and graphic sex, and they do cross a line for me at times, but in the context of these series it mostly doesn't feel forced or out of place.

Back in my regular comic reading days, some comics with more adult themes used to come with a warning box saying "Suggested for mature readers". This feels like the live action equivalent of that.

I'll also throw in that the biggest thrill for me with these Netflix series has been how all the characters in Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are part of the same world. I've loved the clever - often unexpected - little crossovers with characters from one series appearing in another. Claire Temple is the best example of this but there have been lots of little touches like this that fill me with anticipation about The Defenders, but also prove satisfying on their own. Even little references to events in other series feel exciting and rewarding. I like that it feels more low-key than the way it was done in the main MCU with The Avengers.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Luke Cage

DWYCK / Take It Personal / Now You’re Mine / Soliloquy Of Chaos / You Know My Steez
​

Looks like I’m not the only person who thought of the Diff’rent Strokes connection. Shades actually directed the “What’chu talkin’ bout, Willis?” line at Willis himself.

Shades has pinched himself a pair of glasses that suit him better. I wonder if the powers that be realised that the previous pair looked like they were wearing him. The new pair also make less of a plastic ticky-tacky sound when he removes and dons them, and since he habitually does at least once in all of his scenes, that’s a big plus.

Regarding Shades’ peculiar fake speaking voice, I think I’ve finally worked out that the actor is attempting to imitate Vincent D’onofrio’s Wilson Fisk.

This character will not go away. The scene in which three or four heavies attempted to murder him only for Shades to overpower and kill them all was quite ridiculous. I don’t buy him as the kick arse type, and I find him singularly unconvincing in the Svengali role as he lacks the requisite charisma.

Mariah has been watchable enough. Alfre Woodard injects some fun and darkness into the character, but one can’t help feeling that there are just too many antagonists in this series for any one to really stand out, particularly once Cottonmouth was removed as Luke’s arch enemy.

I’m still unsure how I feel about the shift from Cottonmouth to Diamondback in the second half of the season. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been fine, but it feels a little like an old sitcom where an actor drops out and the part is hastily recast with a new character who shares many of the same traits and dynamics. While he may be more of a physical match for Luke, Diamondback hasn’t felt as much of a threat overall as Cottonmouth with it established that the latter seemed to own most of Harlem, while Diamondback is more of an outsider and lone wolf.

continued…​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Luke Cage

DWYCK / Take It Personal / Now You’re Mine / Soliloquy Of Chaos / You Know My Steez

continued
​

Luke’s journey this season has been great. They’ve really put the poor guy through it, and I’ve shared in Luke’s sadness and disappointment to discover Reva is not quite the sainted person we first heard about back in the first episode of Jessica Jones.

Even though the misunderstood hero angle is far from new (it’s pretty much the driving force of all the Netflix Marvel series), I’ve really enjoyed the way it’s taken shape here, with Luke a fugitive from justice and Harlem polarised into those who support him and those who oppose him. Those who believe he’s innocent, those who believe he’s guilty… and those who muddy those waters to cover their own tracks.

The consequences are real in this series. Candace’s death is an example of that. Her arc has run through the series in the lowest of keys and her death has repercussions for many and causes guilt complexes for some key characters.

I particularly appreciated that the season ended on a bittersweet note, with Luke in custody. With the benefit of already knowing which series will follow on from this one and Claire saying she knows a good attorney (oh, the tease of an almost-crossover between two title characters is just too exciting), it seems pretty likely to me that Matt is going to spring Luke which will be one of the things that helps form The Defenders. But still, the hero of the series being taken back to prison for a crime they didn’t commit is yet another example of the injustices that run through these series and reinforce exactly why these heroes are so needed.

I didn’t spot the name on the self-defence poster Claire gravitated towards, and so I missed the significance (I would have recognised the name as I know the comic character). However, I watched the first episode of the next Netflix Marvel series immediately afterwards and had that lightbulb moment where I realised it was a really nice, subtle little touch.

When Luke Cage began, I was quite unsure about the tone. I wasn’t keen on the whole “blaxploitation” vibe and the rap/hip hop music and the posturing thugs playing at being men. With “reclaimed” words being an extremely misguided and damaging philosophy I really didn’t like racial epithets being casually - and frequently - bandied about. And I still could happily do without any of the above.

However, Luke Cage is many things and the substance to the series far outweighs any struggles I may have had while watching it. The characters (with one obvious exception) have all proved to be interesting and enjoyable.

I’ve been holding off on ranking any of these series until I’ve watched them all but as a guide, I think I’d place this first season below Daredevil and above the first season of Jessica Jones.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Iron Fist

Season One (2017)

Snow Gives Way
​

With the tonal changes between series it invariably takes two or three episodes for me to fully grasp the voice of a new series. That’s certainly the case here.

I only know Iron Fist a little. The comic issue I consider pivotal in me reading a comic title on an ongoing basis - a 1983 issue of the UK Spider-Man weekly comic - featured a Power Man backup strip. I never really took much notice of the story itself, but it also featured a glossy colour fold out centrefold poster of Power Man and Iron Fist. I liked the look of it so much - particularly Iron Fist’s mask with the Spider-Man type eyes - it went on my wall. Beyond that first comic, however, the character never really came onto my radar that much. As mentioned when I watched Shang-Chi, the more martial arts based characters simply didn’t do it for me.

Yet again, the lead character is being played by a Brit. I can’t help feeling they must be really pushy in order to get the roles or someone at Disney simply has a thing about young British guys. Either that, or there’s some cosmic wormhole between London (because that, specifically, is where the actors playing Matt Murdock, Peter Parker, Chase Stein and any other number of characters are all from. No wonder so many Americans seem to use London interchangeably with England, Great Britain or the United Kingdom). I’m trying not to be put off the actors by this, but as mentioned before, it does feel like there’s a level of cultural appropriation going on.

Knowing so little about the character is proving an asset. I’m as in the dark as anyone else as to what’s going on, and allowing the backstory to unfold slowly while confusion reigns in the present is proving a good storytelling device.

Having Danny as a barefoot homeless person is an interesting starting point, particularly its juxtaposition with the opulence of the Rand building to which he is entitled if he can prove he is who he says. I particularly liked the scenes with Big Al, and I’m already sad that Al has died (or perhaps been killed) since he was a nice character.

Colleen Wing is the only other character I know from the comics, mainly from her pairings with Iron Fist and Misty Knight. She looks different here, but I like this portrayal, and the fact that she’s working out Danny’s character for herself.

As mentioned in the last episode of Luke Cage, I like (now that I’ve finally worked it out) the foreshadowing in the final Luke Cage with Colleen’s poster. No doubt this means Claire is about to stumble into Colleen and Danny’s paths. At this moment, ahead of time, that just feels like too much. Claire is evolving from a person in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time, depending how you view it) to a superhero stalker. It’s interesting to have her at the centre of this universe, but I feel I’m about to be asked to willingly suspend my disbelief. And if it’s enjoyable enough, I will. Gladly.

 

[Ome]

Shades

Oh dear me. I had to read this post twice and then I checked to see if this was from the second season. I’m shocked to say that not only is it the latter part of the first season, but I can not remember this at all. I know I have a shocking memory when it comes to some TV shows, but this is borderline depressing me because it’s not that long ago since I watched this.

I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, we have visited Disney World at least a dozen times and every year I say to my two girls, that they’ve changed or upgraded the rides and they tell me they haven’t and that it’s my memory.

I can remember vividly 100s of scenes from BROOKSIDE and many other shows from the 80s. I remember all kinds of info surrounding the singles chart of the 80s. But I am constantly losing it with so many other things lately.

Everything I have read on this thread has taken a few moments to remember along the way and it all comes flying back to me as I continue to read. Season one of LUKE CAGE really pulled me in and here I am thinking what the hell is going on.


The advantages of my failed memory function is that I get to enjoy many things as though it’s my first time.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I’m shocked to say that not only is it the latter part of the first season, but I can not remember this at all. I know I have a shocking memory when it comes to some TV shows, but this is borderline depressing me because it’s not that long ago since I watched this.

It probably doesn't help that these series are all so intertwined, with characters crossing over into other series and all the different story arcs. Already I think if someone referenced small moments in early Daredevil or Jessica Jones I'd have to stop and think where it belonged, or even do an online search to get it straight in my head.

I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, we have visited Disney World at least a dozen times and every year I say to my two girls, that they’ve changed or upgraded the rides and they tell me they haven’t and that it’s my memory.

I can remember vividly 100s of scenes from BROOKSIDE and many other shows from the 80s. I remember all kinds of info surrounding the singles chart of the 80s. But I am constantly losing it with so many other things lately.

Oh, I can completely relate to all this. My long term memory is really good and I can remember details from thirty or forty years ago with complete clarity. Even down to stuff from a TV episode I watched once when I was eight or nine, and who I was with when I watched it. Or where I was when I first heard a song in the early Eighties.

But ask me about something that happened two weeks ago and it's a blur.

The advantages of my failed memory function is that I get to enjoy many things as though it’s my first time.

Ha ha. That's so true, and I love this way of looking at it!!

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Iron Fist

Shadow Hawk Takes Flight / Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch

​

The old “sectioned in psychiatric hospital against your will” is a staple of horror, drama and sci-fi, and it makes perfect sense in this universe where the characters appear to live in the same world as we do. And how, in the real world, would we view someone who comes back from the dead or claims to have superpowers or have spent time in an invisible realm. Because other characters react with the same cynicism and incredulity that we would, highlighting the far-fetched extremes of this genre actually gives them more of a base. Through a prism of irony, it actually becomes more credible and realistic. It makes me wonder why more super-beings don’t end up in straitjackets or strapped to beds.

Unoriginal as it may be, Danny’s internment in hospital is a frightening one because in amongst the Sturm und Drang is a degree of plausibility. We all know what a hospital looks, sounds and smells like, and what an unnerving environment it can be. And it’s not unheard of for people to be hospitalised without consent in certain circumstances. Putting ourselves in Danny’s position, one asks how would one respond to people who view your protests as a sign of denial or a deeper illness.

It begins with Danny drugged and disorientated, bound to his bed and with a doctor sitting over him reading deeply into every sentence that Danny utters, viewing him in terms of pathology rather than as an individual. Danny responds with what we are fairly sure is truth and it gets him deeper into the system. He’s drugged more and escorted by burly, thuggish-looking staff which is something anyone would find threatening or confrontational. And his reactions make him seem yet more seriously ill.

Then there’s Simon, the other patient who shows Danny round, pointing out patients who were all given serious diagnoses at the end of their seventy two hour assessments and who are still there years later. It all makes the situation seem feasible and therefore far more horrifying than mind control or even gang violence.

It also furthers the Netflix Series’ theme of corruption. We’ve seen it in law enforcement, legal and medical environments. Having it in the psychiatric system isn’t a stretch. And it works brilliantly.

There’s no doubt a bit of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest to this, but I’m reminded of more familiar situations such as James’s enforced conversion therapy in A Place To Call Home. And even more of JR’s stay in the asylum on Dallas. In terms of quality, this comes somewhere between the two.

continued…​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Iron Fist

Shadow Hawk Takes Flight / Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch

continued
​

It’s a relief when, against the odds, Danny’s doctor starts to believe him. Then we see Danny shoot himself in the foot by telling more of his truths which are naturally met with disbelief, meaning he has to escape himself.

Incidentally, I picked out both the actors playing Doctor Paul Edmonds and Harold Meachum as Aussies. Not by what they said, but by how they looked. There’s just something about them that feels Australian, and they reminded me at times of certain actors from Neighbours and Home and Away. I don’t recall seeing either of them in specific roles but according to their filmography I will have seen Murray Bartlett in an episode of The Flying Doctors and David Wenham as a debt collector in a latter day Sons and Daughters (I don’t recall him, but from the description I imagine he was giving poor old Susan Palmer a hard time following her gambling addiction).

Speaking of soap, the corrupt Meachums have more than a dash of the Carringtons to them, with Joy and Ward as Adam and Fallon, each grasping to hold onto their billions at any cost while backstabbing one another. Joy may be the least corrupt, most human member of the family, but she had a terrifically dark moment in the third episode with the “we’re making sure this organ donor’s liver goes to you as long as you acquiesce to the business offer we’ve made you” speech, made from the foot of the bed of the donor in question who is half an hour away from having his life support switched off. It’s brutal, cold and unexpected. And just when she was in danger of becoming likeable.

Things have really started coming together in the third episode with Danny connecting with Jeri Hogarth arriving on the scene to help Danny, the son of her old employer (no fee, but she wants an exclusive contract with Rand if she gets him his company back). I love the intimacy of the conspiratorial nature, with various people - Hogarth, Colleen, Doctor Edmonds and even Joy - at various stages of believing Danny and getting on-side with him. Clearly Joy’s not quite there yet, but I think she will be.

Furthering the connections between the series, Danny’s mission is to bring down The Hand, and Madame Gao has paid a visit to Harold Meachum giving him orders . We only heard her voice, but between her and Jeri, it's enough to show that this series is part of a greater whole.