No better ending for an episode than Jessica ex machina.
I haven't talked about the opening credits yet, so here goes: they're amazing. And the music is very Avengers-y. It has that larger-than-life, epic feel to it.
Danny is so fucking annoying, acting like those three strangers he just met are supposed to drop everything and join his mystic quest. But it was interesting to see his world view clash with those of Luke and Jessica, who are both very pragmatic and don't want any part of all the supernatural stuff. And poor Matt. He's so traumatized. He and Elektra were kind of my OTP, so it's incredibly heartbreaking for me to see him like that, still reeling from his loss.
Luke rolling his eyes when Danny is on about the Iron Fist is literally me. He's known him two seconds and he's already done with his shit. I feel you, bro. Just imagine having a whole season of that. Oh and how Matt went from "yours was always loud and clear" to "I couldn't hear her heartbeat." That was so sad. But the last minute? I AM SCREAMING.
[6.2/10] Somehow “Royal Dragon” is slightly more catchy than “Three Guys, a Girl, and a Chinese Place,” but the latter is more descriptive. Possibly to save on budget, possibly to work in some character material and exposition before the big battles start, possibly both, “Royal Dragon” spends most of its runtime with the good guys figuring out who everyone is and what they’re up against. It’s not entirely a bottle episode -- we get brief outside interludes with Jessica and Alexandra, but for the most part the episode spends most of its time dumpling-adjacent.
I actually really like that tack. The show has nicely taken its time bringing all of the good guys together. Giving them an episode to just talk, bounce off one another, express their surprise or skepticism at the others’ role in this, should be a great opportunity to not only get to know them better, but to better understand them in relation to one another.
The problem is that this is, understandably, a dialogue-heavy episode and the dialogue is almost uniformly hokey and full of action flick clichés (which, considering this one was written by the Defenders showrunners, is not promising). The episode at least has the good sense to give each of the characters a motivation: Jessica wants nothing to do with anything bigger than her one case, Danny wants the dirt on the hand, Matt’s mad a stick, and Luke thinks there’s something important going on but wants nothing to do with a superteam.
The problem becomes that the show dramatizes this with cornball, on-the-nose dialogue. I’m glad that the show remembers that Matt and Stick aren’t on the best terms, but Matt just has so much over-the-top aaaangst about everything that it doesn’t land. It doesn’t help that Stick speaks almost entirely in exposition and clichés. His conversation with Matt about Elektra just being a vessel now and he has to let go is right out of the standard mentor playbook.
But as clumsily delivered as it is, he at least provides us with a little context. The rest of his army (The Chaste) is dead, but there were at least some people out there fighting The Hand. (I do like that Danny asks why no one told him about this since they’re nominally his army and Stick basically shrugs). We learn that the hand has five “fingers” who each ruled their own kingdom and are now reconvening to do some serious shit: Alexandra, Madame Gao, White Hat, Bakuto (oh please no), and a new guy we meet while he’s butcher a bear who was apparently backing Nobu. They’re game is achieving immortality, something we get with Alexandra and the stock “on no, cough, gotta take my pill” sign of trouble.
It’s all pretty standard, video game-esque “here’s the bosses” stuff. The best part of the episode, naturally, is Jessica Jones. While she and Luke still have no chemistry (making their “nice to see you again” exchange feel even more clunky), she gets to do more detective work and play Han Solo here. I’m glad that she gets to use her detective skills to figure out that Alexandra is the person who’s been transferring assets between these shell companies, and her “hit Elektra with a car” return to the group after saying she wants out is a funny, fistpump moment (even if, logically, she should have grabbed Elektra’s sword while she was prone).
But while the episode goes to great lengths to try to at least glancingly explore the reasons why these four lone wolves wouldn’t naturally team up, it all feels pretty perfunctory. Matt not wanting to reveal his identity is a formality. As fun as it is, you just know Jessica is going to come back. And oddly, one of the better scenes is the episode is one between Luke and Danny, where the dialogue is just as clumsy (“I don’t need any superfriends” “Can’t you see the universe is telling us to team up!” type stuff) but the dynamic between Danny as the usual noble idiot juxtaposed with Luke as the skeptical dude who’s kind of amused by his new friend works surprisingly well to save it.
Of course, we can’t escape without the usual villain monologue for Alexandra and a tease for the next episode with Elektra standing off against The Defenders + Stick. I appreciate that the show took time out from its busy schedule of ninja fights and explosions to dig into why these people would join forces. A lesser show would have elided it for more action. But while the attempt is noble, the results are middling and full of the usual dry cool action line pablum.
Jessica to Matt:
- I'm a PI. I put two and two together. Besides, you leaping around the city like a Russian gymnast didn't exactly help.
I want more of this stuff!!
Was a slow moving episode up until the end. That´s the kind of stuff that makes you want to watch more.
"My name is Matthew"... sure, aaaaaand ? Come on, say it !
Damn, they really click together, I didn't expect this. There's this whole story with the Hand. They're looking for something, probably underground, protected by Kunlun, and what could it be, because they actually have the Black Sky. This seemed to be meant to find a way to keep Alexandra from dying (would she take over Elektra's body ?). But after this one, it looks more like they're looking for more resources for their resurrection trick.
But actually who cares ? Drop away the plot, I just want to see more of them interacting.
If the Hand is these five people, the Gao/Bakuto beef in Iron Fist is super weird. They've been working together for millennia and fight between themselves to this level now ? And the others don't stop them for the chaos it can bring to the organization ?
Matt: We need to kill the lights.
Jess: How do you even know they're on?
Hahaha, the interaction between Jessica and Daredevil is hilarious XD
And again, I really like Jessica sarcastic way <3
On the other hand, this quote also was funny with Luke's reaction
Luke: How are you still hungry?
Iron Fist: It takes a lot of energy to summon my chi
Dany : "Whatever it is you are."
Jessica : "Classy."
:D
The best episode so far.
Love Jessica at the end.
Danny always acting like a child.
Luke's the best.
Daredevil, i love you.
Looking for explanations and answers, another thing is that you like
Shout by Oldkid LivegenBlockedParent2017-08-20T14:54:26Z
That look Jessica gave Elektra in the last scene was priceless! She was like: "You'd better stay down, bitch! If the boys hesitate to punch you in the face, I sure won't!" I love Jessica Jones !