Season 1 coming soon…

Season 2

Item: Iron Fist
Rating: 8.1
Author: Hayden Vance

After the critical panning of Season 1, Marvel and Netflix needed to go all out for Season 2 of Iron Fist. Did the sophomore season hit its mark, or did Danny Rand fail once more?

The Basic Plot

Following up on his promise to take down his adoptive brother in the closing moments of Season 1, Davos (Sacha something or another) partners with Joy Meachum (Whatsherface) to steal the powers of the Immortal Iron Fist from Danny Rand (Finn Jones). Standing between them and their goals are Danny’s Girlfriend Colleen Wing (Jessica Chenwick), Joy’s brother Ward (Whathisfave) and NYPD detective and Luke Cage Alumna Misty Knight (Simone Missick). Both parties are also forced to deal with the incredibly deadly split-personas of Mary Walker (Alice Eve).

Improvements over Season 1

The biggest question most fans will undoubtedly have “Is was the sophomore season better than Iron Fist’s 2016 debut?” Fortunately, the smaller 10-episode season allows for a concise plot and this season’s new showrunners made sure Season 2 was filled with far more action and far less Rand Inc. Business meetings.

No Hero is Complete without his villains

Another issue fans had with Season 1 was the overall lackluster villains. With Season 2, Davos proves to be a far greater villain. He is calm, calculating, and brutal in every move he makes. He also completely eliminates the usual task of a hero having to track down the villain, as he is out in the open at almost all times. Mary Walker, while not necessarily a villain, is an amazing character with her warring personas, and hopefully fans get to see more of her in future Marvel (Daredevil?) shows.

Waking the Dragon

A huge part of season 2 is Colleen and Misty teaming up to try and hunt down Mary and Davos. While for casual fans, this is just an excuse to see the fan-favorite Luke Cage star team up with arguably the most-liked character of season 1, it is also a monumental moment for fans of the comics. Misty and Colleen actually have their own superhero team, the Daughters of the Dragons. Throughout the season, the two make it clear they have chemistry and work together amazingly, almost moreso than Danny and Colleen do.

Danny Rand: Still annoying

Despite his well received appearance in Luke Cage’s sophomore season, the character of Danny Rand is still not entierably likable. While this season deals a lot with Danny’s values as a hero and a protector, it still shows Danny being the brash and arrogant child he was in season 1. Sure, he’s learned much, has greater control of the fist and seems to be learning responsibility, he still charges into situations head first and usually ends up getting either himself or innocents injured along the way.

The End, The Future, and The Credits

Spoilers for the End

The final 2 episodes of Iron Fist’s second season see Danny finally be responsible and ask Colleen to take the power of the fist after they stop Davos from using it to kill the better part of New York City. Collen at first refuses, but after witnessing the death of a boy she had befriended, she agrees. Apart from the fact that this literally changes everything about the series (See the second Spoiler tag for more), this leaves Danny powerless, and Colleen even more awesome than before.

Spoilers for the End Part 2

After losing his powers, Danny decides to leave for China to learn the full history of the Iron Fist, and ends up taking Ward with him. After a “Months Later” cut, Ward and Danny are in a bar in Japan. Ward attempts to get a shady thug to reveal to him the location of his boss, Orson Randall. That name alone should set off signals for Iron Fist fans, but before that can be processed, Danny steps in to save ward from a beating, revealing two pistols, which glow yellow before firing. The pistols are the signature weapon of Orson Randall in the comics, and judging by the conversation between Danny and the thug, they’re his signature weapon in the MCU as well. Orson, the Iron Fist before Danny, was speculated to be the corpse shown in the trailers for Iron Fist, but is very much alive and well by the sound of it.

Spoilers for the Future

After sitting through the credits, fans are treated to the first footage from the highly anticipated third season of Daredevil. The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is shown, bloody and beaten, sporting his classic black costume from his debut season, in the confessional, stating that he “would rather die as the devil than live as Matt Murdock.” If the casting of Matt’s Mother and confirmation that the Kingpin will return in season 3 didn’t confirm an adaptation of Frank Miller’s “Born Again,” than this no doubt does.

Final Thoughts

Iron Fist season 2 is a good season. It doesn’t do anything it’s predecessor did poorly, it has great action sequences, a compelling villain, and all the potential for a third season. Unfortunately, it fails to stand out compared to the other Netflix Shows. Each one is unique and excellent, but Iron fist, for two seasons in a row, falls short of being perfect. At the very least, Season 2 was only 10 episodes long, so those determined to binge-watch can get an extra 3 hours sleep. Despite not being overly excellent, Iron Fist Season 2 is a fun little adventure that leaves the door open for many more adventures.