Iron Fist Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Target: Iron Fist
Olivia Popp
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On Iron Fist Season 2 Episode 4, we finally hit the ground running when Danny discovers he has not one, but two new and fierce opponents: Mary and Davos.
For those who are fans of Marvel lore, you'll know that Mary Walker will turn into Typhoid Mary, while Davos will become the Steel Serpent (hence the ink on his back).
It's unclear at this point how much the TV show will borrow from the comics and what powers and abilities each character will have, but considering how much the show has in fact adhered to the comics, it's likely that it will be relatively faithful.
Whether this will restrict the series or allow it to grow is also up in the air. Typhoid Mary is a fascinating character (albeit with some problematic origins) that helps to break the Iron Fist world out of the mythical purgatory that it's been lingering in.
It's an ancient technique they taught in K'un-Lun. It's called the Devil's Claw. It strikes the pressure points, carotid, and subclavian arteries.
Danny
However, Davos' character seems to be growing a little bit big for his britches. At the beginning, he seemed like a relatively reasonable character who was understandably upset and frustrated at being cheated for the fist.
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Yet after the flashbacks, there's still too much unknown about K'un-L'un rituals to give us any idea of whether Davos should really be bitter.
Also, the fact that he's so dead set on the mission makes him a relatively unlikeable enemy and antagonist. With Mary, we can empathize with her struggle as well as her "Mary" personality.
With Joy, her cunning, power, and skill are admirable and she also still has a soft spot for Danny. Much of Davos' appeal was in his hard-headedness and ability, but when that turns cold and cruel, it's not particularly fun to watch.
That being said, Joy's scene with Mary was particularly delightful. Joy goes from being in total control to being scared for her life and turning over the power to Mary.
I've spent the last 60 days tracking Danny Rand. I know where he sleeps, how he eats, how he thinks and how he fights.
Mary
This scene shows the different kinds of powerful women on this show who will ultimately lose -- ones that have financial and manipulative abilities and ones that have physical abilities.
Yet it's the one with mental balance -- Colleen -- who will ultimately win out.
Currently, Iron Fist isn't doing so well with its portrayal of men. Danny is still unbelievable as a character, Davos is extremely unlikeable, and Ward continues to act immaturely and irrationally.
It's easy to laud the show to attempt to boost female characters, yet I don't think the idea of putting the male characters in lesser roles was really on purpose -- rather, it's the inability to write particularly effective, multifaceted male characters.
I wouldn't go as far as saying the female characters are particularly effective or multifaceted either, but all things considered, the male characters are laughable compared to the female ones.
Now you'll give me what has always been mine, brother.
Davos
Even the scene with Davos shows this -- he's somehow recruited a group of women who perform this bizarre ritual on him as he basks in the glory of the Iron Fist.
Even Mary is in service of Davos as she drags Danny to him, and Joy makes sure Mary will succeed in her mission in capturing Danny. Colleen, in all her independent glory, still decides to help Danny on his foolish mission.
The fact that the male characters are not only one-dimensional, but also that the female characters are continuously in lesser-status positions, is rather upsetting and not serving the show at all.
Seeing Colleen give up her investigation of the heirloom was both disheartening and not particularly believable. Every time she has a good idea, she gives it up in service of Danny, or Danny always ends up somehow being correct, no matter how ridiculous.
Mary: So your dad's an asshole. Brother is a pussy.
Joy: That's actually not a bad assessment.
Mary: That's what I get paid for.
Although the plot was pushed along, the substantive material here is still lacking and not very engaging. The fight scenes do little to push along the plot and occasionally give the show a bad name.
It's been tough to like this season after the disaster of the last one, and the show has to keep delivering powerful scenes, which it has done little of.
The inclusion of Misty seemed to be a way to remind viewers of the show's tie to the Marvel world and potentially draw in Luke Cage viewers, but ultimately it was untimely and very out of the blue.
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Besides, Danny didn't even listen to her and I doubt that she'll even be back on the show -- creating plot points only to revert them is useless and somewhat lazy writing, which is disappointing.
Here's hoping that the next episode will pay off.
Make sure to catch up and watch Iron Fist online!
What do you think will happen to Davos? How do you think Danny will react? Let us know in the comments below!
Olivia Popp was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the site in September 2018.
