Marvels: Defenders -- Season 1 Review

Just binge watched Marvels - Defenders series on Netflix. Marvel is attempting to recreate the Avengers on small screen by bringing together the lone rangers from its small screen namely: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. It is a good strategy but the implementation still needs some polish.

The Defenders:

Daredevil was the first of the mavericks to make the small screen and the seasons 1 & 2 of the show has been a blockbuster. Charlie Cox nails the blind, super ninja vigilante from Hell's Kitchen.

In Defenders the star just dominates every frame that he occupies weather it is as Daredevil or his normal lawyer persona - Matt Murdock. He is the natural albeit reluctant leader of this ragtag group.

Jessica Jones was the 2nd of the Marvel Defenders to make an appearance on the small screen. Krysten Rittes as the dark, brooding private eye suffering from PTSD and alcoholism is the second best character in the series. Her chemistry with Cox is amazing and palpable on screen. The duo sets the stage on fire every time they share a frame.

Luke Cage is the 3rd Defender, the Harlem Hero who was in jail at the end of Luke Cage Season 1 is released and makes his way back to Harlem. Mike Colter is intense reprising Luke Cage. His camaraderie with Finn Jones is good, Cage is often the voice of reason when the hero's want to go charging in all out. He's the one that looks out for the innocents and the bystanders in an all out fight with the Hand.

Danny Rand aka the Iron Fist is the weakest link in the series. Even when the role of Iron Fist is critical to the success of the Hand's plan for obtaining the secret of immortality, the character of Danny Rand appears to be the weakest.

Also not enough time is spent on the backstory about the Hand and why they are such a threat and the importance of Shou-Lao the Undying are not clear until we reach the last episode in the series, this IMO could have been handled better.

Sigourney Weaver as Hand boss Alexandra takes the best role of the series, she is able to menace and threaten her way among associates and foes with equal panache.

Wai Ching Ho as Madame Gao is peerless, her ability to be like a chameleon and change shades so very often to suit her needs and purposes is unparalleled in the Marvel Defender verse.

Elodie Yung as Electra Natchios aka the Black Sky is also pretty impressive. The villainy is handled very well with the characters being able to provide a darker shade to almost all the Hand activities

Now if Netflix and Marvel could improve their plot-line and screenplay they  could have a winner on their hands along the lines of Avengers on small screen. Punisher is 1 addition that I would most definitely like in the Defenders line up.