Featured Image: The Defenders [Netflix]
The Defenders manages to blend the four different styles of the other shows in such a perfect way that’s easy and pleasant to watch. It’s familiar and comforting while still feeling brand new.
The opening credits that are equally as beautiful as the previous shows and manages to combine their primary colours together to create something that was just a pleasure to watch and a fantastic example of how well the four styles of the each show work together.
It was nice to see each member get a scene to reintroduce them to us. Unless you rewatch we haven’t, for example, seen Jessica since 2015. So to get a moment with each of them to become familiar again (and the same goes for other characters) was a nice little addition. As was the way time and information was covered. The other shows all ended on cliffhangers of some kind and the Defenders manages to fill us in just enough but doesn’t go overboard, leaving a lot of content and information to be filled in during the second (and third) seasons of each show.
Eight episodes were definitely enough for the story. At no point did it feel rushed or like any vital information was missing, however, the usual thirteen episode run would have been perfect to get more screen time for the new relationships that were slowly established. Not only do the Defenders come together but their friends meet too. Although it’s not a necessity, just to have some more simple scenes between various characters would have been a great extra.
As well as ones we already know, we meet a couple of news characters too. The most prominent one being Alexandra, played by Sigourney Weaver. There’s not much I can say without spoiling it but I will say that she’s enjoyable to watch. It’s easy to believe that she can be intelligent enough to create and do all that she has, but also skilled enough to handle herself.
By the end of the season, it definitely feels like an almost perfect package. Like with any show there’s a couple of things here and there that could be better but for the most part, the Defenders takes all the best parts of the previous shows and brings them together in a way which seems almost effortless. I do wish that the Defenders came together a little earlier in the season but even that didn’t feel like too much an issue by the time we reached the end.
If you enjoyed any other the Defenders’ individual shows then you will enjoy this one in some capacity.
Some other things [SPOILERS]:
- I appreciate that they weren’t instantly friends when they came together. That each member was unsure or didn’t want to work as a team at first and it was only by the end that they really became the Defenders.
- The relationship between Jessica and Matt was something I didn’t know I needed in my life. It looks really good in the trailers but it was far better in the actual show.
- Seeing Karen, Foggy, Trish, and Malcolm in a room together peaked my interest and I really do hope in future seasons we get to see more of that (or them crossing over into each other’s shows).
- Elektra’s story was enjoyable and I do look forward to finding out if we hear about her or see her again, but it’s one of the few parts that I thought was a little weak.
- It was great to see Madame Gao in action. It was fantastic to see her hold her own, especially during the last episode.
- Alexandra was a fantastic addition although we could have maybe benefited from a little more. She’s a great creation and considering she’s not an original comic book character, it did feel like we didn’t get to know much of her at all.
- I don’t know how I feel about Alexandra being killed when she was. It does seem fitting but for some reason I figured she would be in it until the end.
wonderoes 