So, last time Danny used his enhanced
Chi to cleanse a deadly poison from Colleen’s body. The ordeal completely
drained him of his strength, causing him to pass out. Colleen’s master, Bakudo,
took Danny, Colleen, and a bound Madam Gao with them to parts unknown. This
time, we open to him peacefully waking up with Colleen, and her telling him to
just relax, as they’re home. Nothing sinister about that.
 |
| To his credit, I did find myself wondering how much of his Speech was real, and how much was BS. |
We quickly cut back to Joy and
Harold’s reunion. She’s, understandably, freaking out a little bit about how
her dad’s not dead. He does it best to play it off, playing on her emotions
with a few old sob stories about what it was like dying and coming back, that
sort of thing. He makes it clear that he wants to be part of her life again and
to get the entire Meachum clan back into Rand Enterprises. There’s also a
rather creepy shot of Harold looking at the rotting corpse of his assistant. He’s
hiding it in one of his terrariums. Super creepy.
Colleen shows him around the
compound that they’re in. She mentions that this is where she trained after
returning to the US from her grandfather’s place in Japan. It’s a place where disenfranchised
youth can go, where they can be safe, where they belong. Yeah if you’re not
seeing the big neon sign that reads CULT, you’re far too naïve. Danny doesn’t jump
to conclusions though, and does get a lesson from Bakudo about a kata that can
help him to recharge his chi. So, there’s that. After that, Bakudo ushers Danny
away to discuss something in private. He leads Danny to his office and shows
him an old video from the 40s. It was a recording of Chinese soldiers traveling
through a pass, and then being assaulted by an Iron Fist. Said Fist beats the
crap out of them. Bakudo, using his suspiciously accumulated knowledge, offers
to show Danny all he needs to know to be a true Iron Fist.
A few minutes later, Joy is able to
call Danny and lets him know about all the stuff that’s been happening since he’s
been away. Howard takes over and Danny informs him about how they’d captured
Gao. Howard is overjoyed about this, and pulls out his good liquor to
celebrate. Joy refuses to take some, as it’s like nine am, which pisses Howard
off and he smashes the glass. Joy, get out, NOW! A few minutes after that,
Bakudo is informed of Danny’s call. Including who he spoke with and where they
are. Nothing sinister about that.
 |
| Fun fact, while Danny is at the compound, there's always one person in Red milling around. Care to guess what the Hands favored color is? |
After exploring a bit, and getting
even more of a cult vibe from some of Colleen’s former students, he breaks into
the one of the out of bounds buildings. Inside, they’re holding several people,
including Madam Gao. Danny and her chat via a video feed, where she’s cryptic
and creepy. She’s none too subtle about the fact that this place is affiliated
with the Hand. Bakudo arrives, claims that she’s being cryptic and trying to
sow disunity with Danny. Nothing. Sinister. About. That.
Danny meets up with Colleen, and
once he gets them back to their room, starts grilling her about what’s going
on. She finally cracks and admits that, yes, she and Bakudo are the Hand. But
they’re not the Bad Hand. No, that’s Gao. Bakudo represents a ‘good’ Hand.
Danny calls BS, but Colleen tries to defend the group, claiming that Danny’s
training in K’un-Lun has brainwashed him. Danny doesn’t believe her thought.
In the night, Bakudo visits Harold
Meachum. He claims that, since he captured Gao, all that was hers is now Bakudo’s.
But, unlike Gao, he prefers to work with mutually beneficial partnerships
whenever possible. He’ll be willing to work towards Harold rejoining society,
provided that he supports Bakudo’s chapter of the Hand.
In the night, Danny breaks into
another secret room in one of their off limits buildings. He discovers that
Bakudo has been spying on him everywhere he went. Danny, obviously, flipped out
and smashing up the place. Bakudo arrives and tries to make nice, but Danny
beats him and makes a run for it. He’s cornered by several goons, who are then
prompty knocked out from behind by… the crazed hobo!?!?! Yeah, it turns out
that he’s Danny’s friend from K’un-Lun, Davos. He’d come to bring Danny back to
protect their monastery.
At Rand, Harold and a Hand goon
break into the office of Lawrence Wilkins, the guy that forced out the Meachums
and Danny. He gives the other man an ultimatum, kill himself and Harold will
bury the blackmail info that Joy dug up. He of course doesn’t agree, so Harold
pulls a gun and blows his brains out. Messed up.
 |
| She's locked in a highly secure cell, and yet, if you asked me who was in control of the situation, I'd still say Madam Gao. |
Danny and Davos make it outside,
despite a number of Hand blocking their way. They make it to the final gate
where they’re stopped by Colleen’s students. Danny is distracted long enough
for Bakudo to get in close and stab Danny with something. It’s then revealed
that Danny’s lack of focus has caused him to lose his powers. Danny can’t
summon the Iron Fist, and they’re looking pretty hosed. Colleen, though, who’d
had a change of heart I guess, opens the gate and lets them out.
Back with the non-incarcerated
Meachums, Joy asserts control over the Rand board, and then she and dad
celebrate their victory. Harold lies about killing Wilkins, and makes it clear
that they will have to get rid of Bakudo. In the street somewhere, Danny and
Davos argue about what to do next. Davos wants to take Danny back to K’un-Lun so
he can do his job. Danny refuses to leave New York. And the discussion when
Danny passes out. So yeah, not great week for Danny.
One of the issues of Iron Fist, for me, is the lack of a
central villain. The position of antagonist is split unevenly between Harold
Meachum, Madam Gao, and now Bakudo. Madam Gao is the only straightforward
antagonist, being clearly evil from the get go. Both Bakudo and Harold have to
do the whole, two-faced bad guy deal. That eats up a lot of screen time, which
slows the plot and makes it harder to get invested in things. For me, at least.
That being said, Bakudo is a pretty awesome baddy. He's charismatic, and knowledgeable.
And there’s a fierceness to him, like Willem Dafoe in Spider-Man. Or Willem Dafoe in most things. And I like Davos’s
entrance, smacking around a few folks before flatly telling Danny that “You’re
the worst Iron Fist in History.” Can’t beat an entrance like that. Danny
apparently losing his powers is… interesting. Probably would have been more so
if he hadn’t lost them at the beginning of the season. Just saying. Still,
better then… well, Iron Fist episodes
2-6.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/14115130
Twitter: @BasicsSuperhero
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