Iron Fist Season 2 Review

I don't know what it took to turn this ship around, but in my eyes, the show has completely transformed. Maybe it was getting rid of former showrunner Scott Buck. Maybe it was the benefit of the character's evolution thanks to his arc in The Defenders. Maybe it's the return to more authentic comic roots, rather than trying to one-up the CW and their stereotypical "I'm so privileged but I have nothing, woe is me" attitude. In my eyes, it's a combination of all these factors. Stakes are raised, characters are expanded, and the overall quality has improved so significantly that I'm honestly so thrilled to have watched it. More than anything, Season 2 of Iron Fist has left me clamoring for more.

One of the things the show gets right is it re-works Danny Rand. No longer is he the mopey, loner warrior that he was. He still struggles with the history he has at K'un-Lun, the mythical world where Rand trained to become the Iron Fist, but he's not isolating himself. He's engaging with New York in a more personable manner. He's moved in with his girlfriend and the highlight of last season, Colleen Wing. He's working as a mover for a local company in the city. He's left the suits for the sweatpants. In the wake of The Defenders, Danny has really taken to getting to know the city, particularly his neighborhood of Chinatown, and it delivers a more satisfying approach to the hero. While Danny is still active as the Iron Fist, Colleen is trying to retire from training in that life. She wants to be more involved in her community, but not as a vigilante. She's working in a community center, she's trying to shepherd troubled kids away from gang life, but she's finding that the vigilante spirit within her is calling her back to the streets. The dichotomy of Danny and Colleen's relationship and how they mirror one another is an interesting arc to follow throughout the series.

Ward has some depth this season

Ward Meachum, Danny's adoptive brother, returns to deal with his own trauma of addiction and abandonment in the wake of last season. I've always admired the performance of Ward, even if it is somewhat samey every time. There's something enigmatic to the character's attitude that holds your attention when he's on-screen. It's unfortunate that his sister didn't get the same treatment. Joy Meachum is on a warpath for Danny and Ward, but it's stereotypical and not at all interesting; it's nothing you haven't seen before. The only different thing in her revenge arc is the recruitment of Davos, Danny's brother from K'un-Lun and the penultimate villain of the season, the Steel Serpent. While his interplay with Danny can be interesting, I found the performance of the character overall bland and disconnected. It's hard to make villains who have 'revenge' as their motivation interesting, and this season wasn't able to do much with that. The newcomer that held my interest the most was Mary Walker, a P.I. not unlike Jessica Jones, but most definitely far more volatile. She's got a secret that I won't spill here, but I thought her presence in the show added a ferocity the show was always lacking.

Mary's just a small-town girl...
or is she?

If I were actually to describe this show's tone, it would be ferocious. Season 1 always felt low-bar, bare bones, especially compared to its contemporaries. The action is significantly improved in this season, the choreography has taken a step up, and the camerawork has advanced greatly. The show has a better look overall, with more dynamic lighting and more interesting framing decisions. It's all a visual upgrade and can completely be attributed to the absence of bad leadership that the first season had. Not only that, but season 2 runs shorter with only 10 episodes. It makes the pace of the show move so much better, I sincerely hope the other Marvel Netflix shows consider adopting this format.

Technically, artistically, narratively, Iron Fist Season 2 seems to have learned from the mistakes its inaugural run made. It's not perfect, but it's far more entertaining than its predecessor and well worth your time and investment this fall.

Davos and Danny's fights are
electrifying

Rating: 8/10