Marvel’s The Defenders has finally arrived on Netflix. This is especially exciting because I am someone who freed up there day, just so I could binge-watch the entire series.
This series is only eight episodes long which is shorter, compared to the length of previous Marvel Netflix series. Each episode is also no longer than one hour, making it a short and easy series to binge. The Defenders is the long-awaited team-up series of Marvel’s Netflix heroes. This consists of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and as he always likes to be known as, The Immortal Iron Fist (Finn Jones). Other members of these shows do also make appearances.
It is similar to the premise of The Avengers although spread out into a series rather than having it compacted into a film. It’s also a lot darker, gloomy and more mysterious. Definitely not a kid-friendly show, but it still keeps some of that classic marvel superhero humour around. Now I am going to talk about the show and give some of my opinions on it but do not worry, I have no intentions of spoiling anything for you.
From the very moment that this show began it was great to see all the characters again. Now if you are watching or considering watching The Defenders I would recommend that you have seen the other Marvel/Netflix shows. Mainly because it will enrich your viewing experience. As after knowing what they have already faced and how they overcame it. You’ll be seeing what has happened to them since and each of them have very different ways of dealing with life. Which almost makes it seem impossible for them to come together.
There is Daredevil who is no longer being Daredevil as he is sticking to being Matt Murdock the lawyer, Jessica Jones the drunk antisocial who doesn’t want anyone to know about her or offer her work. Then you have Luke Cage, recently released from prison and wanting to enjoy being a free man again and Iron First who’s on a quest to finish off The Hand once and for all.
This is helped by the fact that each character seems like they are filmed or have a unique cinematic style to them. For example, when Luke Cage is walking around Harlem you can people in the street respect him through little nods of the head for what he’s done for them. Also, the colour scheme changes to signify which defender the scene will be focused on. Red for Daredevil, yellow for Luke Cage, green for Iron Fist and a very dark blue for Jessica Jones. There is a lot of interesting choice of style and use of cinematography, which is really effective at times. They will have wide shots with the camera on its side. This isn’t very typical but that is because these aren’t your typical heroes. They don’t even like to be called heroes.
As for the pacing of this, if you’ve watched the other shows you’ll understand these aren’t quick build ups. They like to play it out a little longer but it works in their favour. It’s more in depth, the focus being on the development of characters. The first episode focuses on where the characters are right now rather than jumping straight into a team up.
As for performance, I feel there was a lot of greatness here. The four defenders really seem to have a solid chemistry together. The first time they meet there is a lot of clashes but also a lot of jokes thrown into the mix. It really makes it seem like they can’t even believe they have to work together. But you also get the feeling they’ll soon realise how great being a team can be. In case you didn’t know, Sigourney Weaver is also in The Defenders as a villain. She seems to fit the role well, as a villain who is not intimated by the threat of The Defenders.
A lot of the excitement this show brings is because of the fact it is one big crossover. As finally everyone is coming together. They have to learn to team up and trust each other at the same time while having only just met. It proves difficult and that adds to the humour and energy of the series. It finally feels like a connected universe but a smaller, more compact one.
To sum up my feelings on it as a whole, I feel it works well as its own little series. Almost like you are just reading a single graphic novel. Everything builds up, comes together, then ends and each moment of that is as enjoyable as the one that follows. I hope they decide to keep this Marvel Netflix universe going. I mean, who else is going to defend the streets of New York?
