S01.E01: The H Word

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand investigate criminals and fight injustice, unaware their paths are about to cross.

 

[Oscirus]

I get that we needed an introduction episode but this was boring a hell. It feels like this episode could easily be removed.  A bit intrigued by Sigourney Weaver's character and her relation to the hand and the last minute earthquake was mildly interesting but other than that, this episode was a snoozefest. Hope the other seven make up for it.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Oscirus

[VCRTracking]

I don't mind. The first episode is for establishing the characters for people who haven't watched the previous Netflix series and also an update for people who have. Loved seeing all the supporting characters like Foggy(with short hair), Trish, Malcolm, Karen, Colleen, Misty and especially Claire.  I also like that each individual's scenes feels like it's from their own show with their distinct style and look.  It reminds me of the first half hour of The Avengers movie.

Final Thought:

Will the show continue to have awesome music play in the background for Luke when he's in a scene with the other three?

Edited August 18, 2017 by VCRTracking

[thuganomics85]

Had to work late but I'm off tomorrow, so why not get started, huh?!

Bold strategy there, Netflix, by kicking things off with Danny of all people, considering that he's easily the weak link of this group, in my opinion.  At least the fight scene was better then most of the ones in Iron Fist, but still a bit shaky due to making sure we didn't see that his opponent was Elektra, even though she's clearly Elektra.  Hopefully Elodie Yung will get more to do later on.

Liked the opening credits.  Felt like a mixture of all four of the previous shows, but for the most part, I felt like it visually was most similar to Jessica Jones (with Luke Cage a runner-up), while the music was closer to Daredevil, with a bit of Iron Fist.

Had a feeling this was mainly going to be a set-up episode and focus on each character doing their own thing (and getting their own color palette, I see), so I was OK with it being a bit slow.  I enjoyed the Jessica stuff the best, since I love her and I'm curious to see how her case works into all of this.  Surprisingly, the next was Luke, possibly because of Claire and Misty, but I'm kind of interested in what this guy knows that Luke is trying to mentor.  Then there is Matt who, as much as I love, was basically his normal, self-loathing, weighed down by Catholic Guilt self, who has deluded himself into thinking he's done with being Daredevil.  And even though we live in a world featuring  a bullet proof dude and a guy with a glowy fist, I'm still wrapping my head over how Karen has become an ace reporter with no journalism degree.  And, naturally, at dead last, there's Danny, which the most positive thing to say about his is that at least Colleen is still around him.  Love her.

Fun seeing all the supporting cast again, but Trish is still my favorite by a mile.

Not sure what to make of Sigourney Weaver's character yet.  She is apparently sick, but despite being connected to The Hand (since she's interacting with both Madam Gao and Elektra), she's not going to do their whole healing thing like what happened to Elektra (and Harold in Iron Fist), and is instead speeding up some kind of diabolical plan, which ends up causing a big-ass crack in the city.  Hmm... 

Think I'll watch the second episode before I crash!

Edited August 18, 2017 by thuganomics85

[vb68]

57 minutes ago, Oscirus said:

I get that we needed an introduction episode but this was boring a hell.

Kinda agree. It was all setup and exposition. i guess there was no way to avoid that, but yeah I kept waiting for something big and/or exciting to happen. I was disappointed that none of the main four interacted with each other.

That said, great to see Jessica again especially. I've missed her.  Danny's scenes, on the other hand, were still the least interesting to me.

Sad that it looks like Matt and Foggy do so much better apart from each other, personally ( Foggy looked good) and professionally. Does Matt even have an office and support staff to have such a high profile case?

Interesting that Sigourney was introduced (at least in her first scene) as sympathetically as possible.  Really liked the white jacket ensemble in the park.

Edited August 18, 2017 by vb68

[Bec]

That first fight scene went on for what seemed like forever. I'm excited to see these characters again, but I'm impatient to get their paths crossing already! They've teased us long enough! Heh.

I'm happy that Karen didn't just jump right back into a relationship with Matt after learning he's Daredevil. They're kind of estranged. I can dig it.

Not psyched that we got more Danny angst. But I guess it can't be avoided considering he should feel bad that those people died because he wasn't guarding the door or whatever.

[SnoGirl]

I absolutely loved how different everyone's scenes were visually. It was crazy as they switched from person to person.

My other favorite (in a yawn-worthy epsiode) thing would have to be seeing the blending of secondary characters into the other Defenders' worlds. I literally could not keep the smile off of my face when Foggy appeared with Luke. I cant wait to see them all interact....

[AimingforYoko]

Foggy dropped some weight.

You know how before a new episode of a show, they have the "Previously on..."? This was a whole episode of that.

[Hybiscus]

How can you make the most boring intro to this series?  Start with Danny Rand.  The story moved fairly nicely until we got to the Danny/ Colleen scenes.  Surprised (and delighted) to see Madam Gao left holding the bag... literally!  This Sigourney Weaver character must be some crazy-powerful person Gao to be her subordinate.

Loved seeing my favorite supporting characters, Foggy & Misty & especially Claire.  ETA: Oops, I forgot Trish and Malcolm.  Love them, too.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Hybiscus

[VCRTracking]

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Foggy dropped some weight.

Unfortunately so did Trish. She looks gaunt.

[tennisgurl]

Its finally here! This is clearly a set up episode, so it was a bit on the dull side, but I was alright with it. We needed to reintroduce all the main characters (and their supporting casts) and their personalities and styles, so now that we have that all out of the way, I hope the whole team unites soon. This episode was essentially the first part of The Avengers, checking in on all the heroes b3fore they come together and start with the main plot.

I LOVE how the style of the episode changed every time it got to every character, especially when it changed to Luke's funky background soundtrack. It makes me wonder what the style of the show will be when the whole team comes together.

Foggy is looking fantastic, being a fancy layer has been good for him. I do hope he and Matt come back together soon, at least as friends, if not partners. Their friendship break up HURT me, and I want them back together, even if most of the time is spent on Matt and the new team. I think my favorite character bit of the episode (and there were several good scenes) was Matt talking with the kid on the wheelchair. It was good insight into Matt.

I'm just pumped to see all these characters (yes, even Danny) and too see how they come together. Now, to binge, or not to binge...

[Bec]

The beginning of Matt's speech to the kid in the wheelchair was all "everything is going to get harder" Way to pep talk, Matt. It was good by the time he got to the end of the speech, though.

[backhometome]

That was boring as hell. Starting the first scene with Danny was a mistake. He is the least interesting of the bunch.

What did Jessica find at the apartment?

[AudienceofOne]

Shows these days have so much emphasis on action over characterisation and setup that I actually really liked this episode. It was such a relief to have the first episode of a show set everything up properly. It makes me hopeful that the rest of the season will be well plotted. I enjoyed it. I particularly felt like the setup wasn't contrived; that each of the characters are where they would be naturally based on the last episode of their respective shows. I was expecting some contrivance or discontinuity so this was better than expected.

Yes, Danny Rand remains the weakest link but he was better in this than in the Iron Fist. 

[Helena Dax]

Not the most exciting episode ever.  At all. But I liked the end. And I'm glad to see JJ again. 

[WatchrTina]

My expectations were high because the banter in the trailers was wonderful.  But my gosh the dialog in this episode was bad.  Like cringe-inducingly-bad.  Others have already mentioned that this episode was slow and fairly boring because it was so burdened by having to set everything up and remind everyone who the characters are, clarify their relationships, and refresh our memories about where they are in their personal journeys.  That part I can accept.  But I cannot accept how every word that came out of their mouths was just so ploddingly dull. It was death by excessive exposition.

Oh well, I'm sure it will get better when the four heros meet up.  Fingers crossed.

Edited August 22, 2017 by WatchrTina

[AudienceofOne]

27 minutes ago, WatchrTina said:

My expectations were high because the banter in the trailers was wonderful.  But my gosh the dialog in this episode was bad.  Like cringe-inducingly-bad.  

 

Not as bad as Luke Cage. The dialogue in that was excruciating. This was better than that, despite the exposition.

[Danny Franks]

Not a whole lot going on in this episode. Just getting us up to speed with all the characters, and what they've been doing since their individual shows. I didn't mind that. Very wordy, very low key. But considering action scenes usually bore the piss out of me if they go on longer than thirty seconds, it worked for me.

Nice to see Matt is doing well, and has seemingly left the vigilante life behind him. Although Foggy selling out to Hogarth still bothers me. I forgot that Karen took a job at the newspaper, but I'm glad that's going well too. Still tension between her and Matt, but they're on a more equal footing now than they ever were before.

Jessica still being a drunk screw up was disappointing, but entirely in character. Killing Kilgrave was never going to make her better. But she's still got Trish and Malcolm in her corner. Loved seeing both of them again, and loved seeing Jessica is still as acerbic and snappy with them as ever.

As for Luke? I still can't bring myself to care about him at all. I can see why women go gaga over him, with his handsome brooding, but hes just fucking boring to watch. The actor can't emote anything other than sullen blankness or anger, and his line readings are drier than the Sahara. 

And Danny.... well, Danny showed up too. But being asked to compare him and Luke so directly with Matt and Jessica really highlights the shortcomings of the last two Marvel shows. I've even pointed it out in this post, obliquely. Matt and Jessica, aside from being better written and acted,  had rich secondary characters. People who felt rounded and interesting and who made me care about them, people who I wanted to see again. Luke and Danny didn't. Other than Claire, who has appeared in all of them, their shows rested on the shoulders of the respective stars, and those shoulders just weren't broad enough.

Aesthetically, all the shows have looked great, and that continued here. Netflix know how to make gorgeous looking TV. The difference in styles, as they cut between the characters, was noticeable. Lighting, camera angles, music, all in keeping with the individual shows. It will be interesting to see how it looks when they all meet up.

[TrueMyth]

I didn't mind the slow start.  So excited to have Jessica back!

We noticed that Sigorney's character is in white (that is all colors), which we thought was an amazing visual cue that the Defenders will all need to combine to get to her level.  Same curiosity as others about how all the looks will merge as the characters meet.

[Fiftyninth]

22 hours ago, backhometome said:

What did Jessica find at the apartment?

A box full of C-4 (explosives).

[OnceSane]

I had no problems with this episode, maybe because I expected a "where are they now?" type of beginning for this series to show how these lives will intertwine.  I absolutely love Luke Cage, so I liked that he wanted to step away, but couldn't because of the dead girl's brother.  And Claire's reaction was great.  She knows he has to see this through, just the kind of guy he is, and is supportive though worried.

Jessica's semi-functioning alcoholism was right where we left off, so that didn't surprise me.  If she ever sobered up, I'd be shocked.  I like that she's already butting heads with the detective.

Danny Rand is still kinda useless, but did I see a tiny bit of improvement?  I think so.

Matt saving people through the law is nice to see, but his kickass will be needed soon.  The speech was nice, though.  And Foggy!

Sigourney Weaver is mah boo, so I am ready for this!  I cannot wait to see what else she has to bring to the table.  Especially since Madame Gao is taking orders from her.

[2727]

11 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

...loved seeing Jessica is still as acerbic and snappy with them as ever.

Also that she doesn't give a shit about cleaning up and repairing her apartment.

On 8/18/2017 at 5:14 PM, AudienceofOne said:

I actually really liked this episode. It was such a relief to have the first episode of a show set everything up properly.

I enjoyed it too, but was thinking that even with an hour of exposition, nobody who just started watching would be able to figure out what was hell was going on. It's probably impossible to do with five previous series, but even as a regular viewer I appreciated the review.

I'd mind-flushed Iron Fist to make room for pie, so the few touchstones for Colleen, K'un-Lun and The Hand were like, "Oh, yeah yeah yeah." I then read the Wikipedia episode summaries and barely made it through those. Oh, Danny.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 8/18/2017 at 4:38 AM, thuganomics85 said:

 And even though we live in a world featuring  a bullet proof dude and a guy with a glowy fist, I'm still wrapping my head over how Karen has become an ace reporter with no journalism degree.  

No different than Jessica, who is a top level New York PI even though she appears to have had no training in criminology, or investigations or experience in law enforcement (her last job before being Killgraved was handing out flyers wearing a big sandwich).

[rubinia]

But Jessica isn't working for anyone but herself, unlike Karen. And while having a background in criminology would certainly help a PI (at least to give them some credibility), I don't think a degree is required.

ETA: Whether or not she's a licensed PI is another issue...

Edited August 20, 2017 by rubinia

[blueray]

I finally got around to starting this show. I'm with those who thought it was slightly boring. I get that they had to recap stuff, and show what they were currently doing. But I for the most part remembered everything already (other than Jessica Jones as I stopped watching a few episodes in). It was interesting how different each character's scene's tones were. I feel like it was kind of disjointing to have it continue the feeling from their individual shows. Though I'm sure this will change as they get together at some point. And the earthquake at the end was interesting.

[Kel Varnsen]

13 hours ago, rubinia said:

But Jessica isn't working for anyone but herself, unlike Karen. And while having a background in criminology would certainly help a PI (at least to give them some credibility), I don't think a degree is required.

ETA: Whether or not she's a licensed PI is another issue...

True, but for both jobs formal training is an asset more than an kind if requirement. Now if Karen had become a lawer by just spending time at Nelson and Murdoch without actually going to law school that wouldn't work. But becoming a reporter after spending time working with Ben and because of a sympathetic editor who might feel some guilt over his death, I can buy that.

[Chicago Redshirt]

On 8/18/2017 at 3:38 AM, thuganomics85 said:

 And even though we live in a world featuring  a bullet proof dude and a guy with a glowy fist, I'm still wrapping my head over how Karen has become an ace reporter with no journalism degree.  

Former reporter here...I would say that most reporters doing get either an undergrad or masters' degree in journalism. Rather, they get degrees (if they do at all) in things like English/poli sci/whatever and get practical experience to get stories to get hired.

Karen worked closely with ace reporter Ben Urich and caught the editor's eye. So I could see the editor giving her a shot.

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 minute ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Karen worked closely with ace reporter Ben Urich and caught the editor's eye.

Yeah, for a few days. Then her snooping and lying got him killed.

[Chicago Redshirt]

1 minute ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Yeah, for a few days. Then her snooping and lying got him killed.

Fair, but that still could lead to the editor wanting to hire Karen, because he felt he owed it to Karen as Ben's protoge, or because of guilt over downplaying Ben's investigative reporting, or because her work showed promise.

[shrewd.buddha]

So, Sigourney Weaver's character has somehow manged to contract that rare TV disease that gives you a few months to live, but has no other visible side effects until you casually lie down and die. Okay. 
Madam Gao seemed like a completely different character than the one from Iron Fist and Daredevil. 

I was surprised the show started with Danny Rand - and further surprised that his over-whining and over-angst-ing and over self-blaming appears to be as much of an acting choice as poor directing and poor material.  Was this filmed before the unpopular reaction to Iron Fist had become apparent to the show runners? 

It was a slow opening episode, despite starting with a fight scene. (Why does Danny always wait too late to play his trump card, you know, the Iron Fisting ?) The thing that saved the episode was seeing all the characters from all the shows again and trying to remember where everyone had been left off in their own series. I'm not sure how appealing this would have been to anyone who had not seen the other shows. (Luke Cage was the only one our household couldn't muster enough energy to finish - - and I didn't feel very lost as to where he ended up.) 

Edited August 23, 2017 by shrewd.buddha

[questionfear]

On 8/19/2017 at 11:50 PM, rubinia said:

But Jessica isn't working for anyone but herself, unlike Karen. And while having a background in criminology would certainly help a PI (at least to give them some credibility), I don't think a degree is required.

ETA: Whether or not she's a licensed PI is another issue...

IIRC Jessica is a licensed PI. She references her PI license a few times in her first season while dealing with the police. And it doesn't take much to become a PI-depending on the state you just need to spend some time training under a licensed PI then apply for the license yourself. 

[Danny Franks]

It's a comic book world, where blind guys can use their powers to 'see', and another guy has unbreakable skin and yet someone else has a glowing fist that channels all his power. I don't think PIs or journalists not having the right qualifications matters much.

Edited August 23, 2017 by Danny Franks

[AngelKitty]

I finally watched this and agree with everyone who said it was a little boring. In fact I may have dozed off a couple of times. I have watched the first season of Daredevil and I guess just kind of forgot to watch season 2. I also watched the first 2 episodes of Jessica Jones and Mr. AngelKitty didn't particularly like it so I never got around to watching the rest. But, I remember her door window being broken and being replaced with cardboard and the fact that it is still there really bothered me.

[jeansheridan]

On Thursday, August 24, 2017 at 4:38 AM, AngelKitty said:

I remember her door window being broken and being replaced with cardboard and the fact that it is still there really bothered me.

The window was broken multiple times on her show. The state of her trashed apartment brought me joy. Jessica is the most I don't give a crap character. My friend and I call her the Hulk Smash on this show. And her chemistry with Trish is strong still.

[rubinia]

On 8/24/2017 at 6:38 AM, AngelKitty said:

I finally watched this and agree with everyone who said it was a little boring. In fact I may have dozed off a couple of times. I have watched the first season of Daredevil and I guess just kind of forgot to watch season 2. I also watched the first 2 episodes of Jessica Jones and Mr. AngelKitty didn't particularly like it so I never got around to watching the rest. But, I remember her door window being broken and being replaced with cardboard and the fact that it is still there really bothered me.

Anyone else notice that the "fragile: handle with care" arrows on the cardboard point at jessica when she opens the door?

[jeansheridan]

And she can be vulnerable.  Mostly with Trish. It's what makes her interesting. There is a little of Buffy and Veronica Mars in her. She is super strong but doesn't look like it (Krysten Ritter is not especially graceful doing action) and despite her bluster, you can see her thinking, evaluating. She is present in scenes even when she isn't the focus. I guess it's charisma. I mean not every line reading is perfect. I suspect they don't redo takes to get the best acting performance.  Which is why you hire Carrie-Anne Moss, David Tennant, Sigourney Weaver. They can get it done in one take.

[AKA...CJ86]

I'm a little late, but enjoyed the episode. Was it slow? Yeah. But I enjoyed catching up with all the characters.  Sigourney Weaver's character was set up interestingly and can't wait to see how her character develops down the line, but really, the first episode and she only has weeks to live...

[Lady Calypso]

So, I'm super late to get around to this but after not being able to get past episode 2 of Luke Cage, my interest in the Marvel shows fell off the wayside until season 2 of JJ came out. Once I got through that one, I've decided to come back to watch this (still haven't watched Luke Cage or Iron Fist; I'll get around to those at some point). 

For a first episode, it actually was helpful to be reminded about what happened on Daredevil since it's been a while since I last watched it, and also to be caught up on the general idea of what happened on Luke Cage and Iron Fist. 

It was nice to see that the scenes of the main heroes had the exact same look as their TV shows (I can only assume Iron Fist's scenes had usually been dark and squinty on his show). 

Sigourney Weaver's character certainly has an interesting dilemma on her hands. Weeks to live and needing to speed up some sort of evil plan? 

Overall, a solid introduction episode. I know that there have been complaints about Iron Fist/Danny Rand, which is why I haven't gotten around to his show, and he definitely is the weakest character. Luke Cage has always been a boring character, even on Jessica Jones, so it's no surprise I was also bored by his scenes here. Though it was so nice to see Claire, and I guess seeing her and Luke as a couple (or friends with benefits?). I always enjoy seeing Karen, Foggy, and Malcolm on their respective shows. 

It really was nice to catch up on Matt, Karen, and Foggy. It reminds me on why I love Daredevil in the first place. And I remember being annoyed with Matt in the second half of season 2, so it was nice to see him get back to doing some good here.