#joy meachum meta

[irondevilpunisher]

Joy Meachum & Iron Fist thoughts

So while waiting for the Punisher I’ve had time to marathon the Marvel shows again before the new series dropped. And lets just say rewatching Iron Fist I got a better insight into who Joy Meachum is. It surprises me she isn’t as beloved in this fandom as some of the other ladies in the marvel tv universe. Then again Karen Page for the most part suffers from the same absurdity; guess that’s what happens when the actress plays the part so well. I mean Jessica Stroup is damn good as Joy and gorgeous as hell. She brings a lot of depth, intelligence, integrity and complexities to the character and commands the screen every time she’s on. Its not really shocking to me as her previous works in other shows have been outstanding. But I think for me Joy Meachum is by far my favorite of Stroup’s characters.

Joy is so unique because she can go either way; bad, good or somewhere in middle. Either way Jessica makes you feel for this person because underneath that tough, sophisticated business woman exterior is a tortured soul; damaged and broken which is ironic considering her name. I’ve come to realize of all the characters on Iron Fist, Joy is the only one who wears a mask [metaphorically]. In many ways she’s very much like Karen. All her life she’s put up walls, refused to get close to anyone and strictly kept her mind on the company and her family. She even wears her clothes like armor to protect herself. Unsurprising. Joy didn’t exactly have it easy or a normal upbringing. Her best friend and his parents supposedly died in a plane crash when she was 10. She lost her father to cancer at 13. And we know nothing about her mother. The only person Joy could count on was her older brother Ward; a man keeping secrets of his own. 

Ward and Rand became Joy’s entire world for the past 15 years. She’d never formed any other relationships or interests outside of that. It kinda makes you wonder about what Joy fears. Her hardened closed off persona tells me she’s severely afraid of getting hurt again; of being loved or loving someone outside her blood.Though she loves her brother wholly and tries to help him and do right by her family; Joy deliberately forsakes herself from anything or anyone else and that’s what makes her such a tragic figure. I mean she spent years trying to live up to what she thought Ward was on top of trying to exceed her father’s expectations. she put so much effort into the company and for the most part made it better than what he father had done.

This was an ongoing trend for 15 years then BAM! Danny Rand comes back from the dead and throws her whole world out of wack. Just as Joy is content with the life she’d built for herself, someone from her past whom she loved and thought was deceased suddenly shows up. What’s her reaction to this? Terror and hesitation. If you really think about it Joy pushing Danny away no matter how much he screamed made sense. She’d already mourned him once and considering all the agony she’d gone through after the Rands’ and her father’s death these were just old wounds she wasn’t prepared to reopen. This woman literally thinks she’s seeing ghosts when he strolls up to her apartment. Nothing good had come into her life, why would it now? So Joy’s immediate response to Danny at every turn is to reject him. 

But here’s the kicker, no matter how much she tries to drive him away in the beginning there’s still that twinge of hope in Joy, a part of her wants to believe him so badly. Even after she and Ward drug Danny and have him committed to a mental institution, Joy still finds herself searching for answers regarding his arrival; if he’s telling the truth and where he’s been for the past 15 years. First she goes through old photos to see if the kid she remembers resembles anything like the strange young man spouting things off about her life.Then Joy does the one secret thing only Danny [her friend] would know about, sending him a package of M&Ms to see if he dissects the brown ones like they use to do when they were kids. Sure enough he does and Joy knows without a doubt in her heart its Danny. 

So what does she do afterward? Joy is torn between her loyalty to her family, the company and her feelings towards her childhood best friend. Sure she’s glad he’s alive but at this point Joy still feels she can’t afford any attachments. She doesn’t think there is any room left in her life to include Danny. And She’s convinced herself the girl he knew is long gone. So she resorts to push him away again this time at Ward’s behest by restricting Danny of his Rand name and rightful place at the company. This is the first time Danny glimpses the cold and cruel side of Joy which he doesn’t like at all. In fact her actions succeed in that he finally renounces any semblance of the bond or trust they once shared together; which ends up stirring him into Colleen’s direction. 

Unfortunately for Joy she can’t keep up the act any longer. Seeing Danny alive has already messed her up, but now its severing anything decent left inside her. Joy doesn’t like this as her conscience ends up getting the better of her. So on the day the Meachums meet with Danny and his lawyer to discuss a settlement, Joy goes behind Ward’s back and gives Danny the only evidence of his identity. A fingerprint under an old pottery key-holder, she’d been using, that he made for her. Ward of course figures it out right away, knowing his sister still holds a soft spot for Danny. It couldn’t be more obvious. Joy’s been living in his family’s old apartment, surrounded by photos of them as children. She keeps extra photos of them in a box at her desk; along with packages of M&Ms. Everything that reminds her of Danny is there in plain sight. Without realizing it Joy has been harboring her own personal Danny Rand shrine. She is either absolutely in denial or completely unaware of what she feels. But they’re there hidden deep.

Its funny because in all of Danny and Joy’s scenes together, the armor seems to crack. He somehow manages bring out Joy’s vulnerable side that she feels comfortable enough to confide in him. Danny is just so full of light and kindness that it cuts through the darkness Joy finds herself shrouded in most times. She tells him about her father’s death, what she went through since his family’s plane crash; things she hardly discusses with anyone. Not even Ward as close as they are which tells you something about the kind of friendship Joy had with Danny growing up. Now enter Danny trying to adjust as 51% shareholder of the company. He’s not very good at it but can you blame the guy? He was raise by monks for 15 years in a mythical place. At this Joy takes the opportunity to help him a little, maybe even get to know him again. For the most part they start bonding, Joy even smiles and laughs again in his presence. Gahh I can’t get enough of Jessica Stroup and Finn Jones’s beautiful chemistry; they’ve created this fascinating connection between the two characters. I live for that. Anyway they are however interrupted when a gang of assassins tries to kidnap Joy thus further straining any ties she has with Danny.

Now we get into the big stuff involving Ward and their father. In the midst of the Meachums being ousted by the board at Rand [something altogether painful for both siblings], Joy suddenly stumbles on her brother’s giant bomb that Harold had been resurrected and that he’d been forced to keep it a secret from her. Which means Joy had been living under a decades old lie. Danny of course found out earlier and only agrees to keep it from Joy to protect her from the Hand. This burdens Danny as he doesn’t enjoy being dishonest with her anymore than Ward. Joy is so conflicted, confused and shocked about her father she doesn’t know how to handle this situation. And strangely she’s more angry with Danny about the lie than at Ward, who kept her in the dark for years. Yet despite Ward’s continuous warnings that Harold is dangerous, Joy can’t let him go. Because like with Danny, Joy’s hope has been rekindled. And why would she regard Ward at this point after the lies and chasing him down for his drug habits? Joy sees her father alive in front of her. She wants that relationship again because she misses it. She needs it. 

As much as Joy wants to be happy her father’s alive she can’t be. Something prevents those feelings. And Joy starts noticing Harold’s dark, more sinister behavior. It scares her. He gets physically violent and short-tempered easily. And he tries to screw over Danny’s right to the company which Joy whole-heartedly objects to. Then there’s Harold’s dealings with the Hand which put Joy smack dab in harms way. By the end of Iron Fist’s first season Joy’s more damaged than ever. But its not the bullet wound that has her in agony its the betrayal of all people she loves. Her brother. Her father. Danny. All of them let her down in ways she can’t discern. And because of that she’s officially closed the door on everyone. On the verge of making irrational decisions based on emotion; something she doesn’t do being as logical minded as she is. Its landed Joy  in the cross-hairs of Davos’s feud with Danny and no doubt he will do whatever means necessary to take advantage of her fragile state.  

I found that Davos/Joy cliffhanger interesting because it was unexpected. You’d think he would’ve tried manipulating Colleen or Ward but no he went right for Joy. Why? What purpose does this serve him? What is he standing to gain? I mean if Joy isn’t that important to Danny why not seek out someone who is? The Answer is because Davos wants to hurt Danny and what better way to do that than use someone else he cares about to do it. Just think of the chaos Davos could create pushing Joy’s buttons as she plunges further into darkness and pain. And believe me I expect a world of pain ahead for Joy in season 2. But will she accept his offer? Her feelings for Danny are already conflicted enough to hate him or at least try to. We’ve yet to know Joy’s head space at that point nor how she even met Davos. One thing is certain though she’s hurting badly. Its gonna take more than hugs on Ward and Danny’s part to bring Joy around. 

Also why the hell was Madam Goa there? What’s she planning? Too bad the Defenders writers didn’t think to give us a tease on that.  

All and all I’m pretty excited for what S2 brings. Anyway these are just my Joy Meachum thoughts for the day. 

[flammenkobold]

[slides on socks into your fandom wearing sunglasses, holding a cup of coffee, being several years late “so meta anyone?”]

Meta Thoughts on Ward & Running Away & Finding Himself

First time we see Ward wanting to just get away from everything is in S1E3 when he asks Joy if she ever thinks about walking away from it all and in return she tells him she’d miss him if he  left, but makes it clear that she wouldn’t go with him, and at this point Ward can’t leave without her, because of all the danger that would put her in. But it’s clear to both Joy and the audience how much he has thought about that idea, but it’s not one he can at this point turn into a reality.

The second time it comes up is in S1E7 when Ward actively tries to run away...only to find out that Harold drained all of his accounts. A few notable  differences to the last time he brought it up to Joy: Joy encouraged him to go (though she is thinking rehab rather than full running away), Danny is back now fully with the potential to either draw Harold’s attention away from Joy or to protect Joy, and also Ward is beyond his breaking point. Which results in his first murder of Harold...so yeah, Ward is not in any good space at all here and very much just in flight mode.

Now in S2E6 it comes up again, how Ward wanted to run away, take Joy with him, how many times he was so close to actually doing it... but ultimately didn’t go through with it. Which she does point out to him, but with everything that went down in s1 it’s pretty clear that they couldn’t have run away, not between Harold and the Hand and also because Joy likely wouldn’t have come along even if he had told her the truth. It wouldn’t have solved any of the problems either. There wasn’t really a way out then.

Now that brings us to the end of S2. Here Danny is the one trying to leave, but Danny doesn’t see it as running away, because what his aim is is to find himself again and his place in the world. He doesn’t try to get away from his problems, or from himself, he wants to discover where his path might lead. And importantly he is the one taking Ward along on that journey because he knows that Ward is in a similar situation as he is, unsure where he fits in and who he is meant to be. 

I think what I like most about this scene is that Danny isn’t asking Ward if he wants to come along, he posits it as a fact, because Ward might have argued about it before but he hasn’t outright said no either. So instead of making it a choice Ward can talk himself out of with all the reasons both Joy and his father used to give - it’s the cowards way out, he has a responsibitlity towards his company, it would be a mistake, etc. - he tells him, no you are coming with me and thats a fact. Not because it’s what Danny wants, but because he can tell it’s something Ward wants and needs as well.

And I have a lot of feelings over the whole development, Ward always wanting to leave, always the one asking, never being able to go through with it for various reasons, until finally someone else offers him to come along.

And well look at that happy bean a few month later looking like the sassy archaeologist sidekick in fantasy movie who is cheekily throwing back lines the hero said to him at said hero:

[laylainalaska]

Iron Fist Week - Day Three: Family

Slipping in with a late entry for day 3. I was thinking (as you do) about the contrast between Danny giving Ward moral support versus the rest of his family tearing him down. 

And specifically, Harold and Joy both tell him he’s a coward -- it’s not just being critical in general, but a particular kind of tearing down: that he’s not good at things, that he’s scared, that he’s weak, that he’s a disappointment to the family. This one scene with Ward and Danny is, I think, the only time either season that someone tells him he’s being brave.

It’s especially meaningful because it’s a moral-courage kind of situation. The thing about Ward is that he doesn’t really have a problem with physical bravery. It’s moral and emotional courage that he struggles with, and Danny recognizes that, and praises him for it.

[yutaya]

Day 5 of Iron Fist Week is Episodes and Scenes.

-

Now, I admit, I don’t actually think very often about Joy. Although she is undoubtedly a major character, I don’t really consider her a part of the Iron Fist fam, and the found-family dynamics and members will pretty much always be my main interest in all of my fandoms. Things would probably be different if she’d gotten her shot at the redemption arc they seemed to be leading towards after S2, but, alas.

However, since Day 3 brought her to mind, here’s a Joy scene. (And no, I still haven’t got the hang of gifs.)

So here’s something about Joy: she’s The Closer. 

When we open season 1, we’re presented with our familiar trope: Ward, the eldest, cold, clear threat to our hero, and Joy, the younger sister, more innocent and hopeful and moral. She feels bad about those cancer children. She gets Danny legally recognized.

There’s a lot of talk among the company in S1 about Ward being the one steering Rand brilliantly. (I say among the company because we viewers, of course, know that it’s actually Harold pulling all of Ward’s strings.) But... when Ward (Harold) needs something done, he sends Joy.

Joy holds firm against the lawsuits.

Joy acquires those warehouses.

Joy looks at the guy standing in her way, finds his weak spot, his dying child - and presses.

Joy is not a person who accepts defeat. She looks at the problem in front of her, and she finds a way. And if other people call that ruthless? Well, they aren’t the ones who win in the end, are they?

She hires Jessica “a private investigator” to dig up dirt on all her board members, just for the insurance. She needs her resources, so she pulls on Danny and Ward’s heartstrings without batting an eye. She needs some antique bowl, fine, here’s how we do it, and I don’t care if you don’t want to, Davos, this is how we succeed.

So when Davos discovers her “betrayal”, she makes a play to convince him that he “needs” her. When he doesn’t fall (makes her fall), she spins a few angles on his henchman.

Joy has steel in her, same as Ward. Never give up without a fight.

It’s the kind of scariness that you can reluctantly admire.

-

....Aaaaaaaand, to end on a lighter note, Joy also has one of what I for some reason find one of the funniest lines in the show: she opens Danny and Colleen’s fridge, stares into it for a few moments, and then says “It’s like they’ve never heard of Rosé.” Don’t ask me why this line tickles me so much. I don’t know. But istg, practically every time I consider wine - not even Rosé, just any wine - I find myself saying it? Weird way for IF to stay with me, but whatever.

[trashmenofmarvel]

I saw an article that wrote that Luke Cage handled the hole left by the Hand better than Iron Fist and tbh I dont agree. Iron Fist had a clear villain, and sure it also had the triads but it was clear they werent the main bad guys whereas Luke Cage had the problem that Luke and Bushmaster wanted the same thing but just wouldn't talk/listen to each other. Plus I feel like they were trying to make Bushmaster what Frank was to Matt in DDs2 and just failed? Plus the ending... Any thoughts?

There’s no doubt in my mind that season 2 of Iron Fistknocked it out of the park in every way that season 2 of Luke Cage didn’t. InLuke Cage, Bushmaster, Mariah Dillard, and Shades really stole the show andLuke was lost in his own story. His actions and motivations were off-base and he seemed to be going backwards in terms of character development. Whereas in Iron Fist season 2, everyone got amoment to shine and grow.

Or most of them did, Joy didn’t actually do as much as we thought she would. @emanationman and I talked about this and agree that Davos and Joyshould have switched roles. Joy should have filled a Mariah Dillard-esque roleand be the main villain with a vast network of connections with tons of power and cash at her disposal. And Davos gets in over his head and realizes thiswoman is wildly dangerous (kind of like what happened with Shades). I think having a Meachum always be a villain in the Iron Fist saga would have been really fascinating, like the Stokes family being Luke’s biggest rival no matter what other villain was in Harlem. (You can even see the similarities between Tilda and Ward trying to escape their toxic family histories.)

But other than that… Luke Cage season 2 just does not compare to Iron Fist season 2. I agree with what you said aboutBushmaster. They could have made him into an anti-hero that works with Luke andthat might have been really cool. I’m not sure what happened in season 2 ofLuke Cage tbh and the strongest highlights of that season were the sidecharacters, while all the main and side characters in Iron Fist got their timein the sun.

The Luke Cage ending… friend, I have no idea where they’regoing with that. It seems like he’s going to be the next baddie, which doesn’tmake sense because it’s supposed to be his show and he’s a part of theDefenders. Or… was. Either way, Misty telling Colleen she might be the only oneto make a dent in Luke is really interesting, and I look forward to seeingMisty and Colleen joining forces and kicking some serious ass.

[thesummerfox]

Marvel always pays attention to the smallest details. Case in point: this screenshot taken from episode 13 of Iron Fist’s first season. I’m always interested in what other people are reading, even within shows I watch, so I tried to get a good look at what Joy Meachum was reading while hospitalised. What I found surprised me!

The Goodreads description for this particular book reads as follows:

Buoyed by the lyrical, redemptive voice that distinguished McFadden's acclaimed debut novel, this new book tells the powerful, deeply moving story of one family and the alcoholism and abuse that marked their lives forever. Moving fluidly between the past and the present - between a young girl choosing which belt she'll be whipped with each night and her older self at the bedside of her dying father - it is an ultimately cathartic tale of hope, healing and forgiveness.

Amazon takes it even deeper:

Kenzie Lowe, a young woman struggling to overcome alcoholism, is compelled to visit her dying father, a pathetic and contemptible character, an alcoholic, and a wife and child abuser. She is compelled by impulses she herself can't explain. Through flashbacks to her violent and miserable youth, Kenzie recalls her family's past: Hy-Lo, the violent abuser; Della, the compliant wife; and Kenzie and Malcolm, the submissive children, until adolescence. She, at least, escaped for a while to boarding school. Her family, however, didn't escape the deterioration until a tragedy breaks the bond between husband and wife. Kenzie has waited practically her whole life for her father to die, but now that the time has come she finds her hate changing to compassion and forgiveness. She learns the secret of her father's childhood, one much like her own, and begins to understand, forgive, and heal her own sickness. This is a sad and touching novel about abuse and alcoholism from the author of Sugar (2000).

As we saw in the show, Joy’s own father was abusive toward Joy’s brother Ward. Ward, on his part, partially sought to deal with that through adopting unhealthy coping skills such as downing alcohol and popping various pills. Throughout the show, Joy expressed concern for Ward and pressed him to get help for his issues. This altered somewhat when she realised that he had known for years that their father was still alive: Joy’s response to their father being alive is one of happiness, in which she pays little attention to how ‘wrong’ Harold Meachum seems to be by now, and she is seen distancing herself from Ward and becoming more of a possible antagonist. She reconnects with their father in a way that Ward does not, and is genuinely distraught at the thought of losing him again. Harold Meachum died twice within the show (both times at the hands of Ward, who considers his father to be monstrous), but not before he expressed his love for Joy and his disappointment in Ward in a scene that reads as an utterly vile thing for a parent to say to his two children.

What struck me about this book choice, then, is fairly obvious: the book seems to deal with themes of abuse within a family, perpetrated by the father, and also takes on issues such as alcoholism. Given the state of the Meachum family today, it seems like The Warmest December is a very appropriate book choice for Joy -- especially given that she will have to come to terms with the loss of her father all over again now that her brother has murdered him. 

[ironfistweek]

IRON FIST WEEK 2021!

We are back for 2021! This year we have a character and a prompt for each day. These are optional; you can use both, one, or neither. They are there for inspiration only!

You can create any sort of fanwork for any day of the fest: pictures/gifs, fiction, fanart, meta, vid, cosplay, interpretive dance, etc. Just tag it with #ironfistweek so I know to reblog it!

Day One (April 1):

Character: Danny Rand

Prompt: Love

Day Two (April 2):

Character: Ward Meachum

Prompt: Escape

Day Three (April 3):

Character: Colleen Wing

Prompt: Fate

Day Four (April 4):

Character: Misty Knight

Prompt: Fight

Day Five (April 5):

Character: Davos

Prompt: Dragon

Day Six (April 6):

Character: Joy Meachum

Prompt: Family

Day Seven (April 7):

Character: Your Favorite Minor Character

Prompt: Missing Scene

Day Eight (April 8)

Bonus catchup day! You can post whatever you want (I mean, technically you can on any day, but this is the free-for-all roundup day) - catch up on earlier prompts, or post something you’ve had hanging around in your drafts. Late fills are fine at any time, though I’ll stop monitoring the tag after a couple of weeks.

Of course, these are just guideline prompts: if you want to just post whatever you want it’s fine as long as it’s IF-centered.

[jaggedcliffs]

Iron Fist has been finished!

The verdict is in:

I still really like every character except for Danny! There are still race issues! Danny unfortunately takes Colleen’s character down with him once she becomes his love interest!

Here’s the inside scoop (with spoilers), which somehow got super long:

• Danny remains an unlikable, unsatisfactory lump of a protagonist throughout the show.

• He’s barely even that much of a hero. His first instinct, as Claire points out in the last episode, is always towards violence. He’s ready to torture or murder at the drop of a hat.

• And then there’s K’un L’un. And the Iron Fist. Because in the show, the Iron Fist is meant to defend K’un L’un from invaders and destroy the Hand. Danny, the way he explains it, only wanted to be the Iron Fist because people said the Iron Fist was the greatest warrior and that a foreigner like him would never become it. He has absolutely no interest in guarding K’un L’un - as demonstrated by the series, seeing as the fucks off to New York the first chance he gets, leaving K’un L’un vulnerable, so everyone gets murdered. 

• Not to mention the race issues.

• As one review points out, “These are the characters of color who are not [villains or in some way associated with villainous acts]: Claire. And the occasional Rand employees, I suppose... Most of the antagonists in the show are people of color (and most of them Asians), even though we also have white antagonists like the Meachum family. Most of the characters of color are antagonists, even though our white protagonist borrows from Asian cultures to kick their mostly Asian asses.”

(•  There’s also this whole weird thing about Colleen and Bakuto trying to help marginalized, disenfranchised kids, get them through school, and teach them to fight. Except Colleen and Bakuto are actually a faction of the Hand and so are their students, so even though Colleen decides to break with the Hand, her students still need to be stopped. I don’t know what kind of message they’re trying to send there.)

• Anyway, the first few episodes are a snooze, but things pick up around episode 5-ish. The last episode was actually pretty entertaining.

• Colleen was so great at first, but once she became Danny's love interest her character development disappeared. She just became Danny’s cheerleader and too many of her scenes were her talking about how awesome Danny is. At least she still gets great fight scenes.

•  Claire is a constant delight throughout. Thankfully, she gets to call Danny out on some of his shit and is saved from being Danny’s cheerleader. She’s also always the first to say, “Hey, we do this by not killing people??”

• Jeri Hogarth, for the few episodes she appears in, is also a snarky, competent delight.

• Davos is the real hero. He should have been the Iron Fist, because he probably would have actually done his job.

• Also: Kyle, and his love of ice cream. RIP Kyle.

• Villains!! All of whom are more interesting than Danny

(• Even though, as these same reviews point out, they are constantly forced to externalize Danny’s inner conflict through clunky dialogue.)

• Bakuto looks like Danny Rand’s handsomer, Puerto Rican counterpart, right down to the beard and curly hair. Except he can actually fight. Just an all around cool, suave, manipulative villain who almost manages to get the best of everyone. I love him.

• Honestly, I wish he was playing Danny Rand instead

• Madame Gao remains brilliant. Everything seems to go according to her plans, including when Danny and Bakuto capture her. I’m pretty sure she was chilling in Bakuto’s prison for the last few episodes just so she could be somewhere comfortable and easy to find until Danny showed up to ask about his parents’ death. I mean, she’s few centuries old - she’s probably happy to get a little downtime

• Harold Meachum is an awful, terrible person and it’s the best. He’s such a manipulative, abusive asshole whom you enjoy watching, but are quite happy to watch die twice over. He’s also played by the same guy who played Faramir in the LOTR movies, and this time he gets to play the role of a terrible dad to a son.

• The Meachum family is probably the most entertaining people/sub-plot in the show. Their fucked-up family dynamic is probably the only reason I got invested in this show past ep. 5.

• Ward Meachum - a drugged-addicted, half-crazy, sympathetic asshole and utter mess of a human being. I love him. Probably the only person with a consistent character arc. His relationship with his abusive father is one of the best things in this show. That time he murdered his father (the first time) and dumped his body in a pond was, like, my jam. So is his last scene, where he keeps the picture of his dead father that he murdered twice in his office.

• Joy Meachum - a competent, intelligent business woman, who unfortunately gets used for men’s plot-lines too often. Just trying to do her job, which she kicks ass at. There’s story in there about her refusing to be ousted from Rand Industries because she fought so hard to get where she is, and how she’s trying to balance her moral compass with her business smarts, which is also, like, my jam. Too bad those storylines get shunted aside as the show progresses.

• I’m honestly not sure why Ward seems to be left running Rand Industries at the end of the show??? Joy went AWOL, even though she’s the one who wanted the company and the position at Rand. Danny went back to K’un L’un, and I’m not sure if he wants the company or not? Meanwhile, Ward’s not entirely mentally stable, and has wanted to get away from the company since, like, episode 7 to go live his own life.

• Rand Industries is having a hell of week, between Danny and Harold coming back from the dead and at least two people being murdered. Whoever’s still investing in this company is insane.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

What I want to see in Iron Fist season two (version 2.0):

1) The most obvious storyline to continue would be Davos becoming Danny’s nemesis. That would mean a move away from the Rand Corporation corporate politics and more focus on the aftermath of K’un L’un’s destruction and the war with the Hand. I don’t think the Hand storyline will necessarily continue since they were soundly defeated in “The Defenders” but it would be interesting to see Davos try to build something from the remains. Like maybe he gathers the remaining Hand ninja who escaped the final battle. 

That being said, the show should still find a way to balance the Davos storyline and the Rand Corporation storyline, which leads to my next point. 

2) This may be difficult to pull off but in order for Iron Fist to truly fit with its Defender sister shows, I’d like for the show to actually delve into some social issues. To recap: 

* Daredevil season one dealt with gentrification while season two dealt with the concept of vigilantism/faults in the justice system

* Jessica Jones dealt with rape culture/toxic masculinity

* Luke Cage dealt with racial and class issues/inner city problems 

Because of who Danny Rand is, Iron Fist could really dive into the lifestyle of the 1% and show their effects on society. Have Danny Rand learn what his company and other corporations are doing and use his team-up with Ward Meachum in order to show what it’s really like being part of the 1%.

I know that sounds very different from the street-level focus of the other shows but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a lot of good drama that can come from this, such as Danny being repulsed by the upper class’ excessive lifestyle, learning that other companies like Roxxon are getting away with major natural disasters caused by their actions, being inspired by Tony Stark shutting down the weapons division of his company despite taking a massive hit in his stocks, getting tempted by wealth and trying to impress Colleen with his wealth (before she tells him she doesn’t care for his money, you know, the usual), truly learning the extent of his privileges, and so on.

Like how Luke Cage immersed its audience with life in Harlem, Iron Fist can do the same but with the focus on the rich and powerful. 

Now how can the Davos storyline connect with the 1% storyline? Well, remember in Daredevil season one where Madame Gao was selling “Steel Serpent” heroin? There you go, Davos is the mastermind behind the heroin trade (along with other drugs) that’s seeping into all parts of the city, including the 1%. 

3) Danny Rand lightens up a bit. Come on Netflix, the guy’s more likable when he’s funny or at least not trying to hammer in his “I am the Iron Fist” message down everyone’s throats. I also say this because we really do need a “jokester” Defender among the four.

Matt is all about his Catholic guilt and pessimism, Luke is a nice, lovable guy but not the comedic-type, and Jessica is just pure sarcasm. It’d be nice to have Danny be the funny one of the group, especially since the Hand is defeated (for now). He can chill for a bit. Plus, this would give Danny a lot more personality, which would benefit Finn Jones since his performance so far has primarily been repeating that he’s the Iron Fist and that he protects K’un L’un. 

4) Danny Rand x Misty Knight may be a thing in the comics but for season two...I don’t know. Honestly, I think it’d be a bit forced to have Danny leave Colleen and go with Misty this early. If (and this is a big if) Marvel decides they still want Danny and Misty to still be a thing, here’s how I think they should go about it.

First off, break up Danny and Colleen in the best way that they can. And I don’t mean throw in some bullshit like what Agents of SHIELD / The CW does. Have it be a natural break-up. Now that they’re past the honeymoon stage, they start to realize that they aren’t really compatible with each other. It doesn’t have to be anything big, it could be the small stuff, like they disagree on simple topics and they hate each others’ hobbies. Then, when they realize things aren’t working out, have Colleen end the relationship, with Danny agreeing that this is for the best.

(Colleen should end it since she’s the more emotionally mature one in the relationship)

That’s when you start teasing Danny and Misty. Definitely have them become close friends throughout season two and then near the end of the season, start giving hints that Misty and Danny may have feelings for each other. Like maybe throw in some subtle (or not so subtle) stares in the final episode. Save their romance for season three. 

You can actually treat this like a balancing beam. As Danny and Colleen approach the end of the season, they start to grow apart while Danny and Misty grow closer together. Of course, this would be done right if the show had a good writer who can handle the relationship dynamics. Here’s hoping that they do have one.

Once again, this point is all based on the possibility that Marvel wants to go for the Danny and Misty route. For all we know, they could remain rooted to Danny and Colleen. So take this point with a grain of salt.  

4.5) As a supplemental to this point, don’t make Misty and Colleen enemies. We still need the Daughters of the Dragon spin-off. Have the break-up be clean with no bullshit jealousy and petty rivalries. 

5) Introduce Shang-Chi! He’s basically Marvel’s version of Bruce Lee and seeing as how Iron Fist was created during the martial arts craze in the 1970s, it would be nice if they introduced the other major Marvel hero that cashed in on the fad. Shang-Chi needs more love from Marvel anyways and Iron Fist would be a great spot to introduce him.

In fact, more Asian heroes would be welcome. Blindspot is another one that comes to mind, as well as the other Hand characters that haven’t been introduced yet (like Kirigi, Master Izo and the Gorgon)

6) Don’t do what Scott Buck did in season one. Fix the pacing, focus on strong characterization, and don’t stall the story early in the season. We don’t need a repeat of the mental hospital arc. 

7) I don’t really have an opinion on the Meachum family but it would be great if their writing was more...nuanced? I don’t know if that makes sense but from where season one left off, it looks like Joy’s going down the villain path while Ward is on the redemption path. Hopefully, the writers give these characters some solid development.

Someone else can write meta on Ward but for Joy, the writers should use Cottonmouth as an example of how to write her descent into darkness. Cornell didn’t WANT to be a gangster but he fell into the role, like what’s happening to Joy. I just don’t want her to be written as outright evil since that’s just boring. 

EDIT 8) Fix the damn fight choreography. Ask the Daredevil team if they could borrow their choreography team for a bit. 

Now that the Defenders is done, they have NO excuse for poor fight choreography. They have the time to focus on improving the fights. I don’t even wanna hear that the producers have to rush the fight scenes again since the big crossover event is finished. 

[ggyppt]

In my 64th review I take a look at Iron Fist 1x01 “Snow Gives Way”

Spoilers Below

               Iron Fist was looking to be in an interesting place heading into the first episode, coming in as an installment in a critically loved series, and yet this one has been getting critically panned. Heading into watching the first episode I wasn’t sure what to expect. The result we got ended up being somewhere in the middle, okay with flaws, but so far nowhere near the train wreck that critics have been painting it as.

               In talking about this show we need to talk about its namesake character, ‘The Iron Fist’ or Danny Rand (Played by Finn Jones). He’s the character we follow for most of the episode, and he takes a while to warm up to. His initial scenes against Ward Meachum (Played by Tom Pelphrey) and Joy Meachum (Played by Jessica Stroup) are difficult to watch in their awkwardness and staidness, which looking back I think was the point of those interactions. He gets humanized, and becomes a lot more enjoyable character when you get into his interactions with Colleen Wing (Played by Jessica Henwick) and Big Al (played by Craig Walker) who really needs a shout out as a great one episode character, and I really wish he would have stayed around longer. The thing we really have to talk about with Danny is his mental illness, which they seem to be playing as some version of PTSD, but we haven’t gotten explicitly confirmed in any way as of yet. The scene in the car between Danny and Ward really shows this in an interesting way, and has left me intrigued by what they are going to do with that.

               That’s something I can say for a lot of the episode, it’s left me intrigued by a lot of little plot hooks, but it hasn’t gotten me to completely invest. It hasn’t found an emotional core yet that the audience can resonate with, so the only interest it provides is more on the meta level, which leaves it in an interesting state. Not necessarily a bad state, if your work super well on the meta level, that can drive a whole show, but this show doesn’t reach quite that level, and just hangs out in the middle ground, interesting enough not to be a waste of time, but not hitting the greatness that some of the other Marvel Netflix shows have. 6.0/10

[marvelllblog]

Le dernier des Defenders

Fiche

Intégré au Marvel Cinematic Universe Titre Iron Fist Titre VO Marvel’s Iron Fist Créateur Scott Buck Acteurs Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jessica Stroup, Tom Pelphrey, David Wenham, Rosario Dawson Saison 1 Nombre d’épisodes 13 Date de sortie 17 / 03 / 2017 Format 55 mn Genre Action, Drame, Fantastique, Thriller Chaîne: Netflix

Quinze ans après le crash d’avion qui l’a laissé pour mort, Danny Rand réapparaît mystérieusement à New York, bien déterminé à renouer avec son passé et à reprendre les rênes de l’entreprise familiale. Mais lorsqu’un ennemi de longue date refait surface, Danny doit choisir entre son héritage et les devoirs qui lui incombent en tant qu’Iron Fist.

“Bonjour, je suis… Iron Man… Non, non ! Je suis Iron Fist, en fait. Nom de Shou-Lao, j’ai complètement foiré mon entrée. À un mot près, en plus. Rotten Tomatoes, et maintenant, ça. Je ne suis décidément pas verni.”

Critique

Après Matt Murdock alias Daredevil, Jessica Jones et Luke Cage, c’est désormais au tour du dernier Defender de sortir de sa tour d’ivoire (ici, K’un-Lun). Here comes a new challenger… Dannyyyyy “Iron Fist” Raaaaand !

Avant de commencer, on s’échauffe (pour éviter le claquage)

Attention, cette critique ne concerne pas seulement les six premiers épisodes, mais la saison entière. Cette entrée en matière doit surprendre certains d’entre vous, lecteurs, et elle s’apparente à du troll. Je n’aime pas trop en faire. Je préfère laisser ça à des gens plus talentueux, mais là, désolé, mais je ne pouvais pas y couper. Si tu ne le sais pas, il faut savoir que Netflix a dévoilé à la presse les six premiers épisodes d’Iron Fist et qu’est-ce qu’on a eu après ? Un florilège de mauvaises critiques. Parfois aberrantes comme du « whitewashing », mais passons.

Ce que je trouve le plus choquant, c’est que ces critiques parlent dans leur titre de la saison complète, c’est seulement en lisant leurs critiques qu’on peut remarquer au détour d’une phrase anodine (et encore, certains ne daignent même pas de le faire) qu’elle ne concerne que les six premiers épisodes. S’il s’agissait d’une série régulière avec son épisode de la semaine, bon, à la limite. Mais quand on sait qu’il s’agit d’une mini-série dont l’histoire a un début et une fin et qu’elle s’étend sur toute la saison ? Pour faire une comparaison, c’est comme si je décidais d’aller voir un film de deux heures. Je regarde les 45 premières minutes puis je me barre de la salle pour aller pondre la critique du film. Où est l’intégrité ? Concernant Rotten Tomatoes, je suis encore plus outré. Le site prend en compte ces critiques pour calculer le score d’Iron Fist… À la course de la rapidité, on en oublie parfois les règles les plus basiques.

Changement de ton et de rythme

Bref, désolé de ce pavé, mais il fallait que ça sorte. C’est d’autant plus drôle qu’ici, on est dans le cas inverse de Jessica Jones, voir même la saison 2 de Daredevil. Pour Iron Fist, c’est la deuxième partie de saison qui est bien plus intéressante que la première. La série créée par Scott Buck prend son temps pour démarrer, mais monte crescendo sans réel temps mort. En toute franchise, son départ m’a pris au dépourvu. Alors que je m’attendais à une série qui démarre à fond la caisse comme ses collègues, c’est avec surprise que j’ai découvert un Danny Rand qui n’est pas en mode « je lutte contre mes démons intérieurs ». Au contraire, on a un joyeux gai luron semblant sortir d’un festival à Woodstock dans les années 70. Sa naïveté et son optimisme sans faille m’ont fait demander si on était bien dans le même univers que les autres dépressifs ?

Tiens, l’univers. Tant que j’en parle. Daredevil traîne du côté d’Hell’s Kitchen et des quartiers un peu craignos, la nuit. Jessica Jones baigne dans un univers très film noir, ambiance détective privé, avec une rupture via un passage dans la banlieue new-yorkaise style « american way of life ». Luke Cage, c’était le hip-hop et le Bronx. Le New-York des afro-américains. Trois univers différents, trois univers très marqués. Et voilà que débarque Iron Fist qui, tel son personnage, fait le grand écart entre deux mondes que je n’aurais jamais cru voir ensemble. Le monde Wall Street, celui des riches et des hommes d’affaires, et Chinatown. Un mélange qui passe miraculeusement sans problème. En jouant sur ces deux tableaux, Iron Fist apporte une certaine fraîcheur et un côté assez cool. Au final, comme j’aime bien le dire. Avec les Defenders, on a New-York dans sa globalité. Avec toute sa diversité.

Mon personnage coup de cœur d’Iron Fist.

Beaucoup de personnages forts et de belles surprises

Iron Fist, c’est la première série Marvel/Netflix avec Daredevil où je n’ai pas ressenti de longueurs sur toute la saison. Même le démarrage, je ne l’ai pas trouvé lourd, car il était surprenant et plutôt drôle. Profitez-en d’ailleurs parce qu’après (il y a même des passages “wow, c’est gore”)… À propos de l’histoire, elle se déroule sans sentiment de faire traîner les choses, car on ne sait plus quoi dire et qu’on s’approche de la fin trop vite. Sauf peut-être l’épisode 11, mais c’est un peu comme une pause avant la déferlante finale. Cette narration rapide offre aussi beaucoup de twists plutôt sympas dont un qui m’a bien eu comme sur Luke Cage. Je n’en dirais pas plus. En passant, si vous n’avez pas vu Daredevil, je vous conseille de regarder cette série avant, car Iron Fist reprend le flambeau en allant encore plus loin avec la Main. Assurément, un des points forts.

Autre point positif, la galerie des personnages. Finn Jones est absolument impeccable en Danny Rand et en Iron Fist. Il apporte un charisme totalement différent des autres Defenders. Il est léger et drôle. Il a un côté innocent que je n’aurais jamais cru voir dans l’univers Marvel de Netflix. Malheureusement, on va vite lui rappeler où il est. Ce qui amène une mutation du personnage que l’acteur accompagne plutôt bien. Si Finn Jones est bon, contrairement à ses collègues de Jessica Jones et Luke Cage, il ne porte pas la série pratiquement tout seul. Certes, Jessica et Luke ont des méchants fascinants leur permettant d’alléger le fardeau, mais difficile d’en dire de même pour les autres personnages. Attachants, mais manquant d’un petit quelque chose. Iron Fist, lui, offre beaucoup de personnages forts.

Je ne vais pas en faire la liste, parce que ce serait des mini spoilers. Juste préciser mon petit coup de cœur pour Jessica Henwick (Colleen Wing) et Tom Pelphrey (Ward Meachum). La première m’a bluffé et vole presque pour moi la vedette à l’Iron Fist. Tandis que le second est hallucinant. Il est au cœur d’une intrigue délicieuse rappelant le passage du showrunner sur la série Dexter. D’ailleurs, Tom Pelphrey n’est pas le seul acteur de Banshee à venir taper la parlotte avec Danny Rand :D . Encore une fois dans l’univers, l’écriture des personnages évite tout manichéisme. Ils ne sont jamais totalement gentils, ni totalement méchants. À force de les voir nager en eaux troubles, j’ai eu l’esprit un peu embourbé par les doutes. Dès lors, en investissant dans une galerie aussi fournie et complexe, la série s’évite justement ces longueurs, car elle multiplie les intrigues permettant à la narration d’avancer rapidement et de zapper les passages remplissages.

Après l’Arme Fatale, voici l’Arme Vivante

Si la partie “Wall Street” consacrée aux intrigues machiavéliques du monde des affaires n’ayant rien à envier à la série Suits est prenante, ce sera sûrement la partie dédiée aux arts martiaux qui marquera les esprits. Après quelques épisodes sans vrai combats, Iron Fist connaît un pic avec l’épisode 6 réalisé par RZA, Immortal Emerges from Cave. On se croirait réellement dans un film d’arts martiaux tant la structure classique est respectée jusqu’à la galerie très fun des opposants. Quoi de plus normal de la part du réalisateur de L’homme aux poings de fer (The Man with the Iron Fists – si ce n’est pas un signe, ça). Par la suite, Iron Fist continuera souvent à offrir des combats dont un mémorable avec la technique de l’homme ivre et un autre mettant en scène un duel sous la pluie. En fait, dans sa deuxième partie, la série du jour se rapproche beaucoup de la série Daredevil tout en conservant ses spécificités. Après évidemment, on n’arrivera jamais aux sommets des chorégraphies du cinéma asiatique. En général, les Américains arrivent à le masquer sous une mise en scène nerveuse et rapprochée. Néanmoins, pour Iron Fist, ils ont pris le risque d’une mise en scène posée et éloignée renforçant la lisibilité au détriment de la nervosité.

Concernant les spécificités. Elles impliquent notamment une partie fantastique pratiquement totalement occultée chez ses collègues. La mythologie derrière le personnage est celle du comic. Jusqu’au dragon. Néanmoins, il est dommage que cette partie-là respire justement le cheap. Si le rendu de la concentration du Chi dans son poing est, à mes yeux, impeccable même si j’aurais aimé un peu plus spectaculaire, difficile d’en dire autant pour le reste. Notamment les flash-back assez risibles (et redondantes dans les premiers épisodes). C’est vraiment dommage de ne pas avoir alloué plus de moyens à la série. Notamment quand on voit certaines autres séries Netflix. Au final, on va s’estimer heureux que le showrunner ait gardé cette partie discrète en faisant davantage des mentions plutôt que de le montrer. Comme par exemple avec le dragon. Ça permet à la série d’éviter de tomber dans le ridicule.

Par Christophe Menat qui n’arrête pas de vouloir concentrer son Chi dans son poing sans succès, le 19 mars 2017.

Finn Jones en plein combat contre les mauvaises critiques.

Conclusion

Iron Fist est une agréable surprise à mes yeux. La série réussit à prendre ses distances par rapport à ses collègues en nous invitant dans un pan de New-York encore inexploré. Le démarrage peut sembler longuet, mais personnellement, je n’ai pas trouvé tant j’avais été agréablement surpris par le ton. Toutefois, on peut dire qu’à partir de l’épisode 6, la série prend son envol. En fait, elle fait l’exact inverse de Luke Cage, Jessica Jones et la saison 2 de Daredevil en finissant bien mieux qu’elle n’avait commencé. Petite précision, c’est la série qui a le plus de combats avec Daredevil. Elle a même plus de combats mémorables que le Diable de Hell’s Kitchen. Cerise sur le gâteau, elle dispose de la galerie de personnages secondaires la plus solide parmi les Defenders ce qui permet pas mal d’intrigues parallèles. Ces dernières permettent justement d’éviter le sentiment d’étirement présent chez ses collègues (13 épisodes pour Iron Fist, j’ai rien à redire). Bref, je suis tombé sous le charme. Allez, j’ose : c’est ma série Marvel/Netflix préférée derrière l’indétrônable homme sans peur. Vivement Defenders.

+

Finn Jones, Defender vraiment différent

Galerie de personnages secondaires très solide

Pas de sentiment d’étirement inutile

Twists franchement sympathiques

Mythologie Iron Fist respectée

Mythologie de la Main développée

Pas mal de combats sympathiques

Côté fantastique

–

Trop cheap durant ses flash-backs

Si les combats sont sympas, on est loin des sommets dont les asiatiques sont capables d’atteindre

8/10

Poster de la saison 1 d’Iron Fist avec Danny Rand (Finn Jones).

Poster de la série Iron Fist pour le Comic-Con 2016

Poster de la saison d’Iron Fist avec Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick).

Bannière de la série Marvel/Netflix, Iron Fist avec Finn Jones.

Poster d’Iron Fist par Jay Anacleto.

Critique : Iron Fist – Saison 1 Le dernier des Defenders Fiche Intégré au Marvel Cinematic Universe

[trashmenofmarvel]

Hypothesis: Harold was always an asshole to Ward, but he didn’t start the explicit physical abuse until Ward was older. Joy’s dialogue seems to indicate they were close after she started working at Rand (at 18 years old, probably, or maybe later after she went to college). Ward is 5-6 years older than Joy, so the abuse probably didn’t start happening until he was at least 23-24.

And then Ward pushed her away “one day.” That day, I’m assuming, is when Harold began to abuse him (or maybe the abuse reached a whole other level). I don’t think Ward pushed Joy away when Harold came back from the dead. I think it was much later. (It certainly doesn’t sound like they’ve been estranged for the past 13 years, so it must have been more recent.)

Conclusion: Ward didn’t push Joy away because Harold came back from the dead and she needed to be protected from the Hand. Ward pushed Joy away because Harold began to abuse him, and Ward didn’t want her to find out.

[trashmenofmarvel]

Interesting. I’m not sure where the MCU wiki got this information, but it makes sense that Joy wants to have Danny killed if she regrets walking away from her father. And I have a strong suspicion that Davos led her to believe that Danny killed Harold. Not Ward.

Dr-r-r-r-rama!