Shaun Munro reviews the sixth episode of Iron Fist…
Iron Fist‘s sixth episode is directed by Wu-Tang Clan leader and martial arts aficionado RZA (who, in a probably-not-too-coincidental turn, directed 2012’s entertaining martial arts flick The Man with the Iron Fists), and what a difference it makes to have a clear fan of the genre putting his all into the show. The result is an outing that feels decidedly more pulpy and, yes, comic book-inspired than the prior five episodes.
This installment sees Danny lured into a challenge from The Hand, where he is forced to face off against a number of the organisation’s most ferocious charges. The episode’s opening sequence introduces the adversaries in giddily entertaining style, most notably slick assassin Scythe (David Sakurai), who we meet as he’s effortlessly finishing up a hit at a Japanese karaoke bar, complete with his own spirited rendition of A-ha’s seminal 80s pop hit, “Take on Me”.
There’s a greater focus on the overarching mythology of The Hand thanks to the competition – and we even get to see Danny calmly hanging out with Madame Gao for a time – but the real payoff is the sharply-filmed, energetic action, complete with a smooth voice-over from Danny’s mentor, Lei Kung the Thunderer (Hoon Lee).
The second fight sees the episode detour into straight-up high-camp territory, as Danny finds himself cornered by a disconcertingly sexy Korean combatant known as the Bride of Nine Spiders (Jane Kim). The ensuing confrontation is hammy and over-the-top in all the right ways, even if it ends rather abruptly and the third fight, against the aforementioned karaoke-singing assassin, can’t really live up to that level of gonzo wackiness.
Still, the action is leagues ahead of what most of the episodes have put out so far, and crucially the audience also learns more about quite how ruthless Gao can be, while genuinely intriguing questions are asked about Danny’s past and Gao’s possible involvement in it.
Colleen and Claire meanwhile get to do some teaming up, proving that the show now categorically passes the Bechdel test beyond any doubt, even if their quest to save Radovan’s life isn’t especially interesting, and the end result is nothing if not totally predictable. Even so, they’re a fun combo of brains, brawn and resourcefulness, so it’s hard to be too mad about it.
On the other hand, Ward’s substance abuse and mental health issues continue to be thoroughly boring, yet Tom Pelphrey, bless him, is acting his heart out and clearly trying hard to make it work. Considering how long these episodes already are, though, it ultimately feels like a sadly wasted effort.
The surplus of bonkers action really pushed this one forward and took the show to the level it needs to stay at, even though some of the supporting plots weren’t all that great. The Thunderer’s appearance was undeniably goofy, but it also saw the show shed its stodgy pretense and embrace its comic book origins, while being thoroughly in-step with RZA’s effort to lovingly homage 1970s martial arts movies.
Easily the best episode so far, Immortal Emerges from Cave proves the series’ potential and can genuinely be called “good” without too many nagging qualifiers.
Shaun Munro
