Iron Fist Season 2, Episode 6 title art. Photo courtesy of the the official Iron Fist Twitter Page.
**This review contains spoilers for “The Dragon Dies At Dawn” and events that occurred in Marvel Netflix shows prior**
“You’ll fall and burn just fine on your own.”
Guys. Two fists. Davos actually used both of his hands! It’s a miracle! I certainly hope that moment—and it was definitely a moment—is not just a one-off, but rather a clear indication of what will be coming. Also, I’m not a big fan of how the show is seemingly trying to tell us that Davos and Danny can’t have the Fist at the same time. That would be a huge disappointment, because what better finale could there be then having the two in a massive fight, both with their abilities at their peaks.
With that aside, this episode continued to maintain the quality and tension that we’ve enjoyed for a few episodes now. While Davos may have been the main threat that everyone was facing, he wasn’t the most interesting aspect of this episode—in fact, up until the end of the episode he really was in the backseat. No, they placed a new spotlight on Walker—and boy did her performance pay off. This was easily the best episode for Alice Eve and Typhoid Mary. Walker’s feelings and struggles with Mary really added a complexity to her performance and motivations. While we could have assumed she didn’t get along with her other self, but actually addressing it and focusing on it was great for the character.
Sacha Dhawan as Davos (center), and Alice Eve as Mary Walker (right). Photo is a screenshot taken directly from the show.
I love how casually Walker got out of her predicament as well, and how it led to one very interesting deal: she is hired by Danny to find and talk down Davos. It was great to see Danny finally get to interact with Walker to this extent, and the two of them getting to know each other was exciting. For good reason, Danny doesn’t trust her. I must admit, I would not have guessed that this season would lead to a point where Danny would be working with Typhoid Mary to bring someone in. But that’s okay, because it was all done rather well.
For his part, Ward was given one of his best scenes to date as he tried to convince Joy to talk to him. Tom Pelphrey performance was unbelievably great as he broke down and opened up to Joy about who their father really was. Joy, as damaged as she has become, stood firm in her coldness. However, it was nice to see some development from her that wasn’t just stone-cold cruelness. She admitted not only that she was unable to do what she did to Danny to her own brother, but also that maybe one day she would be willing to open up communications again—provided it was on her own terms. Her quest for individualism certainly makes sense after everything she has been through, and it’s good to see that the personal connection to her last living relative isn’t tarnished forever.
Jessica Henwick as Colleen Wing (left), and Simone Missick as Misty Knight (right). Photo is a screenshot taken directly from the show.
While all of that exciting stuff happened with the people left at the apartment, Colleen and Misty went off to find the Crane Sisters’ Tattoo parlor. I think this aspect of the episode was not the strongest part—but it didn’t completely falter. The worst part was the sisters themselves—who weren’t all too convincing as performers while either talking or fighting. However, they did lead us with some interesting information on Davos’ ritual. With their name, I would have thought they’d be more important than they seem to be. Crane sisters aside, I still very much enjoy the dynamic between Colleen and Misty—though sometimes it can be a tad cheesy. Thankfully, Jessica Henwick and Simone Missick play well together, so even when it does start to get corny, they are able to pull the scene back.
The show is generally doing a good job at retaining its newfound quality, even if all of the characters still seem to be more interesting than Danny. Walker/Mary has become incredibly intriguing, as Alice Eve’s unique performance has really paid off. With Davos incapacitated upstairs, Danny being driven off to the Hospital, and Mary now in control, I have no idea what team Danny is going to do next—and that’s always a fantastic thing.
Bonus Notes:
- “Hold Please.” — Easily my favorite Walker/Mary moment so far.
- I could have done without Davos’ witty helper. I don’t think a single one of his jokes landed.
- The Interrogation scenes were very well done and a great way to start the episode.
You can catch Iron Fist Season 2 available now on Netflix.
