Given that we're only at the halfway point of the season, and much was made about how Danny wasn't really aware of what he was up against (something Claire amusingly lampshades by pointing out that she has more direct experience against his supposed sworn enemy than he does,) I was expecting him to lose. Not only would this ensure that the Hand remain, but it would show how much the odds are against him, and maybe how a team is needed to deal with the threat.
While the various agents give Danny solid fights for various reasons, he is still shown to be a highly competent contender. Even after being poisoned, he still manages to hold his own. Speaking of, did he cure himself? He did some sort of chi thing after his fight with that woman, but it didn't seem like that would be enough. If it was, maybe they should have made it clearer. Or maybe the poison was temporary and meant just to disorient him? I don't know.
This episode also gives Madame Gao what feels like the most screen time she's had since her first appearance back in the first season of Daredevil. It pays off as, despite being a diminutive elderly woman, she has quite the strong presence. She does a masterful job of taunting Danny and clearly relishes being the bad guy. I loved her pointing out the fact that she has no interest in honor when she gives Danny the ultimatum near the episode's end. Also, much like she did against Daredevil, she manages to take Danny out with one move. Will the two challenge her to a 2 on 1 fight in "Defenders"? That would be cool to see.
As noted above, the episode does deliver more than cool fights. I was actually enjoying seeing Danny and Ward investigating warehouses looking for heroin....it makes sense in context. The two were showing a "vitriolic best buds" vibe, taking snarky potshots at each other all the while. We were told the two had this as kids, but it was nice to see it displayed as opposed to just being told that this was their dynamic. Had they done more, it probably would have been chided as padding, but they were still fun scenes none the less.
This episode also raises a valid question that many might not have actually thought of until now; and that is why Danny came back. As Gao notes, he's not here to fight the Hand. That was just dumb luck. If the people in K'un L'un knew and sent him back to deal with it, you'd think they'd tell him. It's implied he couldn't commit as much as they wanted him to, but we'll have to see what the specifics were.
Alas, Danny's plot isn't without its faults. While him being more serious minded can be refreshing to some, that doesn't change the fact that he gets stuck with some stilted dialogue. It's hard to do that sort of pseudo-philosophical stuff well, and alas, this episode couldn't do it.
I'm also not sure about the development that Danny sees and communicates with the ghost of his master. It just seems like it comes out of nowhere. Shouldn't there have been signs of this? It seems like Danny's never really had this problem, but it plagues him for a good chunk of the episode with no real provocation. Maybe they'll go somewhere with it, but I think it was a bit late in the game to pull this. At the very least, do a better job of hinting at it before hand. On the plus side, the guy does have a cool voice. At the very least, listening to him is rewarding in its own right.
Of course, Danny isn't the only star of the show. Even Ward is finally given something to do as he starts to spiral as a result of withdrawal from the painkillers on which he is hooked. I figured that his deteriorating mental state was shock from seeing the decapitated head. I doubt that helped, but it seems the drugs are the bigger issue. It was nice to see Joy's concern for her brother. These two have had a problem really shining and coming into their own. I don't know if they're there yet, but it's certainly better than nothing.
Meanwhile, both Claire and Colleen have their hands full dealing with the maimed Hand chemist. While much is made about how they can't bring him to a hospital...they eventually bring him to a hospital. More specifically, it's the hospital where Claire used to work. This does work to her advantage as she still has some pull with the staff.
Once again, the Hand arrive, though they are much more subtle about it this time around. I'm not going to lie, I miss the ninja garb. Their presence also gives Colleen a chance to get in some combat time. It's not a long fight, but I'm pretty sure the viewers will still appreciate it.
This episode was pretty simple and straight forward, but that's hardly a bad thing. The fight sequences were all entertaining and generally well done. It did fall into the poor lighting trap at points, but it never got too terrible on that front. With multiple solid episodes in a row, I think it's safe to say that the show has found its groove. I'm looking forward to seeing how things progress as we move into the second half of the season.
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