It was nice to see Danny and Colleen's relationship continue to blossom. Much like they did before, the two share a nice bonding scene, though this culminates in consummation. While having Danny talk about his time in K'un L'un was likely done more for the sake of practicality, it is interesting to hear him talk about it. It's a fast, easy way to touch on his back story, but Jones does such a good job talking about it that you can't help but be fascinated.
Just as that relationship seems to gain momentum, an "old friend" of Colleen's appears. We're not sure what the relationship is exactly, though she is quick to tell him that Danny is the Iron Fist. I guess in a world of superheroes dropping that fact might not be as jarring as you'd think, but it does still cause you to raise some eyebrows.
Just like in the last episode, Madame Gao acts as something of a show stealer. Her casually walking into Rand Enterprises was a great "oh crap" moment, but it keeps going from there. Not only is it made clear that the Hand has infiltrated the company, but we see Gao make veiled threats and make Danny an offer to just walk away from the oncoming war, noting that he could live the life of a comfortable life as a billionaire instead.
While Gao carried the scene perfectly well, you have to wonder why Danny would trust her to keep her word after what she pulled during their last confrontation. She did just make it clear that she's willing to lie and renege, so why would his withdrawal ensure the safety of Claire or Colleen? Oddly, this never gets mentioned, but as Danny was going to reject the offer anyway, I suppose it's moot.
It was nice to see Gao allude to Daredevil and Luke Cage. Nods like that are always fun. The prior makes sense as the Hand have come into direct conflict with him and Matt was trained by a soldier of the Chaste (who have yet to be mentioned, strangely enough). It is odd that she'd mention Luke, though. Sure, it makes sense for the Hand to keep watch over powered people, but he has no idea who they are and he hasn't really gotten in their way like Matt or Danny have. If she was just talking about heroes in general, she could have also made mention of either Jessica or Spider-Man.
As to the Meachums, well, they're a mixed bag. There are moments where they are coming off as more sympathetic, such as seeing Joy continue to try and be there for her struggling brother, and other times where their plot gets a tad silly. The moment where Ward is summoned to help his dad desecrate and then dispose of some bodies is a strange blend of the two. The way the scene plays out, it's utterly ridiculous, but you really can't help but feel sorry for Ward in that situation. His exchanges with Harold are also some of the more memorable Meachum scenes to date.
Ward's deteriorating mental state starts to come to the forefront as the strain of hiding his dead father, his stress at work, and his drug addiction start to collide into what borders on a complete psychotic break.
I'm torn on the episode's resolution, where Ward kills his father. This does seem to bear a striking similarity to "Luke Cage" that did a similar thing with Stokes (in the 7th episode even), but unlike Stokes, it seems like Harold had more story to tell.
We aren't really sure what his end game was. He didn't seem to be entirely aligned with the Hand, but from a meta-perspective, it seems like he would have eventually come into conflict with Danny for some reason or another. It made for a rather interesting dynamic. Maybe more of his involvement will be elaborated on later, or maybe the Hand will just revive him, we'll have to see.
The murder scene, sadly, fell flat. Ward's yelling came off as more corny and silly than intense and terrifying. The smirk Ward gives after he disposes of the body helps redeem him a little, but I'm still not sold on him being a potential big bad for the remainder of the series.
The episode is fairly light on corporate goings on, but what is there is still meaningful. Danny once again antagonizes the board as he demands that they shut down a plant, keep paying the people working there, and reinstating dental coverage. Suffice it to say, the board's run out of patience and oust not only him, but the Meachum siblings. Ward probably had it coming too, so really, Joy is the victim here.
Again, this seems like a scenario where there was a third option beyond either Danny cowtowing or pulling rank again in a very short amount of time. The people in this company really need to work on their communication skills.
Is the board voting to oust Danny and the Meachums legitimate or is it the Hand trying to get him out of the way? Up until now, the other board members seemed like otherwise mostly legit businessmen, but with that revelation, you really can't help but wonder. If that is the case, it would make it a lot easier for the trio to get their jobs back at season's end.
As the show moves into its second half, it continues to do rather well. This episode was well paced; delivered a healthy balance of action, pathos, humor, and momentum; and even provided some nice wham moments. Despite flaws in execution, the final scene is a game changer and it does leave you wondering where the show is going to go from here.
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