I was under the impression that the Chaste and K'un L'un were two separate factions fighting the Hand, but this episode reveals that the two are indeed connected. It somewhat mirrors Gao as initially being presented as part of something separate from the Hand, but ultimately linked. Stick knows about the Iron Fist and, despite his dismissive moniker in the trailer, seems to believe that he's up to the task of bringing the organization down for good.
It seems like every featured character got to shine here. The heroes are, again, a more obvious example, but Stick got to show off some impressive skills in his escape. It was definitely a more worthwhile appearance in comparison to the one from the last episode. Alexandra also gets a much better showing as a villain. She never loses her composure, can even be sympathetic (or at least fake it really well,) and easily takes down Elektra in hand to hand combat. Granted, the latter was a little off her game post resurrection, but it still showed that she's not one to be taken lightly.
Speaking of Elektra, we finally get a glimpse as to what Black Sky is and what it means. Elektra was already formidable, but her resurrection has enhanced her abilities and given her superhuman strength. It's much more than we saw, even with previous resurrections.
It turns out that Elektra's was nothing like Harold Meachum's. She wakes up frightened and still has no memory of herself, but it's played much more seriously. Loopy Elektra would have been interesting to see, but this seems to fit better with the angle that the show is going for.
As expected, watching the characters bounce off each other was a pure joy to watch. Danny and Luke have an interesting dynamic. It was nice to see Danny show his more easygoing side. The way he talks about fighting a dragon, it sounds like he's trying to play it for laughs. Sadly, it's short lived. Hopefully the show brings that out more.
We definitely got to see Luke's easygoing side. The scene with Cole's mother really showed the degree to which he cares about helping people. If you weren't on board with this character for whatever reason, I think that scene will win you over.
On other fronts, Matt and Jessica don't get off to the most auspicious start. I did enjoy the "tailing" scene. The "advantage" went back and forth between the two as they put their respective skills to use. It was distinct enough on its own, but it kind of reminded me of that classic scene in the animated "Batman/Superman" movie where the two discover the other's secret identity.
Of course, it all culminates in the four heroes converging on Midland circle. I've seen people complain about the show's pacing, maybe it's because I knew ahead of time that they wouldn't get together until this episode, but I hardly even noticed it. In fact, I like the fact that they took the time to have the characters come together naturally. Sure, the heroes could have all randomly met at a bar, but this feels more organic and I think that the viewer's patience is rewarded.
While Danny did get an impressive showing, taking on an entire room of ninjas by himself, he does eventually require some backup. Fortunately, Luke is there to provide it, and the other two aren't far behind.
It's not much of a fight until Elektra shows up. That fight with Matt was impressive and entertaining in its own right, though a part of me wanted to see a 4 on 1 sequence. Not only would it have given us more of the underutilized Elektra/Jessica showdown, but it would have really shown us how formidable Black Sky is. But, Matt has the closer connection, so I can see why the writers decided to go the route they did.
Oh, also, the rooms were well lit. We could actually see the fight choreography. That alone warrants commendation enough, but yes, the fights were really well done in their own right.
All in all, this episode was a blast. I'm kind of sad that we're already at the halfway point. A part of me wishes that they had been able to do 13 episodes, but with the size of the cast, I get it. It has also resulted in faster pacing, which is definitely to the show's benefit. The show just keeps getting better and now that the team is assembled, I don't doubt that the pattern is going to continue as we move into the fourth episode.
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