After taking a few episodes to get the heroes together, it might seem frustrating that they almost immediately disperse, but it is only temporary. In fact, this allows for the supporting casts to come together as they all convene in the police station, where Luke asks Misty to watch over them until this all blows over. It does lead to some nice small character interactions. Granted, the episode doesn't have too much time to devote, but it's enough and it accomplishes its goal.
Just as the heroes come together, so too do the various factions of the Hand. Where the last episode kept things vague through unnecessarily cryptic dialogue, this one actually fleshes out their motivations. They want to return to K'un L'un and the immortality issue is also addressed in greater detail. True, the "substance" was alluded to, but the stronger dialogue helped convey the fact that it was only a stop gap measure.
The fact that each faction operates differently also comes into play and much more effectively than it did in "Iron Fist". While the ultimate goal is the same, they have different approaches and that means that they don't always agree. It works on several fronts, as it allows the characters get to shine (it was nice to see Gao back to her old self) and stand out more.
Even when one of the "fingers" is captured by the heroes, he manages to prove his mettle by screwing with their heads. He's not quite as good as Gao, but he still does a pretty good job of it.
Elektra also gets a fair bit of plot meat. It seems that the slate isn't as blank as the Hand would like. It seems that Matt is able to reach her at points. It makes for some nice poignant moments between them and it gives this new Elektra a bit more sympathy than what you might have for a cold, soulless, assassin revenant.
It also stirs up conflict among the heroes as Matt's history is revealed to them. It does seem like their making a mountain out of a molehill, though Matt should have been upfront about that. I found the more potent conflict driver to be the heroes first hand look at Daredevil's tactics. While Jessica isn't above roughing somebody up for answers, even she thinks he goes too far during his interrogation. It just makes you wonder how they're going to react when Stick tells them that he wants Matt to lead the charge.
The episode provides great character moments, but it also showcases a nice balance of action as well. The initial fight is somewhat undercut by the fact that we, once again, follow Matt as he pursues Elektra, but what we saw was still solid.
We also get some smaller team ups, most notably Daredevil (yes, Daredevil not Matt) and Jessica, who team up to fight Murakami.
There are some oddities throughout. I did initially find it strange that the Hand was able to physically hurt Luke in combat. Part of that is necessary to keep the tension up, but it later occurred to me that chi could play a part. They might not be able to do it as well as Danny, but it could add some extra umph to their blows. On a somewhat related note, Luke's offscreen escape was pretty awesome. He might not have their training, but the cult also seemed to grossly underestimate their opponent.
The real kicker, however, is Sowande's escape. You'd think one of the characters would have caught a glimpse in their peripheral vision. If, for some reason, that's not enough; you'd think that Matt would have heard him moving. If nothing else, it gives Danny haters a nice moment, as he is held at knife point by the former captive.
I was also underwhelmed by the ending. Seeing Elektra curl up in Matt's bed is emotional and all, but I don't know if that was the scene to end on before cutting to credits. It doesn't have that "aw man, I have to jump into the next episode to find out what happens" feel that some of the other episodes had.
Still, though, this episode had a lot to juggle and it did it fairly well. It may not have been as memorable as the last episode or the one before it, but it did manage to flesh out quite a bit and move the plot forward considerably. We're down to the final three episodes and one can't help but wonder how this group is going to stop what the Hand is up to.
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