Shaun Munro reviews the tenth episode of Iron Fist…
Iron Fist enters its final stretch with more barmy revelations, though they at least feel decidedly more pared-down and reined-in than episode nine’s ludicrous, divisive resurrection of Harold.
For all its flaws, “Black Tiger Steals Heart” is certainly full of juicy revelations. We learn much more about Colleen’s sensei Bakuto (Ramón Rodríguez), a seemingly viable ally to help Danny make the most of his chi-driven abilities. Bakuto’s curiously complex motives near-instantly make him one of the series’ most intriguingly enigmatic characters, and difficult for viewers to totally get a bead on.
Episode ten also does a great job furthering The Hand’s involvement, as the extent of their reach becomes mostly clear, even if it’s not massively surprising. Still, there’s a twist here that’s pulled off well enough, and fundamentally changes much of what viewers assumed in the previous episodes (perhaps presenting some unexpected re-watch value). Plus, we get an enjoyable fight scene out of it.
Subplots are still mostly trash, though; Danny and Colleen’s romance hits a hard speed-bump (oh no!), but it’s still hard to give a damn precisely because it’s felt so forced and unnecessary since day one. The eventual resolution to this conflict is extremely predictable and, one can argue, somewhat illogical.
The Meachum siblings meanwhile continue to get the short shrift as expected; that corporate blackmail plot teased two episodes ago makes a return in groan-inducing fashion, just when you hoped that maybe, just maybe, it had been quietly ditched.
The action at least soundly delivers in the episode’s home stretch; a climactic set-piece, once again taking place in a hallway (because of course), is a blast, especially considering the obvious technical constraints of staging a fight within a 5-feet-wide space. It’s a riveting tag team fight, and arrives just as ennui feels like it’s about to set in.
The episode ends by presenting a somewhat interesting stumbling block for Danny and his powers, albeit one that feels a little tacked on as an arbitrary late-season problem ahead of his inevitable heroic resurgence. Such is the problem with Danny’s powers being so intangible; the “because magic” excuse has a shelf life, and it’s already straining credibility and audience investment at this point.
With some intriguing if unevenly-executed plot twists as the season enters its final stages, this was an above-average entry for the show so far, abetted by rock solid direction from Peter Hoar (who will also be directing the third episode of The Defenders later in the year). There’s still room to ramp things up for a stakes-filled finale, but it doesn’t quite feel like it’s getting there yet. It simply remains to be seen whether or not what follows can capitalise on the various hurdles thrown up for the heroes this time. Fingers crossed.
Shaun Munro
Originally published March 26, 2017. Updated April 11, 2018.
