We are only a few episodes away from the finale and Davos is finally crossing a line he can’t return from. The show gives us our closest look at his own obsessions with what constitutes the disease he is trying to end. Colleen continues her training of Danny and is trying to push him to finally not let himself be swayed by his emotions. She tests him throughout the episode with a nice little callback to the first season. At the same time, Mary might have uncovered something she wasn’t aware of her DID and it could have some rather dark implications. Everything is coming together as Danny, Colleen, Mary, Misty, and Davos will finally confront each other.

I did mention that the last episode was setting up the climactic confrontation. This episode kind of manages to be a set-up as well as ending the rather short training arc for Danny. They both take a bit of a backseat for side characters like Ward, Joy, and Walker. Probably the most interesting revelation comes from Walker realizing that she has no idea how they got out from Sokovia. She confronts a therapist to seek answers and he opens her up to the possibility that there is a third person sharing the same head. Yes, this is our first hint at the existence of Typhoid Mary’s infamous personality named Bloody Mary from the comics. This seems to be a general set-up for future seasons, as she later ends up focusing on taking down Davos to protect Joy. Ward once again just swoops in and gives us some great lines once again, as he decides to work together with Mary to save his sister as he realizes she may be attempting a suicide mission.

Speaking of the rather flip-flopping character of Joy, she is a bit of a weaker element in the story. Jessica Stroup gives us a great performance but her motivation is rather flimsy, especially that she is now helping out Danny as she fears Davos. Her looking for the bowl was predictable but as the spoiled daughter, they try to highlight her survival instincts. It is an interesting strategy to highlight how she jumps from one side to the other depending on what gives her the best chance to survive. Yet she still tries to help Davos somehow communicate what his goals are. While it is to get him out of his lair so that BB can steal the bowl but she still gives him some solid advice.

Davos needs to communicate his message and show that he is actually trying to help people. Sadly, we see the effects of being sheltered in K’un-L’un as he blindly believes that his actions are pure and true. No matter how bloody they end up being, he is obsessed with results and killing out the “disease”. It really highlights this impure view of K’un-L’un that may be a callback to the “The Immortal Iron Fist” run that showed the corruption spreading through the secret city. Hopefully, this element is further explored in future seasons and may help explore the history of the Hand a bit more as well. We haven’t heard much about them since The Defenders and I am still amazed that there is no sign of Madame Gao this season. Maybe she is still hiding out for the right moment.

The final element is the ending of Danny’s training under Colleen. He mainly wanted her to teach him so he can find his chi and balance again. He lost his focus as he was obsessed with the Iron Fist and the dragon’s soul is calling out to him. After an entire season of proclaiming he is the Iron Fist, the one destined to defeat the Hand, he has realized that he has gotten too obsessed with it. He makes a personal decision that he does not deserve the fist yet and it should go to someone else. Yes, he wants Colleen to take over the Iron Fist.

To call this direction divisive is an understatement. Many believe it is a disservice to Danny and that she hasn’t proven herself to deserve the fist. I can understand that it feels like a PR move after last seasons’ heavy criticism. I personally believe that the decision is mainly made to push Danny’s character further. We spent so much time with him trying to prove he is the Iron Fist only to see how much he lost. We got a lot of times where he showed off his fighting prowess and he certainly has evolved quite a lot since his first appearance. Now, he wants to become more than just the man with the Iron Fist as he does not feel worthy of it. He saw how dangerous it truly is and became obsessed with using it. Who knows how long until he may punch through someone’s chest. To highlight this aspect, we see Davos do exactly that in the episode as he lost his composure at the Silver Lotus. It may be controversial but it shows us how far he has come as a character. Colleen has also gone through a lot of change as a former Hand soldier, she fought against the Hand and even tried to give up a lot of aspects in her life that defined her. Now, she is given a chance for something new and because she was able to give up so much she may be the one person who could hold the Iron Fist until Danny is finally ready.

VERDICT

4 surprise twists out of 5

The episode builds up to that final moment and it really pays off. Long-time fans will be completely caught off-guard that Colleen Wing might be the new Iron Fist. It feels a lot like the reveal in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Coulson was temporarily the Ghost Rider. It is a bit sudden and feels random at first but does expand the overall mythology and possibilities of the MCU. Ward remains one of my favorite characters thanks to his dry delivery and general annoyance with everyone around him. Mary’s backstory is explored a bit more and we get great moments with Davos. While it also feels like a build-up episode towards the finale, it really comes together as it thematically really comes together. Its new direction is controversial but very exciting to explore.

ONE-SHOTS

  • I am still a bit confused about Davos’ tattoo. It is a bit off center and rather large in size, almost like he is making a statement. We also do not find out why exactly he chose a serpent. Madame Gao is really missing this season and hopefully, we get to explore his inspirations for the design at some point.
  • This might be the first time in this season we actually see Danny meditating, never realized that until now.
  • The return of the cage from the first season makes a return and brings a lot of emotional baggage with it. I like the implications for Colleen as their little bout is also a way for her to close of with some things from her past. Still makes me wish her white uniform from the first season.
  • We get a good look at Mary in Sokovia and it makes me wonder if there is a connection to Zemo’s EKO Scorpion unit, which would be amazing.
  • Colleen was never the Iron Fist in the comics but there was an arc that she was hypnotized into believing she was a living weapon. As a result, she could control her chi similar to how the Iron Fist does. In a way, it is just a different way of her gaining these abilities. In a way, it is actually true to the comics but also a rather unique take on it.