Table for four.
Although The Defenders spend the majority of Royal Dragon barricaded in a Chinese restaurant, it’s unquestionably the most enjoyable and engrossing episode of the season so far.
Why? Because we simply get to spend time with them together, in one place, and explore the different dynamics and tensions that exists between them, flirt with where these relationships will go, and see their reaction to Stick elaborating the threat they will face. After spending the first three episodes largely isolated, it’s a brilliant use of what is essentially a bottle episode to make up for all that lost time.
Structurally, my favourite thing about the episode is how the show tackles the hero shot of them as a team. When they first walk into the Royal Dragon, they’re on the run from The Hand – confused and overwhelmed by this powerful threat – and as they line-up side-by-side it almost plays as a sardonic parody of the iconic shot in The Avengers. Here, our heroes aren’t united – frankly, they look uncomfortable and a bit pissed-off at each other. But by the very end of the episode, they take another shot at it, and they suddenly feel like a team – a team with problems and tensions, but they have each other’s backs. That’s a quick reversal in roughly 50 minutes of television, but again, it’s down to some focused, well-written and economical scenes and the pressure that comes from having a single-location set-up. In fact, I would've preferred if the action never cut away from the confides of the restaurant.
Royal Dragon is largely without action, but I found it just as exciting to see them come together and interrogate one another. Turns out they actually have really strong chemistry as a team. There’s so many curious little dynamics at play: Danny believing their meeting is a form of destiny; Luke not trusting Daredevil, who is still wearing Jessica’s scarf around his head and looking faintly ridiculous; Jessica not wanting to be there at all. But within this claustrophobic scenario the show finds time to divide its cast and create smaller, more intimate moments. We get a hint at a blossoming romance between Luke and Jessica as she leaves the restaurant and seemingly abandons her role in the fight. We also get a hint of the blossoming bromance between Luke and Danny, who realises they make a pretty great team. And Charlie Cox, as he so often does, gives the show its emotional weight and depth. All these characters have lost loved ones in their respective shows, but it registers much more strongly when delivered by Cox.
The episode doesn’t simply establish these dynamics, but even within the space of a single episode is able to build on them. Yes, trust is built quickly but doesn’t feel rushed. Daredevil taking off the mask, revealing his identity to Danny and Luke is a fantastic moment, and lays down a strong foundation for this fledgling team. Similarly, once Stick turns up and has to table a lot of heavy exposition regarding The Hand and its structural organisation, it’s fun to see the tension between Danny and Matt grow. Iron Fist is eager to learn more about his destiny, as the leader of The Chaste, while Daredevil can’t bring himself to trust Stick even with The Hand on the rise. At last, the show benefits from all the foundational work laid down in those respective seasons. Unlike the early episodes where we were being reintroduced to characters, this episode finally taps into so much of what we've learned in those respective shows. Unexpectedly, that inherited knowledge finally pays off around a small table crowded with noodles and dumplings.
The Verdict
This episode brilliantly culminates with Jessica finally returning to the fold in inimitable style, throwing a car through the front of the restaurant flattening Elektra in the process. As the team line-up for the second time, with Stick too, you realise what a great episode this was. Nothing much happened in terms of action, except The Defenders finally became a team. Finally.
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