The Defenders is the latest Marvel series to make its way to Netflix and it’s worth considering a watch this weekend.
It may not be Avengers level perfect but there are some incredible aspects to the series that shows New York’s finest bunch of rag-tag superheroes come together to fight a common evil cause. For your consideration, here are some of the reasons it’s worth watching:
1. You don’t need to have seen all of the origin series to get into it.
Before sitting down to binge The Defenders, I was worried I would struggle to understand the storyline in full because while I had loved Jessica Jones and Luke Cage and dragged myself through Iron Fist, I hadn’t watched Daredevil. And often, three-quarters of the whole just doesn’t really make for smooth viewing sailing.
Thankfully, Marvel writers have addressed this pretty well, providing enough context for anyone who’s tuning in for the first time. And while this can make the first few episodes a little light on for the diehard fans, a refresher never hurt anyone.
2. Two words: Sigourney Weaver.
If there’s one thing a television series loves more than a superhero, it’s a villain and The Defenders does not disappoint. Rather, they went out and brought everyone’s favourite sci-fi queen Sigourney god-damn Weaver over to the comic book world, and as per usual, she smashes it out of the park.
3. It almost makes Danny Rand bearable.
Say what you will, Danny Rand is quite possibly one of the most annoying characters to have ever been immortalised on screen. He’s whiny, uncharismatic, not particularly bright, a bit of a mansplainer, and basically just a grade A rich-boy douchebag. In Iron Fist, he’s almost unbearable. But when watered down and set amongst stronger characters in The Defenders, he becomes, dare I say it, slightly more bearable.
Listen: Laura Brodnik explains why it’s worth giving The Defenders a viewing chance. Post continues…
4. It delivers flawed characters.
Unlike its films, which tend to gloss over the flaws of its main characters, The Defenders have no problems serving up warts-and-all heroes to television.
For example, Jessica Jones has a horrific drinking problem to deal with, in part, the trauma her ex-boyfriend inflicted on her. Malcolm, her friend and neighbour is a reformed heroin addict. Luke Cage has been to prison and no matter what the justification, has a seriously unforgiving nature and short temper.
Basically, they’re the most real ‘real’ people you’re ever likely to find with super powers. And that makes for seriously compelling viewing.
5. It's the perfect mix of heavy and light storylines.
As mentioned above, these heroes come with a lot of baggage, both personally and collectively. But even with that behind it, there are light moments throughout the series that make it about as close to being comedic as it's going to get. And if you're hungover on a weekend or feeling brain dead from a long day at work during the week, that's exactly what you want from a series, isn't it?
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