Marvel's The Defenders

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 18, 2017
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 433 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 283 out of 433
  2. Mixed: 109 out of 433
  3. Negative: 41 out of 433
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  1. thunderbeans
    Aug 19, 2017
    6
    I was really looking forward to this season but it was a bit of a let down. Apart from a few fights nothing that exciting happens, its predictable and never pushes the bounds of what they can do with the season. Why they had the main story focus around Danny Rand I don't know, but he is literally the most annoying character of the whole marvel universe. The filming was very frequently tooI was really looking forward to this season but it was a bit of a let down. Apart from a few fights nothing that exciting happens, its predictable and never pushes the bounds of what they can do with the season. Why they had the main story focus around Danny Rand I don't know, but he is literally the most annoying character of the whole marvel universe. The filming was very frequently too dark and the camera moving around way too much with too make shaking. This season had so much promise, it could have been so good yet it just ended up feeling like another crappy season of the iron fist.… Expand
  2. Dubeau
    Aug 20, 2017
    7
    Reply: I just though that Danny had those poor lines to recite of a boyish naive billionaire. Which made him arrogant and stupid. I though the way the team came together was fine and fun. The acting of Elektra was better this time. Stick was just plain predictable. However, if the combat scene were better one vs one, they were really poor when in group. The director had no clue how to shotReply: I just though that Danny had those poor lines to recite of a boyish naive billionaire. Which made him arrogant and stupid. I though the way the team came together was fine and fun. The acting of Elektra was better this time. Stick was just plain predictable. However, if the combat scene were better one vs one, they were really poor when in group. The director had no clue how to shot them together, exception of the last battle where they did a fair effort. Most of the time the combat scenes with multiples were one vs one edited together, instead of making a larger fight and point of view. Also too dark at times. Otherwise it was fun to watch, but too much debate about just everything, and too much side characters.… Expand
  3. kristen58
    Aug 29, 2017
    8
    I debated if I wanted to watch this for a few days. I was really skeptical if it was worth it, I really only cared about Daredevil. I didn't care for Jessica Jones or Iron Fist and haven't had time to watch much of Luke Cage yet. I was pleased to find that while The Defenders does attempt to focus on the stories of all four, if you had to name who was written as the protagonist, itI debated if I wanted to watch this for a few days. I was really skeptical if it was worth it, I really only cared about Daredevil. I didn't care for Jessica Jones or Iron Fist and haven't had time to watch much of Luke Cage yet. I was pleased to find that while The Defenders does attempt to focus on the stories of all four, if you had to name who was written as the protagonist, it would be Daredevil/Matt Murdoch. I was thinking I would watch an episode or two, but it drew me in and I binged the whole season in two days. I wouldn't say it's the best written thing on TV (I rolled my eyes a few times at more far fetched scenarios), but it really draws you in. Great show if you're looking for something to binge. I kept thinking about it between episodes and had to finish the rest of the season, now wishing there were more than 8 episodes. I thought there was a really nice balance between character development and their stories and action/suspense. Imo, it could have used more comic relief, (there was a little bit here and there, but it was minimal), since I don't like it when shows/movies are overly dark/serious, but I could deal with it. Daredevil is a fascinating character, and I really loved watching him again, even when he does have some friends along for the ride, haha.… Expand
  4. Destrath
    Aug 22, 2017
    8
    While nowhere near perfect, this season was thoroughly enjoyable by anyone who's been a fan of Netflix's Marvel shows since the beginning. The villains could have been fleshed out better, the side characters could have been handled a little better than throwing them into a box together and shaking it up, and the chemistry between the 4 defenders felt a little off. Or rather, theWhile nowhere near perfect, this season was thoroughly enjoyable by anyone who's been a fan of Netflix's Marvel shows since the beginning. The villains could have been fleshed out better, the side characters could have been handled a little better than throwing them into a box together and shaking it up, and the chemistry between the 4 defenders felt a little off. Or rather, the chemistry between Daredevil and everyone else in the show felt off, or forced. The other three heroes meshed well eventually.
    The plot was good but not great. The fighting scenes were great, but never felt like there was much consequence attached to them. A lot of people complained that the show started slow, but that's a given when you're forcing 4 strangers together into an heroic situation.
    Essentially, while this season will never be "must watch" tv, it was still a great way to spend a couple lazy afternoons. Very entertaining despite it's flaws!    … Expand
  5. IhateDiabloIII
    Aug 23, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm concerned this family of Marvel shows will ultimately fall victim to the apparent Netflix mandate that not every show can be a hit and some shows are intentionally doomed to be cancelled after 2-3 seasons from the start. Exhibit 1A - insert your unnecessarily mediocre element of the show here ______. My biggest criticisms are not of the major heroes but the villains, especially Madame Gao. If you have followed her trajectory from Daredevil to Iron Fist to the Defenders, her abilities and characterization have been depicted with wild inconsistency, which is more an issue of the writing than anything else. In her first Daredevil episodes she is depicted as an evil little badass, then for most of Iron Fist she's depicted as a feeble old woman who can't defend herself in a fight, then in Defenders she suddenly has badass mystical powers again (based on the fight scenes). The actress playing this role must be thoroughly exasperated with the material by this point, or she's just happy to be getting a paycheck, who knows. And Sigourney Weaver, not Finn Jones, is by far the biggest disappointment in this show. She's clearly way too old to be doing action movies or shows at this point, and the one fight scene she tried to do is almost embarrassing to watch (like a senior citizen taking their first ever self defense class). Speaking of Finn Jones, my impression is that he must have watched all of Iron Fist season 1 over a big tub of ice cream while crying in his basement, realized certain things he was doing wrong, then made certain mechanical changes to his Defenders performance, because he was, overall, way less annoying and painful to watch than in Iron Fist, especially in his scenes with Luke Cage, which were mostly fun. He still has a lot of work to do, if Netflix gives him the opportunity, but he's definitely trending in the right direction with this character.

    So Netflix - at least one more season please! And like 10 more seasons of Jessica Jones.    … Expand
  6. CineAutoctono
    Oct 7, 2017
    7
    "Marvel's The Defenders" was a simple and daring series, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, protagonists of this new series that since the first chapter has been good, after they joined everyone was improving, history and characters were very good, this new series of Netflix-Marvel brought us more surprises.
  7. AllanBarbosa
    Aug 29, 2017
    7
    The first 3 episodes remember very much Daredevil what is a great point, but after the third, the show transforms into a "PUNCHEST Show" without a good connection and a script, A "Tamed" Daredevil, "Badass" JJ, "Bulletproof" Luke Cage and a "A shallower who has become a better character" Iron Fist, turned "Marvel's The Defenders" imperfect and running. Although, the comedy, action and theThe first 3 episodes remember very much Daredevil what is a great point, but after the third, the show transforms into a "PUNCHEST Show" without a good connection and a script, A "Tamed" Daredevil, "Badass" JJ, "Bulletproof" Luke Cage and a "A shallower who has become a better character" Iron Fist, turned "Marvel's The Defenders" imperfect and running. Although, the comedy, action and the entire group scenes, are very good, but does not reach the feet of all other Marvel-Netflix series excluding "Marvel's Iron Fist".… Expand
  8. Spydar71
    Sep 15, 2017
    8
    I liked this story a lot. Great ending. I liked how they pulled the four stories together and closed off some story lines and opened up new ones to come. Glad to see Misty finally lost her arm, which means the Misty Knight we love is soon to appear. Can't wait. Personally I think Iron Fist should become more of a supporting role and be replaced by the Daughters of the Dragon instead.I liked this story a lot. Great ending. I liked how they pulled the four stories together and closed off some story lines and opened up new ones to come. Glad to see Misty finally lost her arm, which means the Misty Knight we love is soon to appear. Can't wait. Personally I think Iron Fist should become more of a supporting role and be replaced by the Daughters of the Dragon instead. Both of those women are great actors and deserving of their own story line, still within the realm of The Defenders. Wouldn't shake anything up to bad, just hurt Finn's ego some.… Expand
  9. thoodee
    Aug 19, 2017
    5
    Don't know what it is, but after the last two Daredevil seasons, these Marvel shows have been getting more campier, predictable, and very formulaic. Very ABC network cookie cutter type of show, much like agents of shield. Why even have this on Netflix if you can't be a little edgier or put more thought into a storyline. I will say I got through it all unlike Iron Fist.
  10. raorian
    Aug 18, 2017
    7
    nobody is expecting a masterpiece watching this. could be better

    Jessica and daredevil are great
    luke is ok
    fist is boring
    electra is just as terrible as she was in daredevil
  11. Renwicke
    Aug 19, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While I did enjoy The Defenders, it wasn't nearly as epic as it should have been. Granted, character development and all the in between fight scene elements have been some of the stronger points across the Marvel Netflix shows, but many of those scenes seem to drag on here. Sure, we need to establish where these characters are emotionally as we haven't seen a few in awhile, but that should have been taken care of by the end of episode 2. I kept repeating Ken Watanabe's most notable and memed quote from 2014's Godzilla, “let them fight,” throughout this series. When we do get the fight scenes, it really is awesome to see our 4 heroes throw down as they are truly bad ass together. We really should have had at least one more epic fight scene though. As far as the main villain, while I'm a huge Sigourney Weaver fan and was excited to have her join the universe, I just never got the “big bad/leader of The Hand” vibe from her. So, moving on from the negative: The female cast besides Ritter's Jessica Jones nails it as they have done thus far, the banter of the 4 heroes is exactly what you would expect, the 2 big fight scenes are awesome, we establish the beginnings of the great Danny Rand/Luke Cage friendship notable in the comics, Colleen Wing.......Colleen Wing, and everything gets set up for the future rather nicely. Although it seems like I had more to say negatively, I did enjoy the series, I just wanted more. Too bad we all will have to wait awhile to see all 4 heroes together, but I'm sure the next go around will have the elements most people would have liked this time around. It may not have been the strongest series thus far, but it serves as a good and necessary installment in the Marvel/Netflix universe.… Expand
  12. SexiPlexi
    Aug 28, 2017
    9
    Metacritic has obviously been tainted and paid off by some company....how on earth did they give This a 63 it obviously a straight 80-90 show....Guardians Vol 2 only 67 at least deserves a 75......then they gave Get Shorty & Mr. Mercedes absolute terrible nonsense 71's...The Leftovers got a 98 when it was more like a 70 tops, They gave The Americans a 94 that is so wrong.....Metacritic isMetacritic has obviously been tainted and paid off by some company....how on earth did they give This a 63 it obviously a straight 80-90 show....Guardians Vol 2 only 67 at least deserves a 75......then they gave Get Shorty & Mr. Mercedes absolute terrible nonsense 71's...The Leftovers got a 98 when it was more like a 70 tops, They gave The Americans a 94 that is so wrong.....Metacritic is a mess a useless site that can not be trusted....never using Metacritic ever again… Expand
  13. ProdigyTofi
    Aug 21, 2017
    8
    I thoroughly enjoyed The Defenders. The writers stayed true to the comics and the fight scenes were incredible, even with the characters that lack martial art skills like Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. However, Danny Rand consistently annoys me with his apparent lack of common sense and selfishness, and although sensible in making him the central ploy to the plot , the writers should haveI thoroughly enjoyed The Defenders. The writers stayed true to the comics and the fight scenes were incredible, even with the characters that lack martial art skills like Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. However, Danny Rand consistently annoys me with his apparent lack of common sense and selfishness, and although sensible in making him the central ploy to the plot , the writers should have made his character wiser.… Expand
  14. entitet
    Aug 19, 2017
    4
    Just wow. This was mediocre. To put it short: the threat wasn't threatening enough and the so called super heroes wasn't super heroic enough. Even the non super heroic characters of the show put up a good fight against the villains and it felt like the writers wasn't able to come up with any situations where a super hero were needed. Just some uninspiring fights, which didn't impress. InJust wow. This was mediocre. To put it short: the threat wasn't threatening enough and the so called super heroes wasn't super heroic enough. Even the non super heroic characters of the show put up a good fight against the villains and it felt like the writers wasn't able to come up with any situations where a super hero were needed. Just some uninspiring fights, which didn't impress. In that sense, "The Defenders" could've just as well been a season of "24", but far less intriguing and much worse written. Something that could've and should've been a "Avengers" light or a Marvel tv show x4 became just as weak and messy as the first season of "Iron Fist."… Expand
  15. DefinitelyMayb
    Aug 18, 2017
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm not going to lie, but the Marvel Netflix series since DD season 2 has gone down hill rather quickly in terms of everything. Everything that made Daredevil and Jessica Jone great (or at least on par for some people) has quickly devolved into a sh*tfest with bad writing, clunky dialogue, dull action scenes, incoherent plot and character motivation and imo the cardinal sin, awful world building.

    The Defenders isnt completely awful but it starts off really slow with many jump cuts trying to set up the heroes up before meeting up. The acting in Defenders is generally really good, with Signourey Weaver doing a really good job with the writing that is given. Although the pacing is snail pace for the first 3 episodes, it quickly picks up by the end of episode 3 and the show does a really good job at bringing these characters together and the banter is generally quite fun. However, that when the show starts to go downhill rather quickly. **Spoilers: these are the problems set out below**

    1) Uninspired plot and convoluted motivations - By the end of the show, I couldnt believe how awful and uninspired the actual story was for the show. For something built up as to destroy New York City (by referencing Pompeii etc) but we realise that the Black Hand all along was to find some stupid dragon bones so that they can get the 'substance' that keeps them immortal. There also this convoluted plot about trying to enter Kun'Lun again but this is never explained. Although it is explained that the city will collapse once the bones are taken, they stated it would be an indeterminate time before it happens which is pretty bullsh*t. Given that they were immortal for a long period of time, but Alexandra decides to use all their remaining resources on Black Sky (Electra), it literally makes 0 sense why they would do that, nor the fact why is Electra that much special - it just seems she's a good fighter but nothing else. Why does electra kill Alexandra at the end? Its seems to come out of nowhere.

    2) Bad writing - The show by the end is just made up of bad writing.
    One of the problem was that they had so many side characters from the other shows, so they just decided to lump them in the police station and have them speak clunky dialogue. Why is the C4 put in the evidence room without locks? Why is the C4 even in a fricking police station. Characters that die seemingly just appear again. How does Sowande just gets captured like that? All the Hand seems awfully weak with the Japanese hand much weaker than Nobu despite him being like one of the key organisers. One of the most bizzare scene is when Luke Cage gets seemingly hit by a truck from nowhere and it is exclaimed that he is 'captured' (despite being just run over). Next moment he brings Sowande captured after he drives away. Another evidence of bad writing is the Defenders decides to blow the building up at the end, committing domestic terrorism despite the fact I have no idea how that would destroy the Hand or achieve anything. Characters seem to come in and out whenever they wish - for example Electra just turns up to their hiding spot out of nowhere. Iron Fist is as annoying and poorly written as usual, and also lacks martial fighting skills? He literally ends up beaten up everytime. Another unintentional hilarious moment is when Electra appears in the Chinese restaurant and gets hit by a car cause Jessica Jones pushes the car through the store?

    3) The action is sub standard - after watching the fighting scenes in daredevil again, the Defenders action is boring and pointless. Apart from a rather spontaneous fight we get at the company's office, everything else is dull, just people getting pushed or punched. Daredevil literally never uses his gear. The final fight is incredibly awful, being shot in the dark with little contrast as all the characters are dressed in black. It made 0 sense why Luke Cage would sustain damage from the japanese guy, and it is never made clear why Electra just doesnt kill them all when she has the chance - and how the hell does 4 of them cant beat electra, but when it is Daredevil alone, she seems to lose?

    4) World building is awful - Characters seem all over the place. Hand feels incredibly small and weak - for example, we never see the ninjas (until the end, but they dont even dress like ninjas). What happened to the terrifying ninjas. The actual Hand leaders are so incredibly weak at fighting and lack any characterizations. Heck Nobu seems more powerful than any of them and he's suppose to be more an underling. The polcie act like the Defenders are the biggest criminals, but they dont care about anything else? Everyone acts surprised that stuff happens despite the fact it set in an Avengers world with aliens.

    5) Sh* pacing and direction - What can I say? Sluggish at start and gets sluggish by the end. Odd pacing choices especially when the team gets together. Visually nothing interesting and is very bland.    … Expand
  16. StrayDogA8
    Aug 19, 2017
    4
    The scene is full of darkness, and the story is so terrible. Jessica has almost no contribution, maybe Colleen is more qualified to be the fourth member of the team.
  17. extremeprey
    Aug 18, 2017
    7
    Thought this was a solid season overall.
    Just a quick rundown on my thoughts of the characters and their own shows:
    Thought Daredevil Seasons 1 & 2 were brilliant and Jesica Jones managed to leap up their alongside the two. Luke Cage was a fun watch but suffers from an overdue stay and all in all, I'll admit it, I liked Iron Fist. I wouldn't say it was anything great but it was as fun as    Thought this was a solid season overall.
    Just a quick rundown on my thoughts of the characters and their own shows:
    Thought Daredevil Seasons 1 & 2 were brilliant and Jesica Jones managed to leap up their alongside the two. Luke Cage was a fun watch but suffers from an overdue stay and all in all, I'll admit it, I liked Iron Fist. I wouldn't say it was anything great but it was as fun as Luke Cage.
    So how are they all together? Pretty darn good. If you like Daredevil then you'll be satisfied and the same can be said for Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. This show manages to bring their strengths and weaknesses in a fun package although I will say the first four episodes could've easily shrunk down to one. With that being said give it a watch if you've had fun in this universe before!    … Expand
  18. GunnerMcDagget
    Aug 20, 2017
    4
    The writing was well below average, there was no chemistry between the characters, the new villains weren't interesting. Sigourney Weaver was the star of the show but poor writing let her character down. 90% of the show felt like filler.

    A very disappointing series.
  19. santiagodraco
    Aug 21, 2017
    5
    Occasionally clever but mostly a drag Marvel's Defenders continues the studio's inability to deliver compelling television since the first 2 seasons of S.H.I.E.L.D and season 1 of Jessica Jones and Daredevil. I actually found myself hitting the fast forward button to skip past much of the monotonous and unnecessary drivel.
  20. TheQuietGamer
    Sep 4, 2017
    7
    The long-awaited culmination of Netflix's four show slice of the MCU is finally here. While it's great to see these heroes finally unite after a combination of five seasons worth of build up, it's going to be no secret some mistakes were made along the way. While this is still guaranteed to entertain anyone who has been keeping up to this point, one can't help but wonder if theseThe long-awaited culmination of Netflix's four show slice of the MCU is finally here. While it's great to see these heroes finally unite after a combination of five seasons worth of build up, it's going to be no secret some mistakes were made along the way. While this is still guaranteed to entertain anyone who has been keeping up to this point, one can't help but wonder if these characters should have come together to face a threat that's a little more interesting and left a lot of their excess baggage at home in their own shows.

    Where the series really succeeds is in it's depiction of the characters. Danny Rand is so much more enjoyable here than he was in Iron Fist. Finn Jones gives a much better performance and while Danny still has those moments of spoiled entitlement, the fact that he has to share the spotlight with others makes him so much less grating. Jessica Jones is also notably improved here. Krysten Ritter feels like a better fit for the character than she did before. Something that may also be due to the shorter running time and work alongside other leads. Much Finn Jones a lot of her inadequacies aren't so pronounced. Colter and Cox are just as fantastic as ever. Everyone has remarkable chemistry and it's a blast to watch them interact. Jones and Colter are so great together I honestly wouldn't mind seeing a Luke Cage and Iron Fist spin-off. Cox and Ritter are also great, seemingly allowing their characters to find a real friendship. I also wouldn't mind seeing those two team up again. Of course Colt and Ritter are just as perfect together as they were back in JJ. When are their characters getting back together already?

    The action has also taken a huge step forward. This is an area where Daredevil and to a lesser extent Luke Cage haven't really struggled the way the other two series have. It's nice to see Jessica Jones throw some punches and actually use that super strength of hers for more than just awkwardly flipping people. Danny Rand now actually feels believable as a master of martial arts. The choreography remains great throughout, even if it's a little more sloppy in the last few episodes. It's also weird to see Luke Cage take such a beating. They totally nerfed him.

    Where The Defenders fails to learn from it's predecessors is in it's writing and storytelling. The fact that this is a mini-series and only consists of 8-episodes means that something is always happening. Unfortunately, weak villains and a bland plot mean that it isn't always interesting. While giving an excellent performance, Sigourney Weaver and the rest of the leaders of "The Hand" hardly feel threatening or compelling. While far from new territory for DD and Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones feel rather out of place in a story involving so much mysticism. Things are fine at first. We get treated to a lot of great character moments as we catch up on what these heroes have been through between season of their individual shows, and watching them come together to fight a mysterious menace is initially very compelling. However, as the mini-series rushes towards it's conclusion things start to fall apart. Things get ridiculous to the point of being outright dumb at times, and we realize just how lame the threat to New York actually is. It also feels like the writers tried way too hard to shoehorn in the side-characters from each series, adding to that somewhat bloated feeling.

    The Defenders series does seem to have learned somethings from it's predecessors, but at the same time keeps a lot of their flaws. As a result this isn't going to bring the same level of satisfaction that first Avengers movie did back in 2012. Yet, enough of each series individual strengths come together to ensure that there is still a good time to be had. If you've enjoyed yourself up to this point, you aren't likely to stop now.

    7.9/10    … Expand
  21. imthenoob
    Aug 20, 2017
    4
    The show is pretty bad, I'm not gonna lie. The story is just trash, The main villains aren't interesting or come off as threatening at all. I view Defenders as a cheap way to wrap up the weak story line of Daredevil season 2 so they can move on and go do something else.

    It's not a total wash though because there are some things that are good: The defenders have great chemistry together.    The show is pretty bad, I'm not gonna lie. The story is just trash, The main villains aren't interesting or come off as threatening at all. I view Defenders as a cheap way to wrap up the weak story line of Daredevil season 2 so they can move on and go do something else.

    It's not a total wash though because there are some things that are good: The defenders have great chemistry together. They did a great job with Iron Fist and really redeemed his character here after that god awful first season. Aside from that, It's just not that good of a show. Not as bad as Iron Fist but still disappointing.    … Expand
  22. Coran06
    Aug 19, 2017
    4
    The story began well written, and the characters had good introductions to the plot, but around episode 4, many loose ends appeared and the end was shallow. Not even some very good fighting scenes in the beginning of the season could save this series.

    Unfortuantely, I was very disappointed.
  23. ahand
    Aug 20, 2017
    4
    Defenders suffers from inconsistent and poor pacing and tone. The netflix side of the MCU has been established in its earlier iterations (Daredevil and Jessica Jones, and to a lesser degree, Luke Cage) as being darker and more grounded in realism. When its mystic elements are put into play in DD2 and Iron Fist, the show tends to lose this established tone. This is evident in how most fansDefenders suffers from inconsistent and poor pacing and tone. The netflix side of the MCU has been established in its earlier iterations (Daredevil and Jessica Jones, and to a lesser degree, Luke Cage) as being darker and more grounded in realism. When its mystic elements are put into play in DD2 and Iron Fist, the show tends to lose this established tone. This is evident in how most fans and critics praise the Punisher storyline in Daredevil 2 over the hand aspect of the series.

    The ninja villains of this series have lost any edge that they may have had in previous series and no longer feel like a threat when untrained characters are able to beat them.

    Many of the characters could have been handled better. When the last "twist" involving Misty Knight in the final episode transpired, absolutely nobody cared - she just didn't get enough focus on the show to really be important.

    The fight choreography that was so lauded in Daredevil doesn't return in Defenders. Action scenes rely on shaky camera and quick cuts.

    Overall, this show is rather disappointing.    … Expand
  24. Geekstinct
    Aug 19, 2017
    5
    You cant see anything in half of this show. Scenes shot in the dark results in grunts and assumed punches. The plot is pretty stupid and Danny Rand is annoying as hell.
  25. Vickmon
    Aug 19, 2017
    1
    8 episodes
    4 of them are boring.
    The other 4 are cool.
    Cons:
    Unnecessary dialogues.
    Messed up fights.
    Little interplay between the characters.
    You take yourself too seriously.
    Sigourney weaver disappointing.
    Use of consecutive plan to speak "we are cinematographic", where the formula q no longer works.
    Pros:
    Seeing a troupe joins up to get excited even with so many glitches.
  26. reasonate
    Aug 29, 2017
    6
    I agree with many of the other posters. This was okay. I didn't hate it, but I kind of didn't care that much about it either. I watched the whole thing over a few days and while I didn't have to force myself to finish, nor was I excited and looking forward to the next episode. The writing and directing needed to be tightened up and improved. I think if they weren't spending so muchI agree with many of the other posters. This was okay. I didn't hate it, but I kind of didn't care that much about it either. I watched the whole thing over a few days and while I didn't have to force myself to finish, nor was I excited and looking forward to the next episode. The writing and directing needed to be tightened up and improved. I think if they weren't spending so much time catching people up on all of the characters and trying to give a nod to the supporting cast for all four series, the show would have been more engaging. They tried to combine too many shows into one. They tried to capture the essence of each separate series, and shoe horn them all together, but failed to create a new "essence" for The Defenders' series. It is tough to merge so many story lines and characters into a new, disparate show, and they did an okay job of it. Worth watching, but hope they do a better job the next time around.… Expand
  27. Eilanzer
    Aug 22, 2017
    5
    Shallow script with cool characters inside (iron fist still is a crappy whiny kid tough)
    The whole plot was full of problems and the villains even with amazing potential did nothing to scare a 10year old.
    Just a "MEH" show...Nothing to remember one week later...
  28. southernsun
    Aug 19, 2017
    4
    Meh. Kind of entertaining but ultimately a super predictable plot line but somehow also confusing and disjointed. A couple of episodes were good, but overall it was a disappointing effort. It's been all downhill since Daredevil Season 1.
  29. finnonfire
    Aug 18, 2017
    4
    Not much to say about Defenders. Its the same old story taken from some of the other series. Except now you have 4 characters as the focus instead of just 1. You'd think team up, save the city would be a good thing. It might be if you didn't have 4 B actors running around in situations that barely make sense, or actually add to the narrative.
  30. elyh
    Aug 21, 2017
    4
    Considering the source Materiel this series is mostly a waste of space. The series doesn't have the budget to really showcase a team of super heroes and the actors are way to average to make the characters likable. The only good thing about this series is Sigourney Weaver it was nice seeing her behind a camera again.
  31. AlphaJPrime
    Aug 19, 2017
    5
    Not a good plot, and Jessica, Luke and Iron Fist are not on par with the more developed and interesting Dare Devil. Several unnecesary and old SJW themes where brought to the series, which only bring more hate to the already crazy USA political enviroment. Fight scenes were poor, lighting management was poor. Secondary good characters were used with no sense (a nurse on a fight scene -Not a good plot, and Jessica, Luke and Iron Fist are not on par with the more developed and interesting Dare Devil. Several unnecesary and old SJW themes where brought to the series, which only bring more hate to the already crazy USA political enviroment. Fight scenes were poor, lighting management was poor. Secondary good characters were used with no sense (a nurse on a fight scene - actually holding her own against ninja assasins). Stereotypical characters make the series boring. It was really not that good, and it is what I expected after not being able to watch Jessica Jones, and understanding the poor concepts behind Jessica, Luke and Iron Fist. Good luck and please choose better heroes to team up with Daredevil. Daredevil is ready for the BIG screen.… Expand
  32. crankyerma
    Aug 18, 2017
    3
    I know it's not fair but I lost interest approximately fifteen minutes into the pilot. Three of these characters could completely disappear from the Marvel Universe and it would not bother me in the slightest. Really, I just want a new season of Daredevil and a series Luke Cage soundtrack CDs because they would be about a thousand times better than the actual show.
  33. Michaletos
    Aug 21, 2017
    6
    Huge disappointment. The fight scenes were awful, In most scenes you could see that their punche hit nothing but the air. Very slow plot, lots of talking, Weaver was a wasted opportunity and very bad acting from the majority of the actors. Cox shines once again and he proves that he is a level above all the other actors (Weaver too). Pity. It could be great
  34. macboru
    Aug 18, 2017
    9
    In terms of both character and story, Defenders season 1 rates somewhere between DD season 2 and JJ season 1. There are story beats character development for each hero's fanbase, and those who have recently re-watched previous seasons will be rewarded in seeing various threads come together. There were moments that left me scratching my head (and I believe that Sigourney Weaver wasIn terms of both character and story, Defenders season 1 rates somewhere between DD season 2 and JJ season 1. There are story beats character development for each hero's fanbase, and those who have recently re-watched previous seasons will be rewarded in seeing various threads come together. There were moments that left me scratching my head (and I believe that Sigourney Weaver was horribly miscast here), but the the through-line was logical and the story held together. Moreover, the actors were a delight - especially when the principal characters came together. Like the previous entries in the Marvel/Netflix shows, I will enjoy watching this again.… Expand
  35. ultimasmit
    Aug 18, 2017
    9
    Frankly, I do not understand all the hate coming towards this show. Most people are judging this as a movie while this show aims for better pacing and ends up having no "nothing" episode like all of the other shows. It made me like Danny Rand for one which is an achievement in itself. The fights were will choreographed and some are in contention for the best throughout Marvel Netflix.Frankly, I do not understand all the hate coming towards this show. Most people are judging this as a movie while this show aims for better pacing and ends up having no "nothing" episode like all of the other shows. It made me like Danny Rand for one which is an achievement in itself. The fights were will choreographed and some are in contention for the best throughout Marvel Netflix. However, sometimes some glaring issues come up, such as the prop swords looking incredibly obvious, some blood effects, some music choices and some of the gore just doesn't make sense.

    However, throughout this, it remains incredibly enjoyable and the characters shine throughout. Most of the jokes land, the mystery is fairly gripping, the twists work and make complete logical sense.
    SPOILER ALERT:
    I really do wish they user Sigourney Weaver more because she was really effective as was the Japanese dude, hopefully though Gao can carry the baton.    … Expand
  36. HJRodrigo
    Sep 4, 2017
    0
    Show started too slow and had little payoff. It seems that Netflix is regressing to the crappy era of superhero movies that was ashamed of the source material and had the characters/settings be more "realistic". These characters are supposed to be larger than life. That is one of the reasons kids liked to read the comics, because it was an escape from reality. The Netflix Marvel stuff isShow started too slow and had little payoff. It seems that Netflix is regressing to the crappy era of superhero movies that was ashamed of the source material and had the characters/settings be more "realistic". These characters are supposed to be larger than life. That is one of the reasons kids liked to read the comics, because it was an escape from reality. The Netflix Marvel stuff is currently getting fairly boring and lame. I hope that Daredevil does not continue in this awful direction.… Expand
  37. Progeny
    Aug 19, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was excited for this release, but had very muted expectations. I was hoping that the plot would lend to Finn Jones (Iron Fist) and Mike Colter (Luke Cage) being able to actually act, and not just loaf around spitting one liners... nope. The plot being centered around Finn Jones was a bummer. I was hopeful that being on a team would mute his uneven acting, but it seems Jones can't actually act (as in bring life to a character). Colter is not much better. He's just.. stiff. And the brooding black guy (who goes to jail AND has sex with all the women) is old. Can we get some nuance please? This has more to do with the writing, but I'm starting to believe he and Jones are best as ancillary characters only.

    This brings us to Élodie Yung (Elektra)... no. Just no. Same with Sigourney Weaver (Alexandra Reid). The only thing good that came out of those two was when Elektra stabbed her they slowly appeared on screen... I laughed out loud... such a meme(able) moment. Like why was she down there? It was like a scene from a puppet show.

    Charlie Cox is dope as usual, and Krysten Ritter (though I don't like the Jessica Jones character) plays her role well... we need to work on her punching form though.

    This series is somewhere around the iron fist series 1: Meh-sville with a couple of cool moments.    … Expand
  38. JorgeLestre
    Aug 20, 2017
    8
    Defenders is weaker than expected, but it's still top-notch entertainment from Marvel. We could only hope for an improved second season and for a better look at the badass villains.
  39. VaaderDj19
    Aug 20, 2017
    8
    I think the show is getting an unfair rating by the critics. It's exactly what the Avengers would be if it were a TV show but toned down to an extent. If you think back after finishing binge watching it, you can think that the plot was flimsy, but while you're watching it the action is plentiful enough to keep you invested and it doesn't meander into convoluted character development thatI think the show is getting an unfair rating by the critics. It's exactly what the Avengers would be if it were a TV show but toned down to an extent. If you think back after finishing binge watching it, you can think that the plot was flimsy, but while you're watching it the action is plentiful enough to keep you invested and it doesn't meander into convoluted character development that used to break Marvel spell.
    Let's be honest, Jessica Jones and too some extent Daredevil are outliers in the Marvel Universe and there is no way Netflix can get every Defender to have gritty realistic storylines. Also imagine having an ensemble of Nolan batman heroes, doesn't work.

    The Defenders is a great weekend Marvel Binge and am looking forward to the Punisher!    … Expand
  40. bigbro29
    Aug 20, 2017
    8
    I must admit I wasn't sure about this show going in but now that I have gotten started watching I love it I cant wait to see what happens from episode to episode if I could give a word of caution at all it would be to keep young kids away these heros have incretibly dark pasts and they really arnt meant for kids they have been in prison are heavy drinkers and sometimes act more like aI must admit I wasn't sure about this show going in but now that I have gotten started watching I love it I cant wait to see what happens from episode to episode if I could give a word of caution at all it would be to keep young kids away these heros have incretibly dark pasts and they really arnt meant for kids they have been in prison are heavy drinkers and sometimes act more like a 'suiside squad; type heros than your average hero so that's my take on this show and its fantastic… Expand
  41. Direwolf73
    Aug 21, 2017
    8
    The biggest fault I really had with this series was it seemed too short. Would loved to have been a bit longer. That said I feel it was just right and gave me tons of stuff to love from top to bottom. Each character shined but I have to say Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones still is the best of the four. She chews up every scene she is in!
  42. spraffen
    Aug 21, 2017
    3
    Definitely a mediocre and disappointing show, CW ABC television fail level. Whatever started great with Daredevil 1 has never been achieve again and since Iron Fist this shows are falling flat.
  43. cajun67
    Aug 22, 2017
    6
    Netflix's second worst Marvel show (the worst being Iron Fist). At 8 episodes long, the season feels both too short and too long at the same time. The writing is a little campy, and a little cliched.

    Part of the problem is that these Netflix/Marvel shows are a little too grounded. You keep waiting to see something fantastic, and it never comes. There doesn't seem to be much budget for    Netflix's second worst Marvel show (the worst being Iron Fist). At 8 episodes long, the season feels both too short and too long at the same time. The writing is a little campy, and a little cliched.

    Part of the problem is that these Netflix/Marvel shows are a little too grounded. You keep waiting to see something fantastic, and it never comes. There doesn't seem to be much budget for CG, or maybe just not enough creativity. The effects in these shows are so low budget, these shows could have been made in the 80's.

    Anyway, The Defenders isn't terrible. It's just more of the same.

    I really hope that in the next round of seasons for these Marvel shows, Netflix spends a little more on effects and shows us the comic book world that fans really want to see.    … Expand
  44. MadViking
    Aug 23, 2017
    6
    Daredevil and Luke Cage had a sort of mystery towards them, what's going on and what do the bad guys want, with a build-up of suspense through the series. The defenders just go strait to the source, all the build-up tools laid out on the table, meaning that you could have easily have told the story in 3 episodes, and the rest is as such only bad fillers. There are cringe moments of badDaredevil and Luke Cage had a sort of mystery towards them, what's going on and what do the bad guys want, with a build-up of suspense through the series. The defenders just go strait to the source, all the build-up tools laid out on the table, meaning that you could have easily have told the story in 3 episodes, and the rest is as such only bad fillers. There are cringe moments of bad writing, cringe moments that doesn't feel natural in the series, and it drags on and on and on. All the mystery and all the suspense that made Daredevil and Luke Cage worth seeing through and through, has been completely flattened, and the Iron Fist is as terrible in this show as he was in his own.… Expand
  45. GreedyPete69000
    Aug 29, 2017
    5
    Was an ok watch. When it comes down to it, the effect of any of these Marvel Netflix shows comes down to the actors more than anything. Kristen Ritter and Charlie Cox portray their characters effortlessly and effectively, while Mike Colter brings up the rear and sadly, Finn Jones belly flops throughout the entire season. Damn shame. Villains were more fleshed out than in Daredevil S2 andWas an ok watch. When it comes down to it, the effect of any of these Marvel Netflix shows comes down to the actors more than anything. Kristen Ritter and Charlie Cox portray their characters effortlessly and effectively, while Mike Colter brings up the rear and sadly, Finn Jones belly flops throughout the entire season. Damn shame. Villains were more fleshed out than in Daredevil S2 and Iron Fist, which was nice. Fight scenes were difficult to follow. I have a feeling that directors with poorly planned fight scenes resort to close ups and shakey camera to mask the lack of suspense. Anyways, a big ole meh.… Expand
  46. speelbergo
    Aug 22, 2017
    4
    Dull and predictable. Complete lack of compelling conflict. The creators of this show obviously detest superhero stories, and as such, have no reason to be making superhero show.
  47. avr50
    Aug 21, 2017
    7
    It´s not bad. The defenders is not the best marvel and netflix collaboration product that offered us. But, it is still entertaining. If you know well our four protagonist, you will enjoy it, but if this kind of tv show that you don´t enjoy that much, it will be kind of bad. To me, it could be better.
  48. alejandro970
    Sep 10, 2017
    8
    One of most recent bets of Marvel/Netflix; a sort of Avengers integrated for working class heroes: Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones in a dysfunctional team. The action sequences and the plot makes enough for make it worth.
  49. Hype2x
    Nov 3, 2017
    2
    It's so disappointing. Netflix has sadly stepped down from its early Marvel shows quality wise.
    Daredevil Season 1 was masterpiece, its Season 2 was really Good. Jessica jones was Great. Luke Cage was okay. But since Iron Fist, Marvel-Netflix has stepped down.
    It's not garbage level of Iron Fist, but it's still disappointing for the Team-up of Netflix that started greatly with Daredevil    It's so disappointing. Netflix has sadly stepped down from its early Marvel shows quality wise.
    Daredevil Season 1 was masterpiece, its Season 2 was really Good. Jessica jones was Great. Luke Cage was okay. But since Iron Fist, Marvel-Netflix has stepped down.
    It's not garbage level of Iron Fist, but it's still disappointing for the Team-up of Netflix that started greatly with Daredevil until now.
    Team Dynamic is good, Danny's character has been upgraded. Daredevil still shines. However the villain issue still continues, which means the Female Villain wasn't on pars with the Hype. Hand were awful.

    Overall, a Disappointment for Netflix/Marvel. I hope The Punisher be great, because it seems like it's going back to Season 1 of Daredevil days.    … Expand
  50. ScienceAdvisor
    Aug 21, 2017
    5
    A total disregard for continuity. Powers are only on display when convienent. Character traits shift from episode to episode. A story items are illogical, and repleat with plot holes. Somehow they managed to make this season souless, even with that ending. Less soap-bloat and more coherence will be required if this is to see more than a second season.
  51. ManWithoutFear
    Aug 18, 2017
    10
    Loved it. Start to finish this kept my attention. After the disappointment that was Iron Fist (the portrayal itself), I have to admit he was great in this!
    I loved the chemistry between Luke and Danny as it teases their friendship in the future as "Heroes for Hire". Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil was amazing as always and so was Jessica Jones. I really loved Luke Cage in this, he    Loved it. Start to finish this kept my attention. After the disappointment that was Iron Fist (the portrayal itself), I have to admit he was great in this!
    I loved the chemistry between Luke and Danny as it teases their friendship in the future as "Heroes for Hire". Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil was amazing as always and so was Jessica Jones. I really loved Luke Cage in this, he was a great addition! The Hand was known to be a weaker link in the past, but here we finally get a more in depth story and their motives are so clear now.

    In the end the Defenders throw a punch powerful enough to break through it's limits and it ties loose ends perfectly, whilst making us want more. I'm really excited for Season 3 of Daredevil most of all. But nonetheless they were all perfect.

    10/10    … Expand
  52. Goo4you
    Sep 3, 2017
    5
    A thrilling let down that I really did not see coming. There is something rotting over at Marvel and there T.V products as of late. Where the movie properties built to a powerful conclusion movie (each phase capped with an avengers movie finishing off the arc) The small screen's composite components are the stronger of the bunch (minus Iron Fist)

    At 8 episodes The Defenders felt less    A thrilling let down that I really did not see coming. There is something rotting over at Marvel and there T.V products as of late. Where the movie properties built to a powerful conclusion movie (each phase capped with an avengers movie finishing off the arc) The small screen's composite components are the stronger of the bunch (minus Iron Fist)

    At 8 episodes The Defenders felt less like a conclusion to each character's story up to that point (which it did do somewhat) and more of a jumping off point for the next phase in the shows (which it did do). The problem is of the 4 Defenders, only 2 really have any dog in the race. Daredevil and Iron Fist have the biggest reason(s) to be here, while Luke Cage only nominally has something tying him to the story. Jessica Jones on the other hand (pun intended), is the most bereft of the bunch having no real reason to be here and is treated as such. It feels less like a team of heroes thrown together for the sake of saving the world and more like a bunch of actors sent out to the season to get people to continue to watch the show(s). The thing is; they didn't have to go this route. Many people that watched this already have been watching the seasons up to this point, we watched this for the payoff of last few years and we didn't get that.

    Of the other elements in the show, the staples are there. Combat was done well, as was the use of each heroes color tone/music choices. The acting was spot-on in tone for each character, though someone needs to coach Finn Jones a bit more. He has only two emotions "Crinkle-face anger" and "pseudo-calm face."

    I hope this isn't the trend Marvel is going with the T.V show(s). There was so much potential in the first season of each character's shows (well 1st phase before The Defenders), I hope the show(s) don't go flat going forward.    … Expand
  53. OllyNorton
    Aug 21, 2017
    5
    I'll start this by saying I have no real knowledge of the comics upon which these shows are based. I have however thoroughly enjoyed Dare Devil (9), Jessica Jones (8), Luke Cage (8), and yes even Iron First (6), so i was very much looking forward to this.

    Unfortunately it's kind of all over the place. There is never any real clue as to how The antagonist plan to actually destroy the    I'll start this by saying I have no real knowledge of the comics upon which these shows are based. I have however thoroughly enjoyed Dare Devil (9), Jessica Jones (8), Luke Cage (8), and yes even Iron First (6), so i was very much looking forward to this.

    Unfortunately it's kind of all over the place. There is never any real clue as to how The antagonist plan to actually destroy the city, and ultimately the well developed and intriguing Sigourney Weaver was toppled in a scene so un-impactful that it registers somewhere on the emotional spectrum between sleep and meh. They did manage to bring the heroes together in a somewhat clever way without it feeling incredibly contrived, it is still a bit contrived, but it's hard to find a reason for disparate characters to come together and they avoided many of the usual cliches. After that though it's generally a damp squib, the menace set up by Weaver falls flat, the plot to destroy New York makes no sense as we find out their intentions have really very little to do with New York at all. It's merely thrown around that New York will be destroyed to add gravitas to a fairly mirky plot. The music falls flat, the choreography is nowhere near as good as it is in Dare Devil, the overall aesthetic is so dark at times it's hard to really tell whats going on.

    It's not unwatchable though, once they get together the banter between the characters is good. Die hard fans will need to watch to see how the overall story arc progresses and where each character leaves off, with Matt being the one with most significant changes for his potential next season. That said this isn't great TV, or even good TV, it is watchable and enjoyable at times, but will leave many feeling very underwhelmed.    … Expand
  54. marcmyworks
    Aug 21, 2017
    8
    Marvel's The Defenders gets better as the series progresses, especially with the addition of the excellent Sigourney Weaver. Though some of the computer graphics are cheesy, and Iron Fist remains to be as annoyingly bratty as he was in his season, the all-star cast proves that you can have an 'Avengers' worthy TV show, without the budget.
  55. Ankhthiel
    Aug 18, 2017
    3
    Its a pretty good show so far but the Luke Cage character is pretty racist. It stands out in episode 3 really bad. The others are good even if Jessica Jones is a bit boring but Luke Cages racism is really a turn off to the program. If you skip his parts the show is fine but i shouldn't have to skip the racist parts the bigotry just shouldn't be in the show.
  56. MorphVGX
    Aug 19, 2017
    9
    My expectations for this show were high. And it did not disappoint. All characters had their own feel and it was very interesting to watch them interact. All characters shine equally. They all have strong and weak traits. Good amount of secondary characters from each show (lot of pretty ladies!) are nice to see together. There is a ton of good action, including fights among the four.My expectations for this show were high. And it did not disappoint. All characters had their own feel and it was very interesting to watch them interact. All characters shine equally. They all have strong and weak traits. Good amount of secondary characters from each show (lot of pretty ladies!) are nice to see together. There is a ton of good action, including fights among the four. Some fights were a bit chaotic and could have more drama. Nevertheless, an enjoyable show for fans of all of the series.… Expand
  57. BlazetheWizard
    Aug 18, 2017
    10
    The Defenders throw a powerful jaw-breaking punch with a few unexpected twists.
    Each "hero" serves a role in this series and while some are overshadowed by others. They are all equally presented in terms of relevancy.
    Plus...Iron Fist is a better character in this and that's a plus.
  58. Yoel1995
    Aug 19, 2017
    9
    The series begins slowly but when the four protagonists meet the series improves a lot.
    I love the color changes according to the character and the cast is great.
    The only bad thing is that they give much importance to Iron Fist and very little to the other characters, especially they miss Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.
    Overall very good.
  59. RyanZhao
    Aug 19, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pretty good i think, but emmm could be better.

    Its kind of fascinating in the beginning of the show for seeing four heroes uniting together. Full of great suspense especially before the episode 4. I mean the pace is really compatible with the former Marvel Netflix series and the action scenes are pretty outstanding(although not as good as DD series).However, After episode 5, the clues become a little messy and complicated, which leads to a wield pace of the latter part of this show. The ending is a little bit disappointing but acceptable. How can DD and Electra fighting while making out with each other??? It's a little bit confusing. Maybe I need more explanations and groundwork before that sudden spark between the two of them. (just personal idea)

    As for the casting, Daredevil, good as always; Jessica Jones, this series makes me love her more; Luke Cage and Iron Fist, not so interested but is OKAY.

    Maybe some of the plots doesn't make sense ,but anyway....I am just excited about 4 of them uniting together and the deeper exploitation of their personalities as well as the deeper insights into the relationship between their own friends. So I'd like to say, regardless of the logicality of certain scenes, this TV show have accomplished its mission.

    Totally, its a good show with respectable acting as well as fascinating and nervous story line with a few flaws which is acceptable since after all, it is the very first time for Marvels TV shows to unite a bunch of heroes in one story.    … Expand
  60. kman5473
    Aug 21, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Good:
    -Action sequences are on freaking point
    -Performances by the majority of the cast
    -The most central, and primary story arch of the team

    The Bad
    -The dialogue. Some of it is good, but for some reason the writers thought that the talking points would be the most interesting part of this show. It's not. At all. Because no one is struggling with grounded, humanized themes anymore like in Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, or the first season of Dare Devil. It's also not fun dialogue. Most of it is really straight-forward, kind of just moving the plot along without a character demonstrating the moral conflict their facing which leaves me with the question: WHY ARE YOU TALKING FOR SO LONG????
    -Iron Fist. A billionaire playboy with super powers still finds more reasons to brood than an alcoholic and jaded Jessica Jones, a blind lawyer who has seen so many of his loved ones die, and a black man who has been in jail for a few years.
    -The actor that plays Iron Fist. He does have some decent moments, but overall his performance was meh
    -The "plot twist" near the end of the season. I mean, it was clearly going to be that or Black Sky/Electra joins the good guys    … Expand
  61. AthanasiosT
    Sep 3, 2017
    9
    Combines the best parts of the four heroes' stories, stays dark and violent with good directing and photography. Maybe focused a little too much on the fighting part and a little too less on the characters, but still one very good show.
  62. AceTrigger94
    Aug 18, 2017
    10
    I love seeing all of these characters together. This show is a three-years process in the making and it was totally worth it. Iron Fist is good in this show too.
  63. Rodrigo_DsF
    Aug 18, 2017
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Frankly, I know it's not fair but I lost interest approximately fifteen minutes into the pilot. Three of these characters could completely disappear from the Marvel Universe and it would not bother me in the slightest.… Expand
  64. OscarTheGrouch
    Aug 21, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Basically the first season of Defenders doesn't make a lot of sense.

    Why would the Hand hire street kids to tidy up their murders, when they have an army of professionals under their command already? To get Luke Cage involved obviously, but that could/should have been done with better writing. Because the 2nd question would be why would the Hand suddenly bother cleaning up their murders in the first place when they haven't done so in the past.

    For that matter why would the Hand go after the architect that built them their building? I mean, again I know it's to get Jessica into the story, but what exactly was the reasoning for the Hand? They already had the building, why bother with the architect in the first place? Exactly, bad writing.

    A bazooka couldn't hurt Luke Cage, yet people (with no superpowers mind you) with swords and martial arts are something that can hurt him? The initial fight with Iron Fist shows that martial arts alone does nothing against him until Rand uses his power, yet when the Hand does the exact same thing it's suddenly something he worries about. No, just no.

    Iron Fist going after a lackey trying to cover up a murder is 'white privilige' now? That scene was cringe worthy, did Luke Cage ask every person he knocked down in his own show if they were trying to make money to make a living? Of course not. Such a dumb scene, it's like they didn't know how to put this conversation into the show where the black person talks about white privilige to make the series hip with the hipsters, so they just made up some wack argument behind it.

    Why is Stick's arm with the hand which was cut off, longer than his arm with his hand still attached to it? :D

    So a white woman, a black man, and a Latin man were in K'un-Lun (somewhere in Asia) centuries ago and started the Hand? Really? Really? Was this done just to not appear 'racist' with making the Hand all-Asian villains? I think it's more racist that an Asian criminal organisation would need the leadership of a white person. But hey.

    Where were all the ninjas from Daredevil? You know those guys who didn't need teenagers to clean up after them, actually had great fight scenes, and looked a whole lot more menacing and cooler than 'random guy with weapon' which filled the Defenders show. There's an all out war with the Hand, and there are zero ninjas? No way.

    Agents of Shield actually has better fx and fight scenes than the Defenders. :(

    I guess the storyline was ok with the Hand trying to find more 'resources' to make their resurrections possible again After having used it all to bring Elektra back to life. It's just that basically the rest of the writing is a let down. Characters acting dumb, motivations which don't make sense, main villains which don't seem that threathening. I already had my hopes down, because there's only been 1 great Marvel Netflix series (Daredevil) and there was a bigger chance he would be brought down with the other 3 ok/bad series, than that he would elevate them to better quality. And sadly that was the case.    … Expand
  65. Omegagamer
    Aug 30, 2017
    4
    Dare devil was excellent, Jessica jones was excellent. Luke cage was amazing(until cotton mouth died, then it started to go down hill but still was great) and iron fist was just horrible but I was still excited to watch the defenders and now that I have, I can't believe how bad it was.

    Iron fist(finn Jones) is unsurprisingly terrible, one dimensional and practically drags the defenders    Dare devil was excellent, Jessica jones was excellent. Luke cage was amazing(until cotton mouth died, then it started to go down hill but still was great) and iron fist was just horrible but I was still excited to watch the defenders and now that I have, I can't believe how bad it was.

    Iron fist(finn Jones) is unsurprisingly terrible, one dimensional and practically drags the defenders show into oblivion, he's still whiny, still confused and unsure about himself, still looks unbelievable as a fighter and for someone being called "the immortal ironfist" gets his ass whooped in almost every scene.

    The hand returns but for some reason they seem very disorganized and make countless mistakes. If anyone watched the awesomeness that is dare devil then you know that the hand that dare devil fights against and the defenders fight against seem to be two different versions. In the defenders, there aren't any ninjas except for the ones the black sky kills, they've been replaced by guys in suits and they just can't match up to the defenders(they do of course beat up the Ironfist though). The defenders is slow paced and light on action in each episode, some of the plot makes little sense(an architect is able to elude the hand?) like, I don't understand how an architect uncovered their plans and worst of all the defenders has almost zero chemistry together, their mostly at each other's throats(except for Luke and Jessica) or just flat out distrust each other and keeps secrets for no real reason. It took three episodes just to get them all together, the only time they actually have chemistry is in the last episode in the final fight scene. Another pit fall for the defenders is the fact that they centered it around the Ironfist, he wasn't interesting in his own show and in many aspects, is worse here. For future reference they need to better the Ironfist character or just replace finn Jones. The defenders isn't really bad, just so disappointing    … Expand
  66. mrmonster
    Aug 20, 2017
    10
    The Defenders is absolutely perfect. I would not say it is my favorite Marvel-Netflix show (that's still Daredevil) but it is close. If you have been watching the Marvel-Netflix shows so far, you will enjoy this.
  67. ClassicLight
    Aug 19, 2017
    10
    I truly enjoyed the Defenders. Finn (Iron Fist) is the stand out in this series, alongside Dare Devil. Jones acting and fighting were up to par, if not better then DD. He is definitely hitting his stride now. A must watch for any Marvel or superhero fan. Don't listen to critics, the quality and pacing of Defenders is amazing and far exceeds any DC/WB shows out there.
  68. sebastian4815
    Aug 21, 2017
    10
    Not even racist and boring Luke Cage can ruin this masterpiece. The TV show is awesome and most likely one of the best TV show this year. Fight scenes are superior to most other TV shows and story and characters are interesting. LC is once again boring and racist but IF, DD and JJ are all perfect.
  69. zouz123
    Oct 2, 2017
    4
    What happened to Netflix? this one is better than Iron Fist, but still extremely boring. I couldn't continue an episode in one sitting. The show is really slow and the characters (bad guys mainly) aren't that bad. Some scenes simply insult my intelligence as well. I'm still hopeful though.
  70. MrNikitaTV
    Aug 21, 2017
    7
    Защитники- почему на него посыпалось столько хейта, которого он не заслуживает я не знаю. В целом это годный сериал в котором есть как и косяки, так и годные моменты. Вот за что можно поругать это за ужасные сцены драки. Сериал нормальный на один раз хорошо зайдет. На этот сериал возлагали большие надежды, но они почему-то не окупились.Защитники- почему на него посыпалось столько хейта, которого он не заслуживает я не знаю. В целом это годный сериал в котором есть как и косяки, так и годные моменты. Вот за что можно поругать это за ужасные сцены драки. Сериал нормальный на один раз хорошо зайдет. На этот сериал возлагали большие надежды, но они почему-то не окупились.
  71. DoritoDoggo77
    Aug 21, 2017
    7
    Marvel's The Defenders, may have been not as good as expected, but still a a solid plot, action, and the excitement of seeing the characters together on screen. I would place The Defenders better than Daredevil season 2 and Iron fist, taking the 4th best Marvel Netflix show.
  72. PrettyGood
    Sep 13, 2017
    6
    The show thrives when it focuses on a character, but it's predictable and focuses on the most disappointing Defender. The main plot while predictable, it was messy and slow. The villains weren't completely developed. A lot of side characters pulled from their original shows and put in a box together just to have them together on your screen. If you loved all four (yes, including Iron Fist)The show thrives when it focuses on a character, but it's predictable and focuses on the most disappointing Defender. The main plot while predictable, it was messy and slow. The villains weren't completely developed. A lot of side characters pulled from their original shows and put in a box together just to have them together on your screen. If you loved all four (yes, including Iron Fist) individual shows, then you will probably enjoy this one, too.… Expand
  73. brockcheese
    Mar 5, 2018
    6
    Really wanted to like this show but the writing is unfocused and the characters don't even meet up until the end of episode 3. I know it's a tv show and it takes time to develop, this show is only 8 episodes.
  74. Truejustice
    May 7, 2021
    8
    superior to all CW garbage TV shows MCU once again prove to be a true and only king when it comes to superhero series... like with movies
    Defenders are almost pure masterpiece and awesome TV show that combine four awesome characters in epic story. 8/10
  75. ukrScorpion
    Aug 17, 2018
    7
    I big fan daredevil series
    I love Luke cage and iron fist
    Awesome Punisher and good jessica jones
    But Defenders soooo boring and sooooo slow 1-5 series
    Buut 6-8 series is good
  76. LinttaFlamingo
    Feb 3, 2018
    4
    The Defenders is basically a third season of Daredevil but with all four of the superheroes. And it's actually quite bad.

    This was the series I wanted to watch immediately after watching Daredevil, so I could get more Daredevil. But because this thing also has Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, I decided to watch those too. Or more like watch two and force myself through one. Then    The Defenders is basically a third season of Daredevil but with all four of the superheroes. And it's actually quite bad.

    This was the series I wanted to watch immediately after watching Daredevil, so I could get more Daredevil. But because this thing also has Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, I decided to watch those too. Or more like watch two and force myself through one. Then I finally got to this series, and it's basically the same exact story of the evil Hand organisation that was never interesting in the first place. And even though this series only has eight episodes instead of 13, the story still feels like it's stretched very thin.

    I do like the heroes themselves. All the action scenes were fun to watch, especially in the last episode when we get a cool one take and some Wu-Tang Clan in the background, but there're also some badly edited scenes and some of them were way too dark. Not dark as in tone, I mean literally dark. I couldn't see anything. Some of the dialogue scenes between the characters work very well too, especially a dinner scene in the fourth episode. Unfortunately there are also a lot of scenes of people talking about how dangerous the Hand is and they were done in a very uninteresting way, and every episode has a couple of those scenes. A lot of times I felt like nothing was really happening even though technically there obviously was something going on, because the show keeps repeating the same things over and over again. It's either those uninteresting dialogue scenes, or members of the Hand attacking the four heroes and getting their ass kicked. All of the important characters of course take no damage at all. There's a scene in the last episode where Daredevil kicks Elektra in the face and Jessica throws her to a stone wall, but she literally just stands up without any bruises on her face. Not only should her face be absolutely smashed by that, but she also wouldn't stand up anymore. One character literally gets her hand cut off and she's just there like "Ouch, that hurts" instead of, you know, fainting and bleeding out.

    I wouldn't say the show is a complete disaster. The first three episodes have a lot of cool stuff in them. It was fun to watch the superheroes simply just live their life and I liked the way the colors changed a bit depending on which superhero was in the scene. And when they start to get together, it's done in a playful way and it was interesting to watch these four personalities clash together. But in the later episodes the show just got a lot more dull and the writing and directing was very inconsistent. Some things made absolutely no sense and the characters made stupid decisions, and all of it felt like it was because the story had to be stretched more and it was so frustrating.

    Not really feeling it. It's better than Iron Fist unsurprisingly, but this Hand thing needs to go so we can get a better story.    … Expand
  77. JulianIncen
    May 5, 2019
    6
    It falls short on a narrative level, and is demonstrated by the number of action scenes that are presented. Perhaps this will help improve the reputation of Iron Fist and Luke Cage.
  78. abm0
    Nov 24, 2017
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Could've been good, seemed to be gearing up for great things for the first half or so, but then it turns into excessive use of dramatic conversations (Jessica Jones S1 had its share of those, but not to the detriment of the plot and action like here) and at the very end excessive low-level fights against armies of dumb "minions", i.e. the stupid Daredevil-style neverending torrents of punches and kicks that don't mean anything and don't make any impression. And to think some of the first multi-hero fights were actually promising, had more focus, fewer moves that were more interesting to watch, and then they decided to close the deal with some Daredevil levels of boring and repetitive fights, going way down in quality instead of up. What a waste.… Expand
  79. VirgonoShaka
    Mar 24, 2018
    6
    Such a good idea, build up good characters in their own shows and then bring them together. Foolproof, right? Well, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Now, it is not bad, but it can't be said to be that good either. With some of the most forgettable villains around (MCU has a villain problem, right?) and some bleh story, the first season of the defenders is... ok. And consideringSuch a good idea, build up good characters in their own shows and then bring them together. Foolproof, right? Well, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Now, it is not bad, but it can't be said to be that good either. With some of the most forgettable villains around (MCU has a villain problem, right?) and some bleh story, the first season of the defenders is... ok. And considering the excellence of some of the other shows, that is just not ok, Netflix. Hopefully if or when a season 2 comes around, we can have what we expected.… Expand
  80. Marvel_Reviews
    Nov 17, 2017
    4
    THE DULL DEFENDERS!
    The show starts off strong but by the end of episode three takes a nasty turn for the worse. I felt that too many episodes were allocated to a story that could have been knocked into the runtime of 'Jungle Book 2'. All of episodes four to seven were unnecessary boring fillers consisting of characters just plainly talking to one another. Marvel Netflix's 'The Defenders'    THE DULL DEFENDERS!
    The show starts off strong but by the end of episode three takes a nasty turn for the worse. I felt that too many episodes were allocated to a story that could have been knocked into the runtime of 'Jungle Book 2'. All of episodes four to seven were unnecessary boring fillers consisting of characters just plainly talking to one another. Marvel Netflix's 'The Defenders' is not worth watching.    … Expand
  81. gtwist
    Nov 26, 2017
    8
    Marvel's The Defenders was an extremely entertaining mash-up of all of Netflix's characters that we love. Everyone is in there prime, and the action was awesome! Sigourney Weavers performance was very strong, but her character was lacking. Still a great season, and makes up for Iron Fist's first season.
  82. Notachild
    Nov 22, 2017
    7
    A somewhat good TV show that brings a compelling story but lacks in delivery and scen to scen writing. You could not be super stoked about this show if you watched all of it. About 40% of the show is quite boring and the production quality feels somewhat homemade.
  83. DavidDaniel
    Dec 25, 2017
    6
    The Defenders was a much expected show by a lot of people. I wasn't so enthusiastic. The action scenes are good, there are plenty of memorable one liners and yet the show wasn't compelling enough to make me press play on the next episode right after the previous ended.
  84. MarvelJoe
    Mar 13, 2018
    8
    It's a good show and I understand the story but the show does has some flaws. Iron Fist character and how slow the story is and how I not expected. I did feel a little disappointed but fight scenes were good and Iron Fist does get better in this show but by better I mean "his fast pacing fighting" and yes he's still a thundering dumbass and hot tempered like in the Iron Fist show which toIt's a good show and I understand the story but the show does has some flaws. Iron Fist character and how slow the story is and how I not expected. I did feel a little disappointed but fight scenes were good and Iron Fist does get better in this show but by better I mean "his fast pacing fighting" and yes he's still a thundering dumbass and hot tempered like in the Iron Fist show which to me doesn't describe his character. At the end, it was kinda unwatchable after watching it. To me, it's a solid 80 good but unforgettable.… Expand
  85. saltydog99
    Aug 5, 2019
    7
    The defenders was one of my most anticipated shows of 2017 and for the most part it did not disappoint. The show has a little more pop and flair than its predecessors and the characters riff off each other well and that is its main strength. Daredevil and Jessica Jones work great together and both actors play their roles brilliantly. Iron fist and Luke cage work together okay, but they areThe defenders was one of my most anticipated shows of 2017 and for the most part it did not disappoint. The show has a little more pop and flair than its predecessors and the characters riff off each other well and that is its main strength. Daredevil and Jessica Jones work great together and both actors play their roles brilliantly. Iron fist and Luke cage work together okay, but they are still hindered by Finn jones's constantly misguided performance. Jones is a good actor but he just does not capture a well liked and fun Danny Rand. The main villain in Alexandra Reid is fairly interesting and she leads the show with mystery. The casting of Weaver was a perfect choice and her character thrives because of it. The other hand leaders are all interesting and cool and all very well acted. I do believe the villains are a major strong point and that is in major part to the actors and in partial part to the writing. The overall story is the major hindrance here and it is a shame because you have such Cool villains but they're plot is lame and ends in lackluster fashion. Daredevil and Elektra have the only epic ending and everybody else just kinda walks away like nothing happened. The editing, and cinematography are also pretty good and don't have any obvious holes. This show is a really good merger and a successful crossover, but never really meets its potential.… Expand
  86. Adelthorne
    Oct 16, 2018
    10
    Thanks to this show, I decided to see Jessica Jones also. IF and LC was not worth the time to watch though. But they do fit in to this group. Thanks to Daredevil and JJ. I cant wait until a season 2 is coming. And I hope it not be cancelled because of IF cancelling.
  87. Dsros96
    Oct 30, 2018
    9
    This show was amazing. Every character shines in this crossover. Only flaw is that Iron Fist/ Danny Rand gets portrayed worst than he was on Iron Fist.
  88. geewah
    Jan 15, 2021
    6
    Disappointing.
    The cast of heroes are okay without being great, but what drags this down is it's pacing and the villan/bad guys.
  89. Dimocracy
    Jul 6, 2023
    5
    I like the interaction between the characters, but everything else here is just a shame and a failure to meet the expectations of the fans from this collaboration.

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
43
#43 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
63

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 30
  3. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. The Huffington Post
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Aug 21, 2017
    70
    Some of the mystical stuff in The Defenders remains just that: mystical. But after a couple of episodes, and a couple of fights that resemble high-tech barroom brawls, viewers will get the rhythm of the story.
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  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Liz Shannon Miller
    Aug 18, 2017
    75
    The ultimate weakness of The Defenders is found in its plotting, especially the way it indulges in one massive superhero storytelling cliche towards the end. But when the show focuses on character, it’s at its best, especially when the secondary characters,--the women!--get a chance at the spotlight.
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  3. The Daily Beast
    Reviewed by: Ira Madison III
    Aug 18, 2017
    50
    The Defenders should be the best Marvel series Netflix has produced. Except... it isn't. Keep in mind it's very fun to watch and with a shorter episode order of eight, it won't be a slog to get through. But when it comes to the villains, the show gets bogged down in the worst aspects of the Netflix series.
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