The Defenders: Ashes, Ashes [Ep 06] ✦ Watchalong Reaction & Review

Elektra being The Black Sky is different than the rest of the Hand and Harold who were brought back to life. Same substance brought them all back to life, but there was more to the ritual to be the Black Sky. The idea was that the Black Sky is just a vessel and when the human body dies, they do some things that both bring the body back to life, but some other thing, some entity, comes into the body and fills up the vessel. The idea was that it was supposed to replace the dead person completely. It didn't seem to work that way and we don't know if it's because something didn't go right or if Alexandra's belief was just that, a belief that she was wrong about. When Elektra came back, she does have something more than she used to. She has much greater strength, speed and who knows what else? She's also got ninja training, among other things. That's how she can get the better of Luke. It's mystical shit. I don't remember the regular Hand guys doing any damage to him. Although, they can still use martial arts to use his own weight against him and that's how they can toss him. She's enhanced now. We just don't know exactly to what extent. Didn't feel out of place at all to me that she could get behind Alexandra to kill her. There actually was a reaction to all of the rest of the Hand, although it was subtle. They have seen a lot in their time, so it probably takes a lot to REALLY shock them, but they seemed pretty shocked. Alexandra had also imparted on them that the Black Sky could kill them, so they know she's powerful and they are ill at ease because they don't know exactly what she's capable of and since Alexandra was the one "holding onto her leash," the Black Sky is even more of an unknown variable to them. Danny kept wanting to go after the Hand, without a plan, and the rest of the group wanted to make a plan. He keeps spouting the line about the Iron Fist's duty is to destroy the Hand but he doesn't know any more than that, it seems, and the rest of the group is saying, "Let's figure out exactly what the Hand is doing and is working towards so we have an idea how to counteract it," and Danny just won't listen and thinks they should act NOW. But, HOW do you act? Especially if you don't know what they're up to? In his series, he was only told that it was his duty to destroy the Hand, but he wasn't even informed on exactly what The Hand is. He didn't even think they still existed, at the beginning. There was so much he didn't know about them and he doesn't think that he needs to find out everything he can about them before going after them? You could be walking right into a trap they've been planning (for centuries), which you wouldn't know about 'cause you don't think it matters to know their plan. (*sigh*) This is what I meant when I said earlier that the characterization of Danny feels like they were dumbing him down to make it so that he's actually the weak link in the group. When the viewer is looking at the hero and think they're making bad mistakes, you lose respect for that character. It's like when they write characters in horror movies to do dumb things. Once that happens, you stop rooting for that character 'cause "They're an idiot and kinda deserve what they get." It's a good horror movie, when the characters act they way you think people should act and you (and they) get surprised. Good writing has the protagonists doing what you think they SHOULD do, but the antagonists thought of that and outflank them. You do want the villain to be smarter/more powerful than the hero, but you want the hero to also be smart. In fact, it's usually the hero outsmarting the more powerful villain that tends to make up a well-written story, IMO. RIP Stick.

Thadman