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This is perhaps the most evident in the Season 1 episode “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight?,” which sees Luke raid the Crispus Attucks Building in a black hoodie covered with bullet holes, taking out an army of goons with little more than the door he ripped off a car and some random household objects, all set to the sound of the Wu-Tang Clan. The imagery makes for a stark and powerful statement, of a sort that Luke Cage would continue to embrace throughout its run. (See also: The inclusion of the Method Man track “Bulletproof Love”, which was written with the show specifically in mind.)
Luke Cage: Misty Knight’s Mission
Not all heroes wear capes, and though detective Misty Knight eventually gets a superpowered boost from a bionic arm, her story is primarily about a young woman who could have done anything but chose to return home to Harlem and fight to make her community a better place. Her explanation of why she chose to become a police officer—the brutal rape and murder of a cousin— during a required session with a psychologist in “DWYCK” is harrowing, thoughtful stuff.
Luke Cage/Iron Fist: Heroes for Hire
Though a lot of us have our fair share of issues with Iron Fist, the awkward besties dynamic between Luke Cage and Danny Rand was one of the things that particular corner of the Marvel Netflix universe got perfectly right. Finn Jones’ guest appearance in Luke Cage Season 2 episode “The Main Ingredient” shows us that the powers that be realized Danny works best as a comic foil to Luke’s straight man, and he and Mike Colter definitely had the kind of BFF chemistry that could have more than carried a “Heroes for Hire” series. (Which probably would have been better than the second season of either’s individual show!)
Iron Fist: Daughters of the Dragon
While there are a lot of issues in Marvel’s Iron Fist the introduction of Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing is almost enough to make up for them. Though we never really saw her get the chance to properly become the Iron Fist in her own right, her origin story was a compelling one and her friendship with Luke Cage’s Misty Knight repeatedly hinted that a female team-up Daughters of the Dragon spinoff was in their future. And that is surely a show I would have liked to see.
The Defenders: The Group Hallway Fight
Though The Defenders has its fair share of problems as a series—it wastes Sigourney Weaver, Elektra’s motivations make little sense, its climax revolves around a dark and senseless underground ninja fight in the skeleton of a literal dragon and I only wish I was kidding—it’s worth it for the first time we get the chance to see The Defenders truly team up and fight together in “Worst Behavior”. With more of the fantastic stunt choreography, we’ve come to expect from all these Netflix series and a real determination to show us everyone’s different fighting styles, it’s a wildly satisfying sequence to watch.
The Punisher: Frank’s Tragic Past
While much of The Punisher focuses on Frank Castle’s rage-fueled desire for revenge, the penultimate episode of Season 1, “Home,” finally shows us the things he lost along the way. A rare look at the Punisher’s more vulnerable side, the hour features scenes from his previous happy family life that illustrate the true extent of former Billy Russo’s betrayal and the emotional hole those losses have left him with. All of which makes the inevitable epic bloodbath of vengeance that occurs by the episode’s end feel like something more personal and inevitable than anything that’s come before.
Source: Den of Geek