Because I'm tired of people hating on Iron Fist

Yes, I know I'm late to the party, but do you know how hard it is to find any positive reviews of Iron Fist? Most of the sites where I normally get my TV news were pretty brutal, and even the kinder reviews tended to be of the "here's a few good things in the midst of all the bad" type. And it isn't just the reviewers online - my friends also seem to feel at best ambivalent about the show. Given all that, I had a lot of trouble figuring out why I enjoyed it more than both Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. (To be clear here, I'm not saying it was a better show than either of those. It was probably the weakest of the solo series, but somehow that didn't stop me from enjoying the heck out of it.)

After some thought, and a couple conversations, here's my reasoning on why I liked Iron Fist.

First, unlike 99% of the internet, I actually like Danny Rand. Sure, at times he can be, to quote one reviewer, a "whiny, arrogant twerp." But he isn't always; sometimes he's really sweet, and at heart he just wants to belong. Another complaint I've seen takes this into account: there are those who are annoyed by the fact that Danny's character and mood often change wildly from one moment to the next. To both of these complaints I say, have you ever met a preteen or teenage boy? Danny's character is perfectly in line with his backstory. While he may physically be an adult, he lived in a monastery with warrior monks from the age of ten onward, which I imagine would greatly stunt emotional and mental maturity, especially since the monks were basically abusive and saw any emotion as weakness. I can understand if you don't like Danny's character, but please realize that he's supposed to be the way he is. And just like I still liked my little brothers when they were going through the whiny, arrogant twerp stage, I still like Danny Rand, despite his flaws. I think he has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to seeing him continue to grow.

Second, a quick note on casting. I know there were a lot of people who were pissed when Finn Jones was cast as the Iron Fist. Most of the controversy was because people wanted to see an Asian-American actor in the role, but Danny Rand in the comics is white, so I'm not angry about that. Would it have been nice to see some more representation in Netflix's superheroes? That would have been awesome. Would it make sense to be angry if they had cast a white guy in a role that wasn't white to begin with? Most definitely. But since Danny Rand is white in the source material, it should come down to the performance of the actor rather than their ethnicity. Personally, I like the way Finn Jones plays the character, so I'm okay with him in the role.

Third, I don't have a problem with the way the series conveyed information about characters and plotlines. I realize that "show, don't tell" is often a more enjoyable method of giving the viewer information, and Iron Fist tends to go the opposite direction, doing a lot of telling rather than showing, especially about K'un-Lun and Danny's past. I rarely have trouble with that sort of storytelling though, because whether I'm shown or told, my brain is busily imagining everything and the end result is the same - I actually see it play out, either on screen or in my head. I also end up with headcanons galore for any series I care about, extrapolating on every little piece of data a show doles out in order to flesh out the universe and the characters, which tends to act as a compensation measure for any weak writing on the show itself.

Fourth, I came to the show with incredibly low expectations. It took me nearly five months to even get around to starting it, partly because I hadn't finished Luke Cage yet, but mostly because I'd only heard negative things. So when I found myself a) liking Danny Rand, and b) not finding the show boring or irritating, I was pleasantly surprised. I actually ended up watching Iron Fist faster than any of the other solo series except season one of Daredevil, because it was fun to watch. (Jessica Jones was excellent but very hard to watch because of Kilgrave. Luke Cage was good but intense. Daredevil season two sagged in the middle.)

Fifth, it had Madame Gao. I love the way she plays mind games with people. You never really know exactly what she knows or what she's thinking or even what she's capable of, and that makes a her great villain. She, more than any of the others of the Hand, is legitimately frightening, and has been since she first appeared in Daredevil. Every time she shows up in one of these series it makes me happy, and she had better be back after what happened on Defenders.

I could probably come up with a few more points if I thought about it longer, but these are the major ones. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind on this - I know better than that. But hopefully, after reading this, you'll no longer think I'm insane for liking Iron Fist, or at the very least you'll grant that it's a reasoned insanity.

Back to books! (It's like "back to school" except more fun)

My placeholder note in this location reads, "Say something here about reading. Or don't." I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you all that The Defenders will be on Netflix in five days, so if you binge one season per day of all the related shows, you can still be caught up in time... Not that I'm recommending that option - I recommend taking the time to really savor these shows, just like you would an excellent book. (See, I brought it back around to books after all.)

19. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis

One of the Sunday School classes at our church tackled this book recently. I greatly appreciate some of the points Lewis makes in this book, as well as some of the wording and imagery he uses when making those points. I also completely disagree with him on some things, but even in those areas this book still ends up challenging me to think about what I believe and why I believe it, which is beneficial in the long run. I'd say it's a staple of Christian reading for a good reason.   My rating: 8/10

20. broad-shouldered beasts, by bullroars

Rereading Jurassic Park led to rewatching Jurassic World, which led to skimming JW fanfic recs, which led to reading this (and a bunch of other shorter fics). Written fairly soon after the movie came out, this fic does a great job of creating an alternate universe where, at the time of the Indominus Rex incident, Owen has been living in the wild with his raptors for several months. The first three-quarters of the fic is the best, with things feeling a little rushed once Indominus gets out, but I really enjoyed the characterization and the story definitely kept my interest. I love Owen and the raptor squad, and I love Claire being smart and tough and in charge, so this fic was exactly my cup of tea.   My rating: 8/10

21. The Time Keeper, by Mitch Albom

I picked this book up on a whim because the idea seemed interesting. If I had tried to read it in print form, I think I would have given up before getting even halfway through, as the writing was often lackluster. However, I listened to it as an audiobook and the narrator was excellent, taking what was at best average prose and infusing it with emotion and life. 2.5 out of 5 stars for the book itself, 4+ stars for the narration.   My rating: 5/10

22. None Like Him, by Jen Wilkin

I think the best way to describe this book is simply to quote from what the author says in her introduction: "I want us to consider the majesty of a limitless God. I want us to meditate on his perfections so that they become to us the most rational object of our reverence and awe. And along the way, I want us to stare down our tendency to ask others and even ourselves to be what only God is." Steeped in Scripture and not pulling any punches, this book is a wonderful reminder of what it means to be followers of an infinite God.   My rating: 9/10

23. Beyond the Glass Slipper, by Kate Wolford

(Read for the Mount TBR challenge.) "Fall in love with" is definitely overselling the stories in this book - they range from just okay to pretty good. So, if you just want to read fairy tales and folklore, look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you're like me and want an accessible book that delves beyond the surface of a variety of tales, this book is good. I found the reading order that worked best for me was to read the intro to each story first, then the tale itself, then the annotations, and end with the questions to consider. I'm definitely not a fairy tale scholar, and can't honestly call myself even a casual fan of fairy tales (I haven't even read all the well known fairy tales), but I did enjoy this book.   My rating: 7/10

24. Bloodline, by Claudia Gray

You know what I miss most about the EU novels? I miss having Han, Leia, and Luke as the main characters. While the new canon novels I've read haven't been terrible, they're definitely lacking in that aspect. Even this one, which actually has Leia as a main character, suffers from a lack of Han and Luke (especially since it would have made perfect sense for Han to be part of a mission dealing with a criminal organization). Although since the author seems to struggle with characterization, maybe it's good they weren't all major players. Also, while I might buy this being Leia shortly after Return of the Jedi, I have a hard time believing this is Leia with twenty-plus years of senatorial experience under her belt. That being said, I really liked some of the original characters in this book. While they weren't the characters I've known and loved for years, Greer, Joph, and especially Ransolm Casterfo were developed enough that I truly cared about what happened to them. I also appreciated the fact that I came away from this book with a better understanding of how both the Resistance and the First Order came to be.   My rating: 7/10

25. Modern Romance, by Aziz Ansari

I found this to be a very interesting read (or in my case, listen, since I occupied myself with the audiobook over the course of a few longer flights). Since I married my college sweetheart the summer after graduation, my own romantic experience has been very different from the majority of my generation, and I found it fascinating to think about all the various impacts that our technological advances have had on the world of dating. Also, I come from a conservative religious background, so contrasting that with secular views on dating provided another point of interest for me. As for the audiobook itself, it's narrated by the author, so if you like Aziz Ansari, you should totally go for the audiobook version. Personally, I highly enjoyed it.   My rating: 8/10

26. Run with the Horses, by Eugene H. Peterson

(Read for the Mount TBR challenge.) This book did a great job of exploring what we know of the life of Jeremiah, and of applying Jeremiah's example to our lives today. Some chapters I found very encouraging, some chapters I found rather convicting, and there were a lot of things I needed to hear for one reason or another. Also, the practical applications generally seemed to flow quite naturally out of the descriptions of Jeremiah's life, which helped things connect for me.   My rating: 9/10

27. Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis

(Read for the Mount TBR challenge.) My favorite part about this book has to be how rich the storytelling is. The writing is beautiful, the characters are compelling, and the blend of reality and mythology works wonderfully. The kingdom of Glome and its citizens feel like they were lifted from the pages of history, but the gods also feel equally real and present in the story, casting long shadows that touch everything in one way or another. Unlike most of Lewis's other fiction, which is very Christian in its allegorical application, this book is more about humanity and belief in general than about any one religion. Orual tells her story as an accusation against the gods, and the questions that she struggles with along the way are often ones of philosophy and theology, which do not always have easy answers.   My rating: 9/10

28. The Negotiator, by Dee Henderson

(Read for the Read It Again, Sam challenge.) Quality literature this is not, but I don't care - sometimes you need a fun break from the heavier stuff (says she as she binges TWD and reads The Stand at the same time). These books come with a healthy helping of nostalgia, since I was introduced to them back in high school when they first came out. The mystery/action part of the plot is paced well, the romance never gets overly mushy or anything, and I've always been able to see and hear the main characters in my head very clearly. (Kate looks like Evangeline Lilly, in case you were wondering, which I'm sure you weren't. I have yet to find someone who matches up with my image of Dave.)   My rating: 8/10

29. The Drawing of the Three, by Stephen King

There were times when I really liked this story, and times when I wasn't so sure, but one thing was always true: I greatly enjoyed the way in which this story was told. The storytelling is vivid, the characters are fascinating (which is not necessarily synonymous with likable), and the plot moves at a rapid pace. It's been quite a while since I found a book I couldn't put down, but this was definitely one of those.
My rating: 8/10