This has the potential to take the best of four separate mostly-successful series and make it something greater than the sum of its parts. Sadly, some of its parts are lacking...
I'm talking Luke Cage and Jessica Jones; two solid series with flawed main characters that really don't work in a larger world...or cast. Within the context of their own shows, their actions, attitudes, and behaviors 'work'.
In *this* show, Jessica comes off as a spoiled, privileged rhymes-with-witch whom nobody would willingly tolerate unless they're working off serious puppy-kicking karma. Her attitude is somewhat off-putting, to say the least; most of us like our heroes flawed but...you know, *heroic*.
Luke...is stupid. Now, this is a staple of comics, so that's okay...when two heroes meet, they have to have some sort of misunderstanding and fight before they can team up. In this case, Luke is 'defending' a poor clueless kid just trying to feed his family...by cleaning up a multiple murder scene. This is not something *anyone* sympathetic does in a civilized society. Yes, there is social injustice, but one does not relieve it by committing more horrors on your particular side. When Luke told Danny he shouldn't be using his Iron Fist on guys just trying to feed their families, Danny should have replied he wasn't, he was using it on criminals.
These two...Luke and Jessica...come off as terribly selfish and self-involved in this series. Definitely not heroes or even decent people. By contrast, Danny is naïve and way too focused. Matt is...well, Matt is kinda awesome as always, as believable as a blind guy whose super-power is being able to effectively 'see' better than an optometrist can be.
All in all, a good idea that's experiencing some 'growing pains', trying to fit four separate and distinct heroes and styles into one ensemble show. Not every attempt is going to enjoy the success 'The Avengers' had...but in that case, every character was a bona-fide hero, so the fit was more comfortable. In this, at least three of the main characters have wildly different goals, which don't really seem to involve saving or helping anyone but themselves or their particular bias.
That said, the first three episodes are decent enough for me to finish out the rest of the series. The acting is a bit better than you might expect, and for all that the different personalities lessen my enjoyment or immersion, I really like that our main characters are not clones; they all have different goals and motivations.
I'm talking Luke Cage and Jessica Jones; two solid series with flawed main characters that really don't work in a larger world...or cast. Within the context of their own shows, their actions, attitudes, and behaviors 'work'.
In *this* show, Jessica comes off as a spoiled, privileged rhymes-with-witch whom nobody would willingly tolerate unless they're working off serious puppy-kicking karma. Her attitude is somewhat off-putting, to say the least; most of us like our heroes flawed but...you know, *heroic*.
Luke...is stupid. Now, this is a staple of comics, so that's okay...when two heroes meet, they have to have some sort of misunderstanding and fight before they can team up. In this case, Luke is 'defending' a poor clueless kid just trying to feed his family...by cleaning up a multiple murder scene. This is not something *anyone* sympathetic does in a civilized society. Yes, there is social injustice, but one does not relieve it by committing more horrors on your particular side. When Luke told Danny he shouldn't be using his Iron Fist on guys just trying to feed their families, Danny should have replied he wasn't, he was using it on criminals.
These two...Luke and Jessica...come off as terribly selfish and self-involved in this series. Definitely not heroes or even decent people. By contrast, Danny is naïve and way too focused. Matt is...well, Matt is kinda awesome as always, as believable as a blind guy whose super-power is being able to effectively 'see' better than an optometrist can be.
All in all, a good idea that's experiencing some 'growing pains', trying to fit four separate and distinct heroes and styles into one ensemble show. Not every attempt is going to enjoy the success 'The Avengers' had...but in that case, every character was a bona-fide hero, so the fit was more comfortable. In this, at least three of the main characters have wildly different goals, which don't really seem to involve saving or helping anyone but themselves or their particular bias.
That said, the first three episodes are decent enough for me to finish out the rest of the series. The acting is a bit better than you might expect, and for all that the different personalities lessen my enjoyment or immersion, I really like that our main characters are not clones; they all have different goals and motivations.