Review: Game of Thrones’ Jessica Henwick outshines Finn Jones in Marvel’s Iron Fist

Former Game of Thrones cast member Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) stars in Marvel’s newest TV series, Iron Fist, currently available in full on Netflix. But it’s current Game of Thrones cast member Jessica Henwick (Nymeria Sand) who steals the show.

Iron Fist follows the adventures of Danny Rand (Jones), a man thought dead after the plane on which he and his wealthy parents were traveling crashed in the Himalayas. Fifteen years later, Rand shows up in New York City, expecting his former friends to instantly recognize him.

At first, Danny seems like a pleasant change of pace from the dark and brooding heroes of Marvel’s previous shows on Netflix: Matt Murdock (Daredevil), Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. However, Rand’s happy-go-lucky disposition and naivete begin to wear on the nerves rather quickly. In fact, if it weren’t for Jessica Henwick’s portrayal of Colleen Wing, a no-nonsense New Yorker who runs her own martial arts dojo, I may have stopped watching by the third episode.

Unlike Nymeria Sand on Game of Thrones, Wing has depth, and the show takes time to develop her character. She’s the show’s anchor, and Henwick is up to the task. It’s a shame Game of Thrones hasn’t given Henwick more of worth to do, because she’s clearly worth it.

I was really pulling for Finn Jones to have a breakout performance as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, but sadly, his character suffers from poor writing. (I was similarly disappointed with the writing for Loras Tyrell, actually.) Rand often seems like a whiny teenage boy instead of the badass guardian of the gates of K’un-Lun. He doesn’t look much like his comic book counterpart, and never dons the iconic Iron Fist costume or anything resembling it during the first season (with the exception of the tattoo on his chest). And his scraggly beard and unkempt curly locks became an ongoing joke throughout the 13 episode arc. At times, I caught myself nearly despising Rand because of his poor character development.

I don’t blame Jones for this — he seemed to be acting to the best of his ability, but he was shackled to a story that didn’t have any direction until the final five episodes.

But isn’t that the usual Marvel formula? A slowly developing story that picks up as the season draws to a close. Perhaps that’s why I watched all the way through. But in the end, I was left wondering why I spent 13 hours of my life on a show I should have quit early on. That’s the life of a Marvel fanboy.

There were some bright spots. When Danny actually uses his power as the Iron Fist in fights against various bad guys, Jones shines. In episode 6, “Immortal Emerges from Cave,” Rand is challenged by Madam Gao (a leader of the clandestine cabal of ninjas called the Hand) to fight her champions. In episode 8, “The Blessing of Many Fractures,” Rand fights a Drunken Master, and it is highly entertaining. And in episode 10, “Black Tiger Steals Heart,” Rand and his childhood friend from K’un-Lun, Davos (no, not that Davos), fight another faction of The Hand. The action doesn’t disappoint.

Henwick is excellent in the action sequences, too, as in “Bar the Big Boss” when she faces her master, Bakuto, in a fantastic sword fight. Here’s that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4GTj7MuiBE

All in all, Marvel’s Iron Fist is the worst of Marvel’s Netflix shows. That’s a real shame, because after the success of Luke Cage, the sky was the limit in terms of how good they could get. I’d personally rate it 5 out of 10 stars.