Let's be real for a second. Mentioning Danny Rand in a room full of MCU die-hards is a gamble. Some people will immediately start groaning about the choreography in season one, while others—usually the ones who stuck it out until the end—will passionately defend the massive improvements in season two. When we look back at the episodes of the Iron Fist, we aren't just looking at a TV show. We’re looking at a weird, turbulent era of Netflix-Marvel history that eventually gave us one of the coolest cliffhangers in comic book media, only to be canceled weeks later. It's frustrating. Honestly, it's a tragedy of timing and production hurdles.
The journey from the premiere "Snow Gives Way" to the finality of "A Duel of Iron" is a wild ride. It’s inconsistent. It’s occasionally brilliant. But most of all, it’s a case study in how a show can find its feet just as the rug is pulled out from under it.
The Rough Start: Why Season One Episodes Felt Like a Slog
People forget how much hype there was before March 2017. Daredevil was a masterpiece, Jessica Jones was a noir triumph, and Luke Cage had cultural weight. Then came Danny Rand. The first batch of episodes of the Iron Fist struggled because they felt like they were having an identity crisis. Was it a corporate thriller about Rand Enterprises? A mystical kung-fu epic? A fish-out-of-water story?
Scott Buck, the initial showrunner, made choices that baffled the fan base. Finn Jones had very little time to train for the fight scenes, and it showed. In the early episodes, the editing is frantic—sometimes cutting every two seconds during a punch—to hide the fact that the actors weren't martial arts masters. If you go back and watch episode six, "Immortal Emerges from Cave," which was actually directed by RZA, you see a glimpse of what the show could have been. It’s weird, it’s stylized, and it embraces the 70s grindhouse roots of the character. But then the show would pivot back to boardrooms and Danny whining about his shoes.
The pacing was the biggest offender. Netflix had this "13-episode rule" that forced every show to have a mid-season sag. By the time we got to the Hand's internal politics in the later half of the season, a lot of viewers had already checked out. It's a shame because Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum was giving an Emmy-level performance as a man collapsing under the weight of his father’s shadow.
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The Redemption Arc: How Season Two Fixed the Formula
Then 2018 happened. Raven Metzner took over as showrunner for season two, and the vibe shifted instantly. The episode count was trimmed to ten, which meant less filler and more focused storytelling. If you’re revisiting the episodes of the Iron Fist, the jump in quality between the season one finale and the season two premiere, "The Fury of Iron Fist," is jarring in the best way possible.
They hired Clayton Barber, who worked on Black Panther, to coordinate the stunts. Suddenly, Danny was fighting with a fluidity that made you believe he was actually a living weapon. But the real secret weapon of these episodes wasn't Danny—it was the "Daughters of the Dragon." Jessica Henwick’s Colleen Wing and Simone Missick’s Misty Knight stole every scene they were in.
The story got personal. Instead of fighting a vague ninja organization, Danny was fighting Davos, played with simmering rage by Sacha Dhawan. This wasn't about saving the world; it was about two brothers fighting over a legacy neither of them quite deserved. The show finally started exploring the psychological toll of being the Iron Fist. It asked the question: Does the power make the man, or does the man ruin the power?
Standout Moments You Might Have Forgotten
- The Drunken Master Fight: Episode eight of season one featured a fight against Zhou Cheng (played by Lewis Tan). It’s one of the few times the first season felt like a true martial arts film.
- The Mary Walker Reveal: Alice Eve’s performance as "Typhoid Mary" in season two brought a much-needed edge. The way the episodes handled her dissociative identity disorder was surprisingly grounded for a superhero show.
- The Glowing Guns: The final moments of the series saw Danny in Japan, channeling the Iron Fist into a pair of revolvers. It was a direct nod to Orson Randall, a previous Iron Fist from the comics, and it sent the internet into a frenzy.
The Canon Question: Does Any of This Still Matter?
With Charlie Cox returning as Daredevil in the Disney+ era and Vincent D'Onofrio’s Kingpin looming large, everyone wants to know if these episodes of the Iron Fist are still "real." For a long time, the answer was "it's complicated." However, recent updates to the Disney+ timeline have officially integrated the Netflix Defenders saga into the main MCU continuity.
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This changes how we view the show. It’s no longer a standalone failure; it’s a chapter in a larger narrative. The events in the final episodes, where Colleen Wing actually takes on the mantle of the Iron Fist, now feel like a massive "what if" that Marvel might eventually address. Colleen’s version of the fist was white—a beautiful visual cue that she was carving her own path separate from K'un-Lun's rigid traditions.
Navigating the 23 Episodes: A Practical Viewing Strategy
If you're diving in for the first time, don't feel obligated to treat every hour as prestige television. Some of it is homework.
The "Essentials" List:
If you want the story without the fluff, start with the first two episodes of season one to get the origin. Skip to episode six for the RZA-directed madness. Then, honestly? You can probably jump straight to the season one finale to see the setup for the Defenders crossover. Once you hit season two, watch the whole thing. It’s a tight, cohesive season of television that actually understands the source material.
Pay attention to the episode titles in season two. Every single one is named after a Marvel Premiere comic title where Iron Fist originally appeared. It's a small detail, but it shows the creators finally cared about the lore.
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The relationship between Danny and Ward Meachum in the later episodes is arguably the best-written sibling dynamic in the MCU. They go from trying to kill each other to becoming a weird, broken team of globe-trotters. It’s human, it’s messy, and it’s the kind of character growth that doesn't happen in a two-hour movie.
Why the Critics Were (Mostly) Wrong
The initial critical lashing was brutal. A 0% on Rotten Tomatoes at one point. Was it that bad? No. It was just disappointing compared to its siblings. But looking back in 2026, the episodes of the Iron Fist feel like a relic of a time when Marvel was allowed to be experimental and occasionally fail. There’s a grit and a "street-level" grime to these episodes that the newer, shinier Disney+ shows sometimes lack.
The show tackled heavy themes: cultural appropriation (though clumsily), childhood trauma, and the toxicity of destiny. Danny Rand wasn't a perfect hero because he was a traumatized kid who grew up in a monastery that taught him to suppress his emotions. When he got back to New York, he didn't know how to be a person. If you view the episodes through that lens—as a story of a broken man trying to find a home—it becomes much more compelling.
Actionable Steps for Fans and New Viewers
- Watch the Defenders: Before starting season two, you must watch the The Defenders miniseries. Danny's character arc there provides the necessary context for why he’s so much more mature in his own second season.
- Check Out the Comics: To appreciate the references in the final episodes, read The Immortal Iron Fist by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction. It’s the run that inspired the "Gun-Fu" and the deep lore of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven.
- Focus on Colleen Wing: If you find Danny frustrating, shift your focus to Colleen. Her journey from a small-time dojo owner to a hero carrying a mystical burden is the true heart of the series.
- Join the Campaign: Fans are still vocal on social media using tags like #SaveIronFist. Given Marvel's recent track record of bringing back Netflix actors, it's worth keeping an eye on official casting announcements for upcoming "Street-Level" MCU projects.