The show definitely sees itself as a very Los Angeles show. I appreciate that. If the Defenders are New York, this show is very West Coast (season one had ads about LA, for example). So, in tradition of my Netflix reviews, I thought I'd recommend an LA cocktail, specifically the Brown Derby:
1.5 oz Bourbon
1 oz Fresh grapefruit juice
.5 oz Honey syrup (1 part honey, 1 part water)
Season One seemed to do a good job w ith the culture of LA. The big thing in Season One was the Scientology analogue with the Church of the Giborrim. These episodes seemed to also show the LA Homeless and Earthquakes (albeit more sinister earthquakes). There's a lot of analogues to the comics with them finding the hideout, the exploration of the Staff of One and only using spells once, and Gert and Chase's relationship (which I really like so far). I will say, I enjoy the relationships overall. Alex and his new girl has been fun, but it seems doomed. There's also some new dynamics you didn't really see in the comics. I'll highlight Alex and Chase, which is pretty cool.
The changes from the comics seem like padding, but good padding. The Pride get more to do and the dynamics are different. I don't entirely agree with Karolina's decision or the way that Nico got the Staff of One back. It feels almost without consequences. But I feel the changes work for the most part. Even Topher is a dramatic change, but it works well with the story they've established. I'm also glad they acknowledged that medication is important and haven't tried to play that off as a "you just need to try harder" subplot.
Overall, these five episodes ended with a good cliffhanger with Nico's father in peril, Gert possibly as well, and wrapping up a good plot with Topher. Looking forward to what's to come.
