'Iron Fist' recap: 'Under Leaf Pluck Lotus' 

Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Jessica Stroup

If there’s one thing we know to be true, it’s that Rosario Dawson’s unofficial concierge nurse is the best part of Marvel’s Netflix shows. Not only is she one of the few characters who has appeared in every show so far, but her presence almost always livens up the story because Dawson is pretty damn fantastic in the role. This is especially true in “Under Leaf Pluck Lotus.” Dawson’s brings some much-needed personality and charm to this episode and helps

 not take itself too seriously. This is definitely my favorite episode of the season so far.

One of the things that makes “Under Leaf Pluck Lotus” an improvement on the episodes that have come before is that it starts to shed some light on the nebulous goals of the Hand. The episode opens with three very attractive women going to different parts of the city — a shady drug dealer’s den, a businessman’s office, and a doctor — to promote a new, synthetic form of heroin that prevents the user from building a tolerance. Later in the episode, we even see them enter Rand Enterprises. It’s clear that this drug is pretty insidious.

Remember how I said in my series premiere recap that this show had many similarities to

? Well, here’s another one: Danny Rand, who received a sample of the drug from the head of the Yang Clan Company at the end of episode 4, realizes that the Hand is using Rand Enterprise’s new Red Hook pier* to smuggle the drug into the city, and he takes it upon himself to put an end to it like a good social justice-conscious superhero. Danny’s goal in this episode isn’t all that different from, say, Oliver Queen’s crusade against vertigo on

; however, here it just never quite comes together because I’m still not super invested in Danny as a character or hero. In other words, I still kind of find him insufferable. And you know who else feels the same way? Ward. Danny shares his concerns about the drug and the pier with Ward, but Ward ignores because he’s too busy popping pills and rebelling against his overbearing father. So Danny decides to take matters into his own hands and look into this on his own — well, kind of.

*Is this the first Marvel/Netflix shows to acknowledge that there’s life in New York outside of Manhattan?

Danny asks Colleen Wing to help investigate the pier, which leads to Danny meeting the Marvelous Claire Temple, who, in case you forgot/didn’t watch

, is one of Colleen’s students. Claire immediately detects the awkwardness between Danny and Colleen and makes sure her presence is known. It’s hilarious, as is the ensuing dinner she invites herself to. See, Danny showed up to the dojo with takeout — and by takeout, I mean a catered meal on a white cloth table. Colleen asks if it’s a date, but Danny says no…”unless she wants it to be.” Naturally, Claire is quietly amused by all of this.

Claire’s amusement continues into the dinner, which, despite how fun and playful it is, reveals the show’s lack of self-awareness (or pacing issues, it’s still up in the air). As the three of them enjoy dinner, Danny reveals he renounced “material attachments, indulgent activities, [and] romantic entanglements” as part of his training. (Colleen’s reaction to his vow of chastity is priceless.) Yet here he is bringing this lavish meal to Colleen, taking full advantage of his privilege. Like privileged social justice warrior Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Danny is paradox of sorts; however, the show hasn’t really acknowledged that yet. In addition to paying for this meal, Danny is also driving a fancy, expensive-looking sports car, but he still views himself as some kind of outsider. “The world hasn’t been exactly kind to us,” he says to Colleen at one point, which is kind of ridiculous. I understand that he suffered while in the monastery and was probably treated like an outsider, but the show hasn’t done a really good job of showing us that. So when he equates his struggle, as a white male, with Colleen’s, it’s kind of laughable. Hopefully, the show digs into this paradox in later episodes.

NEXT: Danny causes problems for Rand Enterprises

1 \'Walking Dead\' showrunner: Things are about to get \'quantum intense\'

2 CNN host Fareed Zakaria says Trump \'got the presidency by bulls---ting\'

3 Tim Allen compares discussions of Trump to 1930s Germany

4 President Trump: \'The Alec Baldwin situation is not good\'

5 \'Smallville\' actor to appear in \'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2\'