This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Netflix and Marvel are up at bat with their latest superhero series, and it's a swing and a miss. Or, at least, a bad foul into the stands.
"Iron Fist," which begins streaming on Netflix on Friday, is underwhelming at best. Danny Rand (Finn Jones) is presumed dead when his mega-wealthy family's private jet crashes in the Himalayas. But Danny survives; he's raised by warrior monks; and when he returns to New York 15 years later, he's a superhero.
The show has gotten a good deal of criticism because of its cultural stereotypes and insensitivity — it's yet another Great White Hope — and that criticism has merit.
"Iron Fist" isn't dreadful, but it's certainly not good. There are a lot better things to watch (many on Netflix) than waste your time on this.
Friday on TV ...
• NCAA men's basketball tournament: Michigan vs. Oklahoma State (10:15 a.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Baylor vs. New Mexico State (10:40 a.m., truTV); Arkansas vs. Seton Hall (11:30 a.m., TNT); Oregon vs. Iona (noon, TBS); Louisville vs. Jacksonville State (12:45 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); SMU vs. USC (1:10 p.m., truTV); North Carolina vs. Texas Southern (2 p.m., TNT); Creighton vs. Rhode Island (2:30 p.m., TBS); Kansas vs. North Cal-Davis (4:50 p.m., TNT); Dayton vs. Wichita State (5:10 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Duke vs. Troy (5:20 pm., TBS); Cincinnati vs. Kansas State (5:27 p.m., truTV); Miami (Fla.) vs. Michigan State (7:20 p.m., TNT); Kentucky vs. Northern Kentucky (7:40 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); South Carolina vs. Marquette (7:50 p.m, TBS); UCLA vs. Kent State (7:57 p.m., truTV)
• College softball (6 p.m., P12N): Utah at UCLA
• "Last Man Standing" (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Mike and Vanessa disagree over how Eve should handle it when her boyfriend doesn't invite her to a family event.
• "Grimm" (7 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Eve takes on the mysterious force she saw in the mirror, which lands her in unfamiliar territory.
• "The Originals" (7 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): In the Season 4 premiere, Marcel welcomes the un-sired vampires to New Orleans, only to find they pose a threat to his rule.
• ECHL hockey (7 p.m., KMYU): Colorado Eagles at Utah Grizzlies
• Men's college volleyball (7 p.m., BYUtv): Hawaii at BYU
• "Dr. Ken" (7:30 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Pat asks Ken to put a good word in for him with the CEO of Welltopia.
• "Truth and Lies: The Family Manson" (8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Two-hour look back at Charles Manson, his cohorts and his crimes.
• "Sleepy Hollow" (8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): A mysterious woman finds her way into the vault; Alex finds herself in a tight spot.
• "Reign" (8 p.m., CW/Ch. 30): Lord Darnley must demonstrate his loyalty to Mary; Catherine and Narcisse try to repair King Charles' reputation.
• College baseball (8 p.m., P12N): Utah at Washington
Saturday on TV ...
• NCAA men's basketball tournament: Notre Dame vs. Virginia (10:10 a.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Wisconsin vs. Villanova (12:40 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Gonzaga vs. Northwestern (3:15 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Xavier vs. Florida State (4:10 p.m., TNT); Middle Tennessee vs. Butler (5:10 p.m., TBS); St. Mary's vs. Arizona (5:45 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2); Virginia vs. Florida (6:40 p.m., TNT); Iowa State vs. Purdue (7:40 p.m., TBS)
• College baseball (1 p.m., BYUtv): Connecticut at BYU
• Women's college basketball (2 p.m., P12N): Pac-12 championships
• Men's college volleyball (7 p.m., BYUtv): Hawaii at BYU
• NBA (7 p.m., ROOT): Utah Jazz at Chicago Bulls
• MLS (7:30 p.m., KMYU): Los Angeles Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
• "Planet Earth 2" (10 p.m., BBC America): Grasslands support the greatest gatherings of wildlife on Earth, but hostile seasons pose a survival risk.
Sunday on TV …
• NCAA men's basketball tournament: There will be eight games on CBS/Ch. 2, TBS and TNT beginning shortly after 10 a.m. — but the schedule won't be set until after Friday's games are completed.
• College baseball (3 p.m., P12N): Utah at Washington
• "60 Minutes" (6 p.m, CBS/Ch. 2): Scott Pelley reports on a humanitarian campaign in South Sudan, where an estimated 100,000 people are facing starvation and millions more are at risk.
• College softball (6 p.m., P12N): Utah at UCLA
• "NCIS: Los Angeles" (7 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Nell and Eric go undercover to track a tech-savvy husband and wife linked to the hacking of the U.S. Treasury Department.
• "Once Upon a Time" (7 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Gideon tries to kill Emma; Beowulf targets Rumplestiltskin.
• "The Simpsons" (7 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Marge turns to a series of parenting experts for advice because she's worried Bart is destined for failure; Homer opens a trophy store.
• "Relative Race" (7 p.m., BYUtv): The South is full of surprises on Day 3 of the race.
• "Making History" (7:30 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Deborah discovers that Dan is not the great inventor he claimed to be back in 1776.
• "Madam Secretary" (8 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): China threatens to back out of Elizabeth's landmark global climate treaty because of her meeting with the Dalai Lam.
• "Time After Time" (8 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): H.G. and Jane travel back to the 1980s and make a shocking discovery.
• "Chicago Justice" (8 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): A former Navy SEAL found stabbed to death in his home was writing a book about a top secret mission.
• "Family Guy" (8 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Peter opens his own food truck business in an attempt to avoid the healthy food Lois forces him to eat.
• "Last Man on Earth" (8:30 p.m., Fox/Ch. 13): Todd and Tandy dig deep into Melissa's pre-virus past.
• "Elementary" (9 p.m., CBS/Ch. 2): Police call Holmes and Watson to consult on a homicide that was ''heard'' by a cutting-edge gunshot detection system.
• "American Crime" (9 p.m., ABC/Ch. 4): Luis sinks further into servitude on the farm; Isaac tries to protect Coy from abusive conditions in the fields; Jeanette wonders if her family is downplaying a fire that killed several undocumented workers.
• "Shades of Blue" (9 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5): Wozniak's refusal to cooperate with the feds causes Stahl to turn up the heat on Harlee.
• "Black Sails" (9 p.m., Starz): A rescue plan divides Flint and Silver; the true price of freedom becomes apparent to Max.
• "The Walking Dead" (10 p.m., AMC): The Saviors visit the Hilltop unexpectedly.
• "Big Little Lies" (10 p.m., HBO): Principal Nippal and Ms. Barnes talk to Jane about Ziggy and Amabella; Dr. Reisman examines Celeste's relationship with Perry.
• "Homeland" (10 p.m., Showtime): Carrie catches a break; President-elect Keane makes a plan; Max goes undercover.
• "The Missing" (10 p.m., Starz): Julien's investigation closes in on the missing girl.
• "Into the Badlands" (11 p.m., AMC): In the Season 2 premiere, Sunny finds a new foe and an unexpected ally; MK learns more about his gift.
• "The Arrangement" (11 p.m., E!): Megan's private life is exposed on the Internet.
• "FEUD: Bette and Joan" (11 p.m., FX): As the film production reaches its climax, the feud becomes physical; Bette's relationship with her daughter is strained; Joan reveals an intimate detail about her past.
• "Girls" (11 p.m., HBO): Hannah gets advice from her father and his new partner.
• "Billions" (11 p.m., Showtime): Chuck has to put his faith in an anxious insider.
• "Who Do You Think You Are?" (11 p.m., TLC): Jennifer Grey learns how her grandfather survived adversity to become a beacon of his community and discovers a great-grandmother who suffered a devastating tragedy.
• "Crashing" (11:30 p.m., HBO): Pete begs Jess to come along and keep up the charade of their marriage to fool his parents.