Marvel's The Defenders: 10 Spoiler-Free Reactions To First Four Episodes

3. Sigourney Weaver Makes For A Compelling Villain

There was a lot of excitement when Sigourney Weaver was announced as the main villain, given her long history in geekdom and overall quality as an actress, and she lives up to the hype.

As Alexandra - who is a new creation for the show - Weaver just oozes class. She's not an over-the-top character, but instead perfectly understated as the mysterious head of the Hand; well-spoken, with an air of grace and quiet but commanding authority. She's easily believable as a real threat, magnetic to watch, and a different sort of villain to what's come before.

Weaver, though, isn't out there doing her own dirty work. Instead she sends the Hand's weapon-of-choice, which just so happens to be Elektra. Elodie Yung is largely given a blank slate here, since her character doesn't remember anything of her old life. Yung does a good job of playing this 'new' Elektra, getting across brief flashes of confusion or remembrance, while her relationship with Weaver's Alexandra makes for interesting viewing too.

It's still a little early to properly judge the character, and the Black Sky notion isn't all that convincing yet, but there is some storytelling potential after the opening episodes.