Favorite Characters: Zhou Cheng (Iron Fist)

Yes, I’m fully aware that this character is only on the show for about ten minutes in the entire season.  I also know that he probably wouldn’t have made quite as large an impression on me if I hadn’t known the real-world saga of Lewis Tan auditioning for Danny or been primed for his appearance by rumblings online about how great his scene was.  However, the fact remains that his scene is by far my favorite thing about Iron Fist, it’s the only scene from the whole season that I’ve rewatched (and then several times,) and if Iron Fist is renewed, I hope to see much more of Zhou.  In light of all that, I think I’m justified in giving him a write-up (spoilers for “The Blessing of Many Fractures” and some comic history on Zhou.)

Any discussion of Zhou has to begin, naturally, with the fighting.  After 7 4/5 episodes of mostly muddy, lackadaisical, visually-obscured fight scenes, Zhou enters the show in a well-lit scene of skillful, entertaining kung fu.  His fluid moves and creative approach are paired with an engaging cockiness, taunting the deathly-serious Danny throughout and generally having a rollicking good time fighting what he deems a sorry excuse for an Iron Fist.  Oh yeah, and the whole time, he’s falling-down drunk.  His drunken-style fighting – staggering and weaving, using his imbalance to his advantage and relishing the way Danny underestimates him – is so much fun, and for the duration of this fight, he’s basically the man.

Zhou’s inebriation would’ve been great even if it were just an excuse to have him fight drunken style, because it’s so awesome.  However, the show gives an in-story reason for it that definitely contributes to my wish to see more of him.  Danny scorns Zhou’s drunkenness, asking what his master would think, but Zhou doesn’t take the bait.  Instead, he points out that he’s in fact acting on his master’s instructions.  While other fighters “chase the dragon,” he explains, his needs to be “sedated,” lest it break it and wreak havoc.  It’s not fully spelled out, but this is a reference to Zhou’s comic history.  As he states on the show, he is a disciple of Ch’i-Lin.  What the show doesn’t mention is that Ch’i-Lin is a creature – a demon, I think, with some resemblance to a dragon – that hungers for the eggs of the dragon that gives an Iron Fist their powers, and it possesses its servants to kill Iron Fists.  The idea of Zhou being imbued with strength of a hungry demon/dragon is cool anyway, and the thought of him needing to stay intoxicated to keep that demon under control is even more intriguing.  I’d love to see him fight Danny at least a few more times as is, letting Danny assess him as a formidable but ultimately beatable foe, before unleashing his “dragon” and showing Danny what he and Ch’i-Lin can really do.

On a side note, I like that Zhou is British here, even if his accent sounds like it wanders back and forth between Manchester and London.  It surprised me to find a number of comments online from those that were seemingly bewildered by Zhou having a British accent, wondering where on earth it came from (England) and how such a thing could possibly be (he’s from England.)  It’s a detail I like – it stands to reason that the Hand would have operations all over and recruits from various parts of the world.  Why not Great Britain?  And if they have Chinese agents working in Hell’s Kitchen, why not a British one working in China?  Even though I know the perpetual foreigner myth is a powerful one, it’s still striking to see people being utterly confused at the thought that a man of Chinese descent working in China could have been born in a western country and moved east in service of the shadowy organization he works for.  Is it easier to accept Danny’s fist glowing than it is to accept Zhou Cheng being British?  Yeesh.