Even Daredevil has to go to the Dry Cleaners. Photo is a direct screenshot from the episode.
**Please note that this review contains spoilers for “Please and any episodes that occur prior**
“I’m Daredevil. Not even God can stop that now.”
Did we just get our first look at Bullseye? Because if we did, that was an insanely awesome introduction scene. I mean, if it isn’t Bullseye, it’s still cool…but who else would it be? Sin-Eater was the big rumored villain of the season, but it could easily have been a ruse to throw off the audience from expecting Bullseye—because everything about his fighting style screamed Bullseye. If it is truly the iconic villain, it seems the show is going with a creative new story for the character, something I’m completely down with.*
Before this badass introduction, Fisk wasn’t having a great day. I’m happy that the writers immediately addressed him being a snitch—something that clearly doesn’t sit well for his reputation. In dealing with Ray and trying to get safer accommodations, Fisk got himself into an intense situation. When Fisk was giving his big speech about love being a prison, I legitimately thought that it would end with him making a move to escape. The show had other plans, however, and it led to an incredibly well-done and extremely intense sequence as Fisk watched his immediate death approach. Thank God for Bullseye, right?
Fisk’s savior. Photo is a direct screenshot from the episode.
As for Fisk’s handler, Ray had a pretty good day—prison break aside. Not only did he bring down several big crime bosses, but he also succeeded in fighting for keeping Fisk detail. I’m still not one hundred percent sold on the character, as a lot of what he is going through is a little cliche. Hopefully given time, the show can move Ray past that and start crafting a more unique and engaging plot for him.
Now what about the star of the show? While Matt Murdock’s faith in God remained shattered, his commitment to Daredevil was strengthened more than ever. Though still not fully healed, Matt refused to let that stop him. This led to yet another standout sequence of the episode as Daredevil completely owned the men at the Dry Cleaning operation. I’m excited to see how this newly determined–but faithless–Daredevil plays moving forward. I can’t help but feel that it will be akin to a reinvention of the character—at least until his faith pieced back together (if it can be).
Young Matt getting an important speech. Photo is a direct screenshot from the episode.
Matt’s public actions didn’t go unnoticed, either, as Karen started to catch wind of a mysterious vigilante out there saving people. I enjoy that she has already caught onto Matt still being alive. That being said, I hope that the cliche of a close friend refusing to believe this new information doesn’t play out for long. Yes, I’m talking about Foggy. It’s understandable that he’s resisting the idea, but I really hope that it doesn’t last too long. In addition to Karen’s information on Matt, we got to see Foggy’s massive extended family. We got to learn that there is turmoil in his family thanks to what he does, and that without Matt, Foggy has been rather lost. It’s a great start at not only further fleshing out Foggy as a character, but also starting that road to mending his and Matt’s friendship.
The episode did seem to slow to a crawl for a brief time. Nonetheless, everything else surrounding it made up for it. We got several standout scenes including the dry cleaning brawl, Kingpin’s predicament, and the introduction to a mysterious new character. Matt accidentally learning about Kingpin’s escape was a great way to end the episode. You couldn’t see it in his eyes, but you could feel Matt sink as he overheard the news. Kingpin is back in play.
Bonus Notes:
- Don’t think I didn’t notice that we finally got some hefty Karen backstory. Now was that so hard to do writers?
- Sister Maggie continued to be a fantastic foil to Matt as he navigates his new faithless landscape.
- The flashbacks weren’t the strongest the show has ever had, but at the very least it was good to see more of Matt as he grew up at the orphanage.
- I’m more excited than ever to see what Matt’s completely new suit will look like once we get there.
*It’s good to note here that everyone is going into the show knowing that Bullseye is officially the villain, but at the time of watching this and writing this review, it was not yet known.
The third season of Daredevil is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
