*Spoilers Ahead*
It doesn’t take long for Daredevil to show us it’s titular hero. We see the “Man Without Fear” in all his glory before the opening credits get to roll. It’s a smart choice, one of many in this first episode.
The show doesn’t lay everything out for us in terms of who Matt Murdock is and why he becomes the Daredevil, I expect those things will be examined more in depth as we move through the season but with so much to get to in this debut it’s smart to stick to the essentials. Matt’s relationship to his father and how it inspires him to attempt to help his city as a vigilante are explained in the first few scenes.
Right off the bat we get into the origin of Daredevil by having Jack find his son after the accident has taken place. Matt had saved the life of an elderly man but took some hazardous waste to the eyes. Jack Murdock holds his son as he screams “I can’t see,” an effective hook to a show if I’ve ever seen one.
The next scene not only gives us some rational for Matt’s nighttime activities but establishes his Catholicism, an essential part of his character. The scene runs the risk, as many scenes do in this episode, of feeling too drawn out but Charlie Cox manages to hold your attention with his tale of his father’s determination.
It’s important to remember that all of this happens before the opening credits. One of the advantages of running on a platform like Netflix is that runtime is more of a loose guideline. This allows scenes to play out, some longer than necessary, and never does this work to greater effect than in the fight scenes. The first one, in which Daredevil takes on a group of sex traffickers, is full of frenetic pace and brutal takedowns, including the first billy club ricochet, a trademark of Daredevil’s, which nearly had me jumping out of my seat in pure joy.
The show slows down slightly as it introduces the story of this first episode. Matt Murdock may be a vigilante but he’s also a lawyer, something that puts him at odds with one side of the law or the other many times in the comic. Along with his pal, Foggy Nelson, the duo have just started their law firm, as well as their law careers. It’s not long before they pick up their first client, Karen Page, a woman who is accused of murdering her co-worker. Matt begins to suspect that Karen is being framed, mainly because his heightened senses allow him to essentially be a human lie detector. But also because there’s too much evidence for the police to not convict her, which they have yet to do.
The show is wise to make Karen Page more than just the pretty face that will fall into the arms of our hero. It turns out Page uncovered a massive embezzlement scheme by United Allied, the company that is responsible for most of the rebuilding going on in Hell’s Kitchen post-Avengers. This puts her at the heart of the story and, as we see when she manages to take down her would be murderer in prison, she is much more than the damsel that needs saving every week.
After she gets released from prison she stays at Murdock’s place, for protection but also to set up their eventual romance. The scene feels a little drawn out in places but works by giving us a bit more info on the man Murdock is and just who Karen Page might be. All lit by the backdrop of a glowing billboard sign coming into the apartment building, one Matt got at a discounted rate because nobody else would want it.
Matt eventually finds out that Karen has kept the incriminating documents in her apartment and lets her sneak out in the middle of the night to retrieve them. Naturally she’s attacked by a would-be assassin and Daredevil gets to save the day.
The fight scene at the end here is one of the most brutal I’ve seen portrayed in a superhero series. Starting in Karen’s apartment and spilling outside into the rain, the fight leaves both men banged up but Daredevil victorious. He convinces Karen to give the USB over to a newspaper who promptly leaks the information. As for what is next for Karen, she decides to become the secretary for Nelson and Murdock.
Meanwhile, operating on the periphery of this episode is Wilson Fisk, the man who will become known as Kingpin. Fisk himself only appears at the end as a voice but his actions are felt throughout as he sends his associate to take care of business for him. It’s a nice choice as it allows us to mythologize the man and makes his eventual appearance feel all the more important.
The episode ends with Fisk’s men beginning anew with their crimes as Matt trains. The montage is long and more than a little dark but it sets the tone for the whole series and shows us exactly what world Daredevil operates in. The other heroes are above this sort of level, they take down world conquerors and would-be gods, Matt Murdock isn’t that type of hero. He’s a man more than willing to take it to the scum of the streets and that the dynamic is what makes this show feel so special.
Bits n Pieces
- The best part of the first fight scene is the guy sitting there eating during the battle. Don’t worry, Daredevil knocks him into the lake.
- I might have missed it being overtly stated but the billboard is advertising one of those shady companies that Fisk works with right?
- I doubt we’ll actually see it but Creel vs Murdock is teased in an old flyer at the end.
- The classic red of the Daredevil costume is beginning to seep into this one as there is red stitching in it at the end.
- To clarify how these reviews will work, since Netflix released the whole series at once, I’ll be doing the remaining reviews twice a week for the next 6 weeks.
- “How long have you been practicing law?” “What time is it?” “It’s 12:22 AM.” “About 7 hours.”
- “Hero’s and their consequences are why we have our current opportunities.”
- “Yes, it’s perfect ‘Chechens kidnap a preschool’ weather.”
If you’d like to give me feedback or just chat about Daredevil you can email me at theSuperAlbino@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter @JesseSwanson