*Spoilers Ahead*
Up until this episode the relationship between Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock has been conveyed mainly through their interactions at the law firm of Nelson & Murdock. Matt’s busy being Daredevil and Foggy is busy helping dig up info on a vast cover-up job. It took Foggy discovering Matt’s identity but we finally get a true understanding of what these two mean to the other.
“Nelson v. Murdock” spends a good portion of it’s time on the duo cutting between the present day, where Matt recovers from injuries on his couch and attempts to explain himself to Foggy, and the past, where college era Foggy and Matt become best pals. The structure is similar to “Shadows in the Glass” but where that episode focused on telling the story of how Wilson Fisk became the man he is today, this one focuses on what makes Foggy and Matt such a great pair.
In short, they compliment each other, as the best of friends do. Foggy’s cheery demeanor and positive outlook keeps Matt from wallowing in the scars of his past. While Matt’s level headed mindset and sense of right and wrong keep Foggy from making rash decisions. Together, the two make each other better. Which is why it’s so devastating to see their relationship torn apart in the present.
Foggy tries to rationalize what Matt does but in the end he can’t. It throws too much of their relationship into question. Foggy isn’t sure what was the truth and what has been a lie. Matt tries to explain as best as he can but the damage is done. It’s a great scene and both Charlie Cox and Elden Henson really make it work. Henson’s Foggy really comes into his own in this episode as he is given so much to do and pulls it all off.
Elsewhere, Fisk continues to have trouble with his remaining crime allies. Both Madame Gao and Leland Owlsley believe that Fisk has changed for the worse since falling in love with Vanessa, which makes them likely suspects when she and others are poisoned at a fundraiser. The Fisk side of things this week is a little light as it sets up for the upcoming endgame but the poisoning of Vanessa has the potential to add an interesting weakness to Fisk that is sure to be exploited.
While Foggy and Matt are dealing with the fallout of last week’s episode, Karen is keeping busy. Mainly by tricking Ben into going with her to visit a nursing home, under the pretense of it being for his ailing wife. Ben, for all intents and purposes, is done with the Union Allied case. He decides to take a job as an editor in order to provide for his ailing wife and only visits Karen to give her all his findings. Instead, Karen pulls him back in when, at the nursing home, they meet the mother of Wilson Fisk. The twist is well played but it feels uncharacteristically selfish of Karen to drag Ben into something that he wants no part of anymore.
With Foggy seemingly leaving the firm and Vanessa poisoned it’s hard to see where exactly the show plans on taking all this but it’s surely not going to be pretty for anybody involved.
Bits ‘n Pieces
- If the stoner jokes about the name “Foggy” weren’t bad enough college Foggy looks like he’s cosplaying as Shaggy.
- We get a reference to evil corporation Roxxon and a reference to Elektra this week.
- Claire is briefly mentioned as the person who patched Matt up but isn’t seen this week. It’s clear that the show only had a few episodes with Rosario Dawson available but the writing around it could be a little better.
- “A blind old man taught you the ways of martial arts. Isn’t that the plot of Kung Fu?”
- “I think you’re unsettling half the time. See me lighting a match?”
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