“Daredevil vs. Kingpin”

Welcome back everyone to “The Good, the Bad, and the Pedantic”, a review series where I take a look at the most recent comic book and general geek interest adaptations and see how they translate to the screen. As the title of this series states I will see what works in an adaptation as well as what needs to be improved. After I’ve gone through the parts both good and bad about the series itself I’ll take a look at the subtle nods, mythology foreshadowing, and overt changes to canon that fans tend to obsess over.

In this installment I’ll be tackling Marvel’s Daredevil. As this is a thirteen part episode premiering all at once on Netflix I will be taking it in three parts for ease to myself and readers instead of in episodic chunks. I call this final arc “Daredevil vs. Kingpin” due to both characters finally coming into their larger than life identities.

*Spoiler Warning for those who haven’t seen episodes 11-13 of Daredevil.

The Recap

Instead of the long awaited arrival of Samuel L. Jackson onto Daredevil episode eleven, “The Path of the Righteous” is a step back from the tumultuous events of the previous arc[1]. After witnessing the protection that Fisk’s suit gave him in their previous fight Matt seeks out the simple-minded costume engineer savant Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald) in order to get his own protective gear. Karen and Ben’s investigation reaches a fever pitch as they travel upstate to visit Fisk’s still-living mother and discover the truth behind Wilson killing his father. This news reaches Wesley who confronts Karen and threatens to blackmail her. When Wesley absent-mindedly leaves a loaded gun in Karen’s reach she grabs it and empties the clip into the criminal genius’s body[2].

“The Ones We Leave Behind” serves as the penultimate episode for the season and lines everyone up for the dramatic final confrontation. While Karen tries to drown her sorrows for murdering Wesley his boss Wilson Fisk grows even more unstable at the news of his death. While Wilson searches out for Wesley’s killer Matt goes on his own path against the manufacturers of Steel Serpent. After Matt parkours his way across the rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen he discovers the location of Madame Gao’s heroin operation. In one of the most chilling moments of the series Matt walks silently through the mass of blind drug mules before chasing down Gao. Gao shows a bit of supernatural strength by knocking the vigilante out in one punch and making a getaway to someplace “far further”[3] than any of her colleagues would expect. After Ben is fired from his job for threatening to print the story he learned from Fisk’s mother he returns home to find the Kingpin himself waiting. After a tense talk Fisk unleashes his fury and chokes Ben to death.

As we reach the cleverly titled season finale “Daredevil” our heroes attend the heart-wrenching funeral of Ben Urich. As Matt becomes more determined than ever to hunt down Fisk the crime lord and Leland Owlsley come face to face on the knowledge that the moneyman was responsible for Vanessa’s poisoning. Owlsley tries to play the confrontation just as smugly as he does every interaction but this proves to be a bridge too far and Fisk murders the man. With Owlsley’s death his ace in the hole, the corrupt police officer Detective Hoffman will now reveal all secrets about the organization, forcing Matt to come to his rescue. After rescuing Hoffman from the Kingpin’s goons Matt and Foggy represent him as he reveals all secrets of Fisk’s empire to the FBI. As the FBI arrests all of Fisk’s cartel the crime lord proposes to Vanessa before being taken away in cuffs. Fisk is able to turn the tables and break away from the initial prison transport in a scene that shows Fisk’s reach extends far past any form of law enforcement. This causes Matt to finally don his in-progress Daredevil suit and face the criminal in a back alley. Unleashing a greater fury than he ever has on an opponent Matt defeats Fisk and sends him to jail. The newspapers hail Daredevil as a hero of the people and Nelson and Murdock puts a new sign on the door, leaving our hero better than ever[4].

The Good

Before I begin talking about everything that Daredevil did right this season there is one part of the finale that I’d like to praise. When Wilson Fisk is finally arrested, the first time, and traveling in an FBI transport he relates the biblical story of the Good Samaritan and wonders what his role is in the story. Fisk finally realizes that he is the “ill-intent” of the story and Matt is portrayed through the rest of the episode as the Samaritan. While using the Bible to characterize superheroes is nothing new I like the use of the Good Samaritan as opposed to the constant times a superhero is shown as being a Christ figure[5]. Matt being another self-sacrificing messiah would just place him among the countless Christ-figures we already have so it’s good on Daredevil for stepping out of the box a bit.

Other than that nice bit of characterization Daredevil accomplished a number of things in its first season. Daredevil takes Marvel’s grittiest hero, uses him in an environment that is far darker than anything else we’ve seen in their cinematic universe, and also brings enough levity that we can remember that superhero adaptations need to be exciting and fun above all else. People cite the Dark Knight as the pinnacle of a superhero adaptation using darkness appropriately but it’s also a film that has plenty of humor[6] and some of the most impressive action seen since Die Hard. Daredevil combines that incredible action like the infamous “hallway scene” as well as likeable characters that make us laugh and feel for them so that we can empathize when their lives inevitably go to hell.

Everything that plagued the 2003 Daredevil film is absent in Netflix’s adaptation. Charlie Cox is a perfectly likeable Matt Murdock whose Catholicism, dedication to the law, and yearning sense for justice add numerous edges to what could very easily be a flat character. The supporting cast shines as well with Elden Hanson, Deborah Ann-Woll, Toby Leonard Moore, and Vondie Curtis-Hall each inhabiting their characters and Vincent D’Onfrio turning in the best Marvel villain since Loki. Above all else the action in Daredevil is unlike most things we’ve seen on television with Matt Murdock’s struggles being both superhuman and unmistakably human. Daredevil proves that superhero adaptations belong on television, especially when they’re on a platform such as Netflix.

The Bad

There’s a lot to love about Daredevil, but no first season is completely perfect. There were points during the season where the subplots didn’t seem to line up with the main action. Most of Foggy and Karen’s plots, especially those dealing with Elena Cardenas, were predictable and seemed to suck the life out of the main Kingpin plot. This show also had a wealth of incredible characters that it wasn’t able to put to use as much as it should have. Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple was understandably a highlight but contracts kept her out of the majority of the season and the episodes she was in didn’t always use her to the fullest potential. Also, Toby Leonard Moore’s Wesley was such a revelation that it was hard to see any reason for killing him off this early in the game. Really, Daredevil’s problem is that there was so much good stuff they weren’t able to put it all in with the time allotted. But that always leaves next season for some characters to shine.

The Pedantic

Unfortunately not every great character will come back for season two[7]. Ben Urich is one of the most important figures in the Daredevil mythos so seeing him taken out by the Kingpin in the season’s penultimate episode was quite the shock. Vondie Curtis-Hall’s portrayal made it seem like Ben Urich was a man at the end of his rope but the nature of comic book adaptations seemed to ensure his survival for at least a few seasons. It’s always strange to see a character with potential be killed off early but at least Urich went out in a memorable fashion.

Looking ahead to season two and the rest of the Defenders series I think it’s safe to assume Marvel’s street level heroes are in safe hands. I think the Hand are likely to play a large roll in getting Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all in the same room so we’re likely to get some more ninja action. I think it’s not too outlandish to think that Elektra might be a part of those Hand shenanigans but we’re most likely going to see her in season two of Daredevil instead of the Defenders[8]. It’s also inevitable that we’ll be getting Bullseye in season two so look forward to seeing this stunt team think of some crazy scenes with a man who can turn anything into a precision weapon. Regardless, I think with Charlie Cox as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen the Marvel Universe will continue to get richer and better than ever.

[1] Though there is some “cold blooded shit” that goes down in this episode.

[2] And so we say goodbye to the Kingpin’s entertainingly competent yet frustratingly Miles Teller-resembling right-hand-man.

[3] This would be our first solid evidence that Gao is from K’un Lun and will likely reappear in Iron Fist. Interesting that we’ve seen far more nods to Danny Rand and his mystic city than either AKA Jessica Jones or Luke Cage who are both far more grounded in Daredevil’s world.

[4] Knowing that this is a Daredevil adaptation things will most definitely get immediately worse in Season Two.

[5] There’s subtle ways to portray your hero as being like Jesus and then there’s putting him in a church in front of a stained-glass window depicting Jesus contemplating his fate in Gethsemane. Not that Zack Snyder has ever been called subtle.

[6] Call the Joker badass or a chaotic mastermind but above all else Heath Ledger’s portrayal was downright hilarious in every scene. I mean, it’s a “oh God, I’m going to Hell for laughing at this” funny but still.

[7] And judging by the ratings and reviews Netflix would be crazy not to being back Daredevil.

[8] Though Marvel could always put out Daredevil’s second season before the Defenders airs so Elektra could always be set up then.