Season three of Daredevil picks up immediately after the end of The Defenders, giving us Matt Murdock rehabilitating, both in body and spirit. This third year of the superhero series is another exhilarating and impressive one, taking the strengths of years prior and capitalizing on them.
Daredevil is one of the three remaining Netflix Marvel shows that hasn’t been axed. There are reasons why this character is hard to let go of, and this season makes use of those particulars.
Netflix, you have done it again.
Bringing Back The Dead?
Following the aftermath of the Defender’s ground-shaking finale, we find Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) barely alive, being cared for at the Catholic orphanage he grew up in. After substantial injuries and a loss, things aren’t looking good for Daredevil.
He’s broken, in more ways than one. His faith is tested, and in the beginning, so are his abilities, as he worries his other senses won’t return to their prior heights. One of the nuns caring for him is Sister Maggie (Joanne Whalley), a terrific counter to Matt’s stubbornness, with a significant secret.Hell’s Kitchen seems to being okay on its own, right? Perhaps that would be the case, at least at first. Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) seems to be doing great at the paper, though she continues to fight against the probability of Matt’s demise, and Foggy (Elden Henson) is at a high paying law firm, living with his beautiful girlfriend Marci Stahl (Amy Rutberg).Except, one particular crime boss is going to make a deal with the FBI, and he’s about to make everybody very uncomfortable.
Wilson Fisk is back, one of the best decisions the creators could have made, and he is in full form. I would even go as far as to say in the first season he was Wilson Fisk and in season three he becomes Kingpin (they actually call him by this -which is spectacular). I use this example because we really get a great view of his capabilities here with the wit and manipulation hitting an incredible high. He’s a mastermind of the criminal world, and his schemes reach further with each episode.
Our three main characters are broken up a lot this season, and when they share the screen we’re reminded why we love them so much.
There are a few new worthy additions this season, one of which is FBI agent Ray Nadeem (Jay Ali). He’s desperately in need of a promotion due to financial issues, and his most recent mission is to talk to Fisk. After leveraging information, an attempt on Fisk’s life is made, moving him to a safe house in the city.
Another excellent new character is that of Benjamin ‘Dex’ Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), also known as Bullseye to comic fans. He’s an FBI agent as well, who’s trying to bury down some pretty psychotic impulses.
A Darker, Deeper Portrayal Of Our Comic Book Hero (And His Counterparts)
Daredevil has a lot of impressive areas, one of which is the skill of the fighting choreography. There are countless scenes in this season that are, down to the detail, a wonderment. The utilization of long one-take shots creates intense action sequences. There are a few really incredible scenes (look out for the prison sequence).
There is also the likable characters that are so easy to invest in. Deborah Ann Woll gets the opportunity to – in particular – stand out as we peel back the layers of her past. Cox pushes himself here, showing his full range as he dives into the dour gritty streets with a vulnerability he attempts to evade by disappearing.
Vincent D’Onofrio as Fisk sustains his mantel as one of the best Marvel Villains, giving us a textured performance that is both intimidating and occasionally sympathetic, generally when it comes to his love for Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer).
This is an expertly written show, with dialogue that is superb, especially when it comes to Fisk, and plots that build in a thrilling way. With New York City as a backdrop, our masked vigilante who, spoiler alert, doesn’t spend a minute in his costume, is revamped, resurrected, and irreparably changed.
My biggest critique, which is barely one because I was blown away, is in the speed of the initial few episodes, as the show attempts to get its legs under it. Matt Murdock is learning to walk again, so it can’t be expected to be full throttle right away, and the same can be said for Wilson Fisk. He’s also in a state of rebuild.
In fact, in some ways, this season feels like a refreshing jump start to the Netflix-Marvel machine, with new and old cogs greased and upgraded. In the second season, Daredevil got away from what made it so damn good – instead, the sophomore take was serviceable but felt more like building blocks to other series (Punisher, Defenders).
What’s great about season three is that even when pacing threatened to unhinge, it course corrected so quickly that there was no real damage done. This feels more like one, somehow impressing upon its predecessors in a brilliant way. It enriches the characters, extends the story line, but still has the thrill of the original entry.
My only true regret was that there wasn’t more of the skill shown in the last ten episodes. There are some plot areas that could have fallen into usual generic pits, but Daredevil eclipses those. Even when you’re wanting to shake Matt for his behavior, you’re still engrossed.
Conclusion: Daredevil Season Three
Creator Drew Goddard and Erik Oleson have created an adept season that goes back to its roots, but also grows from them. This tortured hero has an exceptional arc across from a menacing villain, with an assortment of significant side characters. Daredevil is still the stunner of Hell’s Kitchen, and of the Netflix Marvel world.
What was your initial thoughts? Did you binge the thirteen episodes? Let us know your interpretation in the comments below!
Daredevil season 3 can currently be streamed on Netflix.
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