When the first season of Daredevil debuted on Netflix in 2015, it changed the expectations people had when it came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It brought forth a darkness and brutality never before seen in the MCU, setting the tone for the future Marvel/Netflix shows. While the second season had its moments, it wasn't as good as the first. Looking back, the problem was balancing the Punisher and Elektra stories, not really converging in a satisfying manner. So after that and teaming up with the other Netflix heroes in the Defenders, it was time for the Daredevil "trilogy" to wrap up. Season three goes back to what season one so groundbreaking, upping the ante in the process.
All the returning cast bring what I feel are their finest performances as their characters.
Matt Murdock, reprised by Charlie Cox, is in a real bad place when we begin this season. The loss of people in his life, from his father, to Stick, to Elektra, has brought forth a crisis of faith. At first its just his religion, but once Wilson Fisk is let out of prison, it's also his faith in the system that is lost. Matt's main struggle this season is trying to bury his human side to devote himself to Daredevil, with his friends trying to keep him in the light. With his red suit destroyed, he goes back to his homemade black suit. While I love the traditional look for Daredevil, the black suit works for the story. He's not only going back to his roots, but he feels the red suit not only represents a time when his ideals were strong, but it marked his biggest victory, defeating Fisk. Fisk being out cheapens it, and then it becomes twisted when a man in a copy of the suit begins killing people. Plus, the less armored suit helps add more tension when Matt's in the field; being more vulnerable means he has to think more on his feet.
Deborah Ann Woll shines as Karen Page, particularly in an episode dedicated to her backstory. It really gives you more understanding of her character and might make you see her in a different light. It also helps that now that she knows Matt's secret, it makes her more of a team player, compared to how she was kind of shut out in season two.
Elden Henson continues to steal the show as Foggy Nelson. Ever since it began, the show has done marvelous work with his character, making him into his own man and not just Matt's partner. It almost makes me want to see a show focused on his life.
And of course, we have Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, who finally takes the name Kingpin this season. In the first season, you could argue he had good intentions but went about terrible means. This season however, there are no shades of gray. What he wants now is control, of the crime in New York and corrupt officials. Nothing is off the table, and it is scary how he has been able to set things in motion or manipulate others to do his bidding. If there is any sliver of humanity left in him, it's when he's with Vanessa. In terms of the Netflix series, Fisk is much like Thanos; he's the biggest villain in this subsection of the MCU, and his presence creates dread in all who know him, even those trying to stop him. It brings forth this feeling of hopelessness like in season one, making you think "how are our heroes going to win?" Much like then, it does come in an unexpected way (done even better this season, in my opinion), but there was much more tension this time around. It made me question if Fisk would even lose, as well as fear how far Matt was going to go this time to end him. Something else I noticed is how they seemed to draw some inspiration from Donald Trump in Fisk's depiction. He not only blasts "fake news" or tells people who the true enemy is, but some people even buy it, making them question if Fisk was ever guilty to begin with. And while they beat around the bush and don't say it flat out, we even have a Holocaust survivor compare him to the Nazis. But here's the real kicker: when he's out of prison, he's staying at the Presidential Hotel.
Of the new characters this season, the ones that really stood out to me were Joanne Whalley as Sister Maggie and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter.
Sister Maggie looks after Matt, who is hiding out in his church during most of the season. She offers words of wisdom, stitches him up when he needs it, and calls out Matt on his bullshit when she needs to. She's very much the Alfred to Matt's Batman. There is a bit of a twist in her character, but I think it'll be more surprising to those who don't read comics compared to those who do.
Then there's our other main villain this season, Dex, who is the MCU version of Daredevil's other biggest villain, Bullseye. To be blunt, Dex is scary. He is a scary, scary man, exemplified in not just how he enjoys killing people and how easy it appears to be for him, but the score used for his character, making it sound like flies buzzing in his head. In one episode, we learn his backstory, showing he has been troubled ever since he was a little boy. It helps when he has someone good to guide him, but this is something Fisk takes advantage of. If Dex is like a rabid dog, then Fisk is the one who let him off the leash. His fights with Matt are some of the best I've ever seen too, not only being unique each time they duel, but making it clear that he's the most dangerous opponent Matt's ever faced.
I feel Daredevil has always had the best fight scenes of all the Netflix series, and they really went all out this season, upping the danger and brutality Matt is facing. The final fight of the season alone is the perfect example, and had me on the edge of my seat. In addition to the fights though, this season had some of the best cinematography I've ever seen. One episode in a prison includes a single camera shot that goes on for well over ten minutes, much similar to the hallway and stairwell fights from previous seasons. And in the episode examining Dex's past, it's done in a unique way where while Fisk is looking over his files, he imagines himself watching events from Dex's past as if they were happening in his own penthouse.
Overall, season three of Daredevil was a much needed return to form for the series, bringing back the realism and darkness that made us love the show in the first place. So where do we go from here? Well, it's kind of in question. Since my Iron Fist season two review, both that and Luke Cage have been cancelled at Netflix, leaving Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Punisher the remaining series. The optimist in me is saying they're just going to combine those two into the much requested "Heroes for Hire" series. But there's a prevailing theory that with Disney launching their own streaming service in the future, they don't want any of their properties under the competition. If that's the case, season two of Punisher and season three of Jessica Jones could be the last of the Marvel/Netflix series. When it comes to Daredevil, if this was the last season, I think it was a satisfying enough conclusion. Much like Iron Man 3, each of the characters had their story wrapped up and it does leave it open for the story to continue if they choose to.
If we are hopefully given a fourth season, besides feeling that Matt will try to do better at balancing his day and night jobs, the only thing I have to wonder is Matt's costume. It's probably time for something new, since his black suit doesn't have much protection, and the red suit has been tarnished by Dex's actions. Personally, I think they should combine the two and do something like the "Back in Black" era suit.
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