Okay, so, disclaimer time. I know most of you marathoned Daredevil immediately and have likely finished the season. I’m taking my time. I haven’t watched past this episode. It’ll definitely make it easier for me to focus my review on this specific episode and not let my thoughts on the entire season take over. But that also means it’s likely I’ll talk about something that gets answered or dealt with later on. So pretend you weren’t floored by that finale (or underwhelmed, or mildly satisfied) and put your episode five hat back on. In case you don’t remember where we are, Fisk has just convinced Vladimir that Matt killed- brutally beheaded- his brother. Vlad is too angry to really think straight, so he accepts this without question. My man Wesley is there to help reinforce the idea that Fisk and Anatoly were on good terms, therefore Fisk and Vlad should be buddies as well. It is Definitely not a set-up, Vlad. No worries.
Meanwhile Nelson and Murdock take on a new client; Mrs. Cardenas and her entire building are being forced out by their shitty landlord. The case sends Foggy and Karen off to talk with the landlord’s lawyers, among them a pretty cliche ex-girlfriend of Foggy’s. This chick is one hell of a caricature; I think I strained my eyes from rolling ‘em so hard. But this case does give us more of Foggy and Karen, who are both pretty darling individually and especially together. Is this a date? I don’t know, let me feel your face. Weirdos.
So while Foggy and Karen are off being cute, Matt heads to the precinct and ends up just in time to hear a couple of dirty cops silence a Russian who’d given up Fisk. From there it’s all vigilante mode. I definitely want to see more of Matt trying to balance his lawyering and his vigilante lifestyle. The juggling act is only going to work for so long, and I’m ready to see it go south. Also, I want to see more lawyering in general. That courtroom scene in episode three was a nice balance to all the punching and dark alleys. Both are fun, but balance is key.
Fisk and Vanessa have themselves a second date that turns out to be a wild time. Vanessa brings a gun, for one thing; she’s not sure she trusts Fisk or if she even wants to be there. She’s undeniably attracted and drawn to him, but her instincts are screaming at her to run. There’s a point during the date where we have to wonder whether Fisk has been set up, but it’s all good. It’s Fisk who’s the criminal mastermind, after all, and he and Vanessa end their date with a gorgeous fire show, sirens and all.
It’s really hard not to just flat rave about Vincent D’Onofrio for this entire review. He has really stolen the show for me. That brutal beheading was unforgettable, but he managed to be far more terrifying in his quiet moments. You’re never quite sure where he stands, whether he’s going to end you there or make you suffer or offer you more wine. I feared for Vanessa’s safety, I feared for the waiter’s safety, I feared for my safety. In my last review I talked about how D’Onofrio plays that emotional vulnerability well, but when he comes to his next move, he’s a bit tougher to read, and you’re left on edge.
There’s a lot to this show that I want to see get fleshed out a bit. Matt juggling work and play- work and work?- Claire, just, in general. Both Foggy and Karen. I’m excited to see more of Fisk and of his relationship with Vanessa. There’s just so much to this show, and I want more of everything. I’m getting greedy, maybe, but it’s so great so far. You know you’re doing a decent job when my main complaint is, “more please.”
Score: 3/5
Daredevil 1.5 – World on Fire Director: Farren Blackburn Writer: Luke Kalteux Distributor: Netflix, ABC Films, Marvel Studios Runtime: 60 Minutes Exclusively on Netflix