4 Things We Liked (and 4 We Didn’t) AboutDaredevil‘s Third Season

madcap made its grand returnthis past weekend , setting up a fallen Matt Murdock against his grand nemesis from the first season , the Kingpin , in a battle for Matt ’s soul . Overall it ’s a season that tackles the conversant Daredevil themes of the rights and legal injury of vigilantism — but here ’s a few thing in particular we liked and disliked .

We Liked That…

Matt Got Torn All the Way Down, and Built Back Up Again

One of Daredevil ’s “ joys ” as a persona is that , on the page and on the screen , he’salmost comically misfortunate . Whether it ’s literally everything that has ever happened to Matt in the comics or the show’sseemingly endless Catholic guilt trip , Matt Murdock almost live to suffer . This is something Daredevil ’s third season deals with in spades , given that it carries on from The Defenders ’ climactic enactment ofliterally drop an entire buildingon him — but it does so in a mode that not only mine that wretchedness for some great moments , but also leaves Matt in a way that feels at the least substantially happier than he ’s been since the show began .

On the misery front , the 2nd episode of the season , “ Please , ” is an absolute highlight of Matt at his lowest . He physically struggles with the aftereffects of the whole “ a building cast off on him ” affair while also wonder his fray kinship with his faith — drawing a sensational carrying out from both Charlie Cox as Matt and Peter McRobbie as Father Lantom . But it ’s an intimate conflict that receive to simmer over all of Daredevil ’s third season , eventually climax in Matt ’s final re - confronting of Kingpin , a battle that leaves him nearer to Karen and Foggy , and back trying to have a semblance of a living outside of being the Devil of Hell ’s Kitchen . Now that he ’s truly taken on his comic - Quran subtitle of the Man Without Fear , it ’s probably not going to last — this is Daredevil we ’re talking about , after all — but it felt like a suitable narrative , tying up element that have lingered in Matt ’s growth since the very first time of year .

Karen Got to Play a Huge, Tragic Role (Without Dying)

Karen has been through the wringer over the last three season of Daredevil , from being frame for murder , to devote it . The majority of her time in the show — and companion series The Punisher — is expend render to reveal truths and not be murdered . But time of year three finally dug deep into her past times and gave her journalism storyline some Platonism .

It may have seemed odd that Karen ’s slaying of Fisk ’s BFF James Wesley went completely uncovered for as long as it had , but the revelation was used to great effect here . Especially when you count her backstory which include a riotous youth in Vermont sell ( and doing ) drugs and adjudicate to keep her family ’s diner afloat . It all tragically came to a nous one nighttime after Karen ’s pal attempted to wrench her away from her drug - dealing boyfriend . The battle that ensue had Karen using her beau ’s gun to shoot him and deliver her brother , only to terminate even more horribly . While racing by from the scene , Karen , drunk and high , crashes the machine , kill her comrade in the process . The police and her father help track up her part in it all so she would n’t go to slammer , but it was the rift that would forever ruin her relationship with her dada . Now guess back to season one again and her conversation with Wesley after he snatch her : He says , “ Do you really think I would put a lade hitman on the table where you could reach it ? ” To which Karen reply , “ I do n’t know , do you really remember this is the first clock time I ’ve shot someone ? ”

“ The Devil You love ” had a uncivilised engagement between Daredevil and Fauxdevil but that was n’t what will cohere with us from that episode . Rather , it was Fauxdevil ’s execution of just about all of Karen ’s colleagues . We ’re not sure when the theme for that conniption came about , but it is all too close to thereal - humans shootingat the Capital Gazette in the first place this yr . Karen ’s foray into journalism never sat quite correctly with us , but her perseverance to expose the the true despite what happened at her work rang true , and Deborah Ann Woll sacrifice the performance the weight it deserved . ( The picture with all the cell phones going off in the evidence bag absolutely wrecked us . ) Despite all the danger she was in this time around , it was a relief the series did n’t feel the need to stick to through on Karen ’s mirthful book storyline and shoot down her off too .

Nelson, Murdock, and Page reunite in a return to form for Daredevil’s third season.

Nelson, Murdock, and Page reunite in a return to form for Daredevil’s third season.Image: (Netflix)

The Fights Scenes Were Flashy and Character-Driven

Daredevil ’s action mechanism has only gotten better as the show has evolve , but for all the ninja - tastic spectacle of time of year 2 ’s fights , they were overlook some of the symbolical , story - driven spark that made the first time of year ’s fight scenesso compellingin the first place . Two fights in particular stand out the most in season 3 ( although , cry out to the very cool Daredevil / Fauxdevil battle between Matt and Dex in “ The Devil You screw ” ) . The first is the now - traditional one - snapshot take on a “ hallway fighting ” that came in episode 4 , “ Blindsided . ” It ’s agrueling and visceral epic - distance slogas Matt try out to escape a prison - bound maw good manners of Fisk that is as enchant to catch as it is exhausting to even apprehend , a sequence ( 11 minutes long ! ) that in truth exemplifies the grit and conclusion that make Matt Daredevil , to the realisation of Fisk himself .

The other is the less - immaculate but equally weighty three - way scrap between Fisk , Matt , and Poindexter , not only because of the feverish , messy vibration the fight is given by having three wildly different characters with different motivations being mushed together ( address of things being mushed , ouch , Dex ’s spine ) , but because of how it ultimately leads to the crisis of religion in Matt ’s battle over whether or not he can terminate Kingpin ’s life as a redemptory bit . We ’ve always loved Daredevil ’s grit , but it was courteous to see that backbone serving a act more than just flashy moves again .

Bullseye Got a Creepy, Compelling Origin

If your only familiarity with the Marvel Comics baddie came from the 2003 motion-picture show star Colin Farrell as Bullseye , this was … uh … not that . give thanks god .

Ourcould - have - been Captain America , Wilson Bethel , plays Benjamin “ Dex ” Poindexter , an FBI agentive role who is all - too - easily rock to the benighted side by the allure of Fisk . Why ? He was already drear . tops dark . In a revealing flashback episode we find out three very important things : 1 ) Dex start up killing at a very untried years ; 2 ) he has an acutely accurate aim ; and 3 ) his head-shrinker was his anchor . And then she died !

While the vista ’s mock - stage position up rubbed us the incorrect way , it was an interesting change in footstep for the series that have us a very clear look at what was driving this character reference . for sure , he was police force enforcement , but only until they abandoned him too , leave Fisk to replete that hole to structure his life . We do not believe this is one of those “ defective guy can be redeem ” stories — his press that he was not stalking Julie was laughable — but an interesting reflection on just how close wedge and villains sometimes sit .

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Image: (Netflix)

We Didn’t Like That…

Agent Nadeem’s Downfall Didn’t Quite Land

Two FBI agents have a big part to play in Kingpin ’s fantastic plans : the said Poindexter / Bullseye , and poor Agent Ray Nadeem , who finds his life slowly destroyed from the exterior in by Fisk ’s intrigue .

Jay Ali does a delicious job in the role — and Nadeem is probably the safe the MCU / Netflix existence has had so far , in a take on a practice of law enforcement sureness help out our vigilante hero sandwich . But in a season that was already devote a caboodle of focus to Fisk ’s speedy corruption of Dex , adding in Nadeem ’s own push under Fisk ’s thumb felt like a bit of a repeating , even if Nadeem did at least get to ransom himself before his untimely decease , hand over the evidence that would ultimately rejoin Kingpin to prison . If Bullseye was n’t such a major percentage of time of year 3 already , Nadeem would have been a compelling friend - turn - adversary - turned ally , but alongside him it feels like a bit too much of an unneeded wave-particle duality .

Kingpin’s Total Control Is a Little Too Convenient

Speaking of Fisk , we know he ’s meant to be a criminal brain , but his increasingly luxuriant program to enact payback on Daredevil feels a little too mastermind - y for its own trade good . Even if Fisk has had plenitude of time in jail to grizzle and plot , the immediacy with which he cope to bring people under his influence , to cull apart Matt ’s aliveness while by piece , feels more like the unstoppable march of the plot of ground prescribe the action more so than it does the minacious plans of Fisk slotting into place as they did in season 1 . Especially when it comes to unexpected element like Dex ’s arrival on the scene and Vanessa ’s own increasing involvement in Fisk ’s condemnable activities . Sure , it ’s the latter that finally seals the mickle to put Fisk back in poky , when Matt disclose he knows Vanessa rent the hit on Nadeem rather than Fisk , but apart from that one weak spot everything else at fourth dimension could palpate a little too knavish in Fisk ’s favor .

Foggy Still Feels Like a Third Wheel

Oh , Foggy . You ’re great ! But you ’re pretty tiresome , all thing state . This season set about to fill up Foggy ’s dance bill a second by letting us see more of his family , his romantic family relationship , and career , but none of it really made much of an wallop . And when you compare his time of year to Karen ’s , there ’s no comparison . His run for District Attorney could have point him in a much more interesting position for next season ( if there even is a next season , commit the sudden ends of bothLuke CageandIron Fistrecently ) , but even that fizzled out after barely gaining traction . Foggy needs a matter . Let him have a Thing ! And do n’t say it ’s Matt .

There Were Some Odd Little Contrivances We Couldn’t Quite Let Slip

search . This is superhero telecasting . There ’s a certain amount of handwaving allowed . But , having see a great mountain of superhero video , there ’s still a few thing that make us side - middle tactics used to move a plot along . This time around , there were a few :

You know how upset Matt was over Elektra ’s death at the start of the time of year ? How much moaning he did about it ? He just … move on . To be average , it took a few episodes of snivel , but once he had Fisk back on the brain Elektra and those flaky events at Midland Circle were completely forgotten . Whatever . We ’re sure she ’s fine .

Sister Maggie was nifty . Joanne Whalley ’s wry speech was everything . Someone to secern Matt he ’s being an moron is always welcome . Which is why it was so bizarre when Sister Maggie prayed out loud her big confession : that she ’s Matt ’s mother . Not only did she do this out loud , she did it after previously make Matt can listen literally everything find in the church above him . Ok , mom .

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Lovely blanket though.Image: (Netflix)

dwell in New York Cityis not tacky ! Some people have the false belief that employers here give a price of living wage compare to the same job elsewhere . You ’d be false . Which is why it was so flaky to find out Karen - I’m - a - depressed - point - Reporter Page was extend Matt ’s Hell ’s Kitchen rent for month . She does n’t even have a roomy in her own apartment , you ’re telling me she ’s carrying two NYC rents on a journalist ’s salary ? This is perhaps the most unbelievable affair in any of the Marvel Netflix superhero shows ever . And we be intimate Iron Fist season one live !

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