Marvel's Daredevil Review by Henry Tran

Marvel's Daredevil 1.09: Speak of the Devil

Marvel's Daredevil 1.09: Speak of the Devil

Written By:
Christos Gage and Ruth Fletcher Gage
Directed By:
Nelson McCormick




This episode definitely confirms one fact about Matt Murdock and Daredevil: He is the most moral of superheroes. Up until this episode, we have only seen bits and pieces of Matt's devout Catholicism. The majority of which was in the first episode where he asked Father Lantom for absolution on what he is about to do. "Speak of the Devil" expands on that point and brings up a much heavier moral debate: Is it right for Matt to kill Fisk?  







This isn't a question that demands a straight yes or no answer. It's not that simple; The validity of murder, of taking the life of another human being, is a question that theologians, politicians, and society in general have been grappling with for centuries. And the episode presents some very well-balanced arguments for both sides. We've known for a long while (through the series) now that Matt has a strict "no kill" policy. Other heroes have such a code because they are influenced by factors outside of themselves. The Arrow in Arrow does it to honor his friend for instance. Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy has it to show that he's better than the villains he continually fights. Matt is the first superhero I've seen where the code is based on his own personal faith and religion.



Now, it may feel ponderous to some, but I feel that Daredevil is unique in this exploration of the morality in what can be charitably described as justifiable homicide. Matt was already upset that Fisk had the upper hand, and is currently dragging the reputation of the Masked Man through the mud. Fisk did just blow up a good portion of Hell's Kitchen. He is now casting himself in a better light. Fisk is going legitimate, which also means that the more unsavory connections to his criminal activities are starting to disappear. It makes fighting him a much more difficult task than it already was before for Matt, Foggy, and Karen. 



They could easily hide behind the shield that is the law, but they all question the effectiveness of such a tactic. This is what I'm talking about when I mention how thorough Fisk and his minions are in sealing up their operation. They effectively cannot be touched from a legal standpoint. So that influences the vigilante side, where Matt wants to go but can't bring himself to use to the fullest extent. He became the Masked Man to operate outside of the law, whenever the law became ineffective. So he does legitimately question why murder is a necessary evil.








In this case, Father Lantom asks the right question: Is Matt looking for a way not to kill Fisk, thus keeping his soul from being damned for eternity? Or is he searching for a reason to want to kill Fisk? That last question is tricky. Fisk leveling Hell's Kitchen and then buying off people to effectively force them out of their homes does mean that Fisk has to go. But if Fisk is killed, there will be another to replace him. If Matt takes his associates out of the equation until all that is left is Fisk, then his decision might be a little easier to stomach. It's still asking him to take a life, the gravest of sins in the Catholic religion. Some don't believe in the sanctity of capital punishment because of that very fact. 



Matt just has never been comfortable with the idea because he so values human life. He's thinking beyond Fisk, recognizing that there would be at least one person who would mourn his death in Vanessa. Where Foggy wants justice immediately, Matt seeks comfort in a more patient approach. It's a really novel idea that runs counter to most TV series and movies, where the hero needs to do the quickest path to getting what they think of as justice against a wrong. Good and evil do function as a matter of perspective in a lot of cases. The difference between hero and villain here is often times no more than a few degrees to the left or right. Sometimes not even that much separates the two.








Fisk initiates an action, though, that prompts clarification on Matt's moral debate. The fact that he sends an anonymous petty thug to kill Mrs. Cardenas is the prime example of Fisk crossing the line Matt was previously unwilling to do. That bit of violence begets more violence on Matt's part, and now, it's clear that he needs to kill Fisk. This is more than desire. Fisk is not a good element. He's a bully who takes what he wants by force. Mrs. Cardenas was innocent, and even with much of the city against the Masked Man of late, he must stand and fight for the innocent. I now think Stick was wholly wrong on his assessment of Matt. Having attachments to people isn't a sign of weakness; It's a strength that Matt can draw upon when he absolutely needs it. He has it in order to maintain his humanity. 


And he does need it here, as he's roughed up in the fight with Nobu. A bit of luck eliminated Nobu from the equation, but that doesn't keep Fisk from nearly pounding the life out of Matt in the aftermath. Fisk wanted Nobu to be eliminated because he was becoming a problem that couldn't be dealt with in a prompt manner. Fisk is effectively killing two birds with one stone here, and even with all of the struggling and moralizing over the justification in murder, it's clear now that Matt will be killed if he doesn't somehow stop Fisk. Can he do so without more bodies dropping though? What's the cost to Matt's soul if he does actually cross that line? It's one of many questions that will cast a pall over the rest of the season.

Our Grade:
A
The Good:
  • Delves intelligently into Matt’s morality
  • Fisk’s rise is methodical and continues to set him up as nearly unstoppable
The Bad:
  • So how badly can Matt be hurt without bleeding out?

Henry Tran is a regular contributor of review for Critical Myth; The Critical Myth Show is heard here on VOG Network's radio feed Monday, Wednesday & Friday. You can follow him on twitter at @HenYay

Marvel's Daredevil by - 6/2/2015 5:39 AM238 views

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