Marvel's Daredevil 1.13: Daredevil
Written By:
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
Directed By:
Steven S. DeKnight
Steven S. DeKnight
I have mixed feelings about this finale. Perhaps it was because there was so much anticipation and expectation coming into the episode that would have been so difficult to meet. So many season finales are letdowns because of unmet expectations. "Daredevil" is, quite honestly, the logical conclusion to the huge story arc that was built over the course of thirteen episodes. Just accomplishing that feat is something to be praised in itself. I have also considered that part of these mixed feelings may be due to the foreknowledge of no new material to watch after this episode. Nevertheless, there has already been so much loss for the good guys through all this time that there had to be some balance to the proceedings. That's how it played out: It boiled down to a one-on-one match between Matt and Fisk. The last time those two fought, Matt nearly got killed. It promises to be different this time.
The most incredible thing about the finale, to me, is the general consensus feeling that Fisk must go down. Never mind that he had Mrs. Cardenas killed, or that he killed Ben himself. The empire he has built benefits and insulates him to such a degree that he doesn't even need the other associates in the enterprise. Madame Gao is in the wind. The Russians and Nobu have been permanently eliminated. All that's left is Leland, and the finale chooses to expose the power play that he tried against Fisk. Leland thought he was protected by the leverage provided by holding Detective Hoffman in custody. Like Ben before him, Leland severely underestimated the rage that Fisk lets out when someone attacks a person with close ties.
It's cloaked under a somewhat gentile nature, as with everything he does. The fact that he has nice clothes and a penthouse apartment and is in the public eye as a humble servant hoping to build a better tomorrow for Hell's Kitchen all serves to hide his monstrous true nature. A pleasant conversation off the record is the pretense by which Fisk chokes the life out of Ben. A confirmation of business dealings is all that Fisk needs to get close to Leland, read his poor body language, and then murder him without a second thought. I can no longer buy the explanation that Fisk's face betrays a guilty shame of his actions. He has graduated to full-blown supervillain here, and that means he doesn't really care about the consequences of his actions. If a loved one is attacked or nearly killed, then the offending party must die. Fisk is now alone at the mountaintop. It's only a matter of time before he falls.
That's really Fisk's M.O. through the entire episode. He's had enough of being besieged so he takes the steps necessary to ensure that no one who challenges him comes out of it in one piece. Buying out half the police force as well as those in the media only lasts for so long before mistakes pop up. Matt and Foggy get a real lucky break when Matt overhears a police officer on the phone searching for Detective Hoffman on orders from Fisk. The marshaling of forces that started last episode is now coming to full fruition here. It's up to Matt in his Masked Man persona to personally bring Fisk to justice. The first step would be to find Hoffman before Fisk's men get to him. I do question the fact that Hoffman is turned into a plot device, holding all of the information that would bring down Fisk, but the writers seem to have done this in the name of narrative expediency. Even then, there remains the question of whether Matt is doing the right thing by continuing his vigilante ways.
There is still this tension present between Matt and Foggy, even after they sort of reach a detente while discussing Foggy's absence at Ben's funeral. Foggy still isn't fully comfortable with the fact that Matt puts himself in danger every time he puts on the mask, while Matt has already made peace with it. It is something that he has to do in order to protect his loved ones. No more innocent people need to die, and that's really the core reason why Fisk has to go down. That swiftly occurs in a majestic and very satisfying montage.
All of this really makes the showdown between Fisk and Matt, who finally embraces the Daredevil nickname complete with a stronger, sleeker costume that accentuates protection over stealth and simplicity, fait accompli. Don't get me wrong, the fight lives up to the standards set by the show in terms of viciousness and physicality, but the whole series is not about that. That we've come to loathe Fisk so much that it was fairly satisfying to see him get arrested by the FBI is what was necessary to move the series forward. Matt again nearly gets beaten by the stronger Fisk, only to eventually prevail and put Fisk in his rightful place: prison.
There's no real trace of sympathy with Vanessa because she long ago made the choice to enable what Fisk was doing out of some twisted sense of love and devotion. The engagement ring may give her future motivation to join his life of crime so that would mean that she goes even further away from any possible form of redemption. With Fisk out of the picture (temporarily?), Foggy, Matt, and Karen are free to live their lives under no immediate threat. They are all the stronger now that all of those obstacles are out of the way.
Our Grade:
B
The Good:
- Nice how Fisk’s downfall is as much his own doing as anything Matt does!
- The showdown between Murdock and Fisk is exactly what has been promised
The Bad:
- The logical conclusion to the story is also, in many ways, far too predictable
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