S01.E04: In The Blood

[The Crazed Spruce]

Two vicious Russian brothers working for Fisk strike back against Daredevil. Fisk moves to further consolidate his power in the criminal underworld.

[Actionmage]

First? That ending! 

 

Rosario Dawson is owning her scenes and I want to know more about Claire, in-show.  Vondie Curtis-hall is likewise owning every scene he's in. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen is wonderful. She's the right mix of vulnerable and brave and you pull for Karen to succeed. Eldon Henson is delightful as Foggy. I am anxious to find out more about this would-have-been butcher!

 

Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio  are going to blow out whatever screen folks are watching when they are together. Both are doing very well so far.

 

I just saw this episode, as I am binging. More coherent thoughts after a bit.  I hope we get season 2 soon! ::crosses fingers::

Edited April 10, 2015 by Actionmage

[AimingforYoko]

Man, as soon as Anatoly interrupted Fisk's date with Vanessa, I knew how he was going to end up. I loved how Wesley just sat there deadpan, as he'd seen Fisk's bouts of temper before.

[starri]

I mean this with all due sincerity--the fact that Claire and Karen get to have so much agency is just remarkable.  One of the things that the MCU has kind of fallen down with is stronger female characters.  Black Widow, Gamora, and Melinda May are all great, but they're variations on the same theme.  Claire and Karen are both in vulnerable places, and yet they pick up and keep going.

 

Kingpin is Joker-level scary.  It's really impressive work by D'Onofrio.

[Eegah]

As generally bad as the Daredevil film was, I loved Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin and was highly skeptical that anyone else could measure up, to the point where I'm reasonably sure he would have been approached to play the role again if he was still alive (damn, I still can't believe that he's gone). But D'Onofrio just blew me away with this one, playing two very different sides to the guy and still making it believable that they were the same person.

[Lisin]

HO! LEE! SHIT!! That was intense! I didn't think they'd go that far with the beating but then they did. This show is so great! I can't talk more because we immediately started the next episode but I agree with what everyone said above! 

[marieYOTZ]

*deleted cause i'm in the weong episode thread!*

Edited April 11, 2015 by marieYOTZ

[Boundary]

HO! LEE! SHIT!! That was intense! I didn't think they'd go that far with the beating but then they did. This show is so great! I can't talk more because we immediately started the next episode but I agree with what everyone said above! 

 

Instead of wasting time typing, I'll just quote this cause it's exactly what I wanted to say.

 

I can't believe this is MCU. When I heard that the goal was The Wire level of quality I was sceptical but I'd say there's more than a whiff of that show here. Just like The Wire, there's a lot of patient story telling, the building blocks slowly inserted into place. Every actor is bringing it, there're no caricatures, which tends to happen in super hero stories. Fisk has had only a few scenes but you see more than one layer immediately, his henchman has a smirk that would annoy me usually but I don't mind it here somehow. I'm liking it.

[tennisgurl]

Holy Hell! That beating scene! That was seriously some Scorsese level of beat down! 

 

I liked that we got more of the villains in this episode, and allowed them to be humanized (the Russian brothers clearly have a strong bond, and Fisk with his rather sweet date) but still showed that they are scary, and dangerous as hell. 

 

I love all the characters, and like what Starri said, I love that Claire and Karen have their own stories and agency, and are clearly strong without being super women. They're just normal people trying to do the right thing, which is just as important to me as being able to kick a door down. 

 

I think I might be shipping Claire/Matt just a little bit...damn it.

[WendyCR72]

Uh, yeah. Apt title. The end. OMFG. And then, talking about a new suit. Dayum.

[Actionmage]

I hope the foley department got all sorts of bonuses.   I had to keep listening to know when I could look at the screen again, but damn!

[WendyCR72]

I think the squishing sounds make me more squeamish than the crunching, breaking bones!

[benteen]

I knew Anatoly was a dead man but geez, wasn't expecting THAT!

 

Great episode.  I love D'Onfrio's take on Fisk.  He's so damn compelling...I see what he meant at NYCC when he described Wilson as "a monster and a child."  Despite the fact that he is clearly a very bad man, I really felt bad for him at the end of his date with Vanessa.

 

Rosario is killing in this role and I'll echo what has been said about Claire and Karen.  They're not superwomen but they're strong characters who make their own decisions.

 

Charlie Cox has great chemistry with both Rosario Dawson and Deborah Ann Woll.  Given the many great relationships Matt Murdoch has had in his own titles over the years, that bodes well for the show.

[Chaos Theory]

Hey hot nurse is back. 9or did she say she was a doctor)  Hi hot nurse!  Not that blind vigilante would notice but I liked her so good to uhhhh see you again.   Plus I like how she brought up the body armor thing which is a logical question and his answer of it slowing him down is logical as well.  Well mostly.  

 

Wesley brought the funny:  A man with a iron suit or a magic Hammer.

 

Fisk sure has got some game when it comes to women.   Stupid Russians ruined his date.  

 

And that kids is called overkill.  

[thuganomics85]

Hee!  Glad to see that even comic villains can feel nervous over asking pretty women out, and have awkward first dates too!  Of course, the big difference is when dates go south, normal guys hopefully don't hunt down the guy who messed it up, and smash their heads in!  But, that is Wilson Fisk for you!

 

Granted, it admittedly isn't the biggest tower to rise in, but Fisk is already becoming one of the best villains in the Marvel Universe.  Vincent D'Onofrio is just amazing in this.  I remember there were some complaints when he first was cast, because he wasn't as big as some of the comics make him out to be, but that sure has hell didn't stop him from being scary as hell in the final scene.  That said, what I really love is how Vincent can switch between this menacing, violent, scary guy, to a more reasonable, logic one around his assistant (who I continue to love.  Dude must be great at his job, to be on Fisk's good side.)  And, again, the whole awkward, shy guy on the date.  The thing is, I don't feel like any of it is an act.  I feel like all these personality traits are the real Fisk: they just come out depending on the situation, the person, or how he is feeling.  I just find the character so fascinating.

 

Claire is back and Rosario Dawson is still awesome.  Really love her chemistry with Charlie Cox.  I like that she does believe in Matt and what he does, but has no problems questioning his methods, the risk-taking, and what his plans are.  And, it doesn't feel like "nagging" to me.  She is making sense, and doesn't come off like she is just harping about it.  Matt telling her his name is a pretty big step as well, so I can't wait to see where this relationship goes.

 

Continue to love Ben/Karen, and how Karen has her own story-line, that will probably end up playing a big part in the endgame.  Those two characters just play off each other very well.

 

Not much of Foggy in this one, but he still provided some much needed laughs.

 

Loved that the big action this time, almost felt like some kind of horror movie, where Matt just kept isolating the thugs, and taking them out one by one, from the dark.  The scenes where they got dragged away in particular, looks almost like they were out of one of those alien/animal attack flicks.

[spaceytraci1208]

I can't believe this is MCU. When I heard that the goal was The Wire level of quality I was sceptical but I'd say there's more than a whiff of that show here. Just like The Wire, there's a lot of patient story telling, the building blocks slowly inserted into place.

Speaking of The Wire, a great title for this episode would be "You Come At The King, You Best Not Miss" lol. R.I.P Anatoly

Fisk's face after his date said she didn't know how she felt; I couldn't tell if he was feeling hurt/rejected or just pissed off...but it scared me

Edited April 12, 2015 by spaceytraci1208

[Morbs]

Charlie Cox and Rosario Dawson are two very sexy people.  Those abs of his are throwing a wrench into my plans of eating some tacos later.  Manscaping is hard enough, it must be near impossible for a blind guy.

[sjohnson]

The scene where the guy promptly throws up Fisk's name under torture, then kills himself pretty much epitomizes what's wrong with this show. 

 

First, if the dude's that afraid of Fisk, torture will make him give up a fake name before he gives us a real one. Adolescents of all ages may believe Torture Always Works, but it's the very opposite of mature.

 

Second, the pleasure in this sort of thing relies I think very heavily on sexual sadism and calling it "dark" is denial. What's would really be dark is the man dying under torture (as often happens in real life,) i.e., being murdered by the so-called hero. And the guys he throws off building would stay brain dead or simply die, making him a multiple murderer.

 

Third, this Daredevil is the hero because he wins all the fist fights. Winner is not my definition of hero. 

[The Crazed Spruce]

The scene where the guy promptly throws up Fisk's name under torture, then kills himself pretty much epitomizes what's wrong with this show. 

 

First, if the dude's that afraid of Fisk, torture will make him give up a fake name before he gives us a real one. Adolescents of all ages may believe Torture Always Works, but it's the very opposite of mature.

True, torture, by and large, isn't very effective, but remember, Matt is a human lie detector. He can tell if the guy's giving him a false name, and was more than willing to react accordingly. Buying into that conceit, I'm willing to give it a pass in this case.

 

Second, the pleasure in this sort of thing relies I think very heavily on sexual sadism and calling it "dark" is denial. What's would really be dark is the man dying under torture (as often happens in real life,) i.e., being murdered by the so-called hero. And the guys he throws off building would stay brain dead or simply die, making him a multiple murderer.

Sorry, but I'm not seeing a sexual element to it. To each his own, I guess, but I don't see where you're coming from.

 

Third, this Daredevil is the hero because he wins all the fist fights. Winner is not my definition of hero.

Keep watching. He gets his ass handed to him on more than one occasion. Besides, a large part of the series, as far as I'm concerned, is his journey from street vigilante to true hero.

[sjohnson]

I'm having a lot of trouble with suspension of disbelief on the lie detector because it's arrant BS. They don't work in real life and the people who say it does aren't saying anything corresponding to fact. 

 

But, it's also a self-defeating conceit. If it really worked, the guy would just ask "Is the first letter of your boss's name A?" The victim wouldn't even have to answer out loud! This is one reason why I'm having trouble forcing myself to suspend disbelief from sheer good will. If they don't take their own premise seriously themselves, no one else should.

 

To tackle it from another angle, the extra stress of lying affects the heartbeat (possibly the voice but I'm sorry the use of sound effects on this show I find to be completely incompetent in communicating anything coherent.) But...The dude's lie detector supposedly works to eliminate lies from people he tortures. People's heartbeats don't go faster while being tortured, but when they lie, the heart speeds up under the stress suddenly applied to the body? Is this for real? Plainly the only script reason for the lie detector is so that they can rig it so that the torture never gives a wrong answer. Torture Always Works is very PC, but I don't think PC is necessarily good writing.

 

The conclusion I draw is they want the guy to be a torturer because torture is cool, not for any plot reason. And as we all know cool=sexy. Which is how I get there. 

 

As for your suggestion that the torturer is on a learning curve, why should he stop if torture is both fun and profitable? Perhaps the show does ultimately intend to suggest the hero is not just sexy bad ass cool but a humdrum hero in the end too. But at the moment it's really hard to enjoy this putative journey (yes, I'm having trouble continuing to watch, interrupting to watch other stuff instead of my usual binging procedure.) And anyhow, there is such a thing as selling a salacious story, then "justifying" the wallow in the lurid with a tinny "moral" ending.

 

PS Forgot to state the obivious, which is, this post, while containing facts and logic, also expresses my opinion, not any reader's. 

Edited April 12, 2015 by sjohnson

[Morbs]

I think the torture is a bit much too.  Not only does Daredevil use it, but the Russians do too.  And, to be insufferable for a moment, I don't appreciate anything that leads the public into thinking it works, even if it's just from subconsciously picking it up in a comic book series.

 

 But then the cops say "freakin" instead of fuck, no wonder criminals are running the city.  DeKnight called him one bad day away from being the Punisher, but it's more like one afternoon away.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Morbs

[Boundary]

I don't think they're torturing just as an interrogation tool. There's an underlying theme here asking whether these people really like the violence, that they do these things for themselves, Matt included. I think it's an important question to ask imo. It doesn't (and shouldn't) replace the torture debate but it's also an enquiry that should be allowed room to breath in the same scenes. 

[readster]

Funny how people think that the ending to this episode is so graphic its shocking. Let's just say the final scene is from the comic books but instead it ended with the guy having his arm taken off by Fisk and him bleeding to death while laughing.

[Anela]

Alrighty then. 

 

He's just proven that his date had reason to be scared of him, even though he probably would not hurt her. 

[Dandesun]

I kind of got a kick out of the fact that when Anatoly arrived at the restaurant all of these guys at surrounding tables and such got up to 'protect' Mr. Fisk. He had a LOT of people there.

 

One thing this episode did amazingly well, though, is demonstrate the rage of Wilson Fisk. He's little more than a voice or a name in the first two episodes... then we see him struggling to connect with Vanessa, he's soft-spoken and stumbles over his words... hesitant and shy even. And then he bursts through the car door and drags Anatoly out bellowing in rage "You embarrassed me! You embarrassed me in front of HER!" and proceeds to not just beat the man... but just pulverizes him before decapitating him with car door while smashing his head to pieces.

 

And that is why people fear Wilson Fisk. It's not about the money and the power necessarily... those are able to buy certain things, sure. But that uncontrollable rage and the monster that owns/is owned by it is what people are really afraid of.

 

A very good way of establishing a villain.

 

And Fisk is a major Marvel villain. I think they did the right thing in spending so much time establishing him and giving him facets that, even though you're not rooting for him... ever, you still acknowledge that he's a force to be reckoned with and it will take a hero of some significant measure to take him on.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Dandesun

[Actionmage]

Funny how people think that the ending to this episode is so graphic its shocking. Let's just say the final scene is from the comic books but instead it ended with the guy having his arm taken off by Fisk and him bleeding to death while laughing.

 

I believe folks are surprised/shocked because there is something very primal about a beheading. In earlier centuries, it was posting enemy heads on spikes that were warnings to not fuck with the people who put up the spikes. It is unsettling no matter the medium.

 

As others have noted, this showed us why Fisk was someone to fear-- that he could get angry for a minor slight and take your head off with an SUV door after beating your body bloody. 

[Danny Franks]

I'm having a lot of trouble with suspension of disbelief on the lie detector because it's arrant BS. They don't work in real life and the people who say it does aren't saying anything corresponding to fact. 

 

I think you have to consider that this is a world where a guy can build a metal suit that he can fly around in, or where there is a 1940s serum that turns a weakling into a superhuman. This is the Marvel universe, for all the gritty, street level action this show focuses on. Matt Murdock has superpowers that allow him to do many things a normal person cannot, and one of them is to tell whether a person is lying by being able to hear their heartbeat and the stress in their voice. It's Marvel Science, it's Stan Lee saying 'okay, so they get hit by cosmic rays!'

 

Anyway, another good episode. They built well on the connection between Matt and Claire, and on Claire as a character. Love her innate decency and that, while she recognises that Matt is a good person, she doesn't hesitate to call him on the shady shit he's pulling. She's not superhuman herself, so she was terrified and hurting and desperate, when the Russians were beating her. But I also loved her vindictive laugh when the lights went out at the taxi company, because she knew that he was there to beat the shit out of those guys. Then she swings the bat herself? Yeah, she's a tough cookie. Rosario Dawson is doing good things with the role (I was going to say she's hitting a home run, but that would be a pun too painful even for me). It will be interesting to see where their relationship goes, now they're really starting to trust one another. Yes, the chemistry is there, and there was a bit of flirtation, but I'd rather they remained friends, because Matt Murdock's girlfriends tend to suffer.

 

Karen and Ben are getting themselves into hot water, I feel. It will be interesting to see how far they get before the wrong people start to notice, and while it seems like Karen doesn't really have anyone in her life to fear for, I think Ben does.

 

I actually found myself liking Fisk quite a bit, in this episode. He's an evil, ruthless 'businessman' sure, but he was genuinely awkward and almost endearing with how he bumbled his way into asking Vanessa on a date. I'm curious about his life, and how he's ended up where he is, and who he is. Of course, then we saw the ruthless side in all it's horror, with him annihilating the more sympathetic Russian mobster brother, simply for fouling up that date. That was horrible to watch, and worse to listen to. No wonder people are terrified of him, and I get the feeling a lot of them probably haven't even seen this side of him. I'm interested to see whether Wesley is loyal to him out of true admiration and affection, of his own ruthless pragmatism, or out of sheer terror.

 

Yes, I got Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels flashbacks from that scene, and it was similar in its shocking brutality, because it was the first time that Fisk or Big Chris truly lost it, and showed what they were capable of

[Dandesun]

YES!! I totally flashed back to Big Chris during that scene! 

 

Claire did everything she could but her training is in a completely different place than Matt's. She wasn't complacent despite the beating she got, she fought back as much as she could until there was a point where she was just scared and I get that. I fucking LOVED that she was working to get out of the binds when Matt was going to work on everyone else. She wasn't waiting for him to save her... she took her opening and did what she needed to do to get free. I am down with that lady.

 

And she was the one who swung the bat... yeah. I don't blame her at all. I think I actually breathed 'Good for you...' when it happened.

[enchantingmonkey]

Does Vincent D'Onofrio always sound like that when he talks?  I suppose it will be unpopular to say that it sounded like he was trying too hard.  I did appreciate his body language in Fisk's scenes with Vanessa Marianna.  

 

Poor Anatoly, though.  He made it all the way from that prison in Siberia just to have his head bashed in by a car door.  Is that a dream come true?

 

Loved Claire's laugh when she realized "Mike" had arrived to free her from the Russians.  Those two have some romantic chemistry that make me feel a little warm and fuzzy inside.  

[Way Wes Jr]

Hee!  Glad to see that even comic villains can feel nervous over asking pretty women out, and have awkward first dates too!  Of course, the big difference is when dates go south, normal guys hopefully don't hunt down the guy who messed it up, and smash their heads in!  But, that is Wilson Fisk for you!

 

Granted, it admittedly isn't the biggest tower to rise in, but Fisk is already becoming one of the best villains in the Marvel Universe.  Vincent D'Onofrio is just amazing in this.  I remember there were some complaints when he first was cast, because he wasn't as big as some of the comics make him out to be, but that sure has hell didn't stop him from being scary as hell in the final scene.  That said, what I really love is how Vincent can switch between this menacing, violent, scary guy, to a more reasonable, logic one around his assistant (who I continue to love.  Dude must be great at his job, to be on Fisk's good side.)  And, again, the whole awkward, shy guy on the date.  The thing is, I don't feel like any of it is an act.  I feel like all these personality traits are the real Fisk: they just come out depending on the situation, the person, or how he is feeling.  I just find the character so fascinating.

 

I wasn't on the fence for this show, (for I am Marvel's bitch,) but if I had been, D'Onofrio's portrayal of Fisk, (and the writers writing for the character as well, of course,) would totally put me on the Yes side.  I think that "street level" hero stories function best when the villains motivations are somewhat understood - or that we at least relate to them as people.  "Cinematic," villains are, by a 90 minute - 150 minute necessity, more 'black' that shades of grey.

 

And "one bad day from being the Punisher," isn't quite right, but you have to cross properties to make it work ... I think Matt's "one bad day away" from being Rorschach.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I think Matt's "one bad day away" from being Rorschach.

 

That sounds about right.

[millennium]

I rewatched the first two episodes, then took in three and four.   I still think episode 1 was too slowly paced and this time around I noticed the absence of music in many scenes.   You don't realize how accustomed you become to music in shows until there's none.  

 

I'm glad they finally brought in Vincent D'Onofrio.  He was great in Criminal Intent and this role is like what might happen if Bobby Goren went over to the very dark side.

 

The fight scenes are good because the hero gets hurt, the hero gets tired, the hero sometimes finds himself at a point where the battle could go either way.    As a lifelong Batman fan, this is what I always wanted for movie treatments of the Caped Crusader.   Not the rubber suit.  Not the gadgets.   Flesh, blood and bone, and survival dependent on training and instinct alone.

 

Also have to say I love the opening sequence and the theme.   And Rosario Dawson.   I've always loved Rosario Dawson.

[Kel Varnsen]

YES!! I totally flashed back to Big Chris during that scene! 

 

Claire did everything she could but her training is in a completely different place than Matt's. She wasn't complacent despite the beating she got, she fought back as much as she could until there was a point where she was just scared and I get that. I fucking LOVED that she was working to get out of the binds when Matt was going to work on everyone else. She wasn't waiting for him to save her... she took her opening and did what she needed to do to get free. I am down with that lady.

 

And she was the one who swung the bat... yeah. I don't blame her at all. I think I actually breathed 'Good for you...' when it happened.

I really like how she is smart, and more than just smart about nurse stuff. When Daredevil showed up at the garage, she knew right away to get down to the floor. 

 

The final beatdown was crazy, to me almost as crazy was that in the beginning with the brothers in prison the one guy decided to break ribs out of his other dead brother and use them as weapons.

[Happytobehere]

Just chiming in to say I just started watching. Loved episode 1 but the violence of episodes 2 & 3 had me questioning if I could keep watching. However D'Onfrio as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpen just sold me on the remainder of the show. The irony of this being true in the face of that horribly graphic scene is not lost on me, but there it is. The intense, layered, dementedly, violent portrayal of Vincent D'Onfrio has sold me on Daredevil.

[Bec]

I realize the same pieces of classical music get used a lot on TV shows, but it can't be a coincidence that when Fisk was on that fine dining dinner date, Bach's Goldberg Variations was playing, right? That's the same music Hannibal had playing in the background when we first saw him eating dinner (fine dining style, natch) on his TV show! I swear, the people who make this show must be Fannibals.

[Linderhill]

I might be the only one but is anyone else annoyed by the fact that everyone in this series seems to be whispering or speaking very softly in each scene?  I think the only scenes I remember where people speak up are when they're screaming or in court.  They may think its edgy and dramatic but I find it annoying trying to hear.

 

I've been impressed by the series mostly.  I'm not a huge fan of D'onofrio since he annoyed the crap out of me in Criminal Intent (had to stop watching it was that annoying and its made me want to avoid practically everything he's been in since).  I'm kind of enjoying (if you can say that about a character like Kingpin) and can almost like his portrayal if he just spoke up. 

[Dandesun]

I had to turn on subtitles. My hearing isn't amazing and it really was difficult to hear a lot of the dialog in between action scenes.

[Eneya]

Yes, too much whispers...

[jah1986]

So I'm catching up on this slowly, but man I love it. I have no comics background so no nothing about who these people are. Vincent D. is a huge guy, I always knew he was big but I think the bald head makes him look even bigger.  I think his face at the end of the date when Vanessa said she didn't know how she felt was a little hopeful that at least she didn't outright say no.  I guess we can take some consolation that at least the Russian was already dead before he was beheaded, but man that was tough to see and hear.

 

Loved Claire in this episode, doing what she could for herself and not just being a damsel in distress or giving Matt a free pass after he got her back. Glad he's starting to realize that his actions can hurt those he cares about.

 

Still not sure how I feel about Karen going, she's brave and a fighter but something about her storyline just isn't clicking for me yet.

[Primetimer]

When a survivor's survival instincts fail to survive.

Read the story

[AnaRow]

The only thing that bugged me bout this episode is that when Fisk is taking off Anatoly's head, he's clearly and understandably causing the SUV to rock back in forth but when they cut to the inside of the the SUV, Wesley isn't being rocked around like he should be. At first I thought it was a different car but then you see Wesley get out of that SUV. The mistake kind of took me out of the scene, which is probably a good thing as I get queasy quite easily, but still...

Still not sure how I feel about Karen going, she's brave and a fighter but something about her storyline just isn't clicking for me yet.

Reportedly there's things in her back-story that once revealed will (hopefully) explain some of her decision-making. Something is definitely off with her.

[MisterGlass]

 

Does Vincent D'Onofrio always sound like that when he talks?  I suppose it will be unpopular to say that it sounded like he was trying too hard.

I think this is a deliberate choice, and adds to Fisk's awkwardness.  He seems uncomfortable a lot of the time, and I think having complete control of the situation is the only way he manages to interact constructively with others.  Hence all the minders at the restaurant, and subsequent fury.  He managed to control himself in front of Vanessa, but as soon as he told Wesley to put the Russian in the car, I knew what was at the end of the ride.  I didn't expect him to be beaten to death and his head squashed like a melon.  Beheading is too clinical a word for that - it implies some level of planning and control.

 

 

I mean this with all due sincerity--the fact that Claire and Karen get to have so much agency is just remarkable.

This, very much.  Claire in particular is really impressing me.  She is menaced, and in danger, but it is because of choices she made and in spite of precautions taken, not because she stood around waiting to be a victim.  Despite being terrified and unable to help herself, she jumped at the chance when help arrived.  I hope she continues to be involved.

[ribboninthesky1]

What I like (and prefer) about Claire beyond what others have shared is that she already has a good sense of who Matt is, even if she didn't know his name, so none of that secreths and lies and hurt feelings because he's actively hiding and lying about his clandestine activities.  That already puts her above Foggy and Karen for me because she's seeing things with eyes wide open.  She obviously doesn't know Matt the lawyer, but she's seeing the much more raw, shady, morally ambiguous, complicated, and therefore harder to swallow side of Matt.  And Matt gets to be vulnerable in a way he can't with the other two. Because...secret identity!

 

Also, Claire's kidnapping was NOT because of some silly shit she did, like say, going out and about in public, openly asking questions and approaching journalists about the corruption of the company that you worked for that 1) had a co-worker murdered and tried to pin it on you, 2) then tried to kill you while in jail, and 3) tried to kill you AGAIN when you were dumb enough to go back your apartment in the middle of the night for a flash drive.  Not to mention not bothering to tell your employers who happen to be your attorneys what's going on, and potentially putting them at risk on top of all that.  There's agency (like, hey Karen, maybe contact the journalist anonymously first), and there's common sense (like Claire picking up the phone, ready to call Matt when shit gets real).  With Claire, so far, the writers seem to understand that. I am grateful.  

 

Not sure what they're thinking with Karen. It's hard to abide characters, especially women in this genre, being written as reckless for the sake of "agency."  I started out liking the character, but with each episode I've watched, she falls farther in estimation. Plus, she irked me with the "I'm so grateful you helped me, I'll work for free! Until I change my mind without telling you in advance!"  Also, she doesn't seem to actually work, so maybe they should have just had them become friends, and not "co-workers." I have several more to go, so I hope she's written more effectively in future eps.

 

Meh about D'Onofrio so far. 

 

This is a superhero show, so some tropes will stand, but it is grounded enough to feel more real.  I could do with less graphic violence, that aspect actually detracts from the adult nature of the show to me and veers into "video-game targeted to teen boys" territory.  The final scene went on entirely too long, and I felt like the point was made way in advance of the beheading ala SUV.

 

I'm watching for Rosario Dawson, Charlie Cox, and Vondie Curtis-Hall.  I'm hoping the latter two will develop some kind of relationship eventually, as I suspect the actors would interact well with each other. 

[supposebly]

Yikes, I might have just lost my thing for D'Onofrio! Even Salton Sea couldn't do that.

 

 

Also, Claire's kidnapping was NOT because of some silly shit she did, like say, going out and about in public...

Someone call the Supernatural writers because that is how you don't do a disservice to your female characters.

 

Overall, I'm starting to like this more and more. I'm still not a fan of Matthew, I'm just not really sure what drives him but the suspicion I have that there is something rather wrong with him keeps me watching.

And Karen. And Claire. Smart and brave women, I like it!

 

Those Russians bring their own taxi to the crime? That's incredibly stupid. I knew right away that that's how Matthew would find them. And why would they leave the Spanish kid alive? Ah, so he could help out.

I really wish writers would think these things through.

 

ETA: I liked the Russian brothers. They really felt like brothers. You could tell that Anatoly had always been the reasonable one of them. Albeit in his eagerness to appease Fisk, he went too far. Or maybe it was just the wrong time.

Edited November 1, 2015 by supposebly

[SongbirdHollow]

Funny how people think that the ending to this episode is so graphic its shocking. Let's just say the final scene is from the comic books but instead it ended with the guy having his arm taken off by Fisk and him bleeding to death while laughing.

I really wanted to stick with this show, but I'm out after this. It's just all kinds of wrong to be entertained by this sort of thing. Sorry.