S01.E13: Daredevil

[The Crazed Spruce]

In the season finale, a boxed-in Fisk and a desperate Murdock, Foggy, and Karen are forced to play their end games.

[Potanical Pardon]

I don't know about that mask.

 

And I still have no idea what the costume looks like.

 

Wish they had 1 or 2 more episodes. That finale really rushed by waaaaaay too fast and conveniently to wrap everything up. They went from here's a bunch files and a sworn testimony to FBI mass raids in like an hour.

 

Am I to believe that Daredevil trusts Sergeant Honest that much to single-handedly handle Fisk's re-arrest? How did they not suspect that Fisk might possibly have a bunch of other people on their way. I mean all they knew for sure was that dude was unconscious. So??? That dude has like half the entire city working for him...AND we know that some of them were even less than 12 minutes away...NYC 12 minutes away, so that's like Right. Over. There. Assuming the helicopter is on top of a building, 12 minutes makes up the most of the time it would take to arrive at the building and go up the elevator.

 

I like the trio, but they all dicks for not inviting Marci to their champagne celebration.

 

I hope in Season 2 or later we get more Madame Gao. At the very least we should be getting retaliation from the Russian Mob and Yakuza. No way would they just let all the things Fisk did go nor give up whatever ventures they have in the area. I'm surprised they couldn't retaliate sooner; I thought it was just the Russian Mob, Triads and Yakuza in the Hell's Kitchen area that got taken down...there should be TONS more in the city to come in instead of Owlsly and Fisk just absorbing the responsibilities.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Tandaemonium

[Actionmage]

I don't know about that mask.

 

It was more of the "modern classic" Hornhead, but I wasn't too keen on what I saw of the eyes.  This is one of the very few heroes that can get away with a full head cover, so why all the black?

 

How did they not suspect that Fisk might possibly have a bunch of other people on their way.

 

Right? I mean he had Feds in his pocket, or at least people dressed up as Feds willing to gun down street cops. Which is why I lol'd at Fisk asking Matt whether he thought Fisk's arrest would do anything. If I've learned nothing else from Marvel Comics and movies, it's that New Yorkers, while they have problems with cops? They hate folks opening fire, with better weapons, on the cue of one supposed "philanthropist" billionaire. When Fisk asked about one masked man, I said to my screen "Captain America."  Still, yeah, Fisk had very deep and very wide pockets, so Matt should have shadowed the Big Man back to whatever cell they were taking him to sit in.  (Very nice callback in the cell, too.)

 

As to Marcie, I'm not sure. Yes, she was very vital to bringing Fisk and everyone down. That may have been why they couldn't celebrate with her.  Marcie being may have legal need to not talk with all three of the partnership due to upcoming legalness. (Not being a lawyer, I can't speak to this directly. I imagine it's like keeping witnesses separate. I'm shrugging now. )  Also, Marcie seemed to feel superior to at least Foggy, as per him reaching out to Marcie for help. She may not want to actually go into grimy, recently-blown-up Hell's Kitchen. 

 

I second Tandemonium's vote for more Madame Gao! She was interesting while still being quite villainous. I am curious as to how Gao and Wilson met.

 

Sadly, we still have truth-bombs left to deploy between Matt and Karen. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I really feel that Karen should have told Matt about Wesley. There have been ramifications ever since that, which was a direct result of Karen not listening to Ben. Matt and Foggy would be able to help her, but not as effectively as shortly after the shooting. I get she was freaked, but she works for lawyers. Lawyers she met when she was framed for murder. If not Matt, Foggy has earned more trust than Karen sitting on this secret. This as a fan of Karen, too.

 

I like Vanessa as she is an interesting in to Wilson's humanity, what there is. Not to say he's a teddy bear, but when he cares, it's obvious. Her devotion seemed a bit rushed, but Ms. Zurer sells me on it.  

 

I was very concerned for Sgt. Mahoney, Brett(?), after the Serpico name-drop. The way the board seemed to be getting cleared, I was not certain our One Good Cop would make it to the end of the season.

 

Turk sure had a sweet hood slide as the Feds were chasing him! It was Dukes of Hazzard-level good! Speaking of good cheese, the Billowy Coat Stance Fisk had coming out of one of the roughly million trucks used near the end was pretty cool.

 

So glad I'm going to watch everything again with DH, as he had work yesterday.  So glad Netflix took this chance and did the material with respect and style.

[ApathyMonger]

They said the costume was unfinished, so I guess they can still fine-tune it before S2, assuming that's happening.

 

They seemed to be hinting that Madame Gao was from K'un-L'un, so it's possible she'll turn up in Iron Fist, but I don't think that show's planned to launch until late next year.

 

I hope we get Elektra next season. I don't really need Bullseye, but he probably has to turn up eventually.

[Actionmage]

I hope we get Elektra next season.

 

I hope we can get some Elektra too, but not as the assassin. Maybe somewhere inbetween?

 

I would love for Madame Gao to turn up in something else! Wai Ching Ho, as Madame Gao, was fun and cool. It really would be a waste not to have her return now and again.

[Eegah]

As far as I can recall, there was no Stan Lee cameo this season. I was kind of expecting him to be one of the people being arrested.

[The Crazed Spruce]

Speaking of cameos, was that Colin Farrell as the cab driver that picked Matt up, or was that just my imagination?

[Shannon L.]

Can I ask a quick question from those of you who've seen all of the episodes?  My family would love to watch this, but our youngest is 14 years old.  I already know how violent it is and we've discussed that, but is there any explicit/disturbing sexual stuff that we should know about?  We're less strict than some parents, but we don't let them watch just anything, either, and with a TV MA rating on a non-network show, I'd like to be warned ahead of time so we can make an informed decision about what we let the kids (more so the younger one now) watch.  Feel free to PM me so we don't take up thread space. Thanks!

Edited April 11, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Potanical Pardon]

I think 14 is fine for the entire show based on if your 14-year old can handle two things: knowing and understanding the potential of the harshness humanity can do to one another in reality, and that the show is fiction and not reality.

 

There's no nudity. There are shirts coming off that are all obstructed and in zero ways sexual. I didn't notice a single titillating thing which I'm sure was intentional by production because it's completely unnecessary. There are less than a handful of sex scenes - I can think of...2 total...

and they're not even sex scenes; one is just a couple in bed hours after and the other is immediately post-coitus.

There's more sex in anything on broadcast tv or an episode of Animaniacs than this.

 

As for violence...I'm pretty sure you could see the same on broadcast television today, easily - probably, less blood, but the same.

 

I believe it's TV-MA due to blood and "shit". That's all. And I'm guessing "dick" and "dicks". It's not even a gore-fest, it's just actually depicting brutality more reasonably. There's way more graphic-ness in Hannibal than this. Keep in mind that there are horrific moments but they're purposeful and not gratuitous in the story. I'd hope your kid is horrified if he/she does see those - every viewer should be.

Edited April 11, 2015 by Tandaemonium

[The Crazed Spruce]

They throw around the word "shit" a lot, and you might want to get him to look away just after Fisk starts slamming the car door at the end of episode 4, but otherwise it's probably nothing he can't handle.

[WendyCR72]

Yeah, episode 4's ending may be something to look away from - the sound effects relay the action just as well. There are the requisite shootouts and the above-mentioned "shit" and "dicks", but I think your kid can handle it provided you just keep a judicious eye on things depending on how your tastes run which always comes down to personal preference!

[Kaoteek]

Can I ask a quick question from those of you who've seen all of the episodes?  My family would love to watch this, but our youngest is 14 years old.  I already know how violent it is and we've discussed that, but is there any explicit/disturbing sexual stuff that we should know about?  We're less strict than some parents, but we don't let them watch just anything, either, and with a TV MA rating on a non-network show, I'd like to be warned ahead of time so we can make an informed decision about what we let the kids (more so the younger one now) watch.  Feel free to PM me so we don't take up thread space. Thanks!

 

I haven't watched the show (I don't particularly care for Daredevil as a character, and dark & gritty annoys me), but a huge bunch of comic-book fans/Daredevil fans around me have, and your 14yo should be fine, from what I've gathered.

 

However, he'll have to deal with serious pacing issues, to the point some of my friends who were pretty much extatic when watching the first episodes ended up strongly disappointed towards the end, once they had to get through multiple bland & flat episodes during the second half of the season. If your teen is fine with lotsa talking & stalling, then that should be no problem.

[Eegah]

There's also the guy who was raping his own daughter. There's somewhere I never thought the MCU would go.

[Shannon L.]

Thanks, everyone!  I appreciate all the responses.  I'll share what you've all written with my husband.  Carry on with the episode talk.  I might become a regular in the DD forum, but it will take us weeks to get through all 13 episodes. Maybe some day, when the kids are grown and gone, I'll be able to try this binge watching thing you all do :)

[starri]

It was more of the "modern classic" Hornhead, but I wasn't too keen on what I saw of the eyes.  This is one of the very few heroes that can get away with a full head cover, so why all the black?

The eyes being exposed are so people don't make the connection between Matt and Daredevil.  People expect a blind hero to have his eyes covered, so if they're not, no one expects the mild-mannered blind attorney to be the Man Without Fear.

 

As far as I can recall, there was no Stan Lee cameo this season. I was kind of expecting him to be one of the people being arrested.

He wasn't there in the flesh, but if you look over Brett's shoulder when Hoffman turned himself in, there's a picture of him in a cop's uniform.

 

Also, when Matt picks up the suit, you can see Stilt-Man's stilts in the background too.

 

I'm really just in awe of the show.  I wasn't planning on binge-watching, but I got so caught up, I had to keep going.  There were very, very few false notes, and on the whole, has blown just about everything else Marvel has done out the water.  I've loved just about everything else Marvel Studios has release, but a show for grown-ups, the MAX to the rest of their offerings, was something that I didn't even realize was missing.

 

And not even to beat my drum about Karen being the hero in the end, but no matter how horrible she felt about it, and no matter how she only did it out of fear for her own life, if it hadn't been for her taking out Wesley, Fisk's house of cards would never have collapsed.

[Lisin]

We just finished and I want more! This was so great. I can't wait to see where they go with the next season/crossovers/whatever the MCU ends up doing. I love it all. 

 

Also, hat tip to some redditor for finding the Stan Lee cameo from this episode:

 

[Boundary]

What did Karen notice at the end there? Or was it just an emotional thing? I understand why Matt has to keep the secret from Karen but given that the priest made a quick calculation and deciphered his identity, I find Karen's lack of curiosity baffling. Her proximity to Matt, the way he talks, his injuries, his height, voice etc. should make her suspicious. After Foggy and Matt's fallout, wasn't she curious how they quickly made up? I like that she's got secrets that Ben apparently dug up and that shooting Wesley wasn't her first time, so perhaps there's a lot she's not letting on.

[ruby24]

I really want to see Elektra. I love her and Matt's love story, and I really wish Season 2 was going to come sooner than 2017 (assuming it has to wait until the other shows have all aired).

[The Crazed Spruce]

A lot of people (myself included) have been using this thread to discuss the season as a whole, so I set up a Season 1 thread for that.  Please try to keep the discussion here focused on the finale itself, 'kay?

[marieYOTZ]

The death count on this show is crazy!!! I shouted "Leeeeeelaaaaaaand noooooooo" as he fell down the shaft...

Hoffman with his blood spattered face, squeezing his eyes shut as the fighting went down around him and flinching at every sound was an intense image

Wilson's proposal was a bizarre sort of moving for me - him saying "you are everything" gave my ole romantic heart a flutter. D'onofrio did an incredible job with the role. Just incredible

Edited April 12, 2015 by marieYOTZ

[MartinKSmith]

Nessun Dorma was probably a bit much...

[Eegah]

 

What did Karen notice at the end there?

Without actually having rewatched the scene, I figured she remembered Daredevil preemptively stuck his hand out to her the same way in the first episode, or made some other motion that gave away that he was blind.

[revbfc]

Nessun Dorma was probably a bit much...

If I were in charge of the music I would have gone another way, too. Maybe something more appropriate like the prelude to act I of Lohengrin (an opera about a knight who can not reveal his identity).

Edited April 12, 2015 by revbfc

[Dandesun]

Oh my God... That last shot. THAT LAST SHOT!!

::flails::

Incoherent now, will return later.

[calliope1975]

Oh my God... That last shot. THAT LAST SHOT!!

::flails::

Incoherent now, will return later.

 

Yeah, I had a pretty good squee myself at that classic pose. Just terrific.

[Cthulhudrew]

Also, when Matt picks up the suit, you can see Stilt-Man's stilts in the background too.

 

And it's pretty clear that Melvin is working on his own suit of armor; he sets the box with Matt's suit down on blueprints for it.

 

I agree- this last episode seemed a bit rushed; too much wrapup in too little time. I think if they'd have dropped the costume and Fisk vs. Daredevil ending, and just gone the legal route of getting the feds in and bringing down the criminal enterprise it would have been more satisfying. I see why they did it the way they did, I just think they either needed another episode or do it differently. Plus, I like the black costume better than the Daredevil one.

 

In any event, minor complaint to what has been an amazing 13 hours of superheroic awesomeness. Everyone did such an incredible job on this show. I have high hopes for the rest of the Netflix series; they certainly have set the bar high.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Oh my God... That last shot. THAT LAST SHOT!!

::flails::

Incoherent now, will return later.

 

 

Yeah, I had a pretty good squee myself at that classic pose. Just terrific.

 

Add me! I was not only flailing, but Squeeing and cheering "YES!" "AWESOME!" I was WAITING for that and so worth the wait!!!!

[Tarasme]

Pretty cool-

1. It was SO NICE to see Charlie Cox smiling again and the team moving forward (though- please- no more of this phrase?) together.

2. Glad we ended seeing Wilson with another wall at which to stare and release his inner insane crazy killer.

3. Sad Claire couldn't meet them for drinks. As hyper focused as Karen is on her own junk, any handwave excuse for their new friend the nurse would have sufficed.

4. Did we find out who Betsy is? Did I miss it? Is it a present in the Comics thingy?

[starri]

4. Did we find out who Betsy is? Did I miss it? Is it a present in the Comics thingy?

In the comics, Melvin is a reformed supervillain who used the name "Gladiator" (not the X-Men character of the same name).  Betsy was first his therapist and later his wife.

 

The whole thing was a very obscure reference, and I'm kind of surprised they went there, but it was a nice Easter Egg for the truly hardcore.

[LetItStop]

I thought the episode worked. I think it would've been dull if they slowed the pacing.

Edited April 13, 2015 by LetItStop

[Chaos Theory]

And the house gets cleaned. 

 

Hey Editor man isn't Fisk's inside source at the newspaper.   

 

Isi ti weird that I find Fisk and Vanessa incredibly romantic?  

 

I like your new Daredevil suit,  

[GHScorpiosRule]

And the house gets cleaned. 

 

Hey Editor man isn't Fisk's inside source at the newspaper. 

 

He was my number one suspect until I saw what'sherface at the funeral standing next to Editor man.  Then I thought, MISDIRECT! It's HER! And it was.

[WendyCR72]

Isi ti weird that I find Fisk and Vanessa incredibly romantic?

 

If you're weird, you've got company! I know it won't happen, but I can't help finding myself wishing for Fisk/Vanessa to have some sort of fucked-up "happily ever after", criminal style. Sue me.  :-)

[seamusk]

Great, great season! Definitely my favorite of the tv Marvel universe to date.  With that said, it was extremely violent. Game of Thrones level of violence. It didn't have the sexualized content, but it had a lot of violence. So, for the 14 year old and such, just beware that it's very graphic in that respect.

 

I personally thought this was a great finale. Having the FBI close out the whole massive conspiracy with arrests was very satisfying for me. And I strongly prefer that kind of sequence to yet another 5 minute fight scene. I only need about 3 punches to get the idea and then I get tense but bored. Sorry but gratuitous violence is much worse to me than consensual gratuitous sex (consensual being a key term here).

 

This show had great characters and just great writing overall. It's interesting since going in, with Netflix doing 4 Marvel series I wasn't totally sure what to expect in terms of quality. I thought maybe the budgets would be spread thin. But wow. I mean that was the absolute best. And now i'm wondering about the other upcoming enterprises (and i'll leave it at that since this is the episode thread).

 

I did not catch what other cited above about Karen noticing something about Matt's handshake. She certainly has enough evidence to figure it out if she is looking. Besides the fact that Matt always conveniently has to be somewhere else late at night, his beatings, the wreck of his apartment, the convenience of how he is connected to whatever Matt knows, etc... all give her enough to draw the conclusion. Though, I think it's hard to conclude that your blind lawyer friend is in fact a masked superhero. So I wouldn't blame her for not figuring it out either.

 

I figured we would finally see him don his proper suit this episode. And it was so great to see! I like the red and I like that he has better protection. It's bothered me for a while that he doesn't really disguise his voice but gets up and close to people who know him as an attorney. They can see 1/3 of his face and hear his voice. I feel like that even with different intonations, they should know it's Matt behind the Mask. But the new suit helps disguise it a little more I think. Not sure why since it seems to cover the same amount of his face. Maybe it's just a little more distracting.

 

Anyhow, if this is what Netflix has in store for the Marvel universe, holy shit! I'm soooooo in!

[thuganomics85]

Opening the episode up with Ben's funeral.  Way to just crush my heart right out of the gate, show.  Certainly doesn't help that Deborah Ann Woll has had tons of experience crying on True Blood, so Karen's scene with the wife damn near killed me.

 

Damn, I really thought that Leland might have talked his way out of there for a second.  But, nope, Fisk was just not going to let what he and Gao tried to do to Vanessa slide.  I am a bit sad over that.  Bob Gunton was just so much fun in the role, and he would have been a fun recurring villain; especially since Fisk is locked away.  I love Fisk a lot, but I wouldn't have been against either him or Wesley sticking around to be pain in Matt's side.

 

Nelson & Murdock are back, baby!  I do like that they aren't totally in synch.  Foggy still has a lot of misgivings over what Matt is doing and his methods, but in the end, he's trusting him.  I'm just glad they are back on good terms.  Hopefully, we'll be seeing more of them (looking at you, Netflix).  Hope they don't drag out Matt keeping his identity from Karen though.  I was also confused by that final shot of her starring right at him.  Was it because she notice something and it made her suspicious?  Or is just planting seeds to the eventual Matt/Karen hook-up?

 

Matt in his shiny new Daredevil gear vs. Fisk was great.  Both of them got their licks in, but in the end, Matt knows how to take hits, but win the day.  Of course, I'm sure this is far from over.  I also suspect Vanessa ain't done for.  She truly loves Fisk and I don't see her just running off for good.

 

A hell of a series.  I can't see how Netflix won't renew it, considering the critical success, and I have to think it got a lot of views.  Really want to see if they'll bring back other known comic characters like Elektra and/or Bullseye.  If I have one major complaint, it would be not enough Claire, so if it does come back, hopefully they'll lock Rosario Dawson down for more episodes.  Either way, this better come back.

[FurryFury]

I didn't like the finale much, it felt antimactic and everything went down just too smoothly and predictably. It felt much more comic-y than most other episodes (and seriously, horns DO NOT fit the tone of this show). And the Fisk/Matt fight felt perfunctory and tacked-on so we'd have a fight between the hero and the villain. 

 

I'm also disappointed that Karen still doesn't know. Don't make her into an Iris West, show.

 

I did love all the Matt/Karen/Foggy scenes, they are the heart of the show and should be together all the time. Great dynamic and chemistry between the actors.

 

So, Vanessa wasn't a spy or anything? Aw shucks, I really hoped she was playing Fisk all the time. I never really understood this character, other than as a plot point. But then, maybe we'll see her again and learn more about her.

[Actionmage]

(and seriously, horns DO NOT fit the tone of this show).

 

I believe they do. Not unlike Batman, Matt believes ( and through his excellent talks with Father Lantom) that people are more motivated to Good/ Not actively harming others when confronted by what they perceive as The Devil/ Evil.  So in his ongoing crusade to keep Hell's Kitchen safer, he takes on the façade of a devil. Most Western iconography of The Devil shows him with horns, so Matt could have thought it would make the devil part spookier/ more on point as a devil, someone to fear.

 

I'm also disappointed that Karen still doesn't know.

 

I was too, at first. Yet, I trust these writers a bit more than those on The Flash currently.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Actionmage

[Anela]

I was hoping Vanessa would be appalled by what Fisk has done. I thought she was attracted to the power, more than him, but maybe I'm wrong.

[WendyCR72]

I was hoping Vanessa would be appalled by what Fisk has done. I thought she was attracted to the power, more than him, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

I liked that she was attracted to Fisk. Yes, it's warped, but I also like it's unorthodox, that not all women go for pretty guys physically. So it worked for me. And really, who's to say the power isn't part of the reason in addition to the man? Besides, Fisk seems almost human with her, so that may be his outlet for the last good pieces of himself, through Vanessa.

[paigow]

Daredevil needs the Oliver Queen Voice Modulator 3000. Or the Rosetta Stone "Batmanese" CD Set. Or just out himself like Tony Stark. His identity won't be a secret if he keeps talking to criminals, police & judges in the same voice.

[benteen]

Really good finale.  A little anti-climatic to be sure but a strong ending to a great first season.

 

Charlie Cox has proven why he was such a great choice for the role, either as Matt or Daredevil.  VDO played a strong villain too and Karen was great.  She was a strong character with her own agency and I'm glad they avoided a romantic subplot with her.  Waiting for the Wesley revelation to drop next season should be interesting.

 

I was sorry to see Leland go as Bob Gunton was a blast in the role.  I thought he might talk his way out of it but it makes sense...Fisk wasn't going to let him get away with what he did.  Leland did mention his son again...I take it he might take up the traditional "Owl" role in the next season.

 

Great action as always and a great look.  Looking forward to Season 2!

[Cirien]

 

I liked that she was attracted to Fisk. Yes, it's warped, but I also like it's unorthodox, that not all women go for pretty guys physically. So it worked for me. And really, who's to say the power isn't part of the reason in addition to the man? Besides, Fisk seems almost human with her, so that may be his outlet for the last good pieces of himself, through Vanessa.

Case in point..Hollande and Berlusconi. Two men who I imagine wouldn't be classified as exceptionally good looking, but have still been linked with beautiful women a number of times. (Yes I'm ignoring the underage girls in Silvio's case). Also to get to where he is I can he's immensely confident and confidence is sexy. I think it is about the but only in so much as that's a kink for her.

[Eegah]

I just finished listening to the descriptive audio (quite an interesting way to experience a story that I suggest everyone try for at least one episode) and according to its narration of that last scene with Karen (and I assume all the narration is straight from the scripts with how quickly they were able to put it together) she doesn't actually notice anything about Matt; it's just about her losing the hardness that's been on her face ever since Elena's death.

[Way Wes Jr]

I did not catch what other cited above about Karen noticing something about Matt's handshake. She certainly has enough evidence to figure it out if she is looking. Besides the fact that Matt always conveniently has to be somewhere else late at night, his beatings, the wreck of his apartment, the convenience of how he is connected to whatever Matt knows, etc... all give her enough to draw the conclusion. Though, I think it's hard to conclude that your blind lawyer friend is in fact a masked superhero. So I wouldn't blame her for not figuring it out either.

 

Anyhow, if this is what Netflix has in store for the Marvel universe, holy shit! I'm soooooo in!

 

Fantastic season, beware Marvel - for you have set the bar VERY high for the next three series.

 

As for the Karen/Matt interaction at the end ... My initial impression was to question if she noticed something about Matt that reminded her of "the man in black."  But, I think it is more in the " 'shipping category;" Matt is offering her his hand to walk into the building together, and note that they walk in the door hand-in-hand, he rarely takes assistance, let alone ask for it, and when he does, it's an elbow he takes.  Karen's always been interested in Matt, (creepy, "touch my face like Matt would," anyone?,) so I interpret it as a, "Hey. I have a chance," moment.

[lynnea6]

I just finished listening to the descriptive audio (quite an interesting way to experience a story that I suggest everyone try for at least one episode) and according to its narration of that last scene with Karen (and I assume all the narration is straight from the scripts with how quickly they were able to put it together) she doesn't actually notice anything about Matt; it's just about her losing the hardness that's been on her face ever since Elena's death.

 

Thanks for posting this.  I totally interpreted the scene as Karen coming to a realization that Matt may be Daredevil, and I couldn't figure out what Matt said or did that would have caused her to think that, given her prior limited interaction with the masked man.

Edited April 22, 2015 by lynnea6

[Bec]

This is something I'm noticing from rewatching just the fight scenes (what can I say, they're that incredible): the fight between Kingpin and Daredevil in this episode pretty much flips what happened in "Speak of the Devil". In that episode, the masked man says to Fisk "I'm gonna kill you" and Fisk responds "take your shot". In this episode, Fisk says "I'm gonna kill you" and Daredevil says "take your shot". But then both times Fisk gets to throw him around like a ragdoll and pound his fists on his head.

 

Oh well, at least Daredevil won in the end of this round. Even though that last slow-mo punch was super cheesy.

 

And with the new daredevil suit, it looks like Fisk was throwing a big plastic action figure around instead of throwing an actual person around. Not crazy about that.

[enchantingmonkey]

And with the new daredevil suit, it looks like Fisk was throwing a big plastic action figure around instead of throwing an actual person around. Not crazy about that.

I was thinking the same thing.  I was so excited for him to get the Daredevil suit but I think the fight scenes with Matt in the black costume looked more natural.  Maybe the suit will get some adjustments for next season?  Talk about "Be careful what you wish for!"

[Shanna]

What did Karen notice at the end there? Or was it just an emotional thing? I understand why Matt has to keep the secret from Karen but given that the priest made a quick calculation and deciphered his identity, I find Karen's lack of curiosity baffling. .

I thought she realized what was going on in that last minute but it was very ambiguous.

As for the suit, I'm not a comic book person and tend to prefer the hero sans suit. I did like that there was a good reason for it (armor) although they could have just made normal clothes with armor like Fisk.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Shanna

[Danny Franks]

I just rewatched the finale, and I liked it even more, second time around.

 

First, the anti-climactic feel to much of it was appropriate, after the episode opened with Ben's funeral (great use of the Jimmy Cliff song there, too). He was a good man who was murdered for wanting to tell the truth, and Karen and Matt both felt personally responsible for getting him involved.

 

After that, them finding the corrupt cop and using him to take down Fisk's house of cards was a little less than completely triumphant, It would be. But I loved the montage of the FBI taking down Fisk's associates, set to Nessun Dorma (one of my faves, and one that will always remind me of Italia 90). It was beautifully done, and seemed to highlight just how hard they'd all worked to make it happen, but also how easy it was once the authorities had the information they needed. It was perhaps ruined slightly by the fact that all of the bigwigs we'd seen with Fisk early in the season had already been cleaned out.

 

Loved the reunion of Matt and Foggy, and Foggy accepting that Matt will do what he feels he has to. And Karen's almost giddy happiness at all being right in their little world was very sweet. I'm not sure what she was realising at the end of the episode. Either she was twigging that Matt is Daredevil, or she was just indulging her crush a little, with the way he held his hand out to her and said "together". But I like that there are still some secrets to come out, for both of them. Hopefully they can be dealt with in season 2 without ruining their friendship.

 

Daredevil getting his costume was a great scene. As others have said, it's not perfect, and there are some areas that could be improved, but for the most part, it's one of the better attempts at translating comic book outfits to the screen. I would think it helps that Daredevil spends much of his time in the dark, where you can't really see him. But it has some Mass Effect stylings to the body armour, which I like, and I really like that they've made the suit a practical necessity, by emphasising the protective qualities of it.

 

The fight scene between Matt and Fisk was pretty brutal, and Fisk the raging animal is a scary sight (luckily, Matt doesn't have to worry about that). His brute strength is one of the things that always intrigued me about Kingpin. Is he superpowered, or just a huge man with muscle and weight behind every punch he throws? In this version, he's just a normal man, that much I'm sure of.

 

Speaking of raging animal, how big were Leland's balls, to stand up to Fisk like that? Even with everything he held over him, I knew that it was going to end very badly. Fisk does not do reason, especially when it comes to Vanessa being threatened. How did Leland ever think it would work out without him being broken into small pieces?

 

Charlie Cox has been great all season, and I really loved how he played that last scene a little lighter. As though Matt has had some weight lifted off his shoulders, and suddenly feels better and more optimistic about life. It was subtle, but very nicely done.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Danny Franks

[arc]

His brute strength is one of the things that always intrigued me about Kingpin. Is he superpowered, or just a huge man with muscle and weight behind every punch he throws? In this version, he's just a normal man, that much I'm sure of.

The Kingpin is canonically regular human with pronounced hobbies in weightlifting and martial arts.  Then again, Daredevil only has regular human strength too.

 

I've liked the fight scenes all season, but whenever anyone does one of those classic Daredevil bank shots -- even Stick with the bottle cap in "Stick" -- something about the cinematography of those shots makes it kinda hard to follow for me. I'm never quite sure of what just happened.  As well, I guess the transforming billy clubs that snap together and twist apart are also classic Daredevil, but they didn't quite work for me either in the final fight. There seemed to be no reason Matt kept switching them into two clubs or one longer club.