When it was announced that Marvel had re-acquired the rights to the character Daredevil, I was admittingly cautious, yet optimistic. I had fond memories of the character from such stories as Born Again and Michael Bendis’ run with the character. So aside from that and the 2003 Daredevil film, I didn’t have much to go off of.
While I’m going to get into details here in a bit (and I’m not being mindful of SPOILERS, so if you haven’t watched all 13 episodes…be careful!) I will say that in terms of an adaption, this series perfectly blends the elements of the classic Daredevil comics with the unique creative team behind this series. In a way that’s as engaging on its own as it is as an adaption.
Firstly I want to mention the real star of this series, New York. The series was shot on location in New York, and it shows. There’s a real presence to the city, similar to how films like Heat or The Dark Knight portray the city as almost its own unique character, this series does that well.
Early on, the focus is on Charlie Cox’s Matt, Deborah Ann Wool’s Karen, and Elden Henson’s Foggy. Quickly a strong bond and relationship develops between all three, and while the series slowly and steadily adds new players to the story; it’s still about these three. As a comic book fan, they get these relationships very well. They also feel natural and intuitive. I buy that Foggy and Matt have been friends for years, and that Karen and Foggy quickly become friends. The romantic tension feels real, and the heartbreak echoes as if it were true to life. This is honest, vivid, and realistic. Something this show aims for and reaches in almost every facet.
The show also builds up to the reveal of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk in a great way. Much like how the relationships form naturally, so does the evil within Fisk bubble to the surface. The way the show slowly pulls the curtain back on the reach of his corruption and the lengths he’ll go to maintain his image is great (note to self: don’t ever let Kingpin get the door for me)
There’s a lot of other great characters with solid actors behind them. Ben Urich is great, and really serves as this nice analog to the people that Matt fights for. There’s Stick, who genuinely has one of the coolest intros of all time (“they’re better off without you”).
As many people have no doubt pointed out, having Stick return for a second season would be great; especially as a great way to introduce The Hand, Typhoid Mary, and Elektra.
These relationships and reveals are well planned and work well, rarely did the show ever slow its pace. If it ever did, I hardly noticed, if at all.
My major complaint comes from, the connections. For as good as the show was, I was dissapointed in how everything connected to the MCU. I didn't expect a Cap cameo, or Iron Man flying by. That said, I would've liked a quick cameo from Coulson, or something like that. Minor complaint really.
On a bigger note for me was the ending. I liked how the show had Matt preaching the method of bringing down Fisk through legal means, and not other ways. Matt was about working within the system, and I liked that he was that kind of man. So when Fisk is being transported and he's freed, it felt cheap. As if it wasn't really neccesary, and that the creator and writers just wanted an excuse to have Matt and Wilson fight before the series was over. It cheapened Matts approach to the situation I felt, and while it was cool to see the fight, it felt almost like an after thought in comparison to the rest of the series.
All in all, I really enjoyed Daredevil. It utilized the format well, and kept me engaged. A few hiccups aside I'd recommend the series to anybody looking for quality entertainment. It blends the best elements of why we love street-level characters like Daredevil with quality writing, acting, and directing. It's a true tour-da-force.
9.5 Uncle Joeys/10*
+ The show blends the source material with great sensibility to the screen
+ Talent Is All Around Great
+ Perfect Pace
- No Real MCU references
- Finale is mildly dissapointing
*In the comments you can ask me what half an Uncle Joey looks like
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