Daredevil Episodes 3+4 Review

The release structure of all Netflix programming allows for certain television storytelling freedoms; like Cable shows, with all 13 episodes out at once, there's no need for Netflix programs to have entities like story recaps of past episodes for viewers who missed last weeks episode. This also has an influence on story and character progressions, as the various plotlines on the show tend to last for far more than one single episode.

Look no further than the third (Rabbit In A Snow Storm) and fourth (In The Blood) episode of Daredevil for a great example of the kind of overarching stories that this show can present, namely when dealing with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Wolf) and her search to bring down nefarious foes in high positions of power. In Rabbit In A Snow Storm, Wolf lends an excellent mixture of vulnerability and determination to her hunt for the truth, despite all the countless obstacles she faces. Seeing her struggle through both of these episodes makes it all the more glorious when she manages to gain an ally in newspaper journalist Ben Urich (Vondie Curtis-Hall).

Another place where this kind of plot structure thrives is in the introduction of the shows primary villain, Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio). Here's a man whose been given the "Jaws treatment" if you will in the first three episodes; his presence has been felt, but he hasn't made a physical appearance. That changes at the tail end of Rabbit In A Snow Storm, which kicks off a romance between Fisk and Vanessa Marianna (Ayelet Zurer).

A love story may sound like an unusual way to introduce one of the most well-known supervillains in the Marvel universe, but it actually works like wonders in subverting expectations, particularly in D'Onofrios performance. He acts like a shy, timid 13 year old boy, dealing with his very first crush when trying to spark up early conversations with Vanessa, that really enriches his personality. Considering these romantic interactions are the first time we're introduced to Fisk, it makes the scene at the end of In The Blood, when Fisk engages in some brutal violence with his car door, all the more shocking.

Of course, Fisk isn't the only one going through notable character development in the fourth episode; Matt Murdoch also comes to a full realization of how his vigilante lifestyle could affect those he cares about, namely Claire Temple played by Rosario Dawson. It's well-worn territory for a superhero to struggle with juggling both a life of fighting crime and a conventional life, but putting these particular characters in this specific narrative leads to some interesting results, especially in conversations between Temple and Murdoch regarding his dual life. Plus, this storyline manages to contain a scene where Rosario Dawson beats an evil henchman over the head with a pipe, which is never a bad thing.

Before I close this review, I'd like to take a moment and appreciate the settings Daredevil takes place in. A large amount of this show was shot in New York City, and man, does shooting in real, outside locations make a world of difference from a visual standpoint. Not only are a number of these environments just nice to look at, they also help reinforce the more realistic tone of the program, as a number of the locations that the gangster villains inhabit are filled with grime and other sorts of wear and tear. Those are the kind of background details that make Daredevil's environments that look captivating, and not like a small shoddy soundstage.