‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ shows why it is one of the best shows out now
By Drew Henderson// A&E Editor
Abandoning the world that it built in its second season, the third outing of “Daredevil” is standalone of the events that developed in recent seasons of the other Netflix Marvel series. Set moments after the events of ‘The Defenders,” the third season of “Daredevil” sees a broken Matt Murdock as he is physically and mentally defeated. This season also has a more grounded focus, as the Elektra and Hand storyline is tossed aside and the focus returns on Wilson Fisk and his rise back to power as New York City’s Kingpin. With this return to a crime-drama, “Daredevil” can become the best version of itself as this season builds on strings that were left loose in season one. It also introducing some fan favorite characters, that are sure to become some of the most talked about points of this season.
The third season of the Netflix hit adapts one of the most famous “Daredevil” stories ever told, “Born Again,” in which Kingpin is released from prison and starts the calculated destruction of Matthew Murdock’s personal life and his vigilante life as “Daredevil.” Compared to the recent series, this is one of the darkest stories told by far. This season shows Murdock at his low point as he abandons his personal life to fully become “Daredevil” and try to bring down Fisk once and for all. Charlie Cox is still amazing as Matt Murdock, being able to bring out the internal conflict that the character has as a Catholic struggling with the demons inside him. This season shows that he can go ahead with the movie side of the MCU as he proves physically and emotionally, “Daredevil” deserves a shot at the big leagues. But with every great hero, there is a foil in a great villain, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk is a treat to see once again. D’Onofrio’s Fisk is one of the greatest villains of the MCU, being able to portray Wilson Fisk as this criminal mastermind that seems civilized but is boiling with primal rage, snapping at any moment on those who insult him.
This season also introduces other characters such as Agent Nadeem (Jay Ali) and Special Agent Ben Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), with the latter being one of the most interesting characters to see on the series. Bethel portrays Poindexter who will ultimately become one of Daredevil’s most long-running nemesis, Bullseye. Usually represented in the comics as a joker-like character that serves to make Murdock miserable, Poindexter is portrayed differently in this series and makes the character feel elevated because of the new material. Bethel is terrific as Poindexter, who in this version is a Special FBI Agent hiding dark problems. As he struggles throughout this season trying to do good for the FBI, Fisk gets the best of him. This season also focuses on correcting the pacing problems that has criticized the Netflix series. Even though this is 13 episodes, nothing ever feels like filler. Everything is perfectly spread out and every character gets a chance to shine. The slow burn feeling of the show ultimately pays off in one of the most brutal and intense fights ever shown. This season of “Daredevil” works as it builds on its strengths while eliminating the weaknesses that have plagued the Netflix Marvel series. With a focus on the basics and some of the best fights on television, the third season of “Daredevil” is not just an essential superhero show, but has become an essential show in Netflix’s library of originals.
The long-awaited third season of the critcally acclaimed series premiered on Netflix in early October. It features the return of Wilson Fisk while also introducing fan-favorite Bullseye. Photo by Netflix