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Daredevil Season Three Review: The Matt Murdock We Always Needed

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”8261″ img_size=”800×500″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Considering that Daredevil season three premiered just Friday, I will keep this review as free from spoilers as I possibly can. If you do not feel like reading even hints towards plotlines in the third season, I would suggest reading this article at another time. Obviously, I want to be considerate of those who have not binged all thirteen episodes, but my excitement over the show might trump that.

Already from the trailers, we knew this season would be elevated to a plane we had not seen before in the Daredevil franchise. While I hail season two as one of my favorites in the Marvel, Netflix arena, we can all admit that the way Matt transformed throughout the episodes were less than ideal. While he made a brief comeback to old Matt in The Defenders, something was off. The healing, the reconnecting; it all felt rushed. Of course, there were only eight episodes and three other major characters to focus on, but how could The Defenders do a reconnection between Matt, Karen, and Foggy any justice? The way they were torn apart in season two of Daredevil warranted much more than what we saw in the mashup mini-series.

Luckily, we got that in season three. That is a small spoiler; we see the friendship between the two at its best – better than season one. How? There were no secrets anymore. No more lying. All three parties knew everything about each other and therefore, their relationship was genuine and honest. It was amazing to not see anymore hiding or sneaking around; seeing each character take the other for who they are and showing that acceptance is what friends are for. What makes them stronger. The lie that Stick and Elektra taught Matt, that it was better to be alone; was just that, a lie. Matt is stronger because of his friendships in this season.

Right away, let’s talk about the thing that the Daredevil series has always done better than its counterparts. The fight scenes are bar none. Charlie Cox and his stunt doubles give us non-stop action. The precision and execution of every brawl are held to such a high standard that it’s understandable how no one else can compete. There is an eleven/ twelve-minute fight scene in episode four that blew me away and continued to take me on this roller coaster that I never wanted to get over to. And the fight scenes between Daredevil and Bullseye? Holy crap.

Cox gave us the Matt Murdock we always wanted. Snarky, angsty, but kind, and ultimately wanting to do the right thing. There was no secret holding him back and although there were times he behaved recklessly, there weren’t stupid decisions, per say; like he had made previously. Wherever Matt went, we wanted to go along with him. Deborah Ann Woll gave us a stellar performance as Karen Page. We got to see her at her best and at her lowest. We saw her strong and we saw her vulnerable and there’s a scene where she comes face to face with Wilson Fisk that makes our hearts stop. And Elden Henson was the best Foggy we’ve seen yet. Polished, in a healthy relationship, and really the brains behind the group, it was heartwarming seeing him interact with the Nelson clan, and his bravery while facing off against obstacles is truly inspiring.

This season, though; completely goes to Vincent D’Onofrio. We knew Wilson Fisk was a powerhouse. We witnessed it in season one and even for an episode in season two, where he had almost gotten the jump on The Punisher. But, we hadn’t really seen what D’Onofrio was capable of until season three. Poised, calculating, reserved; Fisk is always five steps ahead. The way we see him rise throughout the episodes, it’s hard to believe that anything can take the Kingpin down. Watch D’Onofrio perform was like watching the opera, with appropriate music playing in the background. I’m not sure if we’ll get a season four of Daredevil, I hope so, and I don’t know if anyone could ever hold a candle to Wilson Fisk.

The newcomer on the block was Wilson Bethel as Ben Poindexter aka Dex aka Bullseye. While Bethel was previously known as a heartthrob on cable tv and soap operas, this actor gave us a character that truly was being torn apart by the seems. Unhinged, playful, and unpredictable, every time Dex was on screen my heart palpitated and I feared for anyone else who was around him. I didn’t think that anyone could replace Ben Barnes as Billy Russo when it came to a cold killer, but I think Dex could be a more dangerous foe.

Jay Ali plays special agent Ray Nadeem and the FBI connection really had me hoping Amber Rose Revah would have made an appearance as agent Dinah Madani. No such luck. But, Nadeem was a great character who we see struggle with his own moral compass for the sake of his family and the actor did a fantastic job portraying him. Royce Johnson also made several appearances as Brett Mahoney, which I’ve come to realize is probably the only consistent person that is on the side of Daredevil and co. May Brett never cease to be the shining light and the incorruptible officer in the series.

While I realize this review is quite long, I hope I did not give too much away. Simply put, this is a season that beckons your attention. It was pretty awful timing to announce the cancelation of Marvel’s Luke Cage on the same day Daredevil season three dropped, an error on Netflix’s part. We’re all wondering what happened and why, as well as; who is next? For now, I can say we can’t think of that and only enjoy the work that the actors, showrunner, and everyone else worked so hard to give us.

That being said, Netflix, you have to renew Daredevil; I need a reunion between Matt Murdock and Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, which; Cox has already stated that he wants:

“Oh, man, I really hope so. I loved working with Jon. I loved that dynamic, and there’s a wealth of storylines and dynamics that could be explored from the comics with those two. So that would be great.” Cox spoke with Digital Spy.

If you have free time, or even if you don’t; go turn on Netflix right now and watch Daredevil season three![/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/n83s6NO1NE0″ el_width=”90″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]