Daredevil (s3)

Marvel's Daredevil, as a super hero, is less popular than the characters of the cinematic Avengers like Spider-Man, Iron Man or Hulk. (Though he did get his own movie 20+ years ago.) He's not out there saving us from aliens or other Earth-shattering villains, but maybe that's a positive. There should be 'street-level' heroes too. And they can be just as (if not more) fascinating considering their problems are much more like ours. To an extent.

Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, is by day a lawyer and a great one. By night he's secretly the Man Without Fear, a formidable hand-to-hand combatant who seems to see all and know all and come from nowhere. In many ways he's similar to Spider-Man, with the struggles of a double life, and in others he's like Batman, for how he operates. Of course there are major differences, including the fact he's an adult, not a teen, nor is he a billionaire either. The biggest differentiator is that he's blind. An accident as a child left him without the use of his eyes, yet massively enhanced his other senses. So he can't see as we see but needs no help getting around (the walking stick is an act), and can hear everything no matter how quiet within considerable range. He can identify people by their smell or heartbeat. He can tell when someone is lying. He'll regularly be sitting on a rooftop listening for trouble and always knows when it's approaching him.

Perhaps more defining than his physical impairment is Matt's Catholic faith. He's haunted by what he does and how it impacts the people he loves but he's compelled to help those around him in his NYC neighborhood. There's suffering and corruption around every corner and he will not stand by and let it happen. He must do something, and is built for it. His (dead) father was a boxer and Matt can really take a beating, as well as dole one out. He has no special healing powers, just a willingness to use his body for good.

He didn't wear the suit in S3, but did utilize some fancy ropes

In 2015, in a joint Marvel/Netflix production (this is prior to Disney+ and an explosion of MCU properties), the first season of the original Daredevil series was released. It was at the time a part of the MCU, though I think that's since been rescinded. Netflix for a time made four connected street-level shows featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, with a team-up called The Defenders. There was also a Daredevil spin-off for the Punisher. Taken together it was a mixed-bag (though Iron Fist was the only real stinker), but to look at these shows in toto is unfair to Daredevil, which was fantastic throughout (The Punisher too). In 2018, only about a month after the debut of season three, all the Marvel Netflix shows were canceled simultaneously. As a result I wonder how many people missed that last season.

Daredevil season three was best they made, and cemented the show in my favorites. As always the action, the frequently brutal hand-to-hand fighting, stunts etc., were top-notch. They somehow managed to again one-up the one-shots (S1 hallway, S2 staircase) and the prison trap continues to be outrageous and memorable. Charlie Cox is thoroughly believable (and irreplaceable it turns out) as the blind, oft-suffering superhero. Elden Henson, as his perpetually optimistic best friend and lawyer partner Foggy Nelson, is a personal favorite too. But more than anything I love the conversations and relationships Matt has because of his faith. His confessions with his lifelong priest, his attempts to make sense of the world, his struggles with anger and guilt and faith and doubt. This in particular appeals to me at my core, and I have to respect it's done so well.

S3 is also, quite simply, a fantastic crime story. Matt starts off in worse shape than ever, physically and mentally (following a building falling on him in the Defenders). He's having a crisis of confidence and purpose, not wanting to believe God cares for any of us. Meanwhile Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, Daredevil's nemesis crime boss, begins to make his move. From prison he infiltrates the FBI, first handing a desperate agent a big bust and negotiating house arrest for himself. One by one he flips people on his penthouse detail, finding weaknesses and using blackmail, though as a viewer you're long clueless how deep this goes. One agent is a combination of ridiculous physical ability and deep-seated, lifelong mental issues. Dex is a tragic figure but an ideal foil for Daredevil, as well as an insight into Kingpin's depravity and methods. In the end Matt needs to either compromise his control, including protecting his friends, or the loss of his soul through unforgivable violence (at least in his own mind). It's Daredevil perfectly encapsulated.

Glad they went for the white suits, it takes a careful man to wear one

Working together again

Yes I know there's a new iteration out, Daredevil: Born Again, with a blatant reference to Christianity btw. This time we're fully in the MCU (which I've been otherwise indifferent to for a while now), where Matt Murdock/Daredevil is getting better integrated. I believe the show is both a reboot and a(n unofficial) continuation. It's exciting all the main players are back and I have high hopes considering how much I liked the original show. That said I don't know how they can do better than what was already done with season three, and I needed to rewatch it, and write this, before jumping in.

But now I can. Check both out on Disney+.