TV Review: Marvel’s “Daredevil”

Jake Lee | Contributing Writer

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which includes movies like “The Avengers,” is becoming one of the biggest canonical universes in combined media. While there is a new movie (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) on the horizon, there is yet another exciting addition to this ever-expanding universe: the new Netflix series “Daredevil,” whose first season was released in full on April 10.

While most of the MCU properties (including the ABC show “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) are deeply interconnected, “Daredevil” is a bit different. Of course, there are some references to the other parts of the universe: since it takes place in a New York neighborhood, the climactic battle in “The Avengers” is the major pivoting point that opens the show, and there is also a small nod to a character who briefly appeared in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” However, that’s it: with its minimal connections to the MCU, the show tells its own story about Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who becomes a vigilante to save his city.

Murdock lives in Hell’s Kitchen, the neighborhood in New York most affected by the alien invasion in “The Avengers.” After becoming blind from an accident, he develops his other senses to a level that allows him to see using them, sometimes better than normal people would. Using his abilities, he decides to become a masked vigilante to save Hell’s Kitchen from the show’s villain, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), who tries to rebuild the neighborhood by destroying it first.

The most impressive aspect of “Daredevil” is how laser-focused the plot is. With one exception, the show never removes the characters from Hell’s Kitchen, which is a stark contrast compared to even its fellow Marvel series “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” While it sometimes feels like the pacing is a little slow from time to time, the plot is immersive and keeps you wondering what is in store for the next episode. The producers used Netflix’s binge strategy of releasing all its episodes at once quite well, making ties in each episode a bit tighter than in regular TV shows.

“Daredevil” also spent a long time crafting its characters. Both Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s characters have past events that shape them, and those are explored thoroughly throughout the season. The episode that explored Fisk’s childhood was one of the strongest and the most impressive episodes. Cox and D’Onoforio are both stellar in their performances as the hero and villain of the series.

The fight scenes, a centerpiece of the “Daredevil” series, are also quite crafty. They demonstrate that Daredevil is not invincible, unlike superheroes such as Captain America. However, it also amplifies the risks Murdock takes in becoming Daredevil in order to protect his city. It shows how dangerous being a vigilante can be, and with a TV-MA rating, it is the most violent MCU show. It’s honestly surprising that Marvel allowed this level of violence.

All of this makes “Daredevil” the most realistic MCU show yet. There are no heroes with superpowers, no mystical alien objects. There is just one blind man who struggles to make his city a better place.

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