MSestrimski
10/10 3 years ago
l watched Daredevil back when it had 2 seasons, but postponed my watch of the third one for several years. Not for a particular reason, just poor scheduling I would say. It's a shame too, as the show was more-or-less cancelled - my favourite superhero TV series. A lot of time passed and I wondered if my fascination with "Daredevil" would hold up; I was a teenager who had much to see and was more easily impressed, whereas I am currently a growing adult who has a relatively stable grip on his tastes. I had fond memories of "Daredevil", but not quite that same adoration that I used to. Well, I am glad to state that it has gotten even better with the years, and is no doubt one of my favourite TV series of all time. An absolute masterpiece front-to-back, that sadly had even more potential to unleash.
Lawyer Matt Murdock, portrayed by Charlie Cox, stunts as masked vigilante Daredevil during the night in Hell's Kitchen. The gritty atmosphere is perfect for his character to shine. Daredevil is very much an antihero, and the series never tries to hide it. No one in their right mind would set out to do what Matt Murdock does, no matter how pure his intentions. Religion is a central aspect, and I applaud the complexity with which Matt's catholicism is represented here. The parallels between being the Devil of Hell's Kitchen and a man of God elevate the show to an artistic level of genuine humanity. If you wish to find symbolism done right, look no further. The dillemas Daredevil faces, his struggles maintaining all facets of his life, his past - everything haunts him, yet he finds ways to cope after many failures. This is why I love Daredevil, the same reason that he and Spider-man are my favourite superheroes. No more than regular people with superhuman abilities trying to make the world a better place, though Daredevil lacks the naivette a Spider-man story might have. Which makes its messages of hope and perseverance all the more poignant when they are present.
A superhero is only as good as their rogues' gallery, for the contrasting beliefs bring out extremes and hypocricies to the front. The amazing adaptation of Wilson Fisk, embodied by Vincent D'onofrio, serves as the primary antagonist of Daredevil. He's a cold, ruthless, calculating, occassionaly unhinged crime underlord with a stout build. His use of his physical prowess is rare however. Instead, it is his strategising abilities that fuel much of the show's suspense. Other great antagonists include John Bernthal's Punisher, who even got his own Netflix series due to the quality of his role; the threatening Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel. These are only ones I can name off the top of my head. The second season delves more into comic book mythos and occassionaly veers off into some of the series' few weaker points (which are still incredible), but in general it is able to greatly compliment the realism with comic book spice.
The rest of the cast are nothing to scoff at either. Everyone has their own lives and beliefs, which will often clash and lead into many of the series' conflicts. Were it not for his friends, Daredevil could not be Matt Murdock. Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) brings some light to the dark tone of the show, and serves as the most consistently grounded figure in a story filled with so many tormented souls. Karen Page sees great development along the course of three seasons, and I find Deborah Anwoll's performance quite great. I just wish the writers would cut down on her trauma somewhat; being on the verge of a mental breakdown 90% of the time gets a little exhausting to watch at some point. Still, I enjoy her character arc a lot and think she has much to bring here. Besides that, city officials, police officers, FBI, medics - people from many corners of society play a role here and build a much larger world for the plots to unfold.
The quality of "Daredevil" does not end with its writing, plot, and characters. The cinematography is gripping, particularly when it comes to fight scenes. As a matter of fact, this series is groundbreaking on this front. Some of its fights have become famous in their own right, notably the hallway scene. All done in one shot, featuring brutal brawls with a touch of acrobatics. It dances on the line between realism and superhero thrills, resorts to as few cuts as possible, and tells its story with each character's fighting style
The music fits rather well in here, with the Daredevil theme itself being a memorable motif. The intro is always a joy to watch as it builds up in intensity. The visuals are great as well, with a brooding red to set the tone.
Acting is at its finest, and must be complimented to no end. Charlie Cox is Daredevil, Vincent D'onofrio is Kingpin, John Bernthal is the Punisher, Elden Henson is Foggy, Élodie Yung is Elektra, so on and so forth. Intense emotions and elegant nuance feature across the entire cast, a key component to the show's success. It might just be the finest acting in a superhero adaptation; the line between actor and character is laid thin as everyone embodies who they represent.
"Daredevil" is in my eye one of the most underappreciated shows during the 10s' golden era of TV. It received rave reviews, but was a tad too niche compared to the big names of that time. Yet, I think this is the peak of the superhero genre in the medium, and an outstanding crime drama should you remove the association. I sincerely hope the team gets back and works on this show again, as it is clear they still had stories to tell in the vigilante supervision of Hell's Kitchen. If not, you have a satisfying three seasons of a broken man trying to do some good and holding on to his sanity, being very badass in the meantime. Because, ignoring all of my pretentious blabbering, this show never fails to deliver badassery. It is able to do so with a conscious approach.
