One of the things people always mention when describing Daredevil as a character is the conflicting ideals within him; lawyer/vigilante, Catholic/fighter, right/wrong. The ninth episode of Daredevil has Matt dealing especially with the repercussions of his most recent actions. He knows that he must face Fisk, and should he do so, he will kill him. As he visits the Catholic Church, Matt looks for guidance about what to do and ultimately the need for revenge wins out, putting him in the position of judge, jury, and executioner.
We know right from the beginning that Matt falls into a trap set by Fisk. We know that by the end he will have faced Nobu, the most challenging fight we’ve seen yet. And we know that things will end very, very badly. As soon as Matt, Foggy, and Karen let Mrs. Cardenas leave, I knew she was a goner. In my heart I didn’t want it to happen because dammit, I liked her, but something drastic had to occur to bait the man in the black mask and boy if Fisk didn’t bait that hook with a juicy worm.
However, by far the most tense scene of the episode is when Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock finally meet. Matt is now aware of who Fisk is, but Fisk is none the wiser, and much like Karen, I find myself watching Fisk and thinking how likable he is, especially with Vanessa. He has the socially awkward persona down pat, and that in a way, makes him seem less dangerous. At least to those who are unaware of his record with car doors and Russians.
Angered at Fisk’s response to the death of Mrs. Cardenas, Matt charges in head first to the trap we’ve seen cut into scenes from the beginning of the episode. The man in the black mask wins, but by a thread, and then Fisk showed up to wreck up the joint. I wonder why in this moment Fisk didn’t rip off the mask, reveal the coward he’s publicly denounced and ruin his life right there? Ah, but he didn’t, and Daredevil got away, again, only to be found bleeding out by a horrified Foggy.
Foggy deserves better.
