Marvel’s Daredevil very deliberately stands out from the rest of the MCU for its use of graphic violence, which I will talk about later, and because it is so intentionally a product of the here and now. Traditionally these stories of timeless heroes are updated and modernised, to be sure; supporting characters use smart phones, drive hybrids and speak with the vernacular of the times. They are vaguely 21st century, but they don’t go as far as to cement themselves in any particular time and place by invoking current events or addressing the social concerns of today. Well, “Rabbit in A Snow Storm” does, a lot in this episode and not at all subtly. Thats not a knock against it either, if nothing else the show is consistent with how directly it addresses its themes.
For example, Ben Urich is introduced as an idealistic newspaper man facing the death of print journalism and resentful of bloggers and new media, represented by his comically one-dimensional editor. The admin at his wife’s hospital is facing an influx of measles due to “idiot parents who don’t want to vaccinate”. And, without getting into a dissertation, Matt’s closing argument in John Healy’s “self defense” case may very well be word for word Dick DeGuerin’s argument when he defended Robert Durst in the Morris Black trial. “Daredevil” has a pretty narrow appeal in the grand scheme of MCU projects, and I think that is a big part of why it is able to be technically and qualitatively better than the rest.
Speaking of Matt’s closing argument, this episode showcases a new side of Matt we haven’t seen before. Fans will know he is a remarkable defense attorney, and Charlie Cox’s performance certainly lives up to expectations. With each passing episode I become more certain that this is the definitive Daredevil in the way we consider RDJ to be Ironman as much as Ironman is RDJ. I have no doubt will fit right in with the heavy hitters if and when he makes his big screen debut (Civil War? Spidey?) but I’m not nearly as sold on Elden Henson’s Foggy. It is as though he is trying to ensure these films are never taken seriously, he reminds me I’m watching a Superhero show when I get wrapped up in the quality acting, dialogue, plotting, and everything else that makes me feel like I’m watching crime drama. The show isn’t limited by its genre, but it also doesn’t always feel like it has a strong identity.
On that subject, I don’t want to spend too much time talking about the violence because everyone else seems to be doing so, but this episode has not only the most brutal, bone crunching violence so far but it also is caused by/happens to characters that aren’t Matt, and don’t serve to develop or grow his character. Is it gratuitous? I personally don’t care either way, gratuity has its own value. My first thought was this is a Eli Roth/ Hostel: Part 2 situations where fans just won’t be happy no matter what you do, but then again I’m not sure who was dissatisfied with the level of brutality in the current MCU. I’m not one to say different for the sake of being different is necessarily a bad thing, and I like excessive violence, but it definitely further narrows the potential audience. It makes me wonder tonally how the rest of the Defenders will line up.
The “currentness” of “Daredevil” may have a meta quality to it, reflecting the change in story structure that encourages binge watching. It is different, but different in all good ways. Whether we will look back at the series as transitionary or revolutionary remains to be seen, but I’m nuts about it, and on its own I think its the best thing in the MCU so far.