“Condemned” is an incredibly claustrophobic episode of Marvel’s Daredevil, where revelations and game changers are everywhere. Daredevil is pushed to his moral limits here, where exactly he draws the line between life and death has been decidedly vague up until this point. There are also numerous outstanding character moments, with a special shout out to Nikolai Nikolaeff who gives an outstanding performance as the grievously wounded Vladimir.
Last episode’s cliffhanger was quite the doozy, Daredevil and Vladimir barely escape Fisk’s explosion and are swiftly set upon by cops. Picking up immediately where we left off Daredevil has to make a choice, run/fight the cops or submit to the law and justice that he so desperately tries to uphold. It’s amazing to watch him truly submit himself to them, it could be the end of everything for him but he’s not going to needlessly fight cops. He is a good guy after all. Then not even a moment after cuffing they reveal themselves as dirty cops, deep in Fisk’s pockets. This means all bets are off, Daredevil quickly dispatches them and escapes with a now unconscious Vladimir.
They hold up in an abandoned building as the surrounding area is flooded with cops. This becomes the main location for the duration of the episode as Daredevil patches Vladimir up and begins interrogating him. This whole section is shot very tight and close in on the actors, without almost any wide shots. This gives it a very confined and cramped feel which works perfectly with how boxed in Daredevil really is. He’s all alone in there, with the world outside beading down on him. Vladimir and him begin to form an uneasy bond over their mutual hate for Fisk and all the ways he’s fucked them over. That bond eventually morphs into a mutual respect which you could only find with a hero like Daredevil. A hero who operates in the more grayish tones of morality, unlike Captain America or Thor.
Daredevil’s supporting cast get the short end of the stick this episode as things are heavily focused on Daredevil and Vladimir’s struggle. Foggy and Karen bring Elena into the ER and bump into Claire, although their mutual connection to Matt is unknown to them. In the hospital Foggy and Karen spend a couple touching moments that hint at a possible budding romance, but one that doesn’t come off as forced or melodramatic. Ben Urich role becomes more central to the story in this particular episode, being the first reporter to arrive on scene outside Daredevil’s stand off. Giving us a nice opportunity to see both sides of this ‘hostage’ situation. It also serves as a way to showcase Urich’s bravery, he’s not one to run from danger.
“Condemned” is a seminal episode, pushing Daredevil to the bitter edge. Numerous times during the episode Matt’s entire world could’ve come crashing down, but each and every time he rises above. He makes the hard decisions that would break weaker men. He takes the high road and proves himself the better man time and time again. This is the episode where Daredevil cements itself as a cut above any other superhero show, ever.