Marvel’s Daredevil shows no signs of slowing down with “Stick.” The cold open introduction to the titular character was a phenomenal way to establish this old bastard as someone who can’t be messed with, but even with the hand getting sliced off, Scott Glenn’s calm performance is what sells it so well. We’ve already seen incredible action and gore in this series, but the elevator arterial spray was a beautiful touch.
Foggy’s little rant about the man in black is a nice little touch to his character. He naivety represents the general public, and Matt obviously sticks up for his own actions. The quick exchange about secrets is a nice touch, since Foggy is the only one of them without any to give up. He’s a clean slate and genuinely good person.
It’s stunning to see Daredevil get so close to Owlsey. Of course he would, but he loses it so quickly due to a rookie error of always being on edge. It makes sense, but why the hell was Stick sneaking up on him anyway? Seems he’s just a dick for being a dick’s sake.
The flashback in the nunnery to young Matt being in unbearable pain thanks to sensory overload was great. These scenes were brisk, and did a lot to establish Matt’s no nonsense tone for the future. He doesn’t become as much as a prick as Stick, but he’s somewhere in between him and Foggy.
Ulrich is a damn good reporter. Everything he says is pure gold. The character is written so well, and perhaps has the best fix on the city in the show. He is intimate with business in Hell’s Kitchen, and so far seems to be the best chance at taking down Fisk.
Matt’s exchange with Stick really seams to open old wounds. It’s clear that something happened between them that was pretty jarring. Stick pushes him to be something more, a Spartan. But, Matt realizes his relationships make him stronger. The first arm twist leading into another flashback was a great match cut. The young Matt learning to fight is enjoyable enough. Especially when his defeat causes him to blame himself for his father’s death. It’s this moment where Daredevil is basically born and a crying little boy becomes an acrobat.
Karen’s moments with Elena weren’t really strong enough on their own. The scenes didn’t seem to have a point. But Foggy taking up a bat and choosing to save Karen was a huge moment for his character. He’s a loyal friend to the end, and his dedication to the people around him continues to strengthen with every week.
Stick pushing Matt to take up killing may seem like a huge leap, but he’s right. There will be a point when Daredevil will have to kill. The duo’s trip to the harbor was a fun little adventure filled with so many question marks. Just what the hell is Black Sky?
The choreography in the harbor scene was great. Daredevil being able to do the ground work as Stick hung out overlooking the situation was a great chance for the show to play with shipping containers again. It all feels like Batman Begins all over again, until that damn container drops and you see what’s inside. What is this kid? Why is he in chains? And does this mean the show is developing a supernatural element.
It sure seems ninjas are on the horizon. But the rule of three had to be applied and we’re treated to another flashback that shows a sassy little Matt Murdock who’s evolved into quite the fighter. However, it was the final bout between Stick and Matt was where the whole episode came together for me. That, and the final scene, the line “Will he be ready when the doors open?” has about as much foreboding as you can get. So let’s sincerely hope there are some mystical ninjas on the horizon.
No Fisk this time. Which is a bummer, but I figure things have been so heavy on his motivation with the last few episodes that we had to leave him in order to refocus on Matt. A good call. Did it all feel a little unfocused? Perhaps. Is this an entirely new direction we’re headed in? Not likely. So while we got a little bit of Matt’s backstory it did feel a little like filler. Really odd filler that has a bunch of new stuff peppered throughout, that I can’t imagine going anywhere. We’ll see.