Once again I have to talk about the narrative structure of a Marvel’s Daredevil episode because I am consistently impressed and inspired by the non-traditional form each episode of this episodic series takes. Where other dramas adhere strictly to formulas and three act structures and others seem to flow endlessly through a sprawling story week to week “Daredevil” presents each episode as a finite, digestible, and complete part of the story that completes an arc each time without become predictable or tired. Some episodes are cyclical, others are symmetrical, all of them feel carefully crafted by masters of storytelling. You are encouraged to binge watch: it’s part of the Netflix mission statement. Consider how each episode works on its own and you’ll see a show that gracefully walks a tightrope between the competition. “Daredevil” is greater than the sum of its parts.
I’ve designated the structure of “The Path of The Righteous” as a “greater than” plot structure. The > symbol is the best way I can describe the way this episode starts in two different places and ends at a deadly intersection. If you still aren’t with me I would urge you to rewatch this episode: you will see how obviously we are being led down a path through the entire episode. It is the most brilliant plotting when you can feel so shocked and at the same time realize there were so many clues along the way. The structure of this episode was the greatest clue of all. Before I get to that, Matt had a only a handful of scenes on his own that moved the season arc and his origin story forward in a big way.
Matt’s scenes with Father Lantom offer us the greatest insight into his mind, second if anything to his scenes with Claire Temple (we got both in this episode). After his emotionally charged conversation with Claire, Matt finds himself in front of Father Lantom. He wonders if he will end up alone and bloody, he wonders if he can ever really do any good or make a difference. Matt if afraid that he is merely acting upon the desires of the devil within him, that he his darkness is what drives him, and in the end, as he said, he does it because he likes it. Matt is echoing Claire, who is speaking from the perspective of reason. At this point you may be on her side: as a rational, (hopefully) non-violent person you probably have the same concerns for Matt the Claire does. Then Father Lantom gives his input, and its exactly what you want to hear:
“Nothing drives people to church faster than the thought of the Devil snapping at their heels. Maybe that was God’s plan all along, why he created him, allowed him the fall from grace. To become a symbol to be feared. Warning to us all, to tread the path of the righteous.”
This is indescribably huge for Matt, in my opinion he became Daredevil in this moment. Sure of his purpose, he will never again doubt what it is he is meant to do. He is on a mission from God to scare all bad men to tread the path of the righteous. “The Devil of Hell Kitchen” is the name he was given, now he can embrace it.
It is only fitting that Matt then decides its time to put his costume together. Fans will enjoy the first appearance of Melvin Potter (Gladiator) who has a pretty memorable fight scene with Matt and eventually agrees to Make his costume.
There are a few other stray moments in this episode, one particularly powerful moment between Fisk and Coma-Vanessa, and one of Foggy mixing up with the “meat grinder in a pencil skirt”, but the bulk of this episode is dedicated to just two characters, whose paths were destined intersect: Karen and Wesley.
If you know Karen’s significance in the books you may have guessed how things would turn out, assuming you saw it coming. Even though not a single long running supporting character has been killed off anywhere in the MCU, I don’t think it is safe to assume that anyone is safe. Not Jane Foster, not Pepper Potts, and certainly not Karen Page (who is dead on the page just for the record). Wesley, more than Karen one might argue, completes his journey in this episode. If you didn’t think he was a goner in the hospital when Fisk gave him his most sincere gratitude, then you must have known it was inevitable when he told Karen how much he hates this city. The writing was on the wall, as blunt and direct as this series always is. How we got there though, was something masterful.