The best compliment the season finale of Marvel’s Daredevil earns is that it’s satisfying. Though we will see Matt again in “The Defenders”, and possibly even Kingpin, the wait for season 2 of “Daredevil” will be excruciating. Though we need to appreciate how complete the series is, after one season. “Daredevil” leaves virtually nothing open, instead there are things that have been set up for future Defender series (Black Sky, Gao’s origin, ect). Matt and Wilson complete their origin stories in a way that is true to the characters, fitting for the tone of the show, and gives a satisfying sense of closure and finality. You’ll be left wanting more but not needing it – and that’s pretty damn satisfying.
Wilson has progressively gotten more and more villainous as the season has gone on. Taking out the Russians was a good thing in some ways. Having Elena killed was vile, but done very indirectly. Killing Ben with his own hands was both petty and psychotic. All of these acts demonstrate his cunning and malevolence, but none compare to his bombastic highway jailbreak orchestrated in this episode. The extent of Fisk’s powers are revealed; he controls everything, and like his comic book counterpart, can never be captured. His retelling of the good samaritan show that he knows exactly what he has become, and his moment standing above his handiwork in the back of the truck, adjusting his coat and making orders, that was the moment he elevated himself from villain to supervillain. In that moment Wilson Fisk became the Kingpin.
Matt, on the other hand, has been struggling with his purpose all season long, unsure of what he is doing is right, or if any of it matters at all. Father Lantom gives him his purpose: to scare bad men into walking the path of the righteous. When he catches up to Kingpin Matt almost has him subdued when Fisk asks “Do you really think one man can make a difference?” Daredevil answers his question with one slo-mo flying rocket punch to the face. In that moment Matt Murdock became Daredevil.
About that last fight. The way their different fighting styles were accentuated is awesome. Kingpin is represented like a charging bull: using brute force and tossing Matt around every time he gets his hands on him. Daredevil by contrast is light and graceful, spinning and flipping and trying to get hits in where he can. They introduced his club, with a few too many inserts showing how it comes apart and links back together, it didn’t do any of the really cool stuff his club can do though, and it this point making a big deal about the two-in-one weapon actually slowed the pace of the fight down.
The only missing thread from the series is any kind of clue as to how Fisk accumulated his wealth and power. The series would have felt a little more grounded if we knew how he obtained his position. We’re left to imagine it had something to do with the men his father owed money to, but you’ll be left burning to know what made this man a kingpin.
The series is mind blowing. Iit opens up yet another avenue for the MCU to play within. This bodes very well for the other three defenders, and beyond that the rest of the Marvel heroes that they aren’t ready to take a cinematic leap on. The only bad thing about it will be the wait between releases. The more MCU the better at this point.
This is the Daredevil we’ve all been waiting for.