Daredevil

What’s it about?

The origin story and ongoing adventures of Marvel’s Daredevil, on a mission to clean up crime in his beloved Hell’s Kitchen.

Starring

Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Toby Leonard Moore, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Bob Gunton, Ayelet Zurer, Rosario Dawson, Scott Glenn

An Introduction to Daredevil

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is an up-and-coming lawyer who loves his city, and in particular his neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan. Crime is rampant in Hell’s Kitchen and Murdock is sworn to clean it up, one way or another.

By day, Murdock works with his best friend and fellow lawyer, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) as they try to establish a successful law practice. By night, Murdock secretly dons the persona of an anonymous vigilante to bring some of the area’s more unsavory criminals to justice. This vigilante will one day be known as “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen”, or Daredevil.

What differentiates Daredevil from other NY law enforcers is his super-senses. Matt Murdock was blinded as a young boy and, with guidance from a sensei called Stick (Scott Glenn), devleloped his other senses and abilities to an extraordinary degree, particularly his hearing which he uses as a form of echolocation.

Nelson & Murdock’s first client is Karen Page (True Blood‘s Deborah Ann Woll), framed for murder and desperately in need of some legal weight on her side. This attracts the attention of slick, yuppie-looking James Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore), who clearly operates on behalf of someone powerful. Murdock immediately senses the presence of something significant – and is this a job for the lawyer or the vigilante?

Summary

Daredevil makes it to the small screen thanks to a partnership between Marvel and Netflix. The 2003 film was considered disappointing by many, so expectations were cautiously optimistic for the TV version. Then it arrived and BAM! All worries were immediately laid to rest, as this show delivers the goods in spades.

Season One of Daredevil is set in the aftermath of the destruction caused by the ‘event’ in the 2012 film ‘The Avengers’ (in keeping with Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, or MCU – see also, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). New York is slowly recovering, but crime lords have taken over many areas, particularly Hell’s Kitchen. Season two introduces into the mix some further characters from the Daredevil mythology, leading to more dilemmas and soul-searching for our hero.

Charlie Cox is perfect in the title role, deftly handling the joint roles of Murdock’s quiet, charming lawyer and the no-nonsense justice machine that is Daredevil. The fight scenes are demanding and impressively executed, in particular an epic sequence early on that lasts for five full minutes in one take – breathless stuff.

The characters of Foggy Nelson and Karen Page are downright decent and likably portrayed and, without giving anything away, an honorable mention must go to the arcane Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) – a magnificently tortured soul who cares about Hell’s Kitchen just as much as Murdock, but shows it in his own way.

For now, can Nelson & Murdock become a legal force to be reckoned with? Will Daredevil stop the tide of villainy in Hell’s Kitchen? Stay tuned to this great show and find out.

Check out the Season 1 Trailer here: