Quiet Conversation And Exposition Dominate "Royal Dragon"

The Good: Moments of character, Good performances
The Bad: Light on plot, A lot of the dialogue is simple exposition.
The Basics: The Defenders finally unite for a conversation in "Royal Dragon" and the result fits the characters well and provides for a basis for the show to actually go forward as a team effort.


The moment a super-hero team is conceived and announced, one of the critical issues in making a story (and project) work is finding a balance for the characters and making a story that justifies the team-up. Making sure that none of the characters are overshadowed and that the story warrants the protagonists uniting for a common cause is critical to the story working. The Defenders, predictably, begins with the four main characters all at separate places, working on completely different cases before their missions become clearly overlapped. It takes until the fourth episode of The Defenders, "Royal Dragon," before the protagonists meet properly and have a genuine conversation about what is going on in New York City.

"Royal Dragon" is not the first time the protagonists all meet; that happened in the prior episode, "Worst Behavior" (reviewed here!). Given that "Royal Dragon" opens moments after the climax of "Worst Behavior," it is impossible to discuss the new episode without some references to the episode that preceded it. The title of "Royal Dragon" refers to the fallback position of the Defenders, a Chinese restaurant where the heroes run to in order to survive their disastrous encounter with Alexandra, Elektra, and The Hand.

Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand retreat to a Chinese restaurant, the Royal Dragon, following the attack they each walked into independently at Midland Circle. Jessica Jones and Cage catch up briefly, recognizing that they arrived at Midland Circle working different cases. Danny Rand tries to explain the Iron Fist to his new companions and Jones reveals to Murdock that she has figured out he is Daredevil and she tries to get the information she needs on her case to get out of further issues involving The Hand. Back at Midland Circle, Alexandra and Elektra discuss the nature of the Black Sky. Elektra seems confused by the hints of her former life eking into her memory, though she commits to being the Black Sky and serving The Hand.

At the Royal Dragon, the heroes debate how they might defeat The Hand using legal methods. Rand denies that it is possible to stop Alexandra legally and Stick, less his right hand, arrives to try to help the quartet. When Stick tells them about The Chaste and that New York City is at risk, Jones bolts. While Stick tells the others about The Hand and the ancient war, Jones researches the companies that evolved into Midland Circle. Discovering the handwriting of the executive of various ancient companies matches, Jones concludes that Alexandra truly is ancient. Jones discovers that The Hand has a presence watching John Raymond's widow's house and she stops the surveillance. When Alexandra arrives at the Royal Dragon, all of the protagonists must choose to adopt Stick's plan or surrender to Alexandra.

"Royal Dragon" is the first direct time The Defenders must confront directly the disparity between the two types of Marvel heroes who make up the new group. Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are two street-level operatives who have been altered by scientific corporations to have abilities and they exist in, largely, a very real world. They are pragmatic super heroes with no real experience with the supernatural. Iron Fist is all-supernatural for his powers and Matt Murdock's transformation into Daredevil was slow and practical, but in its second season, the supernatural elements surrounding The Hand were introduced overtly into his world (Madame Gao was revealed in the first season as being very ancient and quite possibly not at all human, but not to Murdock) with Nobu's resurrection and his use of blood magic to empower an ancient device related to the Black Sky. Reconciling the two fundamentally opposite viewpoints on the world is a real tasked, mostly glossed over by Luke Cage and Danny Rand in "Worst Behavior." "Royal Dragon" forces the issue through having the protagonists converse about it.

The instant reaction of Matt Murdock is to protect his secret identity and, completely in character, Jones wants to split. "Royal Dragon" affords Cage and Jones a chance to learn about The Hand. Rand and Murdock provide a lot of exposition about The Hand and while it could be tedious, the reactions of Jones and Cage keep the scene surprisingly grounded. That, in combination with Jones figuring out very quickly who Murdock is in relation to Daredevil enhances the sense of character in what could be a very plot-centered scene.

"Royal Dragon" is a comparatively serene episode, with the protagonists working to understand one another and come together while The Hand hierarchy comes together. Instead of having the heroes run around and fight for the majority of the episode, "Royal Dragon" allows the potential allies to talk and their adversaries come to them. The refreshing aspect of the set up to "Royal Dragon" is that there are no "guns blazing" moments for the three-quarters of the episode. The protagonists converse, the antagonists converse, Stick walks quietly into the restaurant; even White Hat (Sowande) meets with Elektra in a surprisingly low-key way. Stick takes time to detail the three new-to-the-audience members of The Hand and the conversation manages to keep the episode more about the characters and ideas than big action sequences. Ultimately, Alexandra's appearance is not foreshadowed by violence and the tone of "Royal Dragon" is actually calm and rational for the bulk of the episode.

The key moments of "Royal Dragon" - outside Jessica Jones actually investigating once again - come with Matt Murdock and Stick relating to one another. Murdock does not tell his new allies about Elektra and the ensuing private conversation between Matt and Stick is remarkably familial. The relationship between Stick and Murdock has been complicated and now, in the face of the war being truly revealed to Murdock, the conversation is engaging.

"Royal Dragon" manages to do justice to what has come before and foreshadow what comes next. The Defenders Season 1 sets Alexandra up to want the Iron Fist as a tool for her own purpose. "Royal Dragon" does not make that purpose clear (viewers know it is to open the door that The Hand found in the pit below Midland Circle, that that is not made explicit in this episode), but the goal of The Hand in this season is now for the group to take control of the Iron Fist.

Those who come to the Marvel Cinematic Universe solely for action and adventure will find "Royal Dragon" tedious and boring. But for those who want something more, "Royal Dragon" rocks. The episode allows all of the characters to get caught up with what viewers might have only vaguely pieced together and it starts the team dynamic without denying the characters their individual characterizations. That makes for something pleasantly different for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it allows viewers to re-invest in each character and believe that there is merit and realism in the otherwise contrived team-up.

For other works with Mike Colter, please check out my reviews of:
Luke Cage - Season 1
Jessica Jones - Season 1
Men In Black 3
Salt
Brooklyn Lobster
Million Dollar Baby

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into The Defenders - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season of the street-level heroes here!
Thanks!]

8/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

Fill For Time Until The End, "Soliloquy Of Chaos" Is A Disappointing Set-Up Episode!

The Good: Good direction, Alvarez
The Bad: A lot of exposition and explanation for past events, No astounding performances, Minimal character development, Very basic and dull plot.
The Basics: "Soliloquy Of Chaos" sets up the inevitable plot point for the season finale in a very unremarkable way.


When it comes to super-hero stories, there are some plot inevitabilities. There is a villain who either rises or menaces an area that the hero arrives in and for the longer stories, there comes a moment when the villain and hero have to have an ultimate clash that resolves whatever complicated plot has brought the hero and villain to ideological differences. More often than not in serialized television works based upon comic book heroes, before the inevitable clash in the season finale, there is a set-up episode as the penultimate episode of the season. Luke Cage is no different in this regard as "Soliloquy Of Chaos" does incredibly little for the overall plot of the season. Instead, "Soliloquy Of Chaos" catches Misty Knight up with what the audience already knows and it puts Luke Cage in play so that he can be in a position to fight Diamondback.

"Soliloquy Of Chaos" picks up the Luke Cage story only seconds after "Now You're Mine" (reviewed here!), so it is impossible to discuss the episode without some references to where the last episode ended. "Now You're Mine" was essentially a hostage situation episode and given that the final moments of the episode saw it resolved with Luke Cage and Shades Alvarez arrested and Diamondback getting away.

Misty Knight feeds Luke Cage information before he is driven away to jail under arrest. Cage escapes and is stopped by a cop who knows Cage's reputation from Pops, so he lets Cage go. At Diamondback's warehouse, Turk is brought in to distribute Diamondback's firearms, while Zip looks to advance in his organization. While Domingo and Dillard make separate plans to try to take down Diamondback, Luke Cage stumbles upon a robbery in progress and uses it as a chance to get a new hoodie . . . from Method Man.

At the Harlem Police Department, Inspector Ridley illegally interrogates Shades Alvarez after Alvarez repeatedly asks for a lawyer. As public opinion in Harlem turns the cops against the populace who has begun to side with Cage, the police scour Harlem for Luke Cage. Cage resurfaces at Pop's Barber Shop where Bobby Fish helps him lure Turk down to try to use him to find Diamondback. When Alvarez is sprung from police custody, he finds he has to fight for his life when Zip tries to advance in Diamondback's organization. Diamondback exerts his influence over Dillard before Domingo tries to make a move on him at his warehouse.

"Soliloquy Of Chaos" contains one of the few unremarkable performances by Simone Missick. Missick has been wonderful at playing Misty Knight throughout the season, but as Knight has no super powers, the day after having massive blood loss and her arm being shot through and having to be patched up multiple times, she should have been far less active than she was in "Soliloquy Of Chaos." Missick makes it tough to buy that Misty Knight is just tough and determined in "Soliloquy Of Chaos," as opposed to being superhuman.

Given how before now, all of the big musical performances have been in the Harlem Paradise Club, the performance by Method Man in "Soliloquy Of Chaos" seems very out of place. Method Man's rap is a good one - though it does reference Treyvon Martin, which raises the question of how that incident went down within the Marvel Universe - but "Soliloquy Of Chaos" comes to a dead stop by giving him a chance to perform in the episode.

Much of "Soliloquy Of Chaos" is filler that pads the period of time from Luke Cage being arrested and losing sight of Diamondback and his inevitable fight with the season's ultimate adversary for Luke Cage. To that end, in an episode whose clear point A and point B are fairly obvious to anyone who knows the comic book superhero turned television series plot, spending so much time focused on Shades Alvarez and a Method Man performance feels inorganic.

I'm not complaining that "Soliloquy Of Chaos" devotes time to Shades Alvarez; he is one of the most intriguing characters in Luke Cage and he has been woefully underused. He is a mysterious thug character who has so many potential directions he could go in and "Soliloquy Of Chaos" has Shades presented as a smart character who knows his rights (which makes sense given how long he has been on the wrong side of the law) and is also eager to seize power on his own.

Diamondback in "Soliloquy Of Chaos" is a monolithically crazy character without real depth or shading. Instead, by this point, he is able to be overtly evil and a lunatic. Dillard in "Soliloquy Of Chaos" only seems to have anything to do with him out of self-preservation. While that is certainly realistic, it undermines the menace of Dillard. She is, basically, just a tool in "Soliloquy Of Chaos" and despite surviving the events of the season, she has not actually become more powerful or grown significantly.

Mike Colter has the chance to play Luke Cage as genuinely happy as he has a fanboy moment seeing Method Man, but beyond that, all of the performers play well within their established roles. "Soliloquy Of Chaos" does not have any big moments where the performers can plumb any new depths.

Ultimately, the late-episode MacGuffin of the files that could exonerate Luke Cage feels more insulting to viewers than it is clever. After all, those who watched Jessica Jones will realize that mysterious file folders filled with critical backstory information for the protagonist popped up in the penultimate episode. That said, director Phil Abraham makes "Soliloquy Of Chaos" watchable even if it is not particularly original.

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Luke Cage - The Complete First Season, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season here!
Thanks!]

For other works with Ron Cephas Jones, please visit my reviews of:
Across The Universe
Half Nelson

2/10

For other Marvel movie, television season and episode reviews, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a listing of those reviews!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The Urgency Of The Punisher Problem: "Dogs To A Gunfight!"

The Good: Some good MCU tie-ins, Characterization and development, Plot foundations, Performances
The Bad: Devotion to mood over resolution, Perhaps the worst police snipers in all history?!
The Basics: Very much a bridge episode in the rising action of Daredevil's second season, "Dogs To A Gunfight" is still impressive!


Setting in Daredevil is extremely important. Hell's Kitchen at night is the most common setting for the book and television incarnation of Daredevil. So, when "Dogs To A Gunfight," the second episode of the second season of Daredevil opens in the stark white light of day at a hospital, it is somewhat jarring and it sets a tone for the episode that is frenetic and intense. As well, starting any episode with a worried Foggy Nelson instantly connects the grounded viewer to the fantastic world of Daredevil. Out of all of the Daredevil characters, Foggy Nelson is the most realistic and relatable and opening with his reactions to a public shooting creates an incredible sense of alarm that allows "Dogs To A Gunfight" to hit the ground running.

"Dogs To A Gunfight" picks up the morning after "Bang" (reviewed here!) and it is impossible to discuss the second episode without some allusions to where the prior episode ended. Starting "Dogs To A Gunfight" with the moments after Castle shot up a hospital looking for Grotto and then shot Daredevil point-blank in the head is an instant hook and, fortunately, the sophomore episode builds on that momentum.

Foggy Nelson arrives at Metro General Hospital where there is a police cordon in the wake of Frank Castle shooting his way through a ward there. Nelson is relieved to hear that Karen Page escaped with their client, Grotto, but is alarmed when he overhears that shots were fired from a nearby rooftop. Foggy recovers the seriously wounded Daredevil and he expresses his concern for Matt. Foggy arrives at the police department where he confronts Grotto about the fact that the local mobs were being taken out by a single man and Grotto confirms that the man who came after him is the same as the one who took the Irish mob out. Foggy and Page learn from Sergeant Mahoney that the District Attorney's office is convinced that the shooter has no ties to any organizations.

As Matt Murdock struggles with the physical effects of barely surviving his face-off with Frank Castle, Foggy Nelson squares off with District Attorney Reyes. Reyes wants Grotto to wear a wire on Brass, a higher-level drug dealer in Hell's Kitchen. To extort him into the deal, they show Nelson, Page and Grotto the mortician reports on various victims of Frank Castle. Frank Castle, codenamed The Punisher by the D.A.'s office, goes to buy a sophisticated police scanner from a pawn shop so he can continue his crusade against the mobs in Hell's Kitchen. Page checks in on Murdock and the two debate the nature of The Punisher and Daredevil while Foggy prepares the witness protection case for Grotto. Despite his cowl being severely damaged and being in a weakened state, Matt Murdock once again suits up to go after Frank Castle to try to prevent further violence in Hell's Kitchen.

One of the most refreshing aspects of "Dogs To A Gunfight" is that Matt Murdock is not characterized as invincible. Daredevil might be strong and well-trained, but he has limits. Matt Murdock got his clock cleaned in "Bang" and in "Dogs To A Gunfight," Murdock is low-energy as he struggles to recover from a serious head injury. This allows Charlie Cox to expertly explore Matt Murdock's disability and his shortcomings. Murdock goes temporarily deaf and when that happens, Cox plays the moment with freakish accuracy and fear.

Unfortunately, the strength of Cox's performance and Phil Abraham's direction lead to one of the most incredible flubs of the entire series. Matt Murdock is stumbling around before going deaf (to add to his blindness and, given his lack of reaction to knocking his hands against brick, possibly lacking in sense of touch as well!), after Foggy left his apartment with the Daredevil suit laying in the middle of the living room. When Karen Page comes over, Matt Murdock has barely managed to stand up again; it is utterly unrealistic given the strength of the performance that Murdock would have had the time and ability to stash the suit away. In other words, the suit should have been in the living room when Karen Page arrived to visit Matt Murdock!

"Dogs To A Gunfight" connects Daredevil to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe well through the use of D.A. Reyes. Reyes popped up in the Jessica Jones episode "AKA Smile" (reviewed here!) and her role in the second season of Daredevil allows her to deepen the bit part. For a show that is working to tie together to a larger universe, the fact that the bus that passes outside the pawn shop has a Mamma Mia! advertise on it instead of a Trish Talk sign is unfortunate.

Frank Castle's character is further explored in "Dogs To A Gunfight" and one of the critical scenes actually is open to a number of interpretations. When Frank Castle goes to the pawn shop to get the police scanner (torn from a police car, so it has the encryptions that would not be part of tha publicly available police scanner), the scene is tense and tight and, predictably, results in violence. But the brilliant aspect of the scene is how deep it (probably) actually is. Frank Castle reacts to the pawn shop owner offering him porn of a twelve year old with predictable (for his character) brutality. But, as my wife pointed out, the moment might be far more planned than the spontaneous violence it appears to be. Castle buys something from the pawn shop he clearly researched ahead of time - it's an illegal item and one that would not be "on the books" - so Castle might well have known that the pawn shop owner was an absolute scumbag before he ever stepped into the shop. Moreover, while buying the store's video tape is an obvious defensive move to prevent tying Castle to the crime, the only reason for Frank Castle to buy the shells from the shotgun and not take the shotgun is so that the absence of the shotgun at the (eventual) crime scene is not a red flag to the police. New York City detectives would know that a pawn shop owner would have some form of (probably illegal) protection and expect to find it after a murder/robbery. Castle makes the defensive play of leaving the pawn shop owner unarmed, but without anything that would tie his murder to Frank Castle - the baseball bat is not his usual m.o. But, rewatching the scene with the idea that Castle is setting up the murder of the pawn shop owner adds a richness to the scene and the character that is not immediately evident at first blush.

Karen Page's role in "Dogs To A Gunfight" is not going to be understood by anyone who did not see the first season of Daredevil. Page notes that The Punisher could have been coming after her and that makes no sense given how Castle is killing criminals. In the first season episode "The Path Of The Righteous" (reviewed here!), Page is forced to kill Wesley in self defense, but she has not confessed that to anyone. In "Dogs To A Gunfight," Page expresses her feelings of guilt and the effects of her murdering Wesley are evident.

One of the interesting aspects of "Dogs To A Gunfight" is the new dichotomy with the second season of Daredevil. When the chop shop for the Dogs Of Hell is introduced, the viewer has to wait a moment before they realize it is Frank Castle cleaning out the lair, not Daredevil. The idea that two vigilantes are now operating in Hell's Kitchen makes for an interesting new dynamic.

Having Grotto wear a wire in "Dogs To A Gunfight" is an important plot device that is used to lay the bedrock for the season's deeper conspiracy plotline. Grotto's mission to get Brass implicating himself on tape is a set-up and the machinations of D.A. Reyes are presented in the episode as simple plotting. However, the way Grotto is used (and how the "mission" is not what it initially appears) is actually characterization. Reyes is a user and her actions in this episode are foreshadowing to something deeper later in the season. That makes "Dogs To A Gunfight" a weaker individual episode, but an essential part of the season; it is an essential piece of a puzzle, but on its own it is hardly amazing television.

Building character and consequences, but lighter on theme, "Dogs To A Gunfight" is still impressive Daredevil.

For other works with Jon Bernthal, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Grudge Match
The Walking Dead - Season 2
The Walking Dead - Season 1
Date Night
World Trade Center

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Daredevil - The Complete Second Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the sophomore season of the blind vigilante here!
Thanks!]

8/10

For other television episode and movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

The First Season Of Daredevil Might Not Have Been A Fluke! Season Two Opens With A "Bang!"

The Good: Good plot development, Pacing, Moments of performance, Engaging action sequences
The Bad: Very clearly a beginning without any sense of resolution, Light on theme
The Basics: Daredevil Season 2 opens with a "Bang" and the slow introduction of a one man army!


Fans of the character Daredevil had a lot to like about the first season of Daredevil (reviewed here!), but it is hard not to go into the second season of the show feeling like the executive producers conceptually shot their wad on the first season. Whatwith Owlsley, Urich, and Wesley dead and Wilson Fisk already out of the narrative, the future of Daredevil seemed very much up in the air. Daredevil manages to avoid simply repeating the foibles of the film Daredevil (reviewed here!) by not making the adversaries in the second season both Elektra and Bullseye, but it was announced early on that The Punisher and Elektra would be appearing in the second season of Daredevil.

The Punisher is a tough character to get right . . . and one who is tough to put into a narrative that might any sense of balance to it. The Punisher is a forceful personality, a vigilante who steps over the moralistic lines Matt Murdock has as Daredevil. Frank Castle easily made a transition to his own book, which became intensely popular; The Punisher is a primary character, not a second-string character in the Marvel Universe. When Daredevil reappeared on Netflix with the second season premiere, "Bang," fans of Daredevil were introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Frank Castle, in the form of Jon Bernthal. And "Bang" makes the build-up long and plays to the moment in the final act when Castle (although unnamed in the episode) is finally revealed.

Opening with a squad of men running through the night streets of Hell's Kitchen with stolen briefcases, Daredevil rescues a police officer and an innocent civilian while incapacitating each of the thieves. The next morning, the offices of Nelson and Murdock are overrun by clients, though Karen Page reveals to Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson that the law firm is broke. That night, the Irish mob has a meeting in Hell's Kitchen and, after a rousing speech from their leader, they are slaughtered.

Page, Murdock and Nelson go out to Josie's for a beer and Matt recognizes a man at the bar's erratic heartbeat as potential trouble. The man is Grotto, one of the mobsters who managed to get away, and he is at Josie's to hire Nelson and Murdock. When his wounded status leads him to fall unconscious, Page checks him into the hospital while Nelson and Murdock check out various leads. Foggy Nelson looks into the Dogs Of Hell, a biker gang that has taken up in Hell's Kitchen. Matt Murdock dons his Daredevil outfit and goes to the meat packing district on a clue from a cop friend, where he discovers one survivor who reveals a truth about the military like hits taking out criminals in Hell's Kitchen.

Perhaps what is most telling about "Bang," right off the bat, is how it leaves viewers feeling like there were massive repercussions of the first season of Daredevil. Wilson Fisk spent the first season building an empire and consolidating organized crime in Hell's Kitchen. With Fisk incarcerated, there is a power vacuum in Hell's Kitchen and the idea that many different factions are vying to fill that void is realistic and compelling. "Bang" puts the familiar face of Turk into the mix in addition to several references to Fisk and factions that are making plays for Hell's Kitchen. The sense of continuity in Daredevil's corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is high and it is blended with decent easter eggs and references. The Dogs Of Hell were introduced in the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode "Yes Men" (reviewed here!) and the implication is that Page's new car is Ben Urich's.

"Bang," after the initial violence, goes for a pleasant stroll, instantly recreating the chemistry between Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. Murdock and Nelson are old friends and their banter is refreshing, fun and entirely engaging to watch. Their friendship is easily the most relatable aspect of Daredevil - even more than the failing business subplot threaded throughout "Bang."

The other nice aspect of "Bang" is that the writers and producers of Daredevil are not about to insult the intelligence of the viewers. With promotional materials and previews in this day in age, the producers of Daredevil know that viewers who watch the show are coming in knowing that the season's antagonist - at least one! - is The Punisher. "Bang" builds up to the reveal of Frank Castle and the viewer's intelligence is not insulted by the showrunners trying to drag it out. Throughout "Bang," characters assert that the new player in Hell's Kitchen is an organization and the build-up to the Castle reveal is fast enough to not insult the fans, while still making sense and engaging the viewer.

"Bang" is a little light on character, though Foggy Nelson is given a plum role in the season premiere. Nelson and Murdock have great banter and Nelson's loyalty and devotion to both the law and the truth put him in gut-tightening danger. But Nelson remains an intelligent pragmatist and makes "Bang" watchable when the violence in the episode is almost mortgages the entertainment value of the episode.

Indeed, Daredevil in "Bang" is somewhat unlikable. The way Daredevil treats Turk, who pragmatically observes just how much Daredevil has messed him and his situation up for the information he has, treads the fine line between the hero looking out for his territory and being a dick.

The most subtle character moments come from Karen Page and Deborah Ann Woll nails the key Page moment. Karen Page is still not sleeping well from her actions late in the first season of Daredevil. Coming into "Bang," my hope was that Wilson Fisk would continue to appear in Page's on-screen nightmares, but instead, Page only makes oblique references to her toughness and things not being right with her sleep cycle. Woll manages to not oversell those moments, but merely capture the implications with sublte eye movements and turning away from the camera. Karen Page's backstory continues to be fleshed out through implication with her improvisational abilities exhibited in "Bang" as well. Woll makes the transition from subtly troubled to working to do right perfectly well to convince viewers that the character is the same one.

Ultimately, "Bang" does exactly what a good season premiere ought to do; it sets up the beginning of the season to drive viewers to get engaged in the serialized plotline. "Bang" is engaging . . . even if little details, like Matt Murdock not smelling Grotto's blood, are not perfect at all. "Bang" returns Daredevil to Netflix in a compelling way.

For other season premieres, be sure to check out my reviews of:
"Laws Of Nature" - Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"The Man Who Saved Central City" - The Flash
"Pilot, Part 1" - Legends Of Tomorrow

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Daredevil - The Complete Second Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the sophomore season of the blind vigilante here!
Thanks!]

7.5/10

For other television episode and movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

"Cut Man" Progresses Daredevil With An Unfortunate Advocation Of Torture!

The Good: Some wonderful character moments, Good performances,
The Bad: Advocates torture, Realistic grittiness is entirely unpleasant to watch.
The Basics: The second episode of Daredevil finds a wounded Matt Murdock struggling to survive after he fell into a trap while rescuing a boy from a child trafficking ring.


Perhaps the most innovative aspect of the new Netflix series Daredevil was how the pilot episode hit the ground running. The series does not define the vigilante alter ego of Matt Murdock in its pilot episode and it did not explicitly define how it is that Matt Murdock is able to get around as a blind man without special equipment. Given how many Daredevil books there are that define and redefine the origin story of Daredevil, the less linear approach to the story of Daredevil was a surprisingly smart way to keep the story engaging for fans, while leaving a lot to intrigue newbies to the franchise from the first episode.

Picking up after the climax of "Into The Ring" (reviewed here!), with Matt Murdock atop a building, hearing a boy being abducted, "Cut Man" illustrates the effects of Murdock as Daredevil walking into a mob trap. Instead of continuing at the same moment the prior episode ended, "Cut Man" keeps Daredevil intriguing by giving a narrative gap that viewers have to fill in by paying attention and being patient with the way the episode unfolds.

Opening with Daredevil in a dumpster, with his throat cut, the blind vigilante is discovered by a young man, who brings Claire Temple to him. In his wounded state, Matt Murdock flashes back to taking care of his father after he endured one of his boxing matches (and came out with a technical knockout), before waking up to Claire taking care of him. While Foggy and Karen go out for the evening, Claire patches Matt Murdock up and he is forced to confess to her. Murdock fell into a trap while trying to rescue a boy who was part of a human trafficking ring.

After stopping the mobster who is masquerading as a cop, searching for the masked vigilante, Claire reveals the reason she pulled Matt out of the dumpster. Claire is a local nurse who has been dealing with the effects of Matt Murdock's efforts to save locals who have been hurt by mobsters. She believes Murdock's motives are pure and that he is trying to do good with his nocturnal activities. Claire watches - and helps - Matt to torture the mob lackey for information on where the kidnapped boy is being held.

Weaving throughout the primary narrative involving Matt Murdock, wounded in the present, is the story of Battlin' Jack Murdock's big fight. The story of Matt Murdock adapting to his blindness and standing up to Sweeney (the local mobster who is fixing the fights in Hell's Kitchen) is one of the essential stories in Daredevil. In "Cut Man," Battlin' Jack is given his chance to fight a big name, Creel, who he is supposed to lose to. Jack stands up to set an example for Matt, knowing it will likely cost him everything.

"Cut Man," in addition to having the essential Jack Murdock story that helps frame Matt Murdock as Daredevil, is thematically bound together by a theme of fear. In this episode, we see this proto-Daredevil using fear as a tool to torture information out of the mob lackey. It is the lackey's fear of death and the extreme pain Murdock inflicts upon him that leads him to give up the information Murdock needs. Even though Murdock knows it is a trap, he walks into it. This, of course, establishes the Marvel Universe vigilante as the Man Without Fear and while it is frequently unpleasant to watch, it is clear that writer Drew Goddard was saying something thematically with the way he structured "Cut Man."

Karen Page becomes instantly compelling and realistic in "Cut Man." Page's apartment was broken into in "Into The Ring" and her coworker was murdered there. Page spends the episode not wanting to go home and her monologue about why is heartbreaking and uncommon in television. Page is wrestling with the consequences of violence that was done to her and, of course, she now lives in fear. Page is scared and Deborah Ann Woll embodies that incredibly well in "Cut Man." Woll plays Page as the woman desperate to not return to the place that no longer feels safe and she nails it without appearing weak and whiny. Instead, Page realistically deflects and Woll plays it with subtlety instead of just starting the episode crying out "I'm scared!"

The introduction of Claire Temple is handled incredibly well. Temple fills an essential niche in Daredevil as the vigilante will frequently be put in harm's way and need stitching up. Temple is given realistic motivation in "Cut Man" where she wants to do right and she makes a character judgement about Matt Murdock. The way that unfolds over the course of the episode works very well. Instead of being monolithically good or given an unrealistic sense of motivation, Temple's backstory on the sidelines of Daredevil's one man fight on crime is carefully revealed and it works. It works, in no small part, because Rosario Dawson approaches the role with a humorless seriousness. When Murdock drops a fire extinguisher on a mobster, Dawson as Temple cringes in the exact way one hopes a real, compassionate, human being would.

Charlie Cox does fine as Matt Murdock in "Cut Man," though much of his performance is him gritting his teeth an embodying a man in great pain. Skylar Gaertner is actually forced to play Matt Murdock (the young Matt Murdock) more than Cox and he does fine for a child actor.

Where "In The Ring" was hard to find issues with, "Cut Man" is much easier not to like. Thematically, the episode is tight and the performances are good. But, despite the scenes with Foggy and Karen Page, the episode is almost homogeneously unpleasant to watch. And "Cut Man" advocates torture. Sure, we get it: Matt Murdock can tell when people are lying, so he knows when tormenting someone yields real results, but the advocation of torture and the implication that if it is "done properly" it works is ridiculous. "Cut Man" progresses the story and it certainly helps define the characters better, but it is not entertaining and it is not easy.

While the latter can be forgiven, the "ends justify the means" idea for Matt Murdock torturing cannot. Drew Goddard and Phil Abraham should have to go back and watch the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Chain Of Command, Part II" (reviewed here!) before they are given a chance to influence the next generation of television viewers again.

For other works with Rosario Dawson, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Seven Pounds
Clerks II
Rent
25th Hour
Men In Black II

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Daredevil - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season of the Man Without Fear here!
Thanks!]

5.5/10

For other television episode and season reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |

A Strong Start When Daredevil Comes "Into The Ring!"

The Good: Decent direction, Good characters, Wonderful wisecracks, Good acting
The Bad: Minutia, Missed cameo opportunity
The Basics: "Into The Ring" opens Daredevil Season 1 with introducing the essential characters in Matt Murdock's world and setting up the dichotomy between do-good lawyer Matt Murdock and greedy businessman Wilson Fisk.


A few years ago, I had a Daredevil Year, where I made a point of reading all the Daredevil books I could find. I admit to being one of the few people who openly enjoyed the cinematic rendition of Daredevil (reviewed here!) when it was released more than a decade ago. So, with the production of Daredevil for Netflix with the intent that it would be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was psyched. After all, it has been a while since the last Phase 2 movie and Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. holding down the fort has been problematic in a number of ways.

The first episode of Daredevil is "Into The Ring" and the irony of it is that as Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. moves more and more into the fantastical (the current story arc involves the rise of the Inhumans as characters who are trained to, essentially, use mutant powers), Daredevil takes a much more real-world approach. Daredevil is, as Netflix promised in its promotional materials, a police procedural drama and a law thriller as opposed to a classic superhero story. For those unfamiliar with it, Daredevil is the Marvel Universe's character who is most analogous to Batman; they are both crime fighters who work to bring justice to the streets of their cities. "Into The Ring" is an origin story that hits the ground running.

Opening with Jack Murdock advancing upon an accident where he discovers his son, Matt, laying on the street, at the site of an accident. Matt is blinded in the accident by toxic waste. Years later, Matt Murdock sits in a confessional, talking to the priest about his father. Matt asks for forgiveness for what he plans to do next. That night, costumed with a simple black outfit, Matt manages to stop a sex trafficking ring that has captured three women.

The next morning, Foggy Nelson wakes Murdock up so they can look at office space in Hell's Kitchen. After opting to rent the property, the pair gets a call from a desk sergeant that Foggy bribed with their first potential case. The police have arrested Karen Page for the muder of Danny Fisher, a man she had one drink with and woke up with him bloody in her apartment. Though she cannot pay, Matt knows she is innocent because he can hear her heartbeat. After Page is attacked in her cell by a guard who is being extorted, Murdock and Nelson manage to get Page released. Interrogating Page again, they discover she was a secretary for Union Allied - the company who is rebuilding New York City after The Incident. Page accidentally opened the wrong file at Union Allied and that made her a target by the big business that is part of the local crime ring. Matt takes Karen Page home to his apartment to protect her, where he interrogates Karen Page and realizes she is lying about why she was kept alive by her employer.

"Into The Ring" very cleverly works to start Daredevil as a fairly independent work within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Incident is a clever allusion to The Avengers (reviewed here!) and the attack on New York City in that. The oblique reference to the destruction in New York City two years prior clearly ties Daredevil to that universe without making it feel mired in the whole mythology of it. Those waiting for Samuel L. Jackson to pop up and offer Matt Murdock a chance to join the Avengers Initiative at the end of "Into The Ring" will be sorely disappointed. And, smartly, for a series working to establish itself, such a tie-in to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe would not at all fit within this more tightly-focused story.

One of the smart elements to "Into The Ring" is how the episode teases the villain long before he is ever heard. Wesley, the intermediary for the Kingpin, is seen several times before Wilson Fisk is introduced. This makes a great deal of sense as Wesley is used as a buffer between Fisk and the overt criminals in Hell's Kitchen. This is characterization in abstention and it makes for a compelling tease of things to come. Wilson Fisk is careful, well-insulated and powerful enough that Wesley acting in his name is enough to keep the various crime families in check.

As for the protagonist, Matt Murdock is presented without belaboring his super powers. Murdock has the clear ability to move about without his sight, but in "Into The Ring," Daredevil's "radar sense" is not visually rendered the way it was in the film Daredevil. Even Daredevil's iconic outfit sits out the series premiere. Daredevil is a man clad in black, eyes covered, fighting with some pretty kick-ass martial arts and streetfighting moves.

What director Phil Abraham does well is seed the explanations for Murdock's radar sense. Abraham focuses on the surroundings in the key fight scenes, implying strongly how Murdock is using sound to envision his surroundings. As well, Abraham uses sound editing to very clearly illustrate how Matt Murdock can tell when Karen Page is telling him the truth and when she is lying. It's an interesting "show not tell" that is presented in "Into The Ring" and it is refreshing for viewers to be treated like they have some intelligence and savvy.

The characters in "Into The Ring" are instantly likable and engaging. Drew Goddard packed "Into The Ring" with banter at the top of the episode to make it accessible to new viewers. The tone shifts as the episode goes on, though the interplay between Murdock and Foggy Nelson is fun to watch.

Actor Charlie Cox delivers a solid performance as Matt Murdock and Deborah Ann Woll is good at playing Karen Page as shocked and uncertain. The real winners in "Into The Ring" are Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Toby Leonard Moore as Wesley. Henson is articulate and funny in "Into The Ring." Henson characterizes Nelson as smart and pragmatic in the pilot episode, while still having a wit to him that is enjoyable to watch. Henson nails the balance. At the other end of the spectrum is Moore. Moore is saddled with the monolithic role of Wesley and he presents Fisk's lackey with a sense of strength and resolve that comes entirely from his performance. The lines Toby Leonard Moore is given are unextraordinary; but Moore is magnetic on screen and he has a presence that is enough to make one believe he would be the essential asset to the Kingpin that he is.

It's a rare thing for me to see a pilot episode that does so much so well. There are only minutia that stand out as remotely problematic (a beat missed here, etc.). When the only negative thing I found myself saying during the episode came in the teaser - "They should have used Stan Lee as the guy Matt rescued!" - it makes for a pretty wonderful opener.

A stronger-than-most pilot episode, "Into The Ring" sets the players and tone for Daredevil in a way that makes it seem like more than just another superhero show or procedural thriller. And, there is enough seeded in the episode's final minutes to make one want to return to it for the next episode.

For other episodes of super-hero television that made their debut this season, be sure to check out my reviews of:
"Shadows" - Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
"City Of Heroes" - The Flash
"Now Is Not The End" - Agent Carter

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Daredevil - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season of the Man Without Fear here!
Thanks!]

9/10

For other television episode and movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
| | |