In the season finale, a boxed-in Fisk and a desperate Murdock, Foggy and Karen are forced to play their end games.

The first season of Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil wraps up with Wilson Fisk figuring out who’s behind him being squeezed and confronts the last person he’s able to, learning there’s leverage against him. From there, it’s a race to find the one witness who can actually cause a lot of trouble for Fisk.

There’s a part of the episode that has a very Scorsese feel about it all, as opera plays and individuals are arrested by the police. It’s cool visuals, but again cliched, something the latter half of the series treads a bit too much in to. The entire latter half of the episode falls into the trap, with (SPOILERS At THIS POINT) a break-out, and a fight in an alley that seems almost too Batman. He does a Bale as Batman voice! There’s even a point where the cop asks what they should call Daredevil. For a series whose first half was so solid, the second half slipped in quality, a lot.

Still, the series is a refreshing take on the character, and a great start to Marvel and Netflix’s partnership. The series is beyond enjoyable and much better than many of the movies that have been released. Here’s hoping we get a season two, and many more characters coming to the small screen we might not have gotten a chance to see otherwise.

Overall rating: 7.75

Fisk seeks revenge while Karen is haunted by recent events. Daredevil makes a startling discovery about Fisk’s financing.

Daredevil makes his move in the second last episode of the first season of Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil, tracking down the drug trade, and cracking down on it. It’s all pretty standard stuff that might fit in any police drama.

What’s really special is the end of the episode where it’s revealed who’s moving in on Fisk. It’s a twist that seemed a bit predictable, especially for those who’ve read comics, and know a bit more about some of the characters involved.

What’s interesting is some tidbits dropped about Madame Gao who leaves the city to go to a place “considerably further than China.” The hints are there for comic fans, that she’s tied into the mystical realms that involve Iron Fist. We know is series will be coming, so it’s some cool foreshadowing there. That, plus the whole Black Sky thing from earlier in the season, possibly give us some hints as to what the all four Netflix Marvel series might be about and why they come together as the Defenders.

The episode wraps up with the question still out there as far as the future of Nelson and Murdock and Matt realizing he needs help and can’t go it alone. Don’t worry, he’s about to have some super friends joining him. There’s also the future of Ben Urich, now jobless he decides to strike out on his own.

The episode ends with a rather shocking moment. One that actually left a bad taste in my mouth, not only killing of a character with a lot of potential, but also killing off one of the few minority characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The story could have played out much differently. Just not a good ending to the second to last episode.

Overall rating: 7.75

Fisk and Murdock wrestle with the consequences of their chosen paths, while Ben and Karen get closer to Fisk’s true past.

This is the build up to the final couple episodes of the season for Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil. It feels like that moment in the movies where the heroes beaten up regroup and psyche themselves up to go back and defeat the bad-guy. But in this case, that’s drawn out over an hour and much slower. There’s even that moment of self doubt where the hero reflects on what their friend said and questions if they’re doing the right thing. It’s cliche, but at least it’s out of the way. There’s also a similar moment between Karen and Foggy as well.

The cool moment is finally starting to see the evolution of the red uniform Matt will eventually wear as Daredevil. It’s kind of a neat moment, but there’s a statement by Matt that’s almost too Batman like. It made me wince, but it at least included a nice fight scene.

There’s also more Karen in danger. It’s now a recurring thing in the series, which is a bit blah. They definitely needed to do something with the storyline of her searching for info on Fisk, but this didn’t seem to be the way to do it. It’s very villain rants and explains their plan. And it ends up as you’d expect, though Karen makes a statement that she has quite the past.

The episode is just ok, and to me the worst up to this point.

Overall rating: 8

Murdock and Foggy’s relationship is put to the ultimate test while a new enemy against Fisk emerges.

Daredevil’s tenth episode is the flashback episode as Foggy learns the truth about Matt. The episode does a lot to show their time in college, and judging by the haircut, I think we know why he’s called Foggy.

The episode is a decent one as it opens up Matt’s ability and get us to learn more about it. It also shows the relationship between the two and why they’re still together. There’s also a reference to a Greek girl Matt dated…. Elektra!!!! So maybe we’ll see her down the road? The episode also has some cool references to Roxxon, an evil corporation that keeps popping up in Marvel movies, and is well known from the comics.

The episode also focuses on Ben Urich and his wife. We see more of what’s going on there, and his how it affects his work life. It adds depth to a character who’d normally not get a lot of screen time.

But, Daredevil’s origin and motivation aren’t the only thing revealed. The episode also sends Karen and Ben on a trip to a facility where they meet a rather interesting individual.

The episode is an interesting one in that it fits a lot in much earlier than I’d have expected. Matt’s unmasked to Foggy with some big ramifications, someone makes a move against Fisk. It’s all things that feel very season two. But there’s a few more episodes to go still, and we’ll see what else the first season has in store.

Overall rating: 8

When Fisk gains the upper hand, the goal to destroy him becomes even more difficult, while Daredevil faces his own demons.

The episode kicks off with a fight that should excite Marvel comic fans. Yes, that’s Daredevil fighting a ninja in red! The Hand has entered the scene! Woo-hoo! At least, I assume it’s the Hand…..

But the episode continues the chess match that’s occurring now between Fisk and Daredevil, as Fisk has finally come out of the shadows, and is making a rather legit looking move. But, he is the Kingpin, which means there are things going on behind the scenes.

What goes on is front and center, and it greatly impacts Foggy and Karen as both are emotionally drained by events. It also sends Matt off on a quest, putting him into combat with Nobu. As we learn, it’s all the Kingpin ahead of Murdock and his team, playing them exactly as he wants.

The episode is a cool one in how it’s set up timeline wise. The gamesmanship has also been amped up a lot, especially with Fisk now being front and center. It’s like the pieces of a puzzle coming together episode by episode. While it’s not the best episode, it continues a solid series.

Overall rating: 8

While Murdock, Foggy, and Karen’s mission becomes clearer, Fisk’s world spins further out of control in his battle for Hell’s Kitchen.

Even villains have origins and this episode takes us through some of the things that made Wilson Fisk the man he is. The episode is interestingly broken into segments each beginning with Fisk waking up to stare at the painting he purchased earlier in the season.

The episode shows an even more complicated man, focusing on his relationship with his father and mother and some key events that put him on the path he’s on today. I don’t remember Fisk’s origin in the comics, so I honestly can’t say how similar it is to that, but the scenes are brutal and tragic. They’re actually pretty beyond brutal, they’re rather graphic, again emphasizing this isn’t a Marvel live offering for kids.

In the present, we learn even more about Fisk, including a lot of what he’s been holding back. Again, D’Onofrio’s performance is absolutely amazing, easily the standout of the series. Fisk is probably the most complicated person in the series. All of this is explored at the same time things are getting tougher for him, and forces conspire against him. There’s lots of symbolism towards the end, showing off the small visual queues that make the series stand out.

The show might be titled Daredevil, but it’s as much about Wilson Fisk as it is Matt Murdock. And this episode that gives us a villain who’s more complicated and more interesting than the hero the series is named after.

Overall rating: 9

An important figure from Murdock’s past reemerges seeking his help to battle a new enemy threatening Hell’s Kitchen.

Think Daredevil lost his site and then suddenly could fight and kick ass? Even with his father being a boxer, there was only so much he could learn. Enter Stick played by Scott Glenn.

The episode is mostly broken up into two parts. The present we see Stick needing Matt’s help as Daredevil in fighting someone from Japan who’s worse than the Yakuza…. could The Hand be making an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Where all of that leads is interesting, and creates a rather big mystery as to what the mysterious bad-guy Nobu is up to.

In the past, we also see the training that Stick put Matt through as a young child. We see through various scenes how Matt got good enough to become Daredevil. It’s not over the top ridiculous and somewhat grounded in a weird way, but it answers a big question that’s been out there, how did Daredevil get trained to do the things he can do. Stick was training Matt for a war, but we don’t really know what it was for.

In other fronts Karen and Foggy have a moment that’ll change things a bit. It’s a nice ongoing storyline that keeps an overarching plot going, but not in a distracting way, only enhancing things. It also acts as a way for us the viewer to keep track of things.

Another good episode that might raise more questions than it answers, and gets me even more excited for episodes to come.

Overall rating: 8

Daredevil finds himself trapped in the fallout of Fisk’s plan to take control of Hell’s Kitchen. Ben Ulrich digs closer to the truth.

Another fascinating episode as far as Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil. The sixth episode mostly takes place in one room as Hell’s Kitchen burns. The events within show the different levels that Wilson Fisk and Daredevil play at. For most of the episode it’s Daredevil and one of the Russians with a crumbling room as Daredevil attempts to gain more information as to what’s going on. There’s some gamesmanship again that we’ve seen in the comics, but to see it played out in the television show is very cool. Also, to see how far Fisk will go, and how deep the corruption is as far as his influence is very nice as well. You really have no idea who to trust through it all.

While the city is literally burning Foggy and Karen have their experiences having been caught in the blast. To see their reactions and what’s going on in the hospital is a nice reminder of a world beyond the masks. They also serve to remind us that though he dons a mask, Murdock is still a blind man.

The end of the episode is particularly interesting, especially since it toes the line of doing good and evil as debated about in an earlier episode. The foreshadowing of the line Matt/Daredevil will have to walk plays out well here.

Another solid episode that transitions us nicely into the latter half of the first season.

Overall rating: 8.5

Fisk moves forward with plans that threaten to rip Hell’s Kitchen apart. Murdock and Foggy take on a case helping tenants victimized by a slumlord.

The fifth episode of Netflix and Marvel‘s Daredevil is an interesting one. The pieces on the chess board are moved around as Wilson Fisk’s plan comes more to light and forces began to move against him. Sadly Fisk’s plan reminds me a bit too much out of the first season of Arrow. In fact Fisk’s plan and logic is all too similar to Malcom Merlyn. That’s a bad thing, but as long as episodes don’t drag on and on about the plan, things won’t be that bad. And it doesn’t involve an earthquake, so there’s that too.

The episode again really builds on the characters themselves. Foggy and Karen band together to help the tenants of an apartment building where we learn more about the two, their past and what they bring to the series. It’s a solid reprieve for what can easily just devolve into a series about a vigilante and that’s it.

Wilson out of everyone is the most interesting character. He’s a cold calculating character and D’Onofrio’s performance is all that with some vulnerability too. It’s a scary good performance.

The episode ends with a bang, as things really ramp up in what’s so far a fantastic first season. And the cliffhanger the episode ends on is expected, but still exciting nonetheless.

Overall rating: 8.25

Two vicious Russian brothers working for Fisk strike back against Daredevil. Fisk moves to further consolidate his power in the criminal underworld.

Marvel‘s and Netflix‘s Daredevil in its fourth episode again mixes things up a bit, this time focusing on the villains for the first season. The episode gives much more depth as to the characters we’ve only been briefly introduced to. We don’t really get their overall plan, but instead it’s their personalities that we get to see on display.

The episode really centers around Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson Fisk, the big bad behind it all. Up to this point we’ve only seen him briefly in the previous episode, and haven’t gotten much as far as his personality. D’Onofrio brings his amazing acting abilities to the role. It’s not just what he says, or how he says it, but like many of the characters he’s played in the past, there’s subtle gestures, tics and moves that really bring him to life.

What’s also great is through all of those gestures, D’Onofrio also gives us a villain who’s a bit deeper than we’ve seen before in Marvel’s live action releases. There’s a sense of being wounded that comes from him an almost feeling of loss. Throughout the episode, even though he may be this powerful underworld Kingpin, he’s also a bit awkward and shy when pursuing a woman he’s interested in. How he acts just creates greater depth to the character. One wonders if these small gestures were written in for the character, or this is something D’Onofrio brought to the role.

The acting in this episode was amazing, showing how solid the live action Marvel offerings can be. We’ve finally got a villain we can feel for, as much as we fear.

Overall rating: 9.25