Daredevil Season 3 Review
Daredevil is back in just one week and we are so excited! We were able to preview the first six episodes and have summed up some of our non-spoiler thoughts in this review. If you have missed Matt, Foggy, and Karen as much as we do, then strap in because this season is strong and was only just beginning to heat up in the first six episodes.
The Resurrection of Matt Murdock
When Matt Murdock gave his life during the fall of Midland Circle, the Defenders were devastated. Karen and Foggy were especially broken because they had lost their best friend. Matt could have escaped, but decided to stay behind with Elektra because he was still in love with her. If you watched through the very end of the The Defenders, then you know that Matt Murdock was actually pulled from the wreckage and brought to a Catholic Church.
When Daredevil Season 3 picks up, Matt will be in recovery. Don’t worry, Matt is a fast healer and will be back on his feet pretty quickly. Daredevil will return first, as a familiar threat will rise up in Hell’s Kitchen. Part of Matt was buried in Midland Circle, with Elektra, so his recovery takes a bit longer. Yes, Daredevil and Matt Murdock are the same person, but they are both going to deal with the Midland Circle fallout in different ways. Speaking of a familiar threat…
The Revenge of Wilson Fisk
The last time we saw Wilson Fisk, he was fighting Frank Castle in prison — a prison that he was running. When Daredevil Season 3 picks up, Fisk will still be incarcerated, but he will make a choice that will change his status for the season. Without spoiling too much, Fisk will put all the pieces in place to make a comeback.
It’s easy to assume that he has been working on this plan since the day Matt and Foggy put him away. If that’s the case, then it’s safe to assume he has every detail of this plan worked out, including getting revenge on both the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen AND the lawyers that put him away: Nelson and Murdock.
Fisk will also find new allies this season. Nobu is dead, Madame Gao is likely dead, his lawyer from Daredevil Season One, the Russians, even Wesley is dead. So, Fisk will find himself a new friend, new muscle, in the form of Bullseye — Hart of Dixie‘s Wilson Bethel. In Bullseye, Fisk will find a man with as many dark impulses as his own. He will find the perfect weapon to destroy Daredevil.
Karen & Foggy: Friends Caught in the Crosshairs
When Daredevil Season 2 finished, Matt had disclosed his Daredevil identity to Karen. In The Defenders, Karen warned him not to go back to that life, but he did anyway. When Season 3 picks up, Karen will still be holding out hope that Matt is alive. She’ll be paying his bills, she’ll be checking hospitals, she’ll be doing all that she can to keep part of him alive.
In her personal life, the resurgence of Wilson Fisk will trigger many painful memories for her. The first time he tried to have her framed, the first time he tried to have her killed, and the murder that she committed by her own hand of Fisk’s man Wesley. All of this trauma will be uncovered this season, as well as some previously unknown things about her family and backstory.
When Fisk sets his plan in motion, both Karen and Foggy will be thrust back into danger. Foggy especially, since he decides to take Fisk head on. We also get to learn more about Foggy’s family and backstory this season as well.
Time to Hit the Bullseye
Bullseye is a classic Daredevil villain from Marvel Comics. Fans have been awaiting his arrival for many seasons. Wilson Bethel brings a powerful sensitivity to the role. It’s easy to sympathize with his character, especially as you see flashback of his upbringing. Like Fisk, his darkness stems from childhood trauma. This unique form of trauma is what bonds Fisk and Bullseye in the first place.
As Fisk begins to push Bullseye’s buttons, Bullseyes starts to unravel. His decent in chaos makes him a perfect foil for Daredevil. He’s strong, military-trained, and an expert marksman. Whatever demons Matt faced before will pale in comparison to Bullseye.
Overall Thoughts
This season is incredibly strong. There is a hallway fight scene in a prison that makes Season One looks like a day at the park. The emotional weight Matt is carrying from Elektra’s death makes him reckless and the closest to any villain he’s ever fought. Foggy and Karen continue to give the show strong legs as supporting characters and Fisk is back as the composer of his own destiny and Daredevil’s demise.
The fight scenes are crisp, the acting is superb, and the storyline is fresh. This season feels like all of the best elements of Daredevil, with no scene or moment out of place. If you love Matt Murdock and Daredevil as much as we do, you are going to feel the burn this season as Fisk pulls out all the stops. But, we are hopeful that Matt will triumph, no matter what or who Fisk throws at him.
In Daredevil we trust.
Daredevil Season 3 hits Netflix worldwide on October 19th, 2019.