Daredevil (Season 3) - Review: While inferior to the previous two seasons, season 3 introduces interesting new elements while retaining everything you love about the show
Release date (US): October 16th, 2018
Starring: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Eldon Henson, Joanne Whalley, Jay Ali, Wilson Bethel, Stephen Rider, Vincent D'Onofrio
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any affect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any affect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
The Review
With the cancellation of Daredevil from Netflix, this is it. This is the last time we will see these characters again, at least as far as we know. It's doubtful that we'll ever see Charlie Cox as the Man Without Fear. And perhaps that was an influencing factor. Perhaps this was partly the reasoning that I cherished each episode. Because I knew that there would be no more time spent with these characters that I have grown attached to.
And I can personally say, that as a compliment not just to this season, but rather to the previous two seasons, that I care so much about these characters. Regardless of whether or not I like some of the performances, I genuinely care what happens to them. And that really pays off in Season 3. When some of these characters were in danger, I was genuinely muttering under my breath, "No, come on, come on," and when some characters were finally getting what they deserved, I found myself actively cheering. Not many films, not many shows, and not many forms of storytelling can do that. But this show somehow managed to reach to me in a place that I didn't think was possible when I first started this endeavor.
Season 3 picks up right where the Defenders leaves off. In fact, it even shows some of the ending scenes to that season. And without giving anything away, I can tell you that Matthew Murdock is in a very, very bad place when he begins the film. There will be no major spoilers for The Defenders, a show that I have reviewed and highly recommend you check out. But after what happened in that show, Matt Murdock is essentially dead. Because the person living inside the body, played by Charlie Cox, doesn't know if he wants to be Matt Murdock anymore. He just wants to take up the mantle of Daredevil. And because of that, we see significantly less of Matt being Matt, attorney by day, as we do Matt, moping vigilante who is depressed at church.
This, right off the bat, is something to get used to. And it took me awhile. I can't honestly say that I ever did. Personally, I felt that seeing Matt be an attorney, be someone who helped other people using the law was something that added that extra layer that his character needed to be meaningful and to be human. And while I can understand why Matt Murdock may have needed to narratively, it still feels unsatisfying at times. The previous three seasons have built up this case for Matt Murdock to be an attorney, someone who helps people using the law. And to the show's credit, no spoilers, but there is a little bit of that again. So I can understand the motivation behind wanting to build up to a grand return to form in episodes 12 and 13. The only problem with that was it was too little, too late. After 11 hours of television, I wasn't as invested as I had been after season 2 was over.
And because of what happened in The Defenders, Matt Murdock spends a majority of the time out of costume being, quite frankly, a jerk. He alienates his friends, what's left of his family, and tears apart his relationships. To me, this angle would have worked much better if this hadn't happened before. We've seen Matt put his friends in harm's way. Now's not the time to be a jerk about it. What frustrates me about the season is that I can completely understand Matt's motivations, and I know where he's coming from. It's just that none of it really ever clicked for me until the very end.
The side characters, the recurring ones at least, were not nearly as strong as they used to be. Foggy Nelson, played by Eldon Henson, is very one note. He is given some to do, but not as much as season 2. And for what he's given, he plays it safe. A lot of time is devoted to Karen Page. My liking for the character has gone down with each subsequent season that she's in, and I think it has little to do with the character and more to do with the actress. Ann Woll plays the character the same way, a very panicked, frustrated, but strained kind of attitude that doesn't quite mesh well. There's an entire episode devoted to her backstory, and for the first time in 3 seasons, including The Defenders, I found myself watching going, "This is completely filler".
That's the main problem with this season. There isn't a lot of focus and it meanders a lot more than the other couple of seasons. Granted, season two could have been split in two and focused on the Punisher and Elektra. But they were focused in their own respects. This season, when it was locked into gear, was REALLY locked into gear. It was just those moments that it wasn't that bothered me, and that's when the show dragged. There is a lot of backstory revealed about each of the big three, Matt, Karen, and Foggy, and those were the moments that I felt the show wasn't its best.
But moving back to more positive things, the action, once again is spectacular. There are more hand to hand fights and they are more in the vein of the first season. Matt is really on his own in this one, reverting back to his old costume, and what ensues are some epic fight scenes, through offices, through hallways again, and more stairwells. The dialogue as well is, once again, sharp and witty. The dialogue for this shows has always been something I've taken for granted, but it is as good as it has ever been.
Like I mentioned earlier, when the show really picks up is when it's focused on its main storyline. And in this season, it's back to Wilson Fisk. What I loved the most about this season was how streamlined the plot felt. Wilson Fisk's plan and motivations are completely laid out to you; they're not easy either, it's not like they're handed to you on a silver platter. But you're able to follow them and you know them before the other characters do, and because of that you can see his plan spring into action as all the main characters do.
I think season 3 really nailed the villains. Yes, I still am not on board with Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of Kingpin. It still feels awkward and stilted, which I know is the point, but it's never connected with me. But his character this time around is much more fleshed out and come episode 13, he's truly a sight to behold, not just because of his brutal physicality, but also because of how much you understand him.
We also get the introduction of classic Daredevil villain Bullseye, though thankfully never referred to as such. They nailed, no pun intended, his character. Ben Poindexter is a truly broken man, which is what makes him so interesting. And on top fo that, they nailed his action, too. It's terrifying to be in a fight at long distance with him because he can throw anything at you and he will NOT miss. And I mean that. Everything he threw did not miss its target, and it was terrifying to see, especially when he was using things like shards of glass.
There are other new characters that are introduced that we follow throughout the series, and I think that a lot of them were fantastic. There's one in particular by the name of Ray Nadeem that we follow all season. I think that his character arc was one of the most compelling through the three seasons, and given how much the show focuses on him, they develop his character a great deal.
In Conclusion: There's a lot to like in Daredevil season 3. Charlie Cox once again kills it as Daredevil and Matt Murdock. He brings a different kind of brutality to the role that we haven't seen yet. The action, dialogue, and especially the plot are fast, brutal, and engaging. The new villains, as well as the old mesh perfectly together. There is, however, a lot more filler in this season than in seasons past. There is a lot of screen time devoted to subplots that I didn't believe deserved that much time. That being said, this season is still top notch, albeit a tier below the first two, and I truly am sad to think that I'll never see these incarnations of these characters ever again.
And I can personally say, that as a compliment not just to this season, but rather to the previous two seasons, that I care so much about these characters. Regardless of whether or not I like some of the performances, I genuinely care what happens to them. And that really pays off in Season 3. When some of these characters were in danger, I was genuinely muttering under my breath, "No, come on, come on," and when some characters were finally getting what they deserved, I found myself actively cheering. Not many films, not many shows, and not many forms of storytelling can do that. But this show somehow managed to reach to me in a place that I didn't think was possible when I first started this endeavor.
Season 3 picks up right where the Defenders leaves off. In fact, it even shows some of the ending scenes to that season. And without giving anything away, I can tell you that Matthew Murdock is in a very, very bad place when he begins the film. There will be no major spoilers for The Defenders, a show that I have reviewed and highly recommend you check out. But after what happened in that show, Matt Murdock is essentially dead. Because the person living inside the body, played by Charlie Cox, doesn't know if he wants to be Matt Murdock anymore. He just wants to take up the mantle of Daredevil. And because of that, we see significantly less of Matt being Matt, attorney by day, as we do Matt, moping vigilante who is depressed at church.
This, right off the bat, is something to get used to. And it took me awhile. I can't honestly say that I ever did. Personally, I felt that seeing Matt be an attorney, be someone who helped other people using the law was something that added that extra layer that his character needed to be meaningful and to be human. And while I can understand why Matt Murdock may have needed to narratively, it still feels unsatisfying at times. The previous three seasons have built up this case for Matt Murdock to be an attorney, someone who helps people using the law. And to the show's credit, no spoilers, but there is a little bit of that again. So I can understand the motivation behind wanting to build up to a grand return to form in episodes 12 and 13. The only problem with that was it was too little, too late. After 11 hours of television, I wasn't as invested as I had been after season 2 was over.
And because of what happened in The Defenders, Matt Murdock spends a majority of the time out of costume being, quite frankly, a jerk. He alienates his friends, what's left of his family, and tears apart his relationships. To me, this angle would have worked much better if this hadn't happened before. We've seen Matt put his friends in harm's way. Now's not the time to be a jerk about it. What frustrates me about the season is that I can completely understand Matt's motivations, and I know where he's coming from. It's just that none of it really ever clicked for me until the very end.
The side characters, the recurring ones at least, were not nearly as strong as they used to be. Foggy Nelson, played by Eldon Henson, is very one note. He is given some to do, but not as much as season 2. And for what he's given, he plays it safe. A lot of time is devoted to Karen Page. My liking for the character has gone down with each subsequent season that she's in, and I think it has little to do with the character and more to do with the actress. Ann Woll plays the character the same way, a very panicked, frustrated, but strained kind of attitude that doesn't quite mesh well. There's an entire episode devoted to her backstory, and for the first time in 3 seasons, including The Defenders, I found myself watching going, "This is completely filler".
That's the main problem with this season. There isn't a lot of focus and it meanders a lot more than the other couple of seasons. Granted, season two could have been split in two and focused on the Punisher and Elektra. But they were focused in their own respects. This season, when it was locked into gear, was REALLY locked into gear. It was just those moments that it wasn't that bothered me, and that's when the show dragged. There is a lot of backstory revealed about each of the big three, Matt, Karen, and Foggy, and those were the moments that I felt the show wasn't its best.
But moving back to more positive things, the action, once again is spectacular. There are more hand to hand fights and they are more in the vein of the first season. Matt is really on his own in this one, reverting back to his old costume, and what ensues are some epic fight scenes, through offices, through hallways again, and more stairwells. The dialogue as well is, once again, sharp and witty. The dialogue for this shows has always been something I've taken for granted, but it is as good as it has ever been.
Like I mentioned earlier, when the show really picks up is when it's focused on its main storyline. And in this season, it's back to Wilson Fisk. What I loved the most about this season was how streamlined the plot felt. Wilson Fisk's plan and motivations are completely laid out to you; they're not easy either, it's not like they're handed to you on a silver platter. But you're able to follow them and you know them before the other characters do, and because of that you can see his plan spring into action as all the main characters do.
I think season 3 really nailed the villains. Yes, I still am not on board with Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal of Kingpin. It still feels awkward and stilted, which I know is the point, but it's never connected with me. But his character this time around is much more fleshed out and come episode 13, he's truly a sight to behold, not just because of his brutal physicality, but also because of how much you understand him.
We also get the introduction of classic Daredevil villain Bullseye, though thankfully never referred to as such. They nailed, no pun intended, his character. Ben Poindexter is a truly broken man, which is what makes him so interesting. And on top fo that, they nailed his action, too. It's terrifying to be in a fight at long distance with him because he can throw anything at you and he will NOT miss. And I mean that. Everything he threw did not miss its target, and it was terrifying to see, especially when he was using things like shards of glass.
There are other new characters that are introduced that we follow throughout the series, and I think that a lot of them were fantastic. There's one in particular by the name of Ray Nadeem that we follow all season. I think that his character arc was one of the most compelling through the three seasons, and given how much the show focuses on him, they develop his character a great deal.
In Conclusion: There's a lot to like in Daredevil season 3. Charlie Cox once again kills it as Daredevil and Matt Murdock. He brings a different kind of brutality to the role that we haven't seen yet. The action, dialogue, and especially the plot are fast, brutal, and engaging. The new villains, as well as the old mesh perfectly together. There is, however, a lot more filler in this season than in seasons past. There is a lot of screen time devoted to subplots that I didn't believe deserved that much time. That being said, this season is still top notch, albeit a tier below the first two, and I truly am sad to think that I'll never see these incarnations of these characters ever again.
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