Daredevil - S1E11 - The Path of the Righteous
Previously on Daredevil, ‘Nelson v. Murdock’
“You’re the man this city created. For better or worse.”
Daredevil‘s pilot season is winding down towards its season finale and you can definitely feel that with the ground we cover in this episode. Matt spends a chunk of the episode in recovery, both physically and emotionally.
“I’ll always be there to patch you up,” Claire tells him. “But beyond that…” And with her sentence left hanging he knows she’s made it clear their relationship will no longer explore other avenues.
Matt spends a significant portion of his airtime attempting to get back on his feet and figure out what path to take moving forward. When meditation and drinking a beer don’t provide him with the answers he seeks, he visits Father Lanthom once again for advice. Matt confesses that a part of him enjoys inflicting violence upon other people and he truly wonders if his crusade to clean up the streets of Hell’s Kitchen is just an excuse to beat people senseless and give in to this darkness that exists within him. Although Lanthom’s rhetoric is pretty heavy-handed with the religious imagery (as one would expect from a Catholic priest), it’s the words Matt needs to hear in order to fully embrace his mission with a renewed sense of purpose.
“You don’t get to be the man on the top without making enemies looking to tear you down to the ground.”
Back at Fisk’s camp, Wilson and his colleagues recover from the tragic events of the previous episode. “I want to look in their eyes while I salt the Earth with their blood,” he vows while expressing genuine grief over almost having lost Vanessa. He feels guilt over her brush with death. Being closely associated with him has essentially placed a giant bullseye over her head.
Both of Wilson’s companions get some spotlight in this episode. Leland, ever the scoundrel, is less concerned about Vanessa’s well-being and out to save his own skin. He voices worry over his own health when it’s painfully obvious that he’s in no clear and present danger. When Gao’s whereabouts and knowledge about the incident is the subject of conversation, Leland replies very validly, “She said she was deeply saddened and quoted a fortune cookie or some mystical shit.”
Toby Leonard Moore, who plays Wesley, is given the opportunity to behave outside his character mold as The Kingpin’s stoic aide-de-camp. He actually offers Fisk some comfort instead of chastising him for developing feelings for Vanessa Marianna the way Madame Gao and Leland have in the previous episode.
About Karen
Karen Paige and Ben Urich ruminate over a course of action after the revelation they uncovered regarding Fisk’s past. Ben is right when he points out that they can’t use the testimony of a senile old woman against Fisk. Ben resolves to explore a different avenue by following leads on the incident that occurred at Fisk’s fundraising gala. Karen gets into trouble with Wesley, who was tipped off about her visit to the nursing home.
The show certainly took a surprising turn when they led the viewers to believe Karen was going to be another poor unfortunate woman in dire need of saving. We see Wesley threatening Karen, vowing to kill everyone close to her, absolutely relishing how she’s completely at his mercy. Boy, was I surprised when, pushed to extreme lengths and fearing for her life, she pulls a gun on Wesley and shoots him dead. Bravo, Karen.
Side Notes
- “Hey, at least I got to see you with your shirt off again.” Thank you for voicing the thoughts of the female and gay viewers, Claire!
- I’m glad that Ben called Karen out for the duplicitous method in which she introduced him to Wilson’s mother at the nursing home.
- It’s pretty obvious that Melvin Potter is going to build the Daredevil suit for Matt. I’m wondering if he’s going to later become his Comic Book alter ego “Gladiator” in the future.
