Matt Murdock gives up the mask. Wilson Fisk has his sights set to new heights. Matt Murdock gets a new client who's more than he claims to be. Fisk learns the power of optics.
This premiere likely plays well to people who have a fondness for Netflix's Daredevil but haven't exactly re-watched the three seasons in awhile. It details the broad outlines of what made that show such a fan favorite. However, it also aspires to reinvent how these characters function in the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. New viewers probably aren't thrown too much. The narrative doesn't set out to be an origin story of how Matt Murdock became Daredevil. Those explanations are readily available for anyone who needs it. Returning viewers are likely distressed by the concept of bringing some elements back only to quickly take them away. Matt, Karen and Foggy are best friends running a law firm out of Hell's Kitchen. Their dynamic is immediately understood as they talk about nostalgia and prepare for the future. Those plans don't come to fruition. Foggy is targeted and killed by returning villain Bullseye. That's the inciting incident of this return. Matt's best friend is murdered. The action then picks up a year later. That loss ended the friendship Matt and Karen had as well. She moved to San Francisco. He now strives to protect New York City instead of just Hell's Kitchen. He does so solely as a lawyer. He no longer operates as a vigilante. The moment he threw Bullseye off the roof, he knew that part of his life was over. The villain survived the fall. He was punished for what he did. The story goes through the motions of these beats to serve as an explanation for why Matt's life looks so different now. That's meaningful. It's shocking too. It assures the audience that the narrative has the confidence to make bold choices. But it also eagerly rushes to be about the always reliable conflict between Matt and Wilson Fisk.
Matt even mentions his past run-ins with Fisk. However, it all comes with a lack of seriousness over the crimes committed by Kingpin. Fisk was previously imprisoned. Now, the most crucial details of his backstory are that he was shot and now claims to be reformed as a result of his complicated relationship with Maya Lopez. He strived to be a surrogate father to her. Now, he looks elsewhere for that satisfaction. He believes the best way he can reform the city is by becoming its mayor. The entirety of the campaign occurs here. It's all framed as him being a controversial figure. He's appealing because the public believes he isn't afraid of anyone. They also treat him killing people as nothing more than rumors. The show provides a view from the street through BB Urich's reports. The narrative certainly has its finger on the pulse of politics and fear over crime. The stakes are widened for Matt and Fisk as they both have seemingly moved up in the world. They have new responsibilities now. That provides new storytelling opportunities. That isn't an inherently bad thing. The storytellers should have the freedom to pursue what intrigues them about the duality of light and dark between these two. It's a constant battle. One where the viewer could imagine Kirsten setting up her new partner with Heather for therapy. Matt could use it. He doesn't want to believe everything had to change because of Foggy's death. It did nevertheless. Part of his heart was broken. He has found a way to move forward. He hasn't exactly mourned or made peace with his identity. That creates the central conflict. Matt and Fisk lay out their threats during their sit down at a diner. The city is changing. This dynamic remains the same. They profess that they have changed. It's hard to believe as much. The intrigue comes from seeing them put their words into actions. That will be tested over the course of the season. Hopefully in a way that doesn't grow complicated over the immense baggage viewers already bring to these characters.
Cherry points out that he likes the man Matt has become over the last year. He suggests the former vigilante has done much more good as a lawyer defending the innocent. And yet, Matt can't escape his darker urges. He must take action. He's not doing so as Daredevil. That internal conflict still remains. He isn't kept away from violence. That's a distinction. Matt feels compelled to intervene when he hears police bullying someone into signing a confession. He knows Hector Ayala is innocent of killing a cop. Now, he just has to prove it. That's what matters. His instincts don't serve anyone if he can't make others believe it too. He hired Cherry because he was the best. He retired because he was jaded of what the NYPD had become in the era of vigilante justice. Now, he works for one. Matt isn't actively pursuing that activity at night. The city has come to forget about the protection Daredevil once provided. Instead, they seek that from Mayor Fisk. He proclaims himself to be the best person to reform this city. Not everyone is fooled. Moreover, he still intimidates and threatens to get what he wants. He thrives in public adoration. He needs it. That makes him a natural in politics. He doesn't seek to abide by the status quo. He was elected to shake things up. He does so by taking advantage of a convenient situation. He gets a massive pothole fixed. He's praised for doing so. He positions himself as the champion of the working man actually making a difference. He enjoys that praise. It doesn't fix his strained marriage. People notice that as well. Being in the public eye provokes a lot of scrutiny. Matt enjoyed operating in the shadows. He still uses his heightened senses to defend his client.
Matt's case grows more complicated immediately upon the discovery Hector is the masked vigilante White Tiger. His power comes from a magical amulet. That's just common in this universe now. It allows people to step into power and be heroic when they otherwise wouldn't. Hector wasn't acting in that capacity though. He saw someone in danger and stepped in to make a difference. A corrupt officer was accidentally killed. And now, his death is being politicized to drive a message. Matt works quickly to suppress any mention of Hector's vigilante activities. He wins that argument. He still races against the clock to save Nicky Torres from reaching the same lethal fate. That's the same victory. The narrative is obviously setting up a story questioning the role of vigilantism in this world. They become heroes in opposition to corrupt systems. The police can't be trusted. People who know better doubt Fisk has changed at all. Matt and Fisk work in these new roles. They adjust to them. The audience must do so as well. It's still tense when Heather becomes Fisk and Vanessa's couples therapist. That's a personal connection to Matt that could be exploited at any moment. Matt and Fisk definitely keep each other in their sights all the time. Even when Matt is hounded by reporters, they ask if he is trying to send a message to the newly inaugurated Mayor. That doesn't drive Matt's thinking at the moment. It's never too far removed either. This is the basic foundation of the series. It may not result in wall-to-wall action or intense intrigue all the time. It's carefully building to something dramatic. That takes time and precision. Right now, the show is establishing itself as something beyond what previously was. That is more genuinely achieved here than in the premiere. Hopefully, the show continues that upward trajectory.
