I realize that, in regards to the Netflix series, there are probably three groups of people out there right now: 1) people that binge-watched it faster than I did, 2) people who aren't interested at all and 3) those who aren't quite sure whether they should check it out or not. Well, already having done the heavy lifting of finishing Season One in a seven-day period, I figured I'd blog about it and give the fence sitters a pretty good idea of what to do next. I'll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.
Here goes...
Here are a few reasons why you should watch "Daredevil":
- Jump right in!: If I learned anything during my time as an employee of Salt Lake Comic Con, it was that I know next-to-nothing about comicbooks. Thankfully, with "Daredevil," no real knowledge of the character or his backstory are prerequisite. Season One does a nice job of bringing viewers up-to-speed with the main characters, including a lot of the "origin stories" of its two main characters, Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). If you're not a smart pants know-it-all, that's pretty much fine. You don't need to be.
- The more, the better!: Marvel is basically brilliant. Obviously. But the smartest thing they could have possibly ever done was to tie all of their movies and TV shows into the same cinematic universe, thus, making it practically essential to watch EVERYTHING if you want to know what's going on. For instance, I didn't make it past the pilot episode of ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Whether that's because I didn't buy in immediately or because I had way too many other shows preoccupying me is debatable, but, nevertheless, I still, to this day, have not seen Episode Two. However, I hear that the big H.Y.D.R.A. twist in Captain America: The Winter Soldier completely shook up "Agents." The way the movie influenced the TV show (from what I have heard) makes me want to go back and watch it. Similarly, "Daredevil" takes place in the same Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as is evident from a few comments about the attack on New York (from The Avengers), and there were a couple references to Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, which I loved. It would be awesome if Daredevil showed up in Captain America: Civil War or The Infinity War. Will Daredevil make the crossover to the big screen? I'm not sure - but if he did, that would be totally rad.
- Fantastic casting: I have no idea who Charlie Cox is. He's been in a bunch of stuff I have never heard of, nor seen. But he does a great job as Matt Murdock. While I actually prefer him in costume as Daredevil, he's a solid pick for the show's lead. His on-screen buddy, Foggy Nelson is played by Elden Henson, another virtual unknown who I only recognized because he's the Avox cameraman in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I, which I just watched the other day. ... Waid, what?? He's FULTON REED FROM THE MIGHTY DUCKS?!? Oh man! Why did I not realize this?? That's hilarious! Anyway, he's decent. Not my favorite character on the show, but man... One of the Bash Brothers! That's incredible. Arguably the best-cast character on the show is the villainous Wilson Fisk (better known as Kingpin). Vincent D'Onofrio (of Men in Black fame) is spot on as one of Marvel's most notorious criminals. From his physical appearance to his fighting style, D'Onofrio is superb, in my opinion - a perfect choice for a role that it feels like he was born to play. They do such a good job with him that you even start feeling bad for the son of a gun a couple times. Ugh. Sickening.
- A quick fix: Merely 13 episodes long, Season One is a quick watch. If you're looking for something to pass the time with, "Daredevil" doesn't require an obscene time commitment and you should easily be able to blow through it in a week or two, depending on how much free time you have.
- It picks up steam: It took a little while for me to catch on, but when "Daredevil" gets rolling, around Episode Six or Seven, it's hard to turn it off. The law office stuff is a bit of a drag, in some cases, but as Murdock begins to truly embrace his vigilante habits of tracking down corrupt cops and whatnot, it gets fun to watch. Additionally, I loved the insight that the series gave to both Murdock and Fisk's childhoods - particularly Fisk's - which helps viewers build strong emotional connections (positively and negatively) to the characters. The final two or three episodes in the season are particularly good as Daredevil begins gaining allies in the fight against Fisk and his henchmen. Season Two should pick up right where this one leaves off - and if the season finale is any indication, it will be fascinating to see where Marvel and Netflix take the story from here.
On the other hand...
Remember how much fun you had watching Guardians of the Galaxy, busting a gut to the witty jokes and humming along with the fun soundtrack? Yeah. Forget all of that. This is not your mama's Marvel.
Here are a few reasons why "Daredevil" is definitely not a show for everyone:
- Suspend that disbelief: Firstly, I know it's just a show based on a comicbook. But seriously... That dude gets around really well for a blind guy. It's not a major problem, but there were quite a few times when I sat there and thought, "There's no way a blind dude could do that." Suspension of disbelief. I know. And I have no doubt that Murdock's other senses are greatly enhanced, due to the fact that he can't use his eyes. I don't know. It's just crazy. But what would I know about any of this, anyway?
- A bar of soap: That's what a lot of these characters need - and that's not a commentary on their personal hygiene. No, no. That's because they use some pretty dirty language throughout Season One. Suffice it to say that they love using the anatomical terminology. In fact, they utter the "d-word" so often that it's almost shocking to think that people in the real world actually speak that way. It's immature and really adds nothing to the show, as far as content is concerned. More intelligent writing could easily have avoided the frequent repetition of such words. The amount of profanity was silly, in my opinion.
- A bloody shame: The most important warning I can give Marvel fans (ESPECIALLY young ones) is that Netflix's "Daredevil" is incredibly violent. Unlike The Avengers and most of the other movies in the MCU, which are generally pretty blood-less, "Daredevil" absolutely earns its "TV-MA" rating. Essentially, every episode features gunplay, violence, kidnappings and gruesome murders of some kind. It's a very dark and bloody premise and the show doesn't hold back at all. I'm no stranger to shootouts and assassinations and the like - I've obviously seen my fair share of action movies - but there were several scenes in Season One where I had to look away from the screen, and even a time or two where the violence made me feel a little sick inside. So... just be warned, I guess, that this show is definitely not for the faint of heart. It's not one that I'd recommend watching with your family and certainly not with kids. I'm unsure whether the show would earn an R rating at the box office, but it's definitely a very strong PG-13... and you'll never look at a car door the same way again. Am I right, people? Ick!
Overall, I thought "Daredevil" Season One was pretty good. It's got very high-quality production value, so it looks and feels like it could be one gigantic movie. It's got an intriguing plot that ends up being rather gripping, despite its slow start, and introduces the world to two cool new characters in the Marvel canon. Heck, you might even like it so much that you'll be curious to go back and give Ben Affleck another chance.
I'm not sure I'd recommend that, though.
My final verdict is that I recommend "Daredevil" to fans of comicbooks and superhero programming that have the stomach to handle the violence and the tolerance to put up with some immature dialogue. What do you think? Are you going to give "Daredevil" a shot? Are you well enough off without it? Or have you already watched it? Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what your thoughts are.
Until next time...
