DAREDEVIL - Amandine Briant

Hi Mister Cox,

My week was very busy, plus it’s the first week of sales, but I still found time to watch an episode of a new series. I prefer to start a new series than continue the ones I'd already started watching (Orange is the new black, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, etc.) So I started a series that tempted me for since a year : Daredevil. I chose to watch this series because I like the Marvel comics, especially Iron Man or The Avengers. This series has had many positive reviews so I decided to watch this one. I hesitated a long time with the new series "Sense 8", but it seemed to me even more fantastic. So I watched the first episode tonight.

The first episode of Daredevil was released in April 2015. The main character (Daredevil) is Matthew Murdock, an accomplished and respected lawyer. Daredevil gained his powers by losing his sight at the age of 9, saving a passer-by from an oncoming truck. Like all blind, he develops an intelligent radar system, which will allow him to be more reactive than a hero with five senses.

Season 1 - Episode 1:

The first episode, as the others first episode, situates the story of the main character, Matt Murdock. We understand how he became blind and that his father was a boxer. In this first episode, we submit the idea, that he is a hero, a judge, to make proud his father (Daredevil only fights with his hands). He was able to develop the other 4 senses wich help him when he fights, but also when he is in his civil role as a lawyer. Daredevil can hear the heartbeat of a client, which helps him know whether he is lying or not.

In addition, we meet the other main characters, Foggy Nelson, her friend and colleague, as well as Karen Page, first client of both lawyers. In this first episode, he does justice in a legal way thanks to his role as a lawyer against a society but also in a heroic way (by fighting the partners by being Daredevil).

What I liked in this first episode is first of all the credits, which appeals to the emblem of justice (the woman with the blindfolded and a balance in the hands): very similar with the hero. The red color dominant in this credits to remind the color of the devil, which one can see last.

What touched me was the story of this little boy who became blind, and became an adult who wanted to do justice to his way. Finally, the director focuses on the sound effects that Daredevil perceives as a human can’t hear or notice them. For example, the sound of heartbeats, or a chain that beats against another metal that will allow him to serve as a weapon against a villain. This first episode really conquered me.

Season 1 - Episode 2 :

Matt Murdock continues to reveal himself and take the blows with a certain courage. A part of madness is emphasized by this simple desire to protect others when he himself is the victim of the absence of one of his senses. Determined to help a kidnapped child, Murdock already risks the disclosure of his identity, which doesn’t escape Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), who appears in this second episode.

The duo works wonders. Claire doesn’t hesitate to risk her own life for the sole purpose of allowing Murdock to risk his own, even though she has no idea who he really is.

This second episode once again allowed us to discover part of the childhood. Matt's father died tragically in an alley in Hell's Kitchen, leaving his son upset by this tragic disappearance. I look forward to discovering how Matt became Daredevil.

What remains pleasant in this series is the human side of the hero. Indeed, we feel that he has weaknesses, we see him take blows and have real wounds.

Season 1 - Episode 3

The previous episode taught the tragic death of his father, who gave his life to improve that of his son (Matthew) leaving him a lot of money. In this episode, it’s no longer a question of making flashbacks about his past, as if we already knew a lot about him, much more than all his entourage. This is what we feel in this absence of flashback.

The horrible stories continue. They are defended by these two lawyers (Matthew and Foggy) paid very dear. Everything revolves around malevolence and the purchase of a morality. Rather than deny this large sum, Matthew will punish the malicious people as Daredevil to continue his business as a lawyer and continue to understand the malicious business that exists in his city.

In this end, we finally see the face of the man hidden behind all these murders and this underground economy (drugs, sale of children etc.)

Season 1 - Episode 4

While the brain of those atrocities (Wilson) in this city confides in a woman he tries to seduce. We see a fragile, lonely man in search of love.

The masked man, in other words Daredevil, is sought after by all the men engaged by Wilson. They make his favorite (Claire) suffer to reach Matthew. After saving her, Matthew finally confides in her.

This series is really intriguing by those many stories and atrocities that men can make endure to innocent and harmless people. It’s pretty gore, with lots of bloody fights.
I’m seduced in this series rather by the touching side of Daredevil and his way of understanding people through their heartbeats. It releases something very strong and very touching. That's what brings sweetness to this series and it really needs it...

I think that without this sweetness I would stop watching this series. I don’t like to watch movies or series with the brawl just to be bloody without real but human, kindly and helpful.

Season 1 - Episode 5 :

Lawyer by day, masked vigilante by night: this sums up pretty well what Matthew is.

Among all this violence, the director has created love in this new episode between Matt and Claire ... But also between Wilson and a woman. The latter pretending to be the vigilante of this city. We realize that the director is trying to make us doubt the wickedness of this Wilson, the brain of all these schedules while he is blowing up the whole city with explosives.
It’s difficult to have tenderness for Wilson, although it is true that he seems to be a wounded man...

On the other hand, I think we can’t stop having tenderness for the masked man, and his nascent love story.

This episode ends on the arrest of the masked man ... Immense suspense that makes me want to know the continuation immediately

Season 1 - Episode 6 :

This episode focuses on the possible arrest of Daredevil, he was able to escape the first time, but took refuge in an old hidden warehouse surrounded by police. He is wanted for having hit 4 cops, and having blown up the buildings (Wilson made believe in all the press that it was the masked man who had orchestrated everything).

The suspense is still so intense in this episode, I would say it’s even the first time that is also strong. Daredevil finally has a discussion with Wilson by Walkie Talkie, who asks him to kill their common enemy (a Russian hidden in the same warehouse with Daredevil) in exchange for a whitening of their rivalry. But as death is not customary for Daredevil, he refuses and succeeds in escaping with the Russian. This last will ultimately sacrifice himself for him (he knows that he is condemned by Wilson). Daredevil escapes from this warehouse thanks to the diversion of Russian.

The director reveals once more the love in this episode thanks to a phone call between Claire and Matt (he thinks himself condemned). I think it’s important to bring this touch of sweetness to all this brutality to not get bored and see that blood during all the episodes.

A lot of guilt is born for the masked man and even for the Russian man (who lost his brother). Thanks to this big suspense and this beautiful end, it makes me want to continue the series to know if he will overcome Wilson.