Story by Grant Dillard, Staff writer
2018 has been a relatively lukewarm year for Marvel Netflix shows; the new seasons of “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage” and “Iron Fist” have received mostly mixed opinions from critics and audiences. However, Marvel and Netflix finished off their yearly run with a bang when the long-awaited third season of their most cherished show “Daredevil” released Oct. 19.
After nearly dying in “The Defenders,” Matt Murdock finds himself in a dark place in his life, wanting to abandon his civilian persona and continue on as Daredevil. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk has gotten out of prison after making a deal to the FBI: he’ll provide them intel on various criminal gangs he’s been associated with, as long as they keep himself and Vanessa, the love of his life, safe. But what the FBI doesn’t know is that Fisk is secretly pulling the strings of another devious scheme.
After dealing with the bigger and more bombastic story lines in the show’s second season and “The Defenders,” it’s nice to see the series go back to basics in terms of its plot with the conflict between Daredevil and Fisk. Murdock is at his lowest point this season, both physically and spiritually, and the journey he embarks on to heal himself in both mind and body is very powerful and engaging to see.
Seeing Fisk as the main antagonist after a long absence is a welcome return. He is even more dangerous and menacing than before, seeking revenge on both Daredevil and Murdock for past events. Even while on house arrest with 24/7 surveillance from the FBI, Fisk still manages to figure out ways to go after the main hero and his allies.
A new main character is Benjamin Poindexter: an FBI agent and expert marksman whom Fisk ultimately manipulates as part of his plan. The series makes Poindexter both menacing and sympathetic. Episode five, “The Perfect Game” delves into Poindexter’s backstory, establishing that he’s a troubled person who only needs a north star to stay on the right path. But once things in his life start to fall apart, he finds himself unable to control his emotions and ultimately succumbs to his psychotic tendencies. In what’s already been an exciting year for the MCU in terms of villains, Poindexter ranks right up there as one of the best.
“Daredevil” is known for its incredible action sequences and this season is no exception. While Daredevil is superior when it comes to close-quarters combat, Poindexter has the advantage when he’s at a distance, mainly because his talent is that he can use any object he gets his hands on as a dangerous projectile weapon. Then of course, like in previous seasons, there’s the tradition of having one unique action scene that’s filmed in a continuous tracking shot, and this season doesn’t disappoint. Episode four, “Blindsided,” will leave audiences exhilarated by the time it’s over. Everyone from the actors, directors and cinematographers should be commended and recognized for the amazing work they’ve done.
The supporting cast is also handled nicely. Foggy Nelson, while not having as big a role this season, is still just as entertaining and down-to-earth as he’s been before. Karen Page truly shines this time around. This season actually gives more backstory to Page, with the 10th episode, “Karen.”
New additions to the supporting cast include Sister Maggie, a Catholic nun who helped raise Murdock when he was younger and wants to help him find the right way to figure out the current predicament he’s in. Rahul “Ray” Nadeem, the FBI agent who brings up the idea of negotiating with Fisk, only to uncover the lasting consequences of his actions. While Nadeem ultimately made a big mistake, his motivations for working with Fisk is identifiable enough for audiences to understand where he’s coming from.
Thanks to its engaging storyline, complex characters, brilliant writing and fantastic direction, the third season of “Daredevil” is the best season of Marvel television on Netflix.