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Daredevil Recap And Review – S01E13 – Daredevil

By Steve Lam

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The season finale episode, Daredevil (yes, just like the series’ name), is what audiences have been waiting for.  And the payoff is great!  Our hero comes into his own and understands what he must to do.  Along the way, Matt’s best friend, Foggy, also empathizes with his mission.  As the two best buds mend their friendship, Fisk’s empire starts to crumble — which makes the man even more dangerous.

Though the scenes with Daredevil in his new costume are brief, they are nonetheless dramatic and hit the right tone of the comics.  The director, writers, and set and costume designers truly bring the titular hero to life in this tense and exciting final episode of the season.

A Daring Recap

We open on the day of Ben’s funeral.  All of his family and friends are in attendance.  Matt and Karen are also present, but Foggy is absent.  Karen takes a moment to speak to Ben’s wife, Doris, and blames herself for his death.  Doris finds her apology unnecessary and knows that Ben would’ve been proud of Karen for going after a story.

At the office, Karen is disappointed that Foggy didn’t attend Ben’s funeral.  Matt blames himself for their falling out.  Karen is now worried that Fisk might find out that she was also with Ben when they met with Marlene.  Matt promises to keep Karen safe and vows to bring Fisk and his associates to justice.

Fisk tells a recovering Vanessa that he’s taking her out of the country, but she refuses to leave without him.  Fisk needs to first meet with Leland about irregularities in his funds.

At a secret meeting place, Fisk confronts Leland about inconsistencies with his accounts.  Leland attempts to lie at first, but finally comes clean and admits that he and Madame Gao conspired in poisoning Vanessa because she became too much of a distraction.  Leland wants half of Fisk’s assets and knows that Fisk won’t hurt him for the simple fact that he’s hidden Detective Hoffman.  If Leland doesn’t check in every 24 hours, Hoffman has instructions to go directly to the FBI with everything.  Fisk, enraged at Leland’s subterfuge and for hurting Vanessa, attacks Leland and throws him down an elevator shaft, killing him.  Fisk orders his men to find and execute Hoffman.

Foggy finds Matt training at the boxing gym.  Foggy tells Matt that Marci has been helping him copy files on Landman and Zack’s dealings with Fisk.  Matt is adamant in going after Fisk by himself, but Foggy is afraid that Matt might end up dead.  Foggy feels that using the law is the best way to take down Fisk.  The two quickly mend their differences and revitalize Nelson and Murdock.

Outside of the police station, Matt and Foggy speak to Sgt. Brett Mahoney, an honest cop, about his run in with Daredevil and what he’s seen in regards to corruption.  At that moment, two dirty cops exit the building.  Matt uses his super-hearing and focuses in on one cop’s cell phone conversation.   He discovers that Fisk is trying to find Hoffman, who’s able to testify against everyone.

At the office, Matt, Foggy, and Karen research files from Landman and Zack.  Karen runs into an accounting irregularity and discovers a hidden property.  Matt abruptly leaves, pretending to need to speak to Brett.  Foggy knows where Matt is headed and is worried.  Matt tells Foggy that if Fisk gets to Hoffman first, Fisk will win.

In a car, Fisk receives confirmation of finding Hoffman.  He orders a team to execute Hoffman and everyone guarding him.

At Hoffman’s safe house, a team of dirty cops enter, killing every guard.  As they surround and aim their guns at Hoffman, he closes his eyes ready to die.  Suddenly, he hears gunfire and men being beaten.  He opens his eyes and finds that Daredevil has taken the assailants out.  Daredevil orders Hoffman to turn himself in to Brett and to come clean on everything.

At the precinct, Hoffman, represented by Matt and Foggy, is interviewed by the FBI.  He divulges everything he knows about Fisk and the corruption in Hell’s Kitchen.

We see a montage sequence of the FBI chasing down and arresting corrupt high-ranking officials, the partners at Landman and Zack, street thugs, and corrupt cops.

Fisk, aware that the FBI are coming for him, puts into motion his plans.  Vanessa is worried, but Fisk only asks her for one unknown favor.  When the FBI raid his penthouse, Fisk makes a marriage proposal to Vanessa and gives her an engagement ring.  They forcefully lead him away in handcuffs.  Outside, they secure him in an armed prisoner transport truck guarded by two FBI SWAT agents.

Matt, Foggy, and Karen celebrate Fisk’s arrest.  They raise their glasses to Elena and Ben.

As Fisk is transported, he spins a story to the agents guarding him.  The moral of which reveals that Fisk deceived everyone.  As he finishes, Fisk’s heavily armed men block the transport and engage in a firefight with the FBI.

Matt and Foggy quickly put Karen in a cab to get her home safely.  Matt tells Foggy to trust him for what he’s about to do.  Foggy, though worried, gives Matt his blessing.

At the scene of the firefight, Fisk’s men are ready to break him out of the prison transport.  One of the FBI SWAT agents guarding Fisk is revealed to also be corrupt when he shoots the other agent.  Fisk’s men successfully free him and he walks to another truck.

Melvin presents Daredevil with a trunk.  Opening it, Daredevil touches the new suit and give his approval.  Before allowing Daredevil to go on his way, Melvin asks if Betsy will be safe.  Daredevil tells Melvin that he intends to keep the promise he made.

On a rooftop, Matt is dressed in his new iconic red Daredevil suit sans the cowl.  He listens intently and hears dispatch announce Fisk’s location.

At a garage, Fisk switches to another truck and tries to leave the city in stealth.  He speaks to Vanessa via radio, telling her to leave if he’s not at her location in twenty minutes.

A red baton suddenly pierces the windshield.  The driver turns violently and flips the truck on its side.  Fisk emerges, slightly dazed.  Daredevil, in his full suit and cowl, jumps down onto the truck and confronts Fisk.  One of Fisk’s men fires his gun at Daredevil, who runs and jumps off the truck.  Daredevil rips the baton from the windshield and separates it into two pieces.  He throws and deflects one of the batons off the truck.  It takes out the gunman and boomerangs back into Daredevil’s hand.

Fisk runs into a dead end in an alleyway.  Daredevil somersaults in and corners him.  Fisk, enraged, goes on the offensive.  Daredevil, with swift agility, somersaults over Fisk and flips him onto the ground.  With the villain down, Daredevil launches into a barrage of punches and kicks.  Fisk regains his footing and ferociously attacks him.  Grabbing an iron rod, Fisk lands multiple hits onto Daredevil.  Reassembling his baton into one long piece, Daredevil matches Fisk and fights back.

Fisk finally overpowers Daredevil.  He lifts him up and violently slams him onto the ground.  Fisk beats Daredevil with his own baton.  Seemingly down and about to lose, Daredevil focuses his senses and grabs the baton along with Fisk’s arm.  Proclaiming “this is my city … my family”, Daredevil comes back into action.  He separates the baton back into two pieces and beats Fisk into submission.  As a final move, Daredevil tosses his batons, runs at Fisk, and lands a powerful punch to his head, knocking him out.

Brett races in with his squad car.  He exits the car, aiming his gun at Daredevil.  Daredevil reiterates that he’s not the bad guy.  Brett identifies him as the same masked man who told him about the corrupt cops.  He quickly calls dispatch about Fisk.

Fisks bodyguard, Francis, receives a call and tells Vanessa that Fisk won’t be coming.  She puts on her engagement ring and takes off on a helicopter.

Brett secures Fisk as Daredevil thanks him.  When Brett asks what he should call him, Daredevil makes a swift exit up the building.

The next day, the front page of the New York Bulletin has christened our hero with the moniker of “Daredevil.”  Karen is still in disbelief that Daredevil is the same man who saved her the night of her attack.  Foggy steps to the side and presents the Nelson and Murdock plaque, now secured to the building.  He quickly runs off to meet with Marci.  Matt tells Karen that he sensed something in her voice, and that he thought it would go away once Fisk was brought to justice, but it hasn’t.  Karen admits that even though Fisk is behind bars, the trauma of their ordeal will never go away.  Matt comforts her with the promise of moving past these events together.

Fisk, now in solitary confinement, stares at his prison wall which has patterns that closely resemble the wall in his childhood home.

At night, Daredevil stands on a rooftop and watches over Hell’s Kitchen.  He hears a scream and quickly sprints into action to protect the innocent.

Moments That Blind You with Awesomeness

  • Leland Owlsely getting what he deserved when he thought he could pull a fast one on Fisk.
  • Daredevil taking out the dirty cops who are about to execute Hoffman.
  • Daredevil receiving his new suit from Melvin.  When he cements his promise to Melvin, it shows Matt’s acceptance of becoming the hero he was meant to be.
  • Daredevil throwing his baton into the truck transporting Fisk and making debuting his new look.
  • Does this need to be said?  Daredevil’s final fight with Fisk.  Strong powerful agility versus a blunt brute force.
  • Daredevil to the rescue: the final shot of Daredevil doing his crouched baton-wielding jump.  It’s straight out of the comics!

Final Thoughts

The appropriately named season finale, Daredevil, concludes Matt Murdock’s evolution into a hero and a savior for Hell’s Kitchen.  Finally stepping into the light, the city now understands his mission — to help the innocent and bring down corruption.

In contrast, Wilson Fisk is now put away in a hole.  Exposed as the true enemy of Hell’s Kitchen, he and his associates lose their influence and power over a city that has had its eyes closed for too long.

As a season finale episode, Daredevil placed all its cards on the table.  The drama and high-octane action scenes are well-balanced throughout its 56-minute run.  The time can be considered long for a television show, but its writing and direction prove that its heft is mostly muscle — delivering a quick and entertaining ride for the viewer.

Never a dull moment, this thirteenth episode can be thought of as both a finale and a prelude to a new beginning — the promise of an exciting second season.  And the promise of seeing the Man Without Fear in action again!

Next: Check out our previous recap of Episode 12 - The Ones We Leave Behind

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