Marvel’s DAREDEVIL E2S1: “Cut Man” [Review]

Dardevil (Charlie Cox); Source: Marvel/Netflix

Daredevil has finally been released on Netflix, after months of teasing and expectation, and we can finally see the Man Without Fear. All thirteen episodes are available for viewing right now, but I decided to review each individual episode in the season, as if it were airing on TV. Today, I’ll be reviewing the second episode, “Cut Man.” I won’t spoil this episode too much if you haven’t seen it all, but I will be discussing the episodes leading up to it, so if you haven’t seen the show at all yet…

One thing this show has is great openings. The episode starts with a bloody and beaten Daredevil found in a trash can. The rest of the episode explains how he got there, and what he does next. He’s taken in and nursed back to health…well, back to a better state of health, by an off-duty nurse Claire Temple. Once he’s back on his feet, Daredevil sets out to rescue the boy with an unlikely ally.

After the cliffhanger of the series premiere, I really was afraid they were going to just leave us to wonder what happened with the kid. It was a relief to find out this episode would continue that.

The first appearance of Rosario Dawson as Temple was exciting. When I heard they had cast Dawson, it was my first sign this show was serious about doing a quality show. I originally thought they would just cast a bunch of no-names. She did a great job showing a normal person caught up in bizarre circumstances who rises to the occasion. I assume she’ll be back, patching up Daredevil after the villains tear him apart.

A major subplot is Foggy and Karen going on a night out to try to avoid going home. It doesn’t have much to do with the main story, but it does allow these characters to be fleshed out. We get more of a sense of who Foggy and Karen are when Murdock isn’t around. Also, there’s great chemistry between the two, and I see Foggy falling in love with her, easily. Which will, of course, have tension later.

There’s a moment where, once again, we find ourselves worrying that Daredevil might go too far in his interrogation of a bad guy. It seems this Daredevil is a hero who’s struggling to find a balance. He’s got the devil inside of him, as his grandmother said in the last episode.

When Daredevil finally goes out to rescue the boy, the closing fight is incredible. In a single hallway with sweeping shots, we see him take on a bunch of thugs to fight his way to the missing boy. I love that the fight scenes with Daredevil don’t have him always in control, calmly taking on multiple enemies with ease and precision. He’s stumbling, in pain, getting hit, and making mistakes. You sometimes wonder if he’s going to make it through the fight. Just like his father, his superpower is that he can take a punch and keep fighting.

Let me just take a moment to geek out on why Daredevil is one of my favorite superheroes. He’s like a cross between Batman and Spiderman. What I love about Daredevil is that he’s human. He has powers with his enhanced senses, but Daredevil has to deal with real-world problems like paying rent and getting an apartment like Spiderman. But unlike Spiderman, he doesn’t have offensive superpowers. Being able to hear and smell his enemies don’t help him punch harder. In that sense, he’s like Batman in that he doesn’t have superstrength or superspeed or flight. All he has is a desire to bring justice to the innocent. But unlike Batman, Daredevil doesn’t have a souped-up car or fancy weapons. Just his fists. That makes him a superhero we can root for.

Once again, no Kingpin yet. But it just makes it more exciting when he appears.

My Rating: Recommended

What did you think of this episode?

Previous reviews:

E1S1: “Into the Ring”

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