Netflix Summary:
Murdock’s vigilante crime fighting and his new law practice find equally dangerous challenges in a murder case tied to a corporate crime syndicate. (Episode 1)
FYA Summary:
The blind vigilante/part-time lawyer/quasi-superhero who battles crime in Hell’s Kitchen is back—this time without Ben Affleck and is more awesome than ever.
Familiar Faces:
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock
I honestly don’t think I’ve seen Charlie in anything other than Stardust, but I was really impressed at his Matt Murdock. (And he’s still totally adorable.) He’s just as believable as a blind man as he is a crime-fighter with toxic waste-enhanced senses. Plus, he can be both genuinely charming and frighteningly intense.
Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
I really hope that someone, at some point, asked Elden to show them The Flying V. (I don’t care that he’s probably super tired of being asked about The Mighty Ducks.) Although Foggy, at first, seems like your typical sidekick role, Elden brings a strength to the character that rises to the surface as you get further into the season.
Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
I know Deborah as baby vampire Jessica from True Blood. Karen couldn’t be more different than that role, but the character still has a sense of vulnerability about her that Deborah does so well.
Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple
In most all of her roles, Rosario takes no crap from anyone. And Claire is no exception. As Matt’s nurse, she’s sucked into his dangerous world on accident, but she fits right in, even when she doesn’t really want to (and neither does Matt). I hope we get to see more of Claire in the next season. Also: LOVE her hair.
Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk
Although Vincent’s been in a ton of movies/TV shows, my favorite role of his is Edgar from Men in Black. Wilson is a far cry from “Eggar,” but he’s just as creepy, albeit in a different way. Wilson is the kind of guy who is riding the razor’s edge between sanity and bat shit-crazy, and Vincent pulls off the role perhaps a little too well.
Couch-Sharing Capability: High
More than a decade after Ben Affleck donned the red suit for the big screen movie, Marvel has tried once again to bring Matt Murdock into the public eye. And unlike the flop that was the Ben Affleck-version, this Netflix Original hits the nail on the head. Where the movie seemed silly and fantastical—not that those are always bad things when it comes to superhero films, mind you—this new version takes Daredevil and his battle against the evils plaguing his home of Hell’s Kitchen seriously, and feels all-too-real, proving how far Marvel has come since those more questionable years.
Basically, what I’m saying is: If you’re a Marvel fan, and you know other Marvel fans, and you haven’t yet watched the 13 episodes of Daredevil’s first season, get thee selves to a couch posthaste.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Gotta Fit In
There’s a whole lot of drinking in Daredevil. Sometimes in celebration, sometimes to dull the pain, sometimes to forget. Basically, if you’re not drinking while watching Daredevil, you might feel a little left out.
Might I suggest an Avocado Daiquiri? I’m definitely not going to suggest whatever hard liquor they drink with the eel in the bottle.
Use of Your Netflix Subscription: This is Why You Pay $9 (Or More) a Month
I’ll totally admit that I was a little suspicious when it was announced that Netflix was going to be developing a set of Marvel shows that tied-in (if slightly) with the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I was even more uncertain when I heard the first superhero to get the treatment was going to be Matt Murdock/Daredevil. But I was more than pleasantly surprised after finishing the first season, and I look forward to the next—and future Marvel Netflix Originals, if this is any indication of the greatness to come.
