Daredevil fans and admirers have been left mourning because the show has been cancelled after its third season. This is the third show of Marvel origin, after Luke Cage and Iron Fist, which has been cancelled by Netflix. But it is no wonder that Daredevil is the one that will be missed most as the devil of Hell’s Kitchen had a charm and rhythm of its own which was special.

It was being speculated that the major cause for this decision is the Disney+ channel whose arrival is looming in the horizon. But considering the fact that Disney+ is supposed a family-friendly channel and Daredevil being a rather violent show, there is an obvious mismatch. But there are other sources saying that this was a decision taken  purely by Netflix and came as a surprise for Marvel executives. The question about the future of these shows was asked when Kevin Mayer, a chairman for the Walt Disney group, was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter. He replied that the revival of these cancelled shows remain a possibility.

So at this stage it is difficult to say when we will see Daredevil reappear again as the framework of Marvel shows developed in Netflix is being set apart or facing an untimely death. Jessica Jones and the Punisher will still return for new seasons, which might well be their last ones. The only ray of hope that we have is that Marvel has promised the fans that Daredevil will show up for new adventures in the future. At the same time, we can take solace from the fact that season three offered an appropriate closure to the series in that sense. After the uneven second season, the new one was much better from both storytelling and sequencing perspectives.

The new season picks up right from the point it left Matt Murdock at the end of Defenders, lying injured inside the church. With his acute sense of hearing not functioning properly, Matt struggles to get back to form while trying to copes with his own frustrations and insecurities. In the meantime Wilson Fisk makes a deal with the FBI to move out of prison and Matt needs to find out what his real motives are. The stakes are raised when a new villain raises his head to challenge Matt. The story takes time to move into flashbacks which are nicely set, to provide insights into various characters, both old and new.

There are pacing issues in Daredevil that makes the thirteen episodes flow unevenly at times. The show takes its time to get the pieces moving in the first few episodes, speeds up things and then somehow loses its breath again in the second act. The last two episodes move again in a rapid pace to reach the finish line at the thirteen episode mark. There are also issues with the plot, which is solidly consistent when it comes to individual character arcs but loses its density when it tries to envelop the other aspects of the story.

The show delivers its best moments during character confrontations and when Daredevil faces off with some new threats. While the writers again dust off and use the done to death concept about the moral dilemma of a superhero regarding taking a life, they must be given credit for setting up the season convincingly, even with a modest storyline. The tension is very well set for the audience to feel the bite, especially during the end. However loose the threads were spread, the knot tied at the end looks good enough.

Daredevil has set some high standards with its fight sequences and some of the choreography in season 1 and 2 were of very high standards. The show makers have tried to go with one fight per episode formula in this season and the action sequences are nicely balanced. Daredevil has always used a mixture of various fight style and this season sees the element of Muay Thai being brought into play.

A brutal fight scene inside the confined environment of a prison shot in a single take, is a reminder of the hallway fight of season one and stands out as the best one. Another sequence inside an office space is also very well-choreographed with some innovative use of weaponry from one particular character. The overall choreography deserves a lot of credit and the hard work put by the team is evident. One thing that I missed in this season was the lack of a truly technical fight choreography based on effective martial arts movements, as most of the fight scenes are bordering on the street fight genre.

One thing that has always helped this series stand out is the superb performance from its cast. Vincent D’Onofrio comes back with his solid portrayal of the psychopathic man-child Wilson Fisk, whose blunt looks effectively hide the cunningly manipulative mind behind it. Deborah Ann Woll shines as Karen Page and performs superbly in every scene that she is present. Her confrontation with Wilson Fisk is one of the best moments of this season. Elden Henson as Foggy remains the voice of conscience in the story and though somewhat stiff in the beginning, he warms up sufficiently as the show progresses.

Wilson Brethel and Jay Ali join the cast as FBI agents who have their own agendas behind them and delivers convincing performances. Charlie Cox is again brilliant in his portrayal of Daredevil and from a man drowning in self-pity and doubt to the battered physicality of the superhero, he never misses a step. The fault lines of the character and vulnerability that he brings out in his portrayal of Daredevil does make him stand out among the other actors essaying superhero characters out there.

Season three puts the show back to its roots after the somewhat odd second season, but it does not raise the bar in any way. It is not a perfect season but it is satisfying, entertaining and is stands up well as the final one. All eyes will be looking out eagerly for the blind superhero make his appearance again but until he does, we bid adieu to him for now.

 

By: Suvajit Banerjee

© 2018 teleratz.com