
Netflix Gets It Very Right with New “Daredevil” Series
April 24, 2015Neflix has been on a tear over the past few years with their coveted original series. They’ve began to lap their competition with shows like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Bloodline, and Hemlock Grove. Now with their recent adaptation of Marvel’s “Daredevil”, they’ve opened up a whole new potential subscriber base, as comic book junkies used to the grit of comic books will get a real-world experience with this production.
“Daredevil” follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who is blinded as a child by a chemical spill while he saved the life of an elderly man. After the accident, Murdock begins to experience heightened senses, and as he learns how to develop them, courtesy of an ornery old man named stick (Scott Glenn), he takes it upon himself to clean up the city (Hell’s Kitchen, New York) that he loves so much.
Murdock, the son of boxer, seems vindicated in having the ever-loving shit kicked out of him on occasion, but in all of his blood and agony, he continues on his journey to redemption. Murdock never kills, upholding a strict code of rules, but not everyone is not so keen on following them, making Murdock’s plight that much more difficult.
At the root of his discontent, sits Wilson Fisk, better known as Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), a ruthless crime lord that will stop at nothing to eliminate anyone that cocks up his plans for world domination.
As Fisk and Murdock jockey for positioning in Hell’s Kitchen, the body count continues to rise, and Murdock realizes that the only way to eliminate the death and destruction is to eliminate Fisk. But, can he do it? And so ensues the great struggle between good and evil.
Charlie Cox, as Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, nails the haunted and pensive nature Murdock. Vincent D’Onofrio will make you shat your drawers with his spot on portrayal of Kingpin. The internal struggle he faces minute by minute is palpable.
Deborah Ann Woll ,as Karen Page, is wonderful. You can’t help but to fall for the red-headed super sleuth as she trudges along and continues to gain strength after she’s been irrevocably tainted at the hands of Fisk’s henchmen. Along her search for the truth, she walks down the darkest of paths, and will ultimately hold a menacing secret close to her heart.
Elden Henson is the adorkable right hand man/best friend/business partner of Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson. Henson nails the awkwardness of Foggy with laser precision. Loyal and loathing of Murdock’s situation, Foggy continues to show resolve in the face of adversity. He’s the most sensitive out of the crew, but a soldier nonetheless.
The teams at Marvel and Netflix have created a new formula for greatness in this series. It’s a must watch for any marvel fan, and is crafted to perfection. Hopefully this will lead to future stand alone series in the Marvel universe. The two companies clearly have the horsepower to make it happen, and the possibilities are endless.
Be on the lookout for season 2 of “Daredevil”, coming in 2016.