Created by: Drew Goddard

Based on: Daredevil by Stan Lee and Bill Everett

Starring: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Joanne Whalley, Jay Ali, Wilson Bethel, Stephen Rider, and Vincent D’Onofrio

Studio(s): Marvel Television; Netflix; ABC Studios; 16:9

After surviving an entire building collapsing on him, Matt Murdock is recovering from injuries but is done being Matt Murdock. Wilson Fisk is out of prison and is being watched under the surveillance of the FBI. Murdock isn’t finished with Fisk and knows he’s up to something. Putting on his original black costume, Murdock will try and put an end to Fisk … but someone is in the way of that happening.

Marvel’s Daredevil took everyone by surprise when it first premiered! The violence, the gore, the beautifully directed fight scenes, etc. There is no question that the series is the most original and best comic book show on television today and it’s not just the action that makes it so good! The series is met with amazing performances from the cast, dark ambiance with gritty colors, and a very grounded tone and setting. Despite taking place in the same universe as the Avengers, it maintains a realistic atmosphere!

Netflix and Marvel have delivered other heroes in New York their own series, likes of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Each series carried the same realistic tone and setting as Daredevil. They would later come together in The Defenders. Unfortunately for Luke Cage and Iron Fist, their series have recently been canceled by Marvel and Netflix after two seasons.

Now, after the first encounter with the Kingpin, then the Punisher and Elektra, Daredevil sets his eye on … the Kingpin again. I mean, you got to get the job done once and for all. This season brings all the main characters from past seasons, Matt Murdock, Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and Wilson Fisk. This season also brings in new characters including Sister Maggie Grace and FBI agents Ray Nadeem and Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter. The story starts off with Matt coming back to Hell’s Kitchen after months of being away. The season adapts elements from Frank Miller’s Born Again comic story arc.

The new season gets right into the story. Never does the series feel slow or feels as if it’s dragging. Each episode gets more intense and more interesting. There are episodes that look into character’s lives and backstories. New characters Sister Maggie, Ray Nadeem, and Dex Poindexter have an episode showing their lives before. Main characters Karen and Foggy get more character growth with an episode looking at Karen’s past life before meeting Murdock and Nelson, and an episode looking at Foggy’s family.

Of course, as the show’s main character, Matt Murdock gets more development. There are looks at his past but most importantly, has Fisk talking to him in his head, as he is the only thing that’s on Matt’s mind. Fisk has got to Matt’s head, he just waits until Daredevil strikes first. Along with Matt, Wilson Fisk gets more shine and more out of his love life. His wife plays a factor in this season and Fisk will go through everything to get her back.

Each episode, the writers and directors give the characters more life. They’re not the stale and basic characters you would find in today’s superhero shows. The direction of this grounded and brutal atmosphere is perfect for the story and the characters. The stakes are high, the violence is shown, and the grittiness is seen. It’s way different from most superhero shows and feels extremely realistic.

The action scenes are smoothly directed and edited nicely. There are no shaky-cam or quick cuts to be found here. The action is set to be as realistic as the show, so each punch and kick are up close to add to the realism. Blood is shown to show how violent it gets. Every fight scene is easy to follow and shown in an angle that captures everything.

The performances are amazing! Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock is great, plays innocent as a blind person when he’s a civilian but intimidating and fearless when he puts on the costume. It’s great to see the two different personalities of Matt Murdock. Cox does an excellent portrayal of the character. Vincent D’Onofrio is superb as Wilson Fisk! It’s not only the look of D’Onofrio as Fisk that makes him frightening, but the voice! It’s exactly how Wilson Fisk should sound like and D’Onofrio’s portrayal is exactly how Fisk should be like.

Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson have more to do with their characters of Karen Page and Foggy Nelson. With Murdock away, Karen is at low and Foggy is trying to get by without his friend. With the character growth, they become more fleshed out. Joanne Whalley as Sister Maggie is great, she comes across as the Claire Temple of the season but it’s more than just that. Jay Ali as FBI agent Ray Nadeem is great, he is assigned to look after Fisk and just wants his family to be safe. Finally, Wilson Bethel is right up there with Vincent D’Onofrio at delivering a superb performance with his portrayal of Dex Poindexter! Not much is known about him first, just that he’s really good at hitting his targets, but other than that, he’s pretty mysterious. It isn’t until more is learned about him that he starts to shine more and more!

The series’ cinematography is gorgeous, there isn’t an episode where a wide shot looks bad or repetitive. The sound mixing plays a huge part in the series, with Matt being blind, his hearing senses are strong and can hear just about anyone’s voice, heart, and breathing. Each episode’s sound mixing is great and is very easy to hear what is intended to be heard. As stated, the series doesn’t fall to many editing issues, it is clean for the most part. A fight scene in the first episode of the season did have one cut too many. Other than that, no major issues are to be had.

Marvel’s Daredevil is an incredible superhero series and beats many others out of the water! Its backed by remarkable performances, beautiful shots, fast-paced action, and a grounded, mature tone! It’s never over the top, never tries to do too much, and always focused. No filler episodes or any of that nature. Season 3 is a thrill ride from start to finish! Definitely a must-see, including the past two seasons.

92/100