Luke Owen reviews episode nine of Daredevil…
If there is one thing to be said about “Speak of the Devil” (and there is a lot to say), it’s that it doesn’t hold back. Kicking you in the face from the moment the Netflix logo disappears, “Speak of the Devil” is a violent, violent episode and can be difficult to watch if you are weak of stomach. We’ve not seen much of Nobu in this series so far, but he certainly makes a name for himself in this episode and it’s just one more tease for the arrival of The Hand.
There are so many corking moments from this episode that it’s no wonder why it’s the one people seem to talk about the most on social media. It’s not just Daredevil versus Nobu, there is a great deal of character building, human moments and an incredible ramping of tension that has not been seen yet in this series.
Now that everyone is in on the action in trying to find lawful ways to bring down Fisk, Ben Urich reveals that he was visited by Daredevil with information that could help them. Since Fisk has come out as a public figure, Daredevil has been keeping quiet as there is a huge bounty on his head and Matt’s Catholic Guilt and beliefs are starting to play a huge role in his character development. So much going on! Not to mention perhaps the most captivating and gripping scene in the series since Fisk and Daredevil spoke over radio: the first face-to-face meeting of Fisk and Murdock.
Oh boy.
Matt goes to see Vanessa to see if he can find any information on Fisk using his most tactful line of questioning and incredible charm, but soon finds himself face-to-face with the Kingpin of Crime. What a moment this is. It’s incredibly well directed, performed and structured as Matt suddenly realises who has walked through the door, but cannot reveal to his enemy his secret identity or the fact that he is investigating the crimes he’s behind. Charlie Cox is tremendous in this scene. His flirtatious charm with Vanessa is one thing, but the holding back of his tongue when Fisk walks into the room is something else. It’s also the key moment where Matt realises that going after Fisk is too dangerous – especially now that he is in the public eye. Not to take anything away from Vincent D’Onofrio, officially the greatest villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There’s also a funny moment of levity when Karen holds a newspaper up to Matt’s face, only for Foggy to bluntly say, “you know he can’t see that”.
Aside from the beating and meeting, “Speak of the Devil” is about Matt coming to terms with his role in this game he is currently playing. One of the biggest aspects of Daredevil’s character is his religious beliefs, and this is a big part of the episode’s story. His meetings with his local father see them talk of God, the Devil and everything in between. While not the best written or captivating of moments in the series run, these are pivotal to the growth of Matt Murdock. This is all built around Matt’s closed fist of rage, seen in the art gallery with Fisk and throughout the episode. It’s such a clever moment of direction as it says everything the character needs to say without the actor even moving his face or saying a line of dialogue.
In other news from this stacked episode, poor ol’ Elena has bitten the dust because Fisk is an utter bastard, Hoffman has gone missing since he killed his partner, Foggy makes a funny Captain America joke and Nelson and Murdock get their very first sign. You need nice moments like this to make up for the harrowing scenes we’re about to discuss.
The fight scene between Daredevil and Nobu is fan-figging-tastic. We’ve talked a lot about the fight scene from the end of episode 2 and even his apartment battle with Stick, but this is the first time were we really see Daredevil on the losing end of a beating. Every time Ol’ Hornhead takes a kicking from Nobu, you can’t help but feel fear of what will happen next. Will he make a come back? Will someone save him? Or will he simply run away? And if so – how?! And if that wasn’t enough, we also get the first fight scene between Daredevil and Fisk. It was mentioned back in the review of “Condemned” that the first scuffle between the two would be epic, and that prediction was not far wrong. But to call it a ‘fight’ is unfair, as Daredevil is as useful as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. He gets his hide handed to him. It’s brutal, utterly brutal.
And as if that wasn’t enough, guess who finds him battered, bloody and beaten back at his apartment? Yep, the best friend…
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
