"Daredevil" Recap: "Condemned"

Written by Scotty

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Being wrongfully accused of something that you did not do seems to happen more often than not these days.  Even outside of the legal system this seems to be a problem when the blame gets thrown on someone that is not responsible for work to be done.  We are all so quick to jump to conclusions, rather than taking a step back and seeing what the problem is.  I am guilty of doing this all of the time, but I hope to change my ways, even steer it a little bit away from the blame game, until I am able to be sure I am going after the right person. 

After Hell’s Kitchen erupted in explosions, Matt Murdock’s job is far from over as he is trying to gain information from Vladimir.  When the cops arrive, Matt is shocked to see how deep they are on the take as another Russian is shot right in front of him.  Staying in the mask, Matt is able to escape without being recognized and takes Vladimir with him into an abandoned warehouse for safe keeping.  But the cops know where he is and will stop at nothing to stop the man who has destroyed their city.

Ben Urich is listening to the police band after the explosions subsided.  Wanting to put the pieces together before anyone else, he knows that the locations that were hit are all Russian fronts. Heading into the hornets next, Ben is the first reporter on scene, but the detectives in charge will not give him any information.  Questioning them as much as he can, Ben sees that the standard police procedure is not being followed and there is next to no talk on the police radios.  Thinking this is strange, Ben tries to get his questions answered, but this time becomes a little bit physical, and winds up saving his own life as three officers on location are gunned down in front of his very eyes.

Karen and Foggy are rushing their client to the hospital after the blasts, but Foggy is losing steam.  Having a puncture in his chest, he has to slow down and relax until the doctors are able to get to him.  Karen sees the concern in Foggy’s eyes, but urges him to wait it out as she tries to get a hold of Matt on the phone.  But when Matt is not answering the calls, they both start to worry that he has been hurt or even worse, killed by the explosions and want to get out to the street to find their blind friend.  Having their first date cut short by the terror of Hell’s Kitchen will not stop their relationship from growing, no matter how much they try to avoid it.

---

Wilson Fisk is watching his handy work while driving to back to his office.  Hearing that Vladimir is not dead, he gives the orders to the officers on his payroll to finish the job.  But since the Russian has been taken by the man in the mask, Fisk has to find another way to get rid of his former business partner, before he is able to divulge any information about the operation.  Securing a police radio, Fisk calls the man in the mask and offers him a deal.  Kill the Russian and they can both walk away with their lives for the night, but Matt is not willing to give the only man that can give him a lead to who all is involved and declines.  Having three officers killed in the name of the man in black, Fisk is not pulling any punches as not only is the man in back being blamed for the killings, he is now the man behind the explosions that is leveling Hell’s Kitchen.

Ok, so let’s get to what this episode was all about.  Matt wants and needs information about who is the new kingpin that is causing Hell’s Kitchen to crumple around him.  After saving Vladimir from the corrupt officers on the force, Matt also has to keeping him breathing long enough to get the knowledge he desires.  Calling in help from Claire, Matt is able to keep Vladimir alive, but with all of the action going on outside of the abandoned warehouse, time is a factor and is not in his favor.  After talking with Fisk, Matt finds out more about his foe, but not enough to move forward.  When hearing the police breaching the perimeter, Matt and Vladimir are forced underground and are able to get on the same page and exchange the information that at least one of them needs to survive.

This series is getting more brutal by the episode.  With little respect for life, or at least the lives of his enemies, Fisk is making sure that there are no lose ends.  With all of the money and power he has, he is able to make everyone disappear faster than they can beg for their lives.  Matt is finding this out very quickly, but with his new tidbit of information, he may be able to formulate a plan on taking the man down.  Seeing Karen and Foggy are holding up overall has to be my favorite part of the episode, even though it was extremely short.  Foggy is not afraid of anything when he is helping someone, and especially when his good friend could be in trouble.  I look forward to seeing what the next episode brings to the table since now Matt and Fisk have talked about their plans with each other, it will be great to see who can follow through and who will be left outside the gate, begging for scraps.  Money may not be the only thing that can control the masses, but it is a good start.

---