Season 3 of Daredevil picks up after the events of the Defenders, where Matthew Murdock is being nursed back to health, shattered emotionally, physically and spiritually, separating himself from his friends and his faith. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk's long game to leave prison has finally come into fruition, striking a deal with the FBI. Upon hearing this, Murdock and his friends realise the danger that they and the rest of the city are in, and attempt to stop Fisk before he can rise back to power and destroy the lives of those who defeated him before. Will Murdock do whatever it takes to stop him, even if that means ending his life? Will he find his faith and return to his heights, or will a part of him be forever lost with his suit? And who is this other player one the scene who can rival Murdock's skills and rage?
This season returns the show to its roots in season 1, dialling back the antics of the Punisher and the Hand for a more centralised conflict between Murdock and Fisk, both brilliantly played by Charlie Coxx and Vincent D'onofrio respectively. This was an excellent choice, as this grounded take suits the tone of the show far better than secret cults of immortal ninjas, which made the stakes and the character objectives far less perceivable. Instead, it returns to to a strong central conflict the characters of each of the heroes and villains, while they scheme against each other and fight for their lives.
Seeing the character of Murdock broken down and even more ethically dubious is a cornerstone of this series, as before he struggled with the morality of his vigilantism in relation to his faith and his occupation as a lawyer, believing in the law and its value. Now with neither, nothing is stopping him from crossing the line and killing those he feels deserves it, just like Frank Castle, which leads him to be even more on the edge, getting results quicker but opening himself up to fatal mistakes and risking his life needlessly.
So, we see Matt Murdock at his lowest, but conversely, Wilson Fisk is returning stronger than ever, now with the unwitting support of the FBI and single-mindedly focused on reuniting with Vanessa Marianna. What the arcs of the character suggested in seasons 1 and 2 was that he would rise again as the Kingpin, smarter, angrier and infinitely more resourceful, and this season delivers these promises more than satisfactorily, with him living up to his comic title and donning his signature white suit with glorious menace and charisma. Like before, he steals every scene he is in, making you watch with a mix of fear and excitement in one of the best villain portrayals of recent years, being sophisticated, sympathetic, ruthless and terrifying all in one.
Perhaps a valid criticism would be the slow pacing in the first half of the season, but once I feel this is effectively used for the build-up of reintroducing old characters while bringing in the new ones like Ray Nadeem or Benjamin Poindexter in a way that makes them all equally well-rounded and likeable, and once the season reaches its midpoint, it finds its footing completely and doesn't stop until the the truly brilliant finale.
As for the fight scenes, well they certainly haven't decreased in quality, but have shifted from the heavy martial arts of the previous two seasons into a more grounded brawling style, possibly reflecting the mature themes that this series delves into of anger, doubt and resentment, with enemies letting out their frustration at each other in flurries of blows more than spinning kicks. That description without context would make them sound more dull than the ones of the previous seasons, but trust me on this one, the most creative and unique fights of all are found here. I can't really say more without going into the spoilers, but they are a real treat to watch, have no doubt about that.
Without trying to sound pretentious, there is also plenty of symbolism presented here, with common motifs and parallels between old and new characters, leaving plenty of hidden meaning and interpretation to be drawn from it, something that I feel improves any film or show since it increases the personal connection and investment that it can give to each individual audience member.
Is it the best of the seasons? Well that is difficult to say. It is certainly the most coherent, since the Hand storyline had already been cleared up by this point, it didn't need to use any referencing or foreshadowing beyond this one story, giving it a clear focus that season two didn't have, and season one almost had. It was certainly the most satisfying of the bunch for me due to its consistent quality, never really dipping, along with some of the more comic-book design choices that brought the best of both worlds - the gritty realism of the show with the styles, costumes, characters and abilities from the comics. I give Daredevil season 3 a 9.5 out of 10
9.5 OUT OF 10
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