Daredevil - Straight to Hell
"Straight to Hell" ends rather than concludes the first season revival of Daredevil. Using both Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) being at large and Matt Murdock's (Charlie Cox) heroically saving his life as an excuse, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) cracks down on the city giving him a chance to silent his detractors and impose his order on the city. Murdock escapes the hospital before the assassin (Arty Froushan) comes for him, and joins a (suddenly motivated) Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) on the streets. We also get the return of Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) which, like the Punisher's involvement, feels more like a setup to Season Two than a big moment in and of itself (although the pair's snooping does lead to a revelation concerning the motive for Foggy's death).
Intentional or not, it's hard not to see shades of Trump in the Kingpin's mayoral reign complete ignoring any laws he deems inconvenient to his plans, publicly branding and incarcerating enemies like Frank without due process, at the head of a (dubiously lawful) task force loyal only to him, and using his position not to improve the city but line his own pockets as we learn the truth about the Kingpin's port plans. While exposed, to the audience, the Kingpin's stranglehold on the city has never been stronger as the season leaves us with Daredevil's attempts to start a grassroots rebellion to take the city back (notably without any other known super-heroes living in New York).
As a conclusion to the events of the season, the finale is solid but a bit wanting. It's more successful in setting the stage for what Season Two will look like (albeit without teasing the involvement of any other Marvel heroes). Daredevil has been reborn, so to speak, but taking down the Kingpin this time given the legitimacy his office offers, and a large portion of the city oblivious to, or simply unconcerned with, his crimes will be harder this time.
- Title: Daredevil: Born Again - Straight to Hell
- wiki: link
