Episode Title: Semper Fidelis
Originally Aired: March 18th 2016
Semper fidelis is the motto of the United States Marine Core and is commonly shortened to just Semper Fi. A Latin phrase that means always loyal or always faithful, it is unclear who the title is referring to at this point in the season. Matt has always had issues with lying, which is starting to alienate those closest to him. Elektra is loyal to no one and nothing other than her current desires. Matt’s professional and personal relationships with Foggy and Karen are being negatively affected by his time as Daredevil. Last season he lost a chance with Claire, what could being the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen cost him this time around?
Matt and Karen’s relationship is progressing quickly with talks of her attending law school and becoming a partner in the firm. The old adage is sex after three dates, Matt jumps right to lets work and be together forever, but who are we to decide what pace they should move. The two seem to be barreling towards being annoyingly happy when a philosophical difference in their reactions to what the punisher has done causes the night to come to a screeching halt. Karen knows what he did is wrong but has a hard time blaming him after what happened to his family and who is victims were. Batman says that if you kill a killer the number of killers in the world doesn’t change, but what if you kill a lot of killers? Karen has a hard time feeling sympathy for the rapists, thieves, human traffickers and murderers that Frank punished. Frank has done a bad thing, but is that bad thing helping shift the world into a better position, and if that is true, what should his punishment be. Matt believes that every life has value and that it was not up to Frank to look for vengeance. Matt is a bit of a hypocrite because what he does is fundamentally no different from that of the Punisher, he just does his best not to kill. They are both seeking to correct wrongs in the world, Matt just call his version justice. I think Karen could move on after this argument but I am not sure, if Matt will be able too. One thing that Karen may not be able to move past is the way that Matt is handling the trail.
Showing up late and ill-prepared because he was out all night with Elektra, even though she does not know that his new client is his ex-girlfriend, not yet anyway. This budding romance may end before it truly gets going, if Matt does not begin to be a better co-worker, friend and boyfriend.
Matt and Elektra are drawing closer and closer again as they bond through battle and by trying to unravel the mystery of what Roxxon is doing. Things seemed to really be heating up when the two have a Jawsesque I will show you my scars if you show me yours scene.
The case against Roxxon is developing slowly in a one-step forward two steps back kind of way, we see them learning more but every clue so far is either a trap or a clue that leads to another clue. I am not sure if it is Elektra’s influence or frustration with the trial but Matt is becoming more and more brutal as the season goes on. He will continue to beat opponents even after they are down and was one punch away from sending a man falling out of a window. It appeared that Matt was going to be finished with his dealings with Elektra after her tampering causes further issues with Frank’s trial. However, he is unable to help himself when it comes to her and his desire to take down the Yakuza but mostly it is her. She has done nothing to earn his trust or loyalty but he cannot seem to stay away from her. He runs away from nearly every obligation whenever she asks him to. This behavior is having a major impact on things between Matt and Karen and him and Foggy. The longer she stays in his life the more likely she will be the only thing in his life.
We have seen Foggy get upset over Matt’s actions as Daredevil before but it is attributed mostly to his fear of Matt being killed or arrested. His mounting frustration over Matt disappearing and lying to him again on top of his normal concerns are causing the first fracture in Nelson and Murdock. When Matt is out to late and misses the opening Statements of the trial it is up to Foggy to step up in his place.
They seem to be equals when it comes to their knowledge of the law but Matt is a more natural public speaker. Foggy seems to do his best under extreme stress, in a normal setting like a court room his fears can begin to overtake him. After Elektra tampers with the case getting the first bit of evidence and testimony that was going in their favor thrown out, Foggy demands that Matt take a more active role in the case. If Matt cannot dedicate more time to the firm, Nelson and Murdock may have to change its name to Murdock and Associates.
This was a very well acted episode especially by the main legal trio. Each actor was able to express a wide range of emotions as each character experienced high and lows through the course of the episode. Matt expresses some real rage during his fights against the Yakuza, joy and shock during his talk with Karen, fear, and desperation when dealing with Foggy’s outburst. Charlie Cox should also be commended on his ability to achieve a far off look that does not make you doubt for a second that he is blind.
Now that we have proof that Reyes is dirty and not just the underhanded cutthroat type, will they be able to prove it when it matters? Who are the people in suits that were outside of Frank’s house and visiting the Medical Examiner? Just what was frank up to on those classified missions?
Channel: Superhero 