Episode Title: Guilty as Sin
Originally Aired: March 18th 2016
The past collides with the present in the newest episode of Marvel’s Daredevil. We get to hear a little about what brought Elektra back into Matt’s life and the reason is not as simple as he originally thought. He wondered if it was her heart leading her or if she somehow figured out who he was and that she could use him to obtain her goals. The true answer was something he never expected, she has come back to him because it was part of her mission. A mission given to her by a man from Matt’s past, Stick, the man who trained him and apparently Elektra.
The episode picks up seconds after the end of the previous episode with Matt and Elektra investigating the giant hole in a building owned by Roxxon. Their contemplation of what the reasoning behind the excavation could be is cut short as a group of ninjas attacks them. Matt’s unwillingness to take a life complicate the battle and the pair have to be rescued by Stick. The action choreography in this scene is well done and a little different because it is a fight that is much more difficult for Matt than normal. Not only is he fighting other well-trained fighters they are carrying poisoned weapons and they have trained to move silently and to make their heartbeat undetectable. This fight really lets Elektra shine proving she is every bit as capable as matt if not more so. His enhanced abilities give him an advantage when it comes to stealth and surveillance especially when dealing with normal criminals. When it comes to an all-out fight however, I might have to put my money on Elektra. She has the same trainer, she has the ability to see and she is willing to put down an opponent in a way that will end the fight for good. After Matt gets a bit of a history lesson on the war between the Hand and the Chaste he asks Elektra to join him in a third front in the war. The two of them would work on the side of the Chaste but with different tactics as they seek to prevent the hand from activating a Black Sky. What side will she choose is she truly a disciple of the Chaste and stick or is she as good on the inside as Matt believes?
Matt’s dealings with Elektra once again affects his personal and professional relationship with Karen. She does not know who Elektra is or why she is around but now she knows that another woman is what has been keeping Matt away. She is angry that he hasn’t been around to help on the case but that feeling is only compounded by the betrayal of seeing a half dressed woman in Matt’s bed. Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen is not known for her physicality even though the show sometimes finds her in enough danger that she has to run or fight for her life, but she has a few moments of very strong acting in this episode. Her innocence and optimism contrasts well with Frank’s pessimistic rage, always make for entertaining scenes that remind me of the mouse that pulls the thorn from the lions paw. He is capable of and has thought about ending her life but her faith that he understands that she is trying to help him and that she is a good person, even if she doesn’t always believe that, will keep her safe.
As Matt continues to ignore the case, Foggy really gets to shine as a lawyer in this episode. He is keeping the D.A. on her toes, often causing her to misstep into getting witnesses to make statements that help Frank’s defense. The foundation of Nelson and Murdock is the friendship and sense of justice of its two namesakes and that foundation is quickly crumbling. Foggy thought he could depend on matt to be lawyer during the day and vigilante by night but being the Daredevil is taking over Matt’s life and driving a wedge between the two friends. I think this episode proves the Foggy is the better of the two lawyers, especially if Matt did not have his abilities that make him a human lie detector. The only thing preventing him for being one of the best is his lack of confidence, something that may be a natural side effect of their partnership. Matt is usually driving the ship and the two usually split responsibilities in the same way limiting their growth, but now that he has to depend more on himself than the team Foggy is really coming into his own. The current events that are causing Foggy to become more of a complete lawyer are also causing his faith in Matt to dwindle to the point that I am not sure the firm can survive even if they find a way to win their biggest case ever.
Frank’s past is the other major component that we learn a lot about this week. A soldier from his past takes the stand to discuss what kind of action he saw and what kind of man he was back then. Next on the stand was a neurologist that talks about the effects of the gunshot wound that frank suffered on the day his family was murdered. It is the Dr.’s belief that Frank is suffering from extreme emotional stress disorder, which is forcing him to relive the death of his family on a daily basis. After an outburst from a person in the gallery, it is Karen’s belief that the only way they can make a comeback is for Frank to take the stand, which he agrees to do. Foggy wants Matt to do the questioning because of his knowledge of frank and what happened to him when they talked as the Punisher and Daredevil, and surprisingly Matt shows up to help. After his brief exchange with a bailiff, Frank is not cooperating with Matt so Matt takes the time to attack the D.A.’s stance on vigilantes in an attempt to sway the jury and tell Foggy that he is sorry but what he is doing is more important. When Matt ends his questioning early, Frank asks to make a statement where he essentially says he is guilty as sin. While everyone is caught off guard from his outburst and scrambling to figure out what their next step should be, we see what led to Frank’s statement. A character from last season has returned. He used the bailiff to get a message to Frank that led to Frank’s eruption in court, which secured a meeting with the mystery person.
Now that we know who wanted to meet with Frank what could he want? Will Matt be able to repair his relationships with Karen and Foggy? Will he get a chance to after he was injured in a fight with the Hand? Find out next week in Seven Minutes in Heaven.
Channel: Superhero 