Murdock and Foggy's relationship is put to the ultimate test while a new enemy against Fisk emerges.
Foggy now knows that Matt is the masked vigilante running around fighting and/or causing crime in Hell's Kitchen. That revelation makes Foggy rethink every single thing about their friendship. Matt kept this whole part of his life from Foggy. Him learning about it now is just this immense betrayal that isn't able to be fixed in the span of one episode. It's a harsh reality that both characters have to accept. Both did have their reasons for acting the way that they did. But now, the truth is out there and Matt and Foggy have to deal with it now that it will forever change their friendship.Matt - and to a much lessen extent, Karen - represent the aspirational life that Matt wants to be living. A simpler life where he is just a lawyer trying to help the innocent against the corporate machine. That's why for all these years he kept the truth from Matt. He wanted this part of his life to be pure. Matt and Karen are the two people in this world that he truly cares about. He can't fully commit to the vigilante lifestyle because of the love he has for these two people. He does have respect for those relationships. But at the same time, keeping this part of himself from them could be the very thing that tears them all about - especially considering all of the hypocrisy between Matt's words and his actions as a masked crime fighter.
It has been a fairly problematic mistake this season in not showing the developing bonds of friendship forming between Matt, Foggy and Karen. So much of the time is spent on Matt's internal struggle over what he feels he has to do in order to protect his city. While he's been doing that, Foggy and Karen have been getting closer while also frequently worrying about where Matt is when various disasters strike the city. It's a dynamic that has been used far too often. Foggy and Karen have been more fleshed out as Matt's co-workers than as his friends. That means this episode has to go overboard in establishing the true bonds of friendship between Matt and Foggy - which include flashbacks to their time together at college and interning at a big law firm.
However, those flashbacks really are great. They showcase the genuine, simple and intimate friendship between the two of them. How they were able to get along from their first meeting to both of them gaining each other's trust. These scenes help create a relationship with history to it. That way when the stunning revelation of Matt's crime-fighting ways comes to light in the present day, there's some actual and emotionally honest pain from both characters. Looking at that history, Foggy sees it all as a lie. He never treated Matt as a blind man who needed help. He was always willing to fight alongside Matt and treat him like any other man. He was the person he trusted in this world more than anyone else. And now, Foggy can't believe that any of their time together was genuine because Matt could see the world and fight and Foggy had no idea. Conversely, Matt is in such severe emotional pain that it trumps the physical pain he is also feeling. Foggy learning the truth is the most devastating thing to him because he relied on their bond to be a better person in the world. To Matt, everything about their friendship was real. And yet, an explanation isn't enough to fix this massive betrayal of trust. Foggy does have a willingness to listen to Matt as he explains his skill set and why he does what he does. That story about beating up the father who was sexually abusing his young daughter was brutal stuff. Matt took pleasure out of that experience. He was able to sleep much better at night because of what he did. And yet, Foggy looks at him telling this story and sees a completely different person than the man he has known for years.
That's the truly devastating part of this story. Words aren't enough to cover up Matt's hypocrisy. Foggy had such a willingness to follow Matt's lead. And now, it ends with Foggy throwing their new sign for their law firm in the trash. The explanation only caused more pain for both characters. It lead to great emotional material for both Charlie Cox and Elden Henson. This episode isn't about the flashy stunt choreography or the power maneuvers of the various characters. The supporting players are still the focus of a few subplots. But this episode is largely about Matt and Foggy in a room together dealing with the fallout of the truth. It provides the strongest Foggy material of the season so far while also showing a different side to Matt. It worked immensely well on almost all levels. And now, their divide will likely shape the final stretch of episodes this season as the conflict with Wilson Fisk only intensifies.
Some more thoughts:
- "Nelson v. Murdock" was written by Luke Kalteux and directed by Farren Blackburn.
- Ben rightfully realizes that there are much more important things in his life than needing to expose the corruption surrounding Wilson Fisk. His wife's declining health should take precedence over everything lse. He makes that decision, gives all the information he's collected to Karen and then she ruins it all with an impromptu trip to a lavish nursing home upstate to talk with Wilson's mother. That unfortunately will probably bring him back into the story and all the dangers surrounding it at all times.
- Karen, after all the trauma you have experienced this season, you still don't lock the door? You're lucky that it was just Ben lurking in the shadows and not one of Fisk's men.
- Also, it is such a cliche to have the old woman in a nursing home be senile and have dementia. Even in that state, why would she so willfully talk about the horrible thing that Wilson did to her first husband? It's only purpose is to move the plot forward while placing Karen and Ben in even more danger.
- Madame Gao and Leland Owlsley both agree that Wilson has changed since meeting Vanessa and his ambition may be too jeopardizing to their current arrangement. That makes them the prime suspects in Vanessa's poisoning during his fundraiser at episode's end.
- And now, all three female characters billed as series regulars have been made victims. That's just a horrible way to continue to derive emotional stakes. Vanessa's poisoning was enough of a difference from the other two though. But it's also largely just to bring about more personal conflict for Wilson.
- The serenity and shot composition of Wilson and Madame Gao's one scene together contrasted nicely with the severity of the words they were sharing.
- It was a huge mistake not to show Claire tending to Matt's wounds. She was purposefully left out so those scenes could be entirely about Matt and Foggy and the destruction of their friendship. But her presence - just for a little bit - would help make her feel like a larger part of the show and not just an explanation for how Matt treats all of his battle wounds.
- Foggy's hair in the college flashbacks was just too ridiculousness. Also, he just happens to know the story about Matt's accident from memory?
As noted in previous reviews from this series, every episodic review was written without having seen any succeeding episodes. Similarly, it would be much appreciated if in the comments section, the conversation would only revolve around the show up to this point in its run.
