All pretense has been shattered for Fisk. Nothing can be given or taken away. He's already suffered his greatest loss. Vanessa was killed. As such, he no longer sees the appeal of playing games. He will empower those who have been loyal to him. He will kill those who have failed him. He's not going to get entangled in any political concerns. He's not trying to appease Charles by delivering on their deal. Life has lost its meaning. He still survives. This conflict between Fisk and Matt has been corrosive. It has ruined them and the people they care about. Foggy and Vanessa were killed as a result. They are constantly motivating others to take lethal actions as well. Those transformations are occurring whether they want to admit it or not. They are responsible for the disaster that has befallen New York City. They claim to love this city. Yet they may have to leave in order to escape this vicious cycle of violence. Matt offers that deal. He reaches out to Fisk. Nothing he says gets through. So instead, they enact their latest physical battle. It's an impressive fight sequence. It still ends the same. Matt can't arrest or kill Fisk. He hasn't found a viable third option to handle this problem for good. Fisk will keep coming after him because that's what he knows how to do.
Matt is demanding of those around him too. He expects them to honor his decisions even though the impact extends far beyond him. Dex has tried to kill Matt and Karen. He killed Foggy and Vanessa. He welcomes death. Karen wants to kill him. She remains haunted by killing Wesley. Yet she has come to see that as the best option. It's the only way to end this concern for good. Matt prevents her from making that choice. He believes mercy must be extended. Foggy inspired that lesson. Matt can't articulate it the same way his friend could. That means others around him continue to make dangerous decisions. That culminates in a violent protest outside of city hall. The resistance wants to get the word out about who was actually imprisoned. They seek to uplift those stories. However, it becomes a violent battle with the task force. In handling a traitor, Powell uses it as permission to fight back. He feels free to do whatever he wants. It even culminates in him stumbling upon Karen because her disguise failed. Her life's in danger yet again. She tried to save a life. Instead, she's greeted with more violence thrust upon her.
Krysten Ritter makes her welcome return as Jessica Jones. This marks her first appearance as the character since her show ended in 2019. It remains perfect casting. Now, Jessica has a daughter in the suburbs. She's targeted by the CIA. She turned down an offer to join a mercenary group of individuals with powers. People she knew accepted the offer. She enters the fold because she uncovered who was supporting Fisk. It's a fascinating complexity. The CIA has the potential to exploit every angle of this conflict. Charles isn't loyal to anyone. He's simply out to make the best deal for himself. He knows how to convince others he can fix their problems. He's not the only character who operates like that. Plenty in Fisk's orbit are positioning themselves for the future. However, that's planning that Fisk isn't interested in. The narrative strives to keep the supporting ensemble relevant. Their actions are in service to someone detached. That allows the brutal final fight to have meaning. The other complications are lacking in that regard. Fisk is no longer invested in the deal for weapons. Matt and Jessica disrupting it is thrilling from their perspective. Fisk doesn't even react. It's difficult to care about particular events if the characters themselves aren't invested. That makes this storytelling more labored than it has to be. It's fun to see Jessica again. Ultimately though, this narrative is about the conflict between Matt and Fisk. They've battled for a long time. It can't keep building to the same moral conflicts either. Something new must occur to suggest a significant change in this world or the characters is actually possible.
