Daredevil Episode 3 Review: Rabbit in a Snow Storm

[note: This review attempts to contain as little spoilers as possible. However, potential spoilers and plot points may come up. If you haven't seen Daredevil yet, read at your own risk]

While not as epic as the first two episodes, "Rabbit in a Snow Storm" continues the trend of settling Daredevil into a nice groove. Plot is moved forward, heads are bashed in by bowling balls, a courtroom is seen for the first (and only) time in season one, and most importantly, we finally get a glimpse of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio). So what if it's literally just a glimpse? That's more than Guns N Roses has given us in the past two decades!

When it goes, it goes

The most unique aspect of "Rabbit in a Snow Storm" is the fact that we finally get to see Matt and Foggy in action, and not in the way you expect. The best friends team up here to defend John Healy (Alex Morf), a low life thug who is on trial for murder a mobster. What makes it unique? The guy is definitely guilty, the type of defendant Matt and Foggy generally do not take on as a client. The further the case goes though, the closer Matt comes to finding out who is behind Healy's motives and the man who hired them to defend him (Toby Leonard Moore's Wesley). Elsewhere, Karen Page continues to cope with the events of episode one, and must decide whether or not she can accept an offer to keep quiet about what's happened to her. Oh, and long time Daredevil character Ben Urich (Vondie-Curtis Hall) finally appears, talking to former mobsters on the docks and wondering what the hell has happened to the newspaper business. What, you thought Fisk was the only character that could debut here?

With Drew Goddard tenure having ended after episode two, "Rabbit in a Snow Storm" marks the beginning of Steven DeKnight's tenure as showrunner. For the most part, the transition is seamless, although writer Marco Ramirez and director Adam Kane don't pack the same punch Goddard and Phil Abraham did in the first two episodes. What they and DeKnight do however is keep the ship steady, introduce some new players to the table and give us something we haven't seen yet in watching Matt and Foggy in action during trial. The court scenes aren't revolutionary, but they are well done, and Matt's closing argument is a grade A piece of writing. That scene and a gruesome headbutt to a wooden stake serve as the non Fisk highlights of the episode. 

Murdock and Foggy in action

More than anything, this episode serves as the point where Matt and Foggy revert to the background a tad while other characters take center stage. There's nothing wrong with that however, and Charlie Cox and Elden Hensen continue to hit all the right beats and deliver whenever they are on screen. Those two taking backseat allows Deborah Ann Woll to continue her strong work as Karen Page. After spending two episodes presenting her as a victim, Daredevil uses that to turn Karen into a crusader come the end of this episode, and Woll flawlessly handles the transition. You get the sense that she's a potential star in the making. I'd be remissed too if I didn't mention Toby Leonard Moore, who's creepy, unnerving Wesley steals scenes throughout the episode (much like he did in "Into the Ring"), all while continuing to reinvent a character that appears to be nothing more than a meek assistant in the comics.

As for the newcomers, Ben Urich is given the most screen time. Presented as a man whose place in news is no longer relevant (the struggle of the newspaper journalist), Urich is a man who has both seen better days professionally and personally, and veteran actor Hall captures that brilliantly with a face that seems like it's seen a lot. Yet another gem in regards to the shows casting. As for Fisk, the long awaited appearance doesn't give us much to go on, as D'Onofrio has less than two minutes onscreen. The only thing we can critique is the appearance, and admittedly, D'Onofrio definitely looks the part of Daredevil's greatest enemy. He comes off as a cross between King Kong Bundy and an older, bulkier Brock Lesnar.

A young Wilson Fisk

Bottom Line: A transition episode that begins the DeKnight era, "Rabbit in a Snow Storm" continues Daredevil's excellent run, even if it doesn't pack the same punch as episodes one and two. It moves characters forward, gives a glimpse at Matt and Foggy's skill at their job, and introduces two characters who will have a major impact going forward. Overall, another hit.

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