Daredevil Episode Five Review: World on Fire

[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]

 

  

"World on Fire" Daredevil's fifth episode, is far more literal than it sounds. By the end of the episode, there will be fire, both figurative and literal, burning down Hell's Kitchen, while endangering Matt and his friends along the way. Through it all, "World on Fire" continues the show's hot streak. You won't remember this episode as much as the last four (other than the ending and an excellent scene in the first act), but blame that on the quality of the episodes that came before. And seriously, how are you supposed to top an episode where the main villain kills a character by decapitating him via car door? Only Heroes would foolishly repeat something like that in the next episode.

Wilson Fisk is having problems; a man in black (Matt's vigilante name thus far), a bad first date and killing one of the Russian brothers (Gideon Emery) will do that. So what does Fisk do? Start a war between Murdock and the Russians (who already hated each other anyway) by blaming Matt for the death Fisk caused. He also gives it another go with Vanessa, and you'll be surprised to see how she reacts to Fisk's day job. Elsewhere, Matt and Foggy take on the case of an elderly woman (Judith Delgado) who is being forced out her home by a slumlord connected to Fisk. Claire, while staying at Matt as she recovers from last episode's kidnapping, sees sparks fly between her and our distant protagonist. And the remaining Russian brother Vladimir (Nikolai Nikolaeff) sets out to avenge his brother's death, unaware that he is targeting the wrong man.

"World on Fire", if nothing else, introduces two aspects into Daredevil we haven't yet seen. The first is introducing Delgado's character, an arc that surprisingly has legs throughout the rest of the season. It also allows Foggy and Karen to have something to do for the next few episodes, as the characters fade out a bit as the action picks up. Secondly, the show makes Vanessa aware of Fisk's criminal activities, and also makes her okay with them. This is a big, BIG change from the comics, where Vanessa is at first unaware of Fisk's ways and ultimately is repulsed when she learns them. The change is welcome, as it helps humanize Fisk even more, and also gives him something that is both a strength and weakness for him going forward. And who can complain really? Each time Vincent D'Onofrio and Ayelet Zurer share the screen is a delight, a contrast to the potential romance between Claire and Matt that's introduced here. Whether it's the writing or the acting by Charlie Cox and Rosario Dawson, that development just doesn't feel right, though that could be the comic book fan in me.

Still a better love story than Twilight

Much like it's predacessors, "World on Fire" contains some absolutely dynamite scenes, though most are at the beginning. One that continues to stick out to me is a scene where one of Madam Gao's (Wai Ching Ho) drug runners waits in a car, singing a song in Mandarin. It's merely used to build up to Matt coming in to take out the Russian gangsters that are there, but the scene is surprisingly chilling, the kind of throwaway shot that sticks with you. There's a nice scene soon after where Matt's senses pick up a large amount of police corruption going on in the interrogation room ("World on Fire" is the first episode to give us a greater glimpse of how Matt's abilities through his eyes, although is sonar vision scene is more ordinary than you might expect). The money scene however...well, you'll just have to wait for the next review to find out. Let's just say the ending represents the more literal part of the title.

Not much to report on the cast here. All the regulars perform to their normal standards, though the focus here is more towards Matt, Fisk, Vanessa and Vladimir than anyone else. Notable highlights include any scene between Fisk and Vanessa (as already mentioned), the scenes between Fisk and Wesley (quietly, Daredevil has done an excellent job at establishing those two as not just associates, but great friends) and anything involving Vladimir. I'll have more to say about Nikolai Nikolaeff in the next review, but it's worth pointing out that he has been excellent up to this point. Vladimir could've easily been lost in the shuffle in the hands of another actor, but Nikolaeff turns him into someone memorable. Yet another win for the Daredevil casting team. 

Nikolai Nikolaeff as Vladimir

Bottom Line: After four strong episodes, "World on Fire" represents the least of what Daredevil has to offer thus far, coming across more as a breather episode than a major one. Still, everyone from the cast to crew (writer Luke Kalteux and director Farren Blackburn among others) is game, some interesting elements are introduced, and the episode's great ending sets us up for the excellent follow up episode, "Condemned".

Please change disks to continue...