Daredevil 1x02
The two highlights of this episode for me were Claire Temple and Foggy and Karen's drunken escapades. Not that the rest of the episode wasn't good, 'cause it was. But I loved those parts most of all.
The fact that this Claire Temple is a combination of an old Hero for Hire minor character and the obscure superhero Night Nurse explains why Marvel has suddenly put out a Night Nurse compilation. (Did I pre-order it months ago? Duh.)
I really like just how much of who Claire is gets revealed in this episode. The very fact that she fishes Matt out of the dumpster and puts him back together. She's very practical, but she still has that moment when she demands Matt convince her allying with him is worth it. Because she wants to be a part of this.
Honestly, now I want an entire Claire series. I want this to be her superhero origin. (I don't know if this is fact or rumor, but I've heard that Claire is going to weave in and out of the Netflix shows, sort of their version of Phil Coulson. Except, you know, better.)
I feel like I should have some comment on Matt and Claire torturing that mook for information. I'm really uncomfortable with how easily our heroes engage in torture, the way people barely notice it anymore. That said, it's a hell of a lot more in character for Matt Murdock than it is for Steve Rogers, and I think this series has a complex relationship with violence. The violence isn't mindless, nor do I think it's there for shock value. It's in the whole way Matt relates to his father and the memory of his father. Murdocks get knocked down, but they get back up. Matt defines himself by a lot of things, but way up there is his ability to take punishment and keep standing.
A lot has been made of that fight scene in the hallway, and justifiably so. But my main interest in it at the moment is the way it shows Matt's sheer determination. Being the better fighter helps, but what really gets him through that is the absolutely refusal to stay down.
Jack Murdock was the kind of man who's always getting knocked down. You can tell he doesn't have a lot of self-esteem. He definitely doesn't think of himself as smart. (And he may have some cognitive problems, from those years of boxing. It's an incredibly destructive sport.) But he can see that Matt is smart. Jack really seems to define himself as not being good enough for his son. His fatal decision not to throw his fight against Creel is all about Matt. He uses the money from his winnings to provide for Matt, and he wins to the fight in order to be the kind of man Matt can be proud of. But it's so very short sighted of him, because what Matt wanted more than anything was his father. Of course, I also think winning salved Jack's pride. But he never would have done it for himself alone. (I also enjoyed the Crusher Creel shoutout.)
Karen and Foggy weren't really a part of the action, but they were delightful. Seriously, I could watch an entire episode of the drunken adventures of Karen and Foggy. "Mighty eel strength!" I would have loved to know what would have happened if Matt had been home to hear those two serenading him. This was where I really fell in love with Foggy, despite having some mild reservations about the character type.
While the entire plotline was a joy, it has its roots in Karen's trauma, which is something I really appreciate. I like that Karen isn't simply bouncing back like nothing ever happened, but she is surviving. Surival and getting up again. It's kind of a thing in this show.
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