The May 20, 2022 installment of Jacob Schoeneberger’s random entertainment opinions
I’ve been so addicted to Daredevil that I find I can’t watch anything else. Every time I get the chance to watch something on my own it’s straight to Daredevil. Let it never be said that Jacob Schoeneberger doesn’t see it through when he finds a show he likes!
With that in mind, here are some random thoughts about the entertainment I’m currently consuming.
This Installment’s Edition of Jake Schoeneberger Has Been Living Under a Rock Features: Daredevil
This will contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet.
The fifth episode was so dramatic and ended on such a cliffhanger that I couldn’t wait to hit play on episode 6. And I wasn’t disappointed. The episode started with a bang. I thought the cops would take Murdock into custody. But he heard them talking and he could tell they were on Fisk’s payroll, so it was immediately butt-kicking time. Even in cuffs Daredevil can’t be contained.
The episode then got seriously gritty. Cauterizing wounds with a road flare, falling through floors and ceilings. Then came the great moment when Fisk and Daredevil finally talk to one another over the walkie talkie. This conversation makes them realize how much they have in common. You can actually hear the admiration in Fisk’s voice. “It’s not your mask, it’s not your skills, it’s your ideology.” Fisk knows what makes Daredevil truly dangerous. That’s why Fisk had to pin the bombings and police killings on him. Now the masked man is on the run as the episode ends.
The seventh episode begins with a very intriguing scene of a blind assassin killing a Japanese businessman while searching for the “Black Sky.” Not sure what this is but it seems it will have major implications in the street war in New York.
And in a surprising turn, it seems as though the blind assassin was a younger’s Matt’s mentor. The flashback scene in which young Matt is learning to use his heightened senses is very powerful. We all wonder what we’d do if we lost our sense of sight, and this scene shows just how brave and strong young Matt is with handling it.
It turns out that the blind assassin’s name is Stick and he’s the one who taught Matt how to use his senses and to fight. We’re treated to some insanely great scenes of Stick training a young Matt how to fight and control his emotions. These sequences remind me of my favorite chapter of Kill Bill: The Cruel Tutelage of Pei Mei. Only through hard tutelage can the tough lessons be learned. Scott Glenn is killing it as Stick. He’s the perfect actor for this role.
Amazing line when Ben says, “My experience: There are no heroes. No villains. Just people with different agendas.” That seems to encapsulate the story we’re watching perfectly.
The episode has a pretty poignant moment at the end when after their fight, Matt finds the wrapper he gave Stick when he was a kid. It seems Stick kept it after all these years, showing he really does have a heart buried under there somewhere.
The eighth episode begins with flashbacks to a young Fisk and his relationship to his father. We get more insight into why Fisk feels such a need to change the city. And the scene where he talks the wounded cop’s partner into killing the wounded cop in his hospital bed shows us to what lengths Fisk is willing to go in order to maintain his enterprise.
In his memories we see how Fisk’s father cultivated in young Wilson a violent and mean streak. Wilson is shown that only through violence can one achieve their goals. The more I see of D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Fisk, the more I like it. He brings a vulnerability to the character that gives him so much more of a rounded feel. It’s easy to identify with the character due to D’Onofrio’s subtleties in his performance.
The scene where young Wilson kills his father is brutal and hard to watch but comes as no surprise. We saw how much the father pushed the son, and it was the only way for Wilson to defend his mother.
The episode ends with one of the coolest twists ever. Just as Daredevil was going to expose him, Fisk instead played the ultimate chess move and went public himself with his philanthropic plans to help the city, thereby controlling his own narrative. It was a brilliant move by a brilliant character, and it shows why he really is the Kingpin.
The ninth episode starts off with a bang with a wicked great fight scene between Daredevil and an unknown assailant who has the skills of a ninja. The choreography is exceptional and it’s obvious Daredevil has met his match. I assume we’ll see more of that character soon.
Early in the episode when Matt speaks to the priest is a moment that carries serious gravity. The priest tells the story of the killings he witnessed in Rwanda as proof that the devil walks among us. That sets the tone for the choices Matt will have to soon make.
The scene where Matt meets Fisk in the art gallery is a real nail-biter. I always appreciate those moments when the protagonist can meet the antagonist away from the field of battle. It allows each to feel the other out and show where they stand. You can cut the tension between those two with a knife and the scene was intensely gripping because of it. Fisk tells Matt he’s heard of the work Matt is doing in Hell’s Kitchen and Matt responds, “I’m aware of yours as well.” That line sinks the point home to Fisk that Matt knows who he really is.
When Matt returns to speak to the priest, there’s a moment that speaks volumes about the balance of good and evil. The priest says, “Few things are absolute, Matthew. Even Lucifer was once an angel. It’s why judgement and vengeance are best left to God.” Very true words that Matt will take to heart as he fights to do what’s right.
It turns out the ninja was Nobu and he was really kicking Matt’s butt until Matt was able to start the fire. Fisk had drawn Matt out into the fight and set Nobu up to fight him. No matter who won, Fisk would be the beneficiary. Time and time again Fisk proves that he’s one step ahead of every other player in this game.
The episode ends with Foggy in Matt’s apartment just as Matt stumbles in all beat up after his fight. Now Foggy knows Matt is the man behind the mask and another cliffhanger leaves you wanting to see more of this story play out.
The Jacob Schoeneberger Random Entertainment Thought of the Day
I predict Kenobi will be the best piece of Star Wars entertainment since the first season of The Mandalorian. And if there’s one thing Jacob Schoeneberger loves above all else it’s the Star Wars!
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