We’re back with our ninth review of this season’s Daredevil on the episode “Seven Minutes in Heaven”. As we’ve mentioned in our previous reviews, this season we are reviewing each episode so we can get deeper into the nitty gritty of this spectacular series and so we can keep up with everybody’s various binge-ing habits.
In this episode we see what Wilson Fisk has been up to since season one, Karen goes on her own mission, and a character returns from the dead. Let’s get into ‘Seven Minutes in Heaven’:
The return of Wilson Fisk and the Seven Minutes
The episode began with a little fill in the blanks about what took place with Wilson Fisk since we last saw him. He entered prison, but the so-called ‘kingpin’ of the prison immediately let him know who’s boss. But Fisk plays a long game and is not one to bow down to others, so against the advice of his lawyer, Fisk organized a group of people to work for him in prison, a clique of sorts, and with the help of the guard at Frank’s trial, waited for Frank to make his appearance in prison (apparently it was a foregone conclusion that he will be sent to the same prison as Fisk?).
Fisk’s proposition for Frank is that Frank kill the prison kingpin, Dutton, who apparently had an important role to play in the shootout where Frank’s family was murdered. Fisk gives Frank seven minutes alone with Dutton in which to do the deed. Through some coercion, Frank is able to find out that what happened that day was a sting that went badly, Dutton was the one who brokered the deal but he was not the one in charge, that was a man named the Blacksmith.
Armed with the information he needs, Frank stabs Dutton, but Fisk double crosses him and locks him in the cellblock while ordering the other prisoners to go after him. A bloody scene ensues, with Frank killing, maiming, slashing and gouging his way through all the prisoners. It’s a bloody scene and not for the faint-hearted but it’s an excellent bit of action for Jon Bernthal and well executed.
The now ‘kingpin’ of the prison, Wilson Fisk, then brokers a meeting with Frank while he is in solitary confinement, and tells him that although his plan was for Frank to die, now that he has seen his murderous talents, he thinks it’s better to use him. So he organizes for Frank to escape so that he can go after the Blacksmith and off the main New York bad guy so that it’ll leave a place open for Fisk when he gets out. Makes you wonder why he doesn’t just escape himself? Unless he wants to do it the legal way?
I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes between Fisk and Frank. Both Vincent D’Onofrio and Bernthal are strong actors, and the give and take between the two were a pleasure to watch, and they work well off each other. I didn’t realize how much I missed Fisk in Daredevil until he reappeared, and D’Onofrio just slided back into the universe as if he didn’t leave. If anything, this episode showed that Wilson Fisk is not defeated and we can see him returning sometime again – either in Daredevil or in one of the other Defenders series.
Nelson and Murdock break up and the rise of Karen the Reporter
So after the events of last week, Matt and Foggy are not on the best of terms, and when Foggy suggests disbanding Nelson and Murdock at least for the time being, Matt agrees. According to Matt, he can’t keep apologizing for being Daredevil because that is now part of who he is, which I understand, but then dude stop making promising you can’t keep like with the opening statement of the case. Sigh, Matt.
Foggy, on the other hand, is taking out his frustrations and broken heart out on Karen who is still searching for answers in the Frank Castle conspiracy, he tells her to give up on it because the case is over and there might not even be a Nelson and Murdock to save. However, Karen does not like giving up on a story halfway through. I get you, Karen!
She turns to Ellison and the two of them investigate the John Doe at the Castle’s murder scene that the medical examiner confessed to have falsified the death certificate of, which leads them to the medical examiner who tells them the John Doe was an undercover agent who had infiltrated one of the gangs.
Since her relationship with Ben Urich in season one, I’ve noticed that Karen has a strong journalistic instincts, and as she has been working closer with Ellison and doing her research and getting ahead of the story there is enough foundation for her to make a the move into journalism instead of the law like Matt suggested.
The Roxxon Chronicles
Meanwhile Matt has shut himself out from everyone – even Elektra, telling her to leave because she would never give up her enjoyment of murder and he’s not about that life. So he went after the Roxxon crew by himself and found a disturbing sight – they had cages full of teenagers whose blood they were draining out for God knows what.
While he was in the basement of the Roxxon facility, he came up against a ninja with a very familiar set of blades that seemed to know an awful lot about him. Spoiler alert, it was Nobu from the first season who supposedly died, but when Matt pointed it out to him, Nobu responded with there’s no such thing as death.
So that’s an interesting twist.
Last minute notes:
- The opening credits only started 10 minutes into the episode, separating the Wilson Fisk catch up from the rest of the episode.
- Anyone else get an Arrow vibe from the Hand and their pit and raising people from the death
- Wilson Fisk adorably got his moniker by referring to himself as the Kingpin while he gloated over Dutton’s injured body in hospital
- Foggy should join Jeri Hogarth’s law firm in the meantime
What did you think of this episode of Daredevil? Let us know in the comments below.
Marvel’s Daredevil is now available to stream on Netflix.