Luke Owen reviews the fifth episode of Daredevil…
If you thought things were going bad for Daredevil and his cohorts in the last few episodes, things are about to get a whole lot worse – and even The Kingpin is struggling to maintain order. “World on Fire” is a cracking episode, and features some brilliant surprises, teases and reveals. This is why Daredevil rules.
First things first, Claire is now shaking up at Murdock’s apartment following her kidnapping by the Russians. But, as Uncle Ben probably never said, ‘with a new roommate comes new sexual tensions’, and the tensions are running high between the pair. But before we dive into that, we also get our first look at “Daredevil vision” – something we thought we might not see in this show following the previous four episode’s depiction of his powers. In this iteration of the character, Matt reveals he sees “a world of fire”, which is exactly how it sounds. Did we really need to see how he sees the world? Probably not. The show actually worked much better without us really knowing, just blurring out the edges of the screen to show us when he’s using his gift.
The other point of contention is the relationship explosion between Matt and Claire. While it’s hardly a deal breaker for the series (and it doesn’t last too long anyhow), it just seems too soon to be throwing these two into this kind of dynamic. It was cute when they innocently flirted with one and other, but the moment where they kiss for the first time just felt rushed and unnecessary.
It’s not all bad news for the episode though, as Murdock and Nelson have a new client in the form of an old Spanish lady who is being forced out of her apartment building, which seems to have some ties to the dodgy dealings of Fisk. This leads to the best showing from Eldon Henson as Foggy Nelson to date as he and Karen head to the big-time law offices who will be defending the bad guys. While being talked down to by former-girlfriend Marci Stahl, ‘Foggy Bear’ all of a sudden grows a pair of balls and gives her a legal tongue lashing that will make you punch your fist in the air and shout, “yes Foggy!”. It’s such a great moment and is sold perfectly by all three involved, particularly Deborah Ann Woll who continues to impress.
On the other side of town, Matt has visited to the local police station to gather information on his case, only to hear a Russian being interrogated in another room by Blake and Hoffman. This leads to one of the episode’s best reveals when the Russian gives up Fisk’s name to gain some leverage and is killed for his troubles by the corrupt Blake and Hoffman. They were always presented as ‘bad guys’ because they were causing aggro for defense attorneys, but we never knew how far their ‘badness’ went. It’s just another string to the bow set up in the last episode, asking questions about how far Fisk’s corruption goes.
Speaking of Fisk, he seems to have convinced the cautious Vanessa to come to dinner with him again – only this time in an empty restaurant. The dynamic between these two is so captivating and Vincent D’onofrio continues to excel in the role of Wilson Fisk. His delivery of lines is impeccable and so unlike every other villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Similarly Ayelet Zurer is equally as excellent and she adds so many layers to her character without even trying. Is she a sweet an innocent art curator, or is she willing to dive head first into Fisk’s world of crime? Or is she simply interested in Fisk to the point where she wants to see him overcome his social awkwardness, regardless of the cost?
But “World on Fire” is not just a title to refer to Daredevil’s vision, as Fisk puts in place a set of events that get more thrilling with each passing moment. Lines in the sand are drawn, and “World on Fire” ends with the first cliffhanger of the season. What a show.
Luke Owen is the Deputy Editor of Flickering Myth and the host of the Flickering Myth Podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @LukeWritesStuff.
Originally published April 14, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
