After a few high-octane, high-stakes episodes, Daredevil was due for a slower episode. It’s just good-storytelling. Pretending for a second Daredevil season 1 were a 13-hour action movie, people need a break from action. Even in movies like Die Hard and Speed, there are breaks in the action. This episode is largely an origin story for Wilson Fisk. Kingpin has proven to be such an engaging, dynamic character that he can carry an episode that’s a little lighter on action.
We learn about Fisk’s past in this episode. His father was a wannabe politician who was also abusive toward his son and his wife. The scenes of the abuse are uncomfortable, but in a way that works. After all, this is a touchy subject so if it were anything but uncomfortable, the people behind the scenes wouldn’t be doing their jobs. The scenes with the young Fisk are effective in explaining Fisk’s psychology. His dad was violent but had a unique honor system – he was running for mayor because he wanted to do what was right for the city, he wants his son to stand up for himself. However, he takes his ideals a little too far in the wrong direction. He even goes out of his way to rough up someone for bullying his son. And that is fascinating because that is the kind of man Wilson Fisk grew up to be. He wants to save Hell’s Kitchen, but he does so with violence. After all, the young Wilson had to overcome his father’s violence WITH violence.
The psychology in the episode is also fascinating because in most other media, someone who stood up to an abusive father and overcame them would be a hero. And that’s part of the brilliance – Fisk finally comes out to the open and presents himself as the hero. He presents himself as a hero who is trying to save the city from the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. We already know how dangerous and violent Kingpin is, but this adds an extra layer to the character – he does these things but now has the trust of the city. Vincent D’Onofrio’s acting is brilliant as he plays someone still coping with the mental scars of his past. Even though he is not the focus, Murcock/The Devil still has a role in this episode. His scenes are exciting, but Kingpin is the real star of this episode.
Overall, despite being a little slower and light on action, this is an engaging episode from a psychological perspective. We delve deeper into the biggest villain of the series, learn a little more about why he is the way he is and just how much power he has.
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