Both IMDB and Netflix describe this episode as “Matt and Fisk facing the consequences of their chosen paths.” This is technically accurate, but there is so much more to it. After Vanessa was accidentally poisoned at the end of the previous episode, Fisk is in panic mode. As that vague synopsis implies, Fisk is facing the reality that his actions are affecting the one person he truly does care about. We’ve seen faces of Fisk’s personality before, but the gloves are off – we know how violent, merciless and gruesome this man can be. So it is a unique contrast to see this monster of man being so vulnerable – especially since the show succeeds in making Fisk seem sympathetic. This also builds suspense as we know how volatile this man can be so if something happens to Vanessa, Fisk can blow.
After being patched by Claire – who is back after being MIA for what feels like too long – Matt is back in action. He has some talk with his Pastor, which fleshes out his character. It’s a unique contrast – Matt has learned his physical limits, but has to confront his moral limits in pursuing Kingpin. While his MO isn’t entirely different, this time his friends have seen his scars and Matt is haunted by memories of his battle. There are some exciting action scenes as Matt’s MO is a little more clearly defined – acquire the same type of body armor Fisk protects himself with.
Karen and Ben are on the trail of Fisk as well. However, this is dialed up several notches. Despite being on the trail of Fisk as well, Karen has felt like an afterthought for much of this season. She is captured by one of Fisk’s men. There’s a tense scene where Kingpin’s man threatens to hunt down Karen ever cared about if she doesn’t convince Ben that Fisk is safe – this is tense because we know by now, this is not an idle threat. Without giving anything away, Karen’s actions show there’s more to her than just a damsel in distress, but will also put her in real danger. In conclusion, this episode is another winner – lots of great action, and every character has a few more dimensions to their personalities.
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