Continuing on from my previous post, which looked at the first three episodes of the Marvel/Netflix series, this looks at episodes 4 to 6.
Episode 4: “In The Blood”
Episode four gives us not only a better look at Wilson Fisk but also at the Russian brothers, Anatoly and Vladimir. The brothers are under a lot of pressure to track down the man in the mask and deal with him. To do this, they go after Claire as a way of finding out more about their foe.
As for Matt, he’s come up with nothing in his search for Fisk. So he decides to continue on as he has done before – which leads him into the path of the Russians when he discovers that Claire has been abducted. Foggy is relegated to the sidelines in this episode, with more focus being spent on Karen and Ben’s growing partnership and how they plan to move forward in their joint venture.
Fisk, meanwhile, is focused on dating Vanessa, the woman from the gallery. His shy, nervous demeanour is not at all what we would expect from him and it’s not hard to actually feel sympathy towards him as he opens up to her. The final act of the episode does change that perception a little and creates a new mystery around Wilson Fisk.
Episode 5: “World On Fire”
If “In The Blood” was the calm, then this episode is the beginning of the storm. The ending of the last episode has led to a situation where the Russians have declared all out war on the masked man and Wilson appears before the rest of his assembled colleagues to see whose side they are on.
Wilson is also looking to progress his relationship with Vanessa and after an illuminating conversation at an empty restaurant, the two would appear to be on the same page. Also progressing is the relationship between Matt and Claire. While recovering in Matt’s home, there is a sense that she is torn between knowing Matt is a good man trying to help but also disapproving of his methods and the risk he’s putting himself in.
On a lighter note, Karen and Foggy are also getting closer. Working together on a case dealing with an unscrupulous landlord brings them closer together, and also brings them into contact with Matt and Foggy’s old firm, as well as someone from Foggy’s past. Their evening – spent working together doing repair work – ends in a dramatic conclusion that has consequences for everyone.
Episode 6: “Condemned”
This episode picks up seconds after the end of the last. Fisk’s latest plan to rid himself of the Russians has come to fruition and as a result, Matt and Vladimir are forced to seek refuge together.
For Matt, this is a chance to find out what Vladimir knows in the hope it will lead him to Fisk. Vladimir, however, sees it as a chance to get some payback on Matt. If they weren’t both being hunted by Fisk, then maybe they might have got what they were looking for. But time is not on their side. And neither is anyone else as Fisk’s men in the police soon have the two cornered while Fisk and Wesley work on convincing everyone else that Matt and Vladimir are responsible for what has happened.
Meanwhile, Foggy and Karen briefly meet Claire in the hospital, where they have also taken the injured woman whose apartment they were helping to fix. With the three of them cut off from Matt they are forced to focus on other matters closer to home, while watching events unfold through the media.
Caught in the middle of this is Ben Urich – who ends up amongst the police as they surround the building where Matt and Vladimir have sought refuge. Realising that this is where the true story really lies, he tries to get answers from the detectives. Unfortunately for him, Ben has ended up dealing with the two who are in Fisk’s pocket so it’s no surprise when things don’t end well for him.
If this series were on conventional television, this episode would perhaps be the mid season finale. It certainly felt that way – the different pieces of Matt’s life coming together and unravelling at the same time, conversing with Fisk for the first time and finding himself having to really look at who is is and what he is willing to do to achieve his goals.
Words by Megan Roxburgh