1x09 Speak of the Devil

Man this was such an entertaining, climactic episode of Daredevil. For one we got Matt Murdock and the priest's interactions, wherein Matt is struggling with whether or not he should murder Fisk, worried about the kind of monster he'll become if he goes through with the act to rid of this "devil" Fisk, and the priest trying to warn Matt that murder is not something he can take back, it can transform him into an awful person, and that he should consider whether is something he wants to do or has to do. We saw Matt face this question head on when he went to visit Vanessa, and then being forced to understand Fisk is still a human, and he has someone who loves him and would cry over his death, and that murdering Fisk would be taking away a human life, not a demon. It's pretty clear this show is reinforcing that if Matt crosses that line, it'll fundamentally change him as a person, how he views life, and what he's willing to do to complete his vision of eradicating the corruption of Hell's Kitchen and making it a better place. Also, we got the investigation squad, still hitting roadblocks and dead-ends, but slowly connection these business subsidiaries to the murders and illegal practices and ultimately to Fisk. And like usual, Matt is warning the painfully naive Foggy and Karen to take a safe, careful approach to taking down Fisk, with him being fully aware how much power Fisk has over everything and everyone in Hell's Kitchen. And man, seeing Ms. Casandra die was heartbreaking, all she wanted way to stay as a tenant in her home, but sadly for her Fisk was seeking that apartment (though the main reason she was killed was just to lure Daredevil). Man Fisk is one terrifying villain, killing of an innocent woman just to lure Daredevil out of hiding and straight to his associate, Nobu, while simultaneously planning to have Nobu and Daredevil kill each other because Nobu is becoming bad for business. And man, was the fighting choreography between Nobu and Matt beautiful, I was really terrified for Matt with how Nobu was dominating that fight, but luckily he pulled through in the end and defeated Nobu (unintentionally killing him though). And man, seeing Fisk walk out then start brutally punching Matt was painful to watch, its clear that Fisk is on a whole different level than any other criminal Matt has faced, and he was in complete control of the situation the whole time, with almost everything going to his plan. And before the fight, when Matt was looking at his dad's old boxing jersey and praying, it was really a touching scene, seeing how much of an impact Jack left in Matt's life, shaping Matt into the man he's now today was quite beautiful. Also, at that ending scene, looks like Foggy now knows who Daredevil truly is, after unmasking Matt as he stumbled into his apartment after barely escaping Fisk, but sadly he just had to call the police beforehand. Man am I praying that Foggy still cares for Matt even after learning the truth.

Murdock is finally realizing how over his head he is. When he first went on his quest to save Hell's Kitchen he never imagined he'd be up against a giant. A giant backed by image, power, wealth and support at every turn. He also never thought he'd have to potentially kill his adversary in order to save his world, even more so after he meets with Vanessa and sees her love for Fisk, and to a degree his love for Her. Murdock sees Fisk as not just a villain or a criminal, but a person who is loved and loves in return, someone who is human. And this moral dilemma is what keeps Matt Murdock from finding a solution to save Hell's Kitchen from being eaten by a giant.

This episode focuses specifically on showing how outmatched Matt is against Fisk and how lost he is. While Matt is playing checkers, Fisk is playing chess.

A great visual scene representing this situation is Matt fighting against Fisk in the abandoned building. No matter what Matt does, Fisk just towers over him, where Fisk's brute force easily overpowers Murdock, leaving him bloody, bruised and narrowly escaping to save his life.

The real surprise is at the end when Foggy, having heard noises in Matt's appartment rushes in and literally unmaskes the vigilante to reveal it's his childhood friend Matt Murdock.