Daredevil season 3, episode 3 recap: No Good Deed

Kingpin might be out of jail but neither Daredevil or the world believes he’s actually changed.

Something we rarely get to see in Wilson Fisk is fear. He’s usually so in control and confident that even in high-stress situations it feels like he’ll be alright. However in “No Good Deed” we get to see what is actually push him to a point where he’s genuinely scared. A large part of that is Daredevil establishing his relationship with Vanessa, and another is how fantastic Vincent D’Onofrio is in this role.

The third episode of this season opens up with Fisk reliving the events of the night while taking a shower. He’s trying to cope with nearly dying and process everything which happened. However, he can persevere through anything so long as Vanessa is safe. Unfortunately, she’s missing and just like that Fisk’s entire world is in jeopardy.

Karen’s and Foggy’s lives are immediately put at risk too when they get the update about Fisk’s release. Foggy is having guilt nightmares regarding Matt, but Marci is there beside him to offer comfort. He’s upset because everything has fallen in line for him professionally and personally, but his best friend made the ultimate sacrifice. However, he’s even more upset when learning that the justice he fought so hard for with Matt and Karen has been undone with Fisk’s release.

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Meanwhile, Karen is stuck on a double date with her boss and his nephew without realizing it. Things get cut short when she receives a call about Fisk but her editor takes her off the case. She’s biased because of her history with Kingpin, but she still heads to the Presidential Hotel hoping to get some answers. A cruel trick of fate makes her miss Matt but only a few seconds but at least she gets to talk to Ray Nadeem. The FBI Agent is furious about the lost lives of his friends and the protests happening. He angrily tells Karen she can write about the dead agents rather than Fisk living in a penthouse.

Matt, on the other hand, shows up at the hotel to torture himself. Wilson Fisk, complete in a white suit, speaks to him as the darkest voice in his conscious. This version of Fisk accuses Matt of trying to kill himself and that this is God’s punishment. Faux Fisk says that God restored Matt’s hearing just in time to know that Fisk has been released. He also points out that both Matt and Daredevil won’t be able to protect Karen if he continues pulling her into his orbit.

Quickly, Matt slips into the hotel and tries to mull over his next move. Fisk follows him around, and it’s one of the best directing choices Daredevil has made. He’s only a few steps behind Matt, but constantly out of focus. It’s like he’s a ghost haunting Matt, and whispering his deepest insecurities into his ear. This Fisk challenges Matt to stop him before he can manipulate the FBI into doing his bidding. Or worse, that Fisk has become an upstanding citizen and is all of a sudden the hero Matt doesn’t see himself as anymore.

Speaking of the actual Fisk, he’s not actually handing over any vital information at the moment. He’s staring at a blank wall, with tears in his eyes as he waits for news about Vanessa. Luckily, his lawyers come back to reveal she’s hidden in Barcelona. He demands she’s moved closer to him, and it seems like only a matter of time before they’re reunited.

Foggy has set his own sights on taking Fisk down in his own way. He goes to the District Attorney and offers to use his resources to bring justice back. What he wasn’t counting on was the DA not wanting to fight the deal. This DA doesn’t want to take a chance on a case he’d probably lose, and the criminals who Fisk offers up will make him look good in court. Foggy won’t take no for an answer though, and we’re going to predict that he ends up running for DA to give a voice back to the people.

Agent Poindexter, or Dex, has his first run-in with Daredevil at the hotel. He doesn’t know who Matt Murdock is but these two are definitely going to find themselves fighting this season. Fisk makes his first attempt to recruit him as well on Daredevil. He apologizes for the loss of Dex’s friends and compliments his abilities. This only infuriates Dex, who’s having a bad day due to his psych evaluation, but Kingpin probably won’t give up any time soon.

Speaking of Dex, his evaluation is actually pretty disconcerting. It seems as if he knows exactly what to say in order to get the agency off his back. However, he lights up when speaking about his girlfriend Julie. We discover at the end of “No Good Deed” that she’s not his girlfriend at all but a woman he watches through a telescope after work. Definitely a little disturbing to know an FBI Agent has set his sights on an innocent woman.

Daredevil debuts another great fight scene in the parking lot when Matt threatens Fisk’s attorney. He wants to know why Fisk chose to hand over the Albanians out of all the gangs. The attorney doesn’t know but says the change of heart was entirely due to Vanessa. Matt is still doubtful someone could change out of love, especially Fisk. Nevertheless, he takes down six FBI agents in the garage with ease so it looks like his injuries are healing faster than expected.

Back with Sister Maggie, he talks about wanting to stop Fisk once and for all. He doesn’t believe people can change, and he’s confident he’d be doing the world a favor. She counsels him to be careful about becoming the “monster” by losing himself in this fight.

But he’s already lost himself. “No Good Deed” ends with Matt and Foggy finally having a reunion at the end of the episode. While Foggy is over the moon to have his best friend back, Matt doesn’t quite feel the same. He warns Foggy to keep himself and Karen away from this Fisk business. Of course, Foggy refuses because he won’t let his best friend fight this alone. Unfortunately, Matt says they’re no longer best friends before leaving and stealing his wallet. Daredevil really can’t let poor Matt be happy, huh?

Karen doesn’t get as much screentime in this episode but she is hot on the trail of a new case. Turns out the Kazemi story she was writing seems connected to Fisk. The Presidential Hotel was originally owned by Kazemi until he sold it to a shell corporation owned by Fisk’s lawyers. However, when he got cold feet and wanted to buy it back when he was attacked two days later in the season three premiere. Seems like there’s more going on with Fisk’s release than originally anticipated.

What did you think of this episode of Daredevil? Be sure to tell us in the comments below!