Daredevil season 3, episode 10 recap: Karen

Daredevil visits Karen’s hometown in one of the season’s best episodes.

Karen Page has been the character that fans have loved to hate throughout Daredevil. In season one she had a lot of promise but in season two and The Defenders, her character was treated as more of an afterthought. However, she’s been one of the most compelling parts of season three, especially in “Upstairs/Downstairs”, and now we get to learn a bit more of her history. Deborah Ann Woll shined all season but in “Karen” we learn to empathize with her character on a whole new level.

A majority of “Karen” is spent in Fagan, Vermont with the Page family. This version of the character is similar to the one seen in the comics who suffers a drug addiction which is consuming her life. At a college party, she can be seen shirtless and dancing in front of a crowd before exiting to sell some drugs. When a customer gets aggressive, she and her boyfriend beat him up before heading back to his trailer.

The next morning, she rushes back to Penny’s Place or the diner which her family owns. She’s late and seems like she’s still a little high or at the very least extremely hungover. Luckily, her brother Kevin covers for her with their dad so she doesn’t get into any trouble. Why does she have to be there so early? Their only customer is the police chief in town who gets the same thing every morning. He seems to be Karen’s least favorite person in town, probably because she’s moonlighting as a drug dealer, but is interrupted by her father impulsively buying a five thousand dollar stove.

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It’s easy to see why Karen would get addicted drugs. She’s bored living in this town and it looks like she’ll be stuck paying off her family’s debts from a dead end diner for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, her nose begins bleeding in the police chief’s eggs, so she needs to toss them out and run to the bathroom. Kevin calls her out, something which she tries to brush off. However, he doesn’t want to see his sister slowly die away in this town. He sent in her acceptance to Georgetown University and wants to see her go.

Later that night with her boyfriend, she admits she can’t go to college. Her dad calls her home so they can celebrate with some “Karencakes” about Georgetown. Karen can barely hold it together until her dad mentions that her work is sleeping and angrily lectures her about her boyfriend. Karen finally unleashes all of her own frustrations about how their mother hated Penny’s Place. She breaks the lottery ticket on the wall, the last one her mother bought and dares her father to scratch it. Eventually, she takes off with her boyfriend while Kevin tries to stop her.

On the way to his trailer, they’re doing lines and getting drunk. However, when they arrive it’s already been set on fire. Kevin yells for the guy to stay away from his sister, which causes a brawl to break out. The young boy is beaten with a crowbar before Karen pulls a gun out and grabs Kevin. In the car, she yells at her brother about ruining her plan to make money for them. He admits that he already lost his mother and couldn’t bear to see his sister overdose or worse too. Unfortunately, Karen’s high and not paying attention to the road so the two crash.

Poor Kevin is killed on impact, and their father is devastated. The police chief chooses to fudge some details of the accident so Karen can walk free, not wanting to see the remaining Page child in jail. It’s some of Deborah Ann Woll’s best work when Karen, who’s destroyed by Kevin’s death, is told by her father that he doesn’t want her there anymore. It’s an even more heart-wrenching backstory than expected for her and hopefully, her father eventually learns to forgive her.

Back in the present day, Dex is suited up as Daredevil and ready to do Kingpin’s bidding. Fisk admits Wesley used to be like a son to him, and it’s clear Dex is hoping to fill that role now. He grabs Nadeem and the two head over to the Church.

Father Lantom has convinced Karen to come upstairs and listen to his mass. It’s a lose-lose situation because if Karen had stayed hidden in the basement then she probably wouldn’t have heard the carnage. Everyone in the Church would’ve died before Dex made his way downstairs. However, upstairs she’s out in the open and ultimately saves some lives.

Matt ultimately makes a decision about the part of himself he’d been trying to ignore. Fisk’s security woman tells him if he leaves then she’ll be forced to alert Kingpin he had been there. But Matt can’t let Karen die or even Father Lantom. He comes flying into the Church and it’s Daredevil versus Daredevil all over again. Unfortunately, Dex is able to get the upper hand and throws his club at Karen when she closes her eyes. Fans of the Born Again arc probably closed their own eyes out of fear for her safety. However, Father Lantom steps in front of her at the last minute and takes the hit.

It devastates Matt, who never got the opportunity to reconcile with him. Father Lantom’s final words are “Forgive us”. Considering this is the Father’s last request, it seems unlikely Matt will finish this season still angry at Maggie. Yet, for now, he focuses on yet another superb action sequence from Daredevil. There aren’t as many things at the Church for Dex to throw so the fight is a little more evenly matched. The two brawl hand to hand while Karen distracts Dex to get the remaining people in the Church out.

Once everyone is safely away, she rushes upstairs as Dex follows. Right before he can catch her, Matt comes rushing in to continue the fight. Dex gets the upper hand, but Karen pops out to send him flying over the railing to the ground below. When she peeks over to look for him, Dex is gone. Can’t get rid of Bullseye that easily! “Karen” ends with the titular character gripping onto a passed out map with the cross in the background. Is this the end of Daredevil? Probably not, but it’s a beautiful image and cliffhanger to end the episode with.

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