“Rabbit in a Snowstorm” was definitely a slower episode of Daredevil, but it achieved two things that the show needed to get done before it became a problem: it showed Matt and Foggy actually practicing law, and it introduced Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. Along with Fisk, there was one new character introduction, but it’s starting to feel less and less expository, and more like Daredevil just building its world.
Can we talk about that spectacularly violent opening? Healy’s brutal assassination of Prohashka was as hard to watch as it was to turn away from. It went a long way towards justifying Daredevil being on Netflix, because there’s no way a PG-13 film version would show a guy’s bone poking through his arm. Director Adam Kane (Heroes) pushes his camera right into the middle of the fray, and it’s honestly surprising that no blood got on the lens. Like all the fights on Daredevil, this one was great, but it set unreasonably high expectations for the rest of “Rabbit,” which is kind of a problem if your next move as a storyteller is to pump the brakes.
The law firm of Nelson & Murdock is tapped to represent Healy, who’s arguing self-defense, but Matt smells something fishy right away. Fisk’s henchman – fuck it, his name is Wesley; the show hasn’t revealed it yet (or if it did I missed it) so I checked IMDb cause I’m tired of typing “henchman.” Anyway, there’s clearly something off about Wesley, namely that he won’t give his own name or that of his employer (this will become pretty damn important later on). But they take the case anyway, despite Foggy’s newfound misgivings, because as Matt points out, they need the money. I like this turn; it shows some flexibility on Matt’s part, and giving Foggy a chance to argue in front of a trial gives a hint as to what exactly he brings to the table. (Even if the trial itself is quickly glossed over. I don’t tune in to Daredevil to watch Matt Murdock as a lawyer, but if it’s part of his identity it should be explored more. In future episodes, perhaps.)
Anyway, Matt quickly deduces that certain jury members are being threatened or blackmailed. He literally beats the truth out of a blackmailer, because an ass-whooping is how Daredevil says hello. After Healy gets off, Daredevil attacks him at home, needing to get to the truth. Healy, who puts up a hell of a fight because everyone in Hell’s Kitchen is amazing, is really reluctant to reveal his employer’s name. It’s a nice touch, and adds a sense of dread around Kingpin that goes a long way towards building up the character. It’s not until Daredevil has a piece of glass pressed up against Healy’s throat that he gives a name: Wilson Fisk. Daredevil tells him to leave town, but Healy says it’ll do no good. Because he revealed Fisk’s name, he’s dead, his family’s dead, everyone he ever cared for is dead. His only option, apparently, is to impale his own head on a rusty pipe, another thing you wouldn’t see in a PG-13 Daredevil. (Side note: a few months back, Joe Carnahan’s sizzle reel for his version of Daredevil made the rounds on the Internet, causing a lot of people to whine “Would Daredevil really be better if it were more violent?” The answer, obviously, is yes.)
I was beginning to worry that “Rabbit” wouldn’t get around to properly introducing Fisk, but it turns out I was wrong. I was wrong, too, about Daredevil giving him a big reveal scene – happily wrong, I might add. Just as the title hero never introduces himself, the villain gets the same treatment. Vincent D’Onofrio’s imposing physique and rock-solid stance speak volumes, which is good because the man himself does not. There’s a sense of sadness and aimlessness behind his dead eyes, and for a man who will kill you for speaking his name, he’s strangely forthcoming. Looking at a painting that is little more than gradations of white, he tells the salesperson “It makes me feel alone.” It’s an odd introduction for a dangerous man, but Daredevil is clearly uninterested in playing by any rules but its own.
A Few Thoughts
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We also meet Ben Urich, played in 2003’s Daredevil by Joe Pantoliano, and played here by Vondie Curtis-Hall. He and Karen are going to look into the now-dissolved Union Allied Construction, because apparently two attempts on her life wasn’t enough for Karen
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I know I’ve twice described this episode as “slower,” and I have to point out that it’s amazing that I could use that word to describe an episode that featured three brutal ass-kickings. That’s just the kind of show Daredevil is
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