Daredevil Born Again: The Scales & the Sword review S2 E3
The Scales and the Sword was a pointed look at the justice system under the thumb of Mayor Fisk. That’s not great news for Daredevil and company, but it sure made for an engaging episode.
Anti-Fisk sentiment is creeping up with more Fisk You! signs popping up throughout NYC.
Matt is shocked that Karen has a member of Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force bounded and blindfolded in another hideout. Karen didn’t just grab some random task force member. She thinks this guy, Alan Saunders (Felix Torrez-Ponce), actually means that he wants to help Daredevil as he thinks Fisk’s agenda is wrong.
By the show’s nature, there can’t be a lot of humor in Daredevil, but Scales and the Sword finds a pocket for a good laugh as Matt lays on terrifying vigilante extra thick to gauge Saunders’ heartrate. “He is telling the truth.”
Saunders gives Daredevil a card that allows him access anywhere in the AVTF facilities for 24 hours. To make it look good, Daredevil has to rough Saunders up a bit. “If you’re lying, I’ll hunt you down and I’ll be unhappy.” With five seasons and a few cameo appearances as Daredevil under his belt, Charlie Cox is already near the top of the most prolific MCU performers.
As evidence in Scales and the Sword, it feels like he’s only getting better as Matt/Daredevil. Karen is worried about Frank, but Matt assures her The Punisher is just fine. It’s literally a case where Fisk needs to be more concerned about Frank Castle than the other way around, Karen.
Kirsten visits Jack Duquesne as she just learned she’s going to be representing The Swordsman in court. She was taken to the holding room while blindfolded so no one can know where the detainees are being held. Jack is rather flippant about the trial as he knows he’s going to get screwed over mainly for not signing on with Fisk and the port project while meanwhile in another sector of the facility, the other detainees cry for help in their very small inhumane cells. Good thing this is nothing like real life.
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The governor (Lili Taylor) isn’t a huge fan of Fisk with his radical policies but having a ship with “dubious cargo” capsize in the east river is an entirely different matter. Unfortunately for Fisk, he can’t squeeze her head like he did Chief Gallo. Scales and the Sword brings more Anti-Kingpin videos, which are actually pretty funny.
Like Jack predicted, his trial is a sham. Kirsten can’t get through to the three judges, who seem firmly under Fisk’s thumb. In the case of Scales and the Sword, the Swordsman is easily found guilty. Fisk is thrilled as if he didn’t know how the case would turn out.
At another posh dinner, Vanessa decides to play matchmaker and pairs Buck and Heather together. With their sizzling chemistry, it’s hard to argue that Vanessa might have found another career path if this whole wife of the most vicious crime boss in New York City thing doesn’t work out.
Karen gives Kirsten a note to head to her office via her very sneaky redhead disguise. Although she was blindfolded, Kirsten is able to relay enough audible notes that Daredevil is able to effectively map out a path through the AVTF facilities. While Scales and the Sword doesn’t show DD use his radar sense exactly like he does in the comics, it’s a very fun scene. A little extra prep didn’t hurt either as Matt’s able to hone in on the watch he placed in one of the compartments. That was a savvy move.
He can’t deal with the weapons just yet as the screams of the detainees start overwhelming him. With Jack’s assistance, Daredevil is able to fend off the AVTF and get the detainees free. Karen watches all of this play out from a distance, but gets an assist from Angela, who tracked her mother to the facilities without radar sense. Daredevil and Karen occupy the task force long enough for the detainees to get into an APC and escape. It sure felt like Scales and the Sword was going to be an ironic title and have Swordsman get killed in order to save the others. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Not to say the episode didn’t have its share of casualties. Per Charles’ suggestion, Fisk staffed the retrieval efforts of The Northern Star to workers “no one” would miss. Powell gets the order from Fisk to blow up the ship along with the crewman. So even when Matt and Karen are able to save some lives, Fisk still manages to leave a huge body count.
Scales and the Sword shows the (literal) depths Fisk will go to in order to preserve is secrets and how Daredevil might have to take even riskier steps to take him down.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
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