Erik Oleson’s adapted screenplay for the third season is in only bits and pieces similar to Frank Miller’s Born Again. Erik cleverly took all the events from the comic and rewrote in the screenplay. The season 3 is much more reformed and coherent than Daredevil’s season 1 and 2.
The season starts with the addition of a new character Rahul Ray Nadeem (played by Jay Ali). The acts and tantrums thrown by Wilson Fisk to regain his lost power has been depicted and matched with the storyline of Rahul Ray Nadeem (an FBI agent). Wilson Fisk makes Ray fall for his story and convinces him to help catch Albanian mafia. This gave the show an edge on how to dispose the new character at the end of the season. A smart move by Erik, I would say.
Meanwhile, Matt Murdock renters the world with a broken will and questions the sanity of God. In the middle of the season, Matt learns the truth about his mother. The hidden truth that was kept from him even from his much regarded priest. His constant fight with the harsh realities and his due fight with Wilson Fisk is a great treat to watch. This season finally reveals that Wilson Fisk would be referred to as the Kingpin from now on. Despite intimidated by Kingpin throughout the season, Matt manages to keep his sanity intact. The acting of Vincent D’Onofrio is again top-notch and he keeps his authoritative style till the end of the season.
The other significant part of the series deals in developing the character of the FBI agent Benjamin Poindexter. From the comic book point of view, Ben Poindexter tends to spin his own version of past to different people. In the series, it has been kept as a fixed storyline to develop the character better and the viewer can keep track of it easily. I’m not sure if more revelations about his storyline are due in the next season. Kingpin uses the sadistic past life of the FBI agent to make him work for him too. The sole agenda of Kingpin is to intimidate Matt to either come forward and reveal himself, or cross the line of sanity. With the help of Ben Poindexter, Kingpin manages to tarnish Daredevil’s public image. The scenes where Poindexter attacks his victims with almost anything is indeed the style of the season.
Besides these main characters, the season hints and introduces another significant Marvel’s character Doctor Kenji Oyama. Dr. Oyama’s treatment to his patient, FBI Agent Ben Poindexter, in the concluding scene of the series confirms a more stronger Bull’s Eye (FBI agent Ben Poindexter) in the upcoming season. Dr. Oyama is a significant negative character in Spider-Man and X-Men series to which Daredevil is linked also.
What Christopher Nolan did with Batman, only Drew Goddard’s Daredevil and Steve Lightfoot’s Punisher have managed to keep it. Personally, I like the element of seriousness even in the comic book adaptation. I’m more than happy to hear that Netflix has cancelled Iron Fist and Luke Cage. I hope and wishes the same for Jessica Jones. I’m not sure what the comic book fans actually want to see but if the adaptations have that element of seriousness, the shows and movies would sustain for a longer period.