Daredevil on Netflix - it is awesome!

[indytims]

I grade Arrow specifically on the fact that they're on Network TV and therefore are a bit more curtailed with what they can do/say, etc.  The thing I like about Arrow has been the fact that they tend to not do the horrible cliched thing, although it has it's down points, I'm not a fan of Speedy or his costume.  Might just be that I don't find the actor compelling.

 

I understand people liked Daredevil better than the movie, and I'd say that the movie, if you were to at least remove key parts of it, would be better (for instance the park fight scene), but it's difficult to say that you're limiting yourself with your audience because it's on Netflix.  Netflix after all, does constitute for 25% of all internet traffic in the US last I heard.  

 

That being said, the costume in the movie was worlds better (the nose is what really kills it for me in the TV show) and I've been critical of Fisk being a baby with temper tantrums.  However, I felt outside of Fisk and the final episode, the writing was pretty good.  I did like how they tried to make you feel a little for Fisk, but it just didn't work for me.  That being said, the single shot fight where he rescued the kid was really fun, and I loved the choreography of the fight scenes.  Stick seemed... oddly placed, but I liked the fact that they at least put him in there.

 

Actually, Arrow utilizes it's fair share of cliches, most notably in the romance department. The whole, "We can't be together because you/I could die" angle is so over-used it's annoying. Contriving reasons for Oliver/Felicity to not be together, for example, is just eye-rolling bad. Interestingly enough, this was also the most annoying part of DD (for me), the whole contriving a reason to keep Matt apart from Claire. But with Arrow, after Slade went down, the show has hit a stale point that I just don't see being turned around anytime soon. Merlyn is great and made a great villain, but he's been castrated. Thea/Laurel both annoy me to no end lately, but Plamer sends me for the fast-forward button all the time - another terrible character. The whole League of Assassins plot has just been 'meh' to me, and I confess I miss the first season.

 

Netflix is a pay service. It only stands to reason that network TV, usually being 'free' with basic cable, makes its shows more 'readily available', so my assertion still stands. Whether it's Netflix or HBO, you're limiting yourself because those channels are obviously additional pay services that not everyone has. I didn't have Netflix myself - I got it because of DD. Netflix has ~62 million subs - worldwide. On the other hand, free network broadcast is available to that many people in the US alone using -just- an antenna, not including all the cable subs that include all the free local broadcast channels. One day in the future, there might be more Netflix subs than 'free TV' viewers, but right now, more people and more eyeballs have access to non-Netflix programs.

 

I thought DD's take on Fisk was excellent. It gave the character some gravitas, other than being just 'another organized crime boss'. Seeing him exhibit emotion other than anger and machismo was refreshing for me, just as seeing Matt take a believable beating on a regular basis as a super-hero was similarly refreshing. Giving Fisk a grounding mechanism like Vanessa was nicely done, and I rather enjoyed watching his comfortable 'band of baddies' start to crumble around him, like the walls were closing in. He has style, and he has both a soft side, and a ruthless hard side. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. :)

 

Costume-wise... neither is what I would call 'perfect' by any means. I remember Affleck's costume just had that 'biker look' to it that didn't jive with me at all. The series costume has a more leather/ballistic mesh look to it that makes it look better... but not by much. I definitely agree the face portion of it could use a bit more work...

 

You guys have covered the whole 'why doesn't DD just knock out the lights wherever he goes'.... no lights=bad TV experience, I'd expect. ;)

[dashneeb]

It's interesting, because in Arrow (now mind you, I've only seen up to Season 2) is that they don't take the casual I can't be with you.  The dance with Felicity might be somewhat cliche, at least dancing around it, but they seem to at least try and not make it entirely I can't be with you because my life is crappy.

 

I hardly know anyone who doesn't have access to Netflix, and certainly most people who would watch Daredevil have Netflix. I hardly find it a reason to think that it's somehow as difficult to get as say, HBO was up until a couple of weeks ago.

 

And, while I understand your thoughts on Fisk, I'd simply disagree.  He seemed as a virtual puppet crime boss to some, almost too timid to do anything, lacking confidence.  Sure, they gave him a love interest, and whatever, but I didn't feel Superman's birth mom was as fleshed out as to why she would just be so willing to get into a full on relationship with a crime lord.  Besides, it seemed like he was wanting the band of baddies except for one of them to crumble anyways, and was happy.  However, two of them obviously haven't.

[indytims]

It's interesting, because in Arrow (now mind you, I've only seen up to Season 2) is that they don't take the casual I can't be with you.  The dance with Felicity might be somewhat cliche, at least dancing around it, but they seem to at least try and not make it entirely I can't be with you because my life is crappy.

 

I hardly know anyone who doesn't have access to Netflix, and certainly most people who would watch Daredevil have Netflix. I hardly find it a reason to think that it's somehow as difficult to get as say, HBO was up until a couple of weeks ago.

 

And, while I understand your thoughts on Fisk, I'd simply disagree.  He seemed as a virtual puppet crime boss to some, almost too timid to do anything, lacking confidence.  Sure, they gave him a love interest, and whatever, but I didn't feel Superman's birth mom was as fleshed out as to why she would just be so willing to get into a full on relationship with a crime lord.  Besides, it seemed like he was wanting the band of baddies except for one of them to crumble anyways, and was happy.  However, two of them obviously haven't.

 

Ah, up to Season 2... Sorry dash, I didn't mean to spoil anything (if I did). Suffice to say, for me, the series has been going downhill for awhile.

 

I know some folks who have Netflix, some who don't. I used numbers I looked up on the net (and we all know the net is never wrong, right?!!? :) ). I did see today that DD had 4.4 million views as of the end of April, which is pretty impressive - almsot twice as much as 'House of Cards' according to the article I read. Not at all surprised they've green-lit season 2. Netflix, HBO, etc, although easier to acquire as the internet continues to spread and surpass pay-cable, are still not free, though. Everyone gets the free-stuff, but a smaller audience gets the pay-stuff. Going network adds some restrictions on what they can produce of course, but affords you a larger audience. I'd love to know how DD would do if it was on, say, ABC or something, as compared to a pay service. Maybe it would be less? Maybe more? How much would they have to water it down? Either way, the potential would certainly be there to have a higher viewership.

 

And no problem of course, agreeing to disagree on Fisk. :) I'm very curious to see how prison hardens him, both physically and mentally. Hopefully we'll find out next season!

[dashneeb]

Agreed to disagree.  I would point out that really it's the only blemish, along with the mask on his outfit of the entire series.  Otherwise I have nothing but praise.  Most of the people I have talked to only point to Fisk as a character as being the down point.  

 

However, I'm looking forward to an actual full season.