CAST
- Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock
- Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
- Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson
- Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple
- John Patrick Hayden as Jack Murdock
- Skylar Gaertner as Young Matt Murdock
- Alex Falberg as Semyon ("Detective Foster")
- Moises Acevedo as Santino
- Kevin Nagle as Roscoe Sweeney
- Peter Gerety as Silke
- Susan Varon as Josie
- Erick Abbate as Kidnapped Boy
- Dean Neistat as First Police Officer
- William Mercado as Second Police Officer
Writing Credits
- Stan Lee (based on the Marvel comics)
- Bill Everett (based on the Marvel comics)
- Drew Goddard (creator and writer)
- Luke Kalteux (story editor)
- Christos N. Gage (staff writer)
- Ruth Fletcher (staff writer)
The above information was gotten from this IMDb link.
EPISODE TWO (CUT MAN)
Evening. Hell’s Kitchen, New York
A boy stands over a dumpster, terrified at what he is looking at. A side of the dumpster is dripping with blood, which also explains the trail of blood on the floor to the same dumpster. The boy drops the refuse he was about to dump and runs off in fear. It’s the man in black, in the dumpster, seriously injured and struggling to stay alive. He takes off his mask, gasping for breath. The boy went to call a woman to check out what he just saw. They both walk to the dumpster.
Boy (in Spanish): Over here! Come on!
The woman sees the man in black and is surprised; she looks at the boy, then looks around, trying to understand what happened.
Woman (in Spanish): Help me. Get him out.
The two of them carry the man in black to the woman’s apartment.
Woman (in Spanish): Easy, easy, easy. Go upstairs and close the door. And not a word to anybody.
Boy (in Spanish): Okay.
Woman (in Spanish): Not even your mom.
The boy leaves. The woman immediately grabs a med kit trying to assess the man in black’s injuries whose mask is uncovered, enough for her to see his face. She puts on her gloves and notices a wound in his arm similar to a knife wound. She checks his pulse and then switches on a flashlight to his eyes to check for a response, but there is none. That surprises her the more; not only is this mysterious man injured but his eyes are non-responsive to light. She takes off his mask for a better look at his face, still assessing the multiple wounds in his body. She then brings out her phone to make a call when the man in black grabs her hand all of a sudden.
Man in black: No, no calls.
Woman: It’s okay. I’m just trying to help.
Man in black: No.
Woman: We have to get you to the hospital.
Man in black: They’ll kill everyone.
Woman: Who?
Man in black: The men who did this. They’ll kill everyone in the hospital to get to me (turns to his side and exclaims in pain).
Woman: Okay, you can’t…
The man in black tries to stand.
Woman: Don’t. You’ve lost a lot of blood. I think you might have been stabbed.
Man in black: I have to leave.
The man in black stands up and moves forward.
Woman: You wanna leave? Door’s that way (pointing to her right).
The man in black moves in the direction she pointed, but not for long as he falls down and passes out.
Flashback (Before the Accident)
Young Matt Murdock is watching a boxing match between his dad and another boxer.
Commentator: Murdock had dominated this fight but now Price has turned the table on him. He’s pounding Murdock’s head and Murdock isn’t even defending himself. Oh! Oh! Wait! The ref is stopping the fight. Canero has stopped the fight. 2-to-1 favorite “Battlin’ Jack” Murdock loses to a TKO in the 10th. Price looks as shocked as the crowd. Murdock had him on the ropes but let his glove drop and got tagged with a series of devastating...
Matt turns off the TV and goes to sit in the dining room. He starts hearing different conversations, then falls asleep. He later wakes up to see his Dad walking in, he runs over to hug him.
Matt: Dad!
Jack (hugs him): Matty! Hey, hey, don’t get blood on your shirt.
Matt: Gotta keep your gloves up.
Jack: Yeah, well, I should have you in my corner.
Matt: Does it hurt?
Jack: It don’t tickle. Go get the kit.
Matt assembles the med kit on the dining table, bringing out some cotton and methylated spirit.
Matt (scoffs): You shoulda had him (shakes his head). Price is a bum.
Jack: Hey, anybody who’s got the guts to step into that ring deserves respect. Don’t you ever forget that?
Matt: Even Price?
Jack: Even Price.
Matt (placing the cotton on his forehead): Sorry you lost, Dad.
Jack: Yeah. Just wasn’t my night. Easy, easy, easy. Easy with the cotton swabs there, doc.
Matt: Gotta get in there. You don’t want to get it infected.
Jack: Stitches?
Matt: Oh yeah.
Jack: You better get the scotch.
Matt brings out a bottle of scotch from the fridge and places it on the table.
Jack: No (pushes the bottle of scotch back to Matt). It’s for you.
Matt (chuckles): Really?
Jack: You think I want your hands shaking like last time? This is my face we’re talking about. Go ahead. Take a...just a little sip.
Matt drinks the scotch and then reacts to how strong it is by closing his eyes and cleaning his lips while Jack just smiles.
Matt: Oh! Oh, it burns.
Jack: Alright (clears throat). Come on. Let’s do it.
Matt (holding a small sized scissors with a thread attached to a needle): Don’t move.
Matt carefully places the needle through a wound just above his Dad’s right eye, then uses his other hand to pull the needle a bit, enough for him to use the scissors to pull the needle, so the thread can go through, forming a stitch.
Jack: So, you watched the fight?
Matt nods.
Jack: You’re supposed to be doing your homework.
Matt: Got it done first.
Jack: All of it?
Matt cuts the thread with the scissors, using his hands to complete the first set of stitches and makes a gesture with his head, implying that he hasn’t finished his assignment.
Jack: I want you to finish up before going to bed.
Matt: I’ll do it tomorrow.
Jack: Tonight.
Matt: Before school?
Jack: Tonight. Okay?
Matt: Okay.
Jack: Alright.
Matt places the needle in the wound, then pulls out the thread again to add more stitches that will close up the wound. Jack shudders a bit from the pain.
Matt: Dad?
Jack: Uh-huh
Matt: You gonna have enough this month for Mr Morris?
Jack (brings out an envelope from his coat): He will get his rent on time.
Matt opens the envelope and is surprised at the amount of money.
Matt: You got all these for losing?
Jack: Sometimes, even when you get knocked down, you can still win.
Matt: It ain’t how you hit the mat…
Jack and Matt: It’s how you get up.
Jack (chuckles): That’s right. Alright. Alright. Go hit the books.
Matt: Can I take the bottle?
Jack: No. Just...go on. Go on.
Matt leaves while Jack checks the amount of money in the envelope, then puts it in the first aid box frustratingly.
Present Day. Nelson and Murdock (Law Office of Matt and Foggy)
It’s evening time when most people have gone to their homes, resting from the day’s work. Well, most people except Karen Page (secretary to two defense attorneys who just opened shop) and by ‘just’, they’ve only had one client - Karen herself. She is unpacking some items from a box in the office when she notices a singing voice. She stops to listen, smiles at what she is hearing as she knows whose voice it is and continues unpacking. The voice is louder now and she’s trying to hold her laughter by closing her mouth.
Karen: You know I’m still here, right?
The singer stops, opens the door to her office. Karen sees him and waves at him. It’s Foggy Nelson. He is surprised to see her there at that time.
Foggy: Could you...could you hear me just now?
Karen (smiles): Nope.
Foggy: The correct answer is “Yes, and you sound amazing!”
Karen (stutters): Well, of the two lies, I took the lesser.
Foggy: I thought you went home. What are you still doing here?
Karen: Uh. I could ask you the same.
Foggy: Yes, but I am a partner at a prestigious law firm with very important documents needing to be documented so we can start generating some revenue, while you are…
Karen looks at him, raising her eyebrows a bit, ready to hear what he’ll say about her.
Foggy: Also very integral in your own special, manager…ah (sighs)
Karen chuckles.
Foggy: I dug myself in too deep and I can’t climb out.
Karen: You need a hand with that?
Foggy: Please.
Karen: Oh! Not gonna happen.
Foggy (smiles): Seriously, what are you still doing here?
Karen: I have work to do.
Foggy: What work? We don’t have any clients yet.
Karen: Well, your shit’s not gonna unpack itself.
Foggy: This box of vital import will be here in the morning. You should be out there having a life, doing poppers and flapper dancing. I don’t know what kids do these days.
Karen (chuckles): We’re the same age, Foggy.
Foggy: So, you’re saying I shouldn’t be here, either?
Karen: Yeah.
Foggy: Fair enough. But I’m awkward and unfashionable. Those things don’t seem to apply to you.
Karen: I just don’t feel like going home, okay?
Foggy: Well, we can’t stay here. Not enough money in the kitty to keep the lights on past midnight. So, let’s hop a few bars, not think about it.
Karen (pauses for some seconds, then nods in agreement): Yes. Big fan of the not thinking.
Foggy (claps): You will fit right in here.
Karen: Should we call Matt?
Foggy: Sure. Yeah, let’s see what he’s up to.
Matt wakes up on a couch, trying to get where exactly he is, then hears a woman’s voice beside him.
Woman: Are you gonna listen to me this time?
Matt: Where am I?
Woman: You’re in my apartment.
Matt: Who are you?
Woman: I’m the lucky girl who pulled you out of the garbage.
She is wearing a pair of gloves, has managed to stabilize Matt from his injuries and her shirt is stained with blood. Matt checks his face for his mask and notices it is off.
Matt: You’ve seen my face?
Woman: Yeah.
Matt: Great.
Woman: Your outfit kind of sucks, by the way.
Matt: Yeah, it’s a work in progress (groaning from the pain of his injuries while trying to get up).
Woman: Okay, I really wouldn’t try to move too much. You’ve got two or three broken ribs, probable concussion, some kind of puncture wound, and that’s just the stuff that I know about. And your eyes, they’re non-responsive to light, which isn’t freaking you the hell out. So, either you’re blind or in way worse shape than I thought.
Matt: Do I have to pick one?
Woman: Do you mind telling me how a blind man in a mask ends up beaten half to death in my dumpster?
Matt: The less you know about me, the better.
Woman (sighs): The wound on your side, knife?
Matt: Probably (groaning).
Woman (checking the wound): I think I got the bleeding stopped, but I can’t tell how bad it is internally without a full series of X-rays, so…
Matt: No. No hospitals.
Woman: This is my night off! I’m really not looking for some guy to die on my couch.
Matt: Are you a doctor?
Woman: Something like that.
Matt: Most people, they find a bleeding masked man in the garbage, they call the police.
Woman (sighs): You got a lot of experience in this area?
Matt: Why are you helping me?
Woman: The less you know about me, the better.
Matt (chuckles): Ah. You got a name at least?
Woman (sighs): Claire. Don’t suppose I get to know yours?
Matt is silent.
Claire: Alright, I’ll call you Mike.
Matt: Mike?
Claire: Yeah, a guy I used to date. Turns out he was very good at keeping secrets too.
Matt (reaches for her hand): Thank you, Claire.
Claire: Rest. Make sure you’re stabilized. We’ll figure the other stuff out later.
Flashback (After the Accident)
Young Matt Murdock is in the hospital. He is struggling with his injuries and begins to shift from left to right on the hospital bed.
Matt: I can’t see!
Jack rushes in.
Jack: Matty, Matty, Matty, it’s me. It’s Dad. I’m right here. Shhh.
Matt (stuttering): I can’t see.
Jack: You were in an accident, you remember? You're in the hospital, but I'm right here with you.
Matt keeps shifting from left to right, troubled from the numerous things he’s hearing at the same time (his Dad’s voice, heartbeats, beeps from the machines in the hospital)
Matt (sobs): Everything’s so loud. Everything…
Jack: I’m right here with you. It’s Daddy. Here, feel my face (places Matt’s hand on his cheek). Feel my face. I’m right here.
Matt places his hands on his Dad’s cheeks and then calms down.
Jack: I’m right here.
Matt: I can’t see.
Jack: It’s alright. It’s okay.
Matt: Dad, I can’t see.
Jack: It’s alright, Matt.
Matt: I can’t see.
Present Day (Claire’s Apartment)
Matt suddenly wakes up and begins to gasp for breath. Claire rushes over to check what’s wrong.
Claire: What is it? What’s wrong?
Matt: I can’t breathe.
Claire (using a stethoscope): You’ve got air in your chest. It’s collapsing your lungs. I’m gonna relieve the pressure, but I’m gonna need you to hold still, okay?
Claire removes her gloves, opens her kit and brings out a bottle. She sprays a little amount of the liquid in the bottle on the right section of Matt’s chest and cleans it with cotton, using her other hand to note the exact place she cleaned.
Claire (brings out a needle with a container on one end): Here we go. This is gonna hurt.
Matt grunts as Claire injects his skin with the needle, trying to remove the air in his chest. The method works and air hisses out of his chest and into the container. Matt can finally breathe.
Claire: Good. Just breathe normal (using the stethoscope). Alright. Look, let’s just say for the sake of discussion, I buy this whole “we can’t go to the hospital because whatever” story you’ve got going on. But we need to talk about what happens if you give up the ghost here in my living room. Because I’m listening to myself explain to the police how I let this happen, and every version ends with me in handcuffs, so convince me it’s worth it.
Matt: They kidnapped a boy.
Claire: Who did?
Matt (breathing heavily): The Russians. They’ve been running a human trafficking ring out of Hell’s Kitchen. Took over when the Italians folded up. Two days ago, they pulled a kid out of the back of a van. Beat his father while he watched.
Matt is referring to the last event in the first episode.
Claire: Jesus.
Matt: I knew the kid would still be alive. At least until they took him out of the city. I tracked the Russians to a warehouse not far from here. Thought I was being smart, how fast I found them. Turns out, I wasn’t.
Claire: They were waiting for you.
Matt: And I walked right into it.
Claire: So, they took this kid just to get to you?
Matt: Yeah, I’ve been making their lives difficult lately.
Claire: But you’re blind.
Matt (chuckles): There are other ways to see.
Claire: This is what you do? You make life difficult for bad men?
Matt: It’s one way of putting it.
Claire: No offence, but you don’t seem to be very good at it.
Matt (laughs): Yeah, well, you’re catching me on an off night.
Claire: Did you at least find the kid?
Matt: No, he wasn’t there. I barely made it out myself. I was careless. Stupid.
Claire: So, these men that took the boy, they’re out there right now, looking for you?
Matt suddenly changes his gaze, not replying Claire.
Claire: Mike?
Matt: Someone’s coming.
Claire: Wait, what?
Matt: There’s someone in the building, a man, going from door to door.
Claire: How do you know that?
Matt: Shh (manages to get up a bit). He’s on the third floor already. Smells like Prima cigarettes and discount cologne.
Claire (surprised): You can smell a man on the third floor?
Matt (grunts, getting up): You’ll smell him soon enough. He really likes that cologne (breathing heavily). You’re looking at me like I’m crazy, right?
Claire: Seems the appropriate response.
Matt: There are some things I haven’t told you about me, Claire.
Claire: You haven’t told me anything about you. All I know is you’re very good at taking a beating.
Matt (finally up, seated on the couch): That part I got from my Dad.
Flashback (After the Accident)
Jack Murdock is at the gym, training with fellow boxers while Young Matt Murdock is studying in another corner.
Man: Jack, put your hands up. Get in there, come on. Watch your speed. Footwork! Footwork! Come on.
Jack struggles to keep up and gets hit several times until he falls down.
Man: Watch…Watch out! Oh!
A bell is dinged to signify the end of a round of training. The sound from the bell causes Matt to shiver as though someone screamed directly at his ear.
Jack’s Opponent: Way to take a punch, Jack.
Jack steps out of the ring.
Man: Hey Jack, shake it off. You’re looking good.
Jack goes to the corner where Matt is studying.
Matt: How’d you do?
Jack: Uh, I tagged him a couple times. That kid is fast. So, how you getting along with your new books? (referring to Braille)
Matt: I’m working on it. Each grid is six possible dots, so each letter is a combination of those dots. You have to feel for what’s not there as much as what is.
Jack: That doesn’t make any damn sense at all.
Matt: Well, you know where a punch is going before it’s thrown sometimes, right?
Jack: Oh, clearly I don’t.
Jack and Matt chuckle.
Jack: So, uh, you can make sense out of all these?
Matt: I’m starting to.
Jack: Hmm.
Matt: Here. Dot in the right corner, that’s a C. Upper left, A. T is hard. I get it confused with Q.
Jack: Well, why don’t they just make it feel like a T?
Matt: Well, they say this is faster once you get the hang of it. W is really tricky. Braille was created in French, and they don’t have W.
Two men walk in, the first one speaks up.
Man: Oi, Battlin’ Jack.
Jack signifies for them to wait for him in another corner.
Jack: Hey, you wait. Couple months, you’re gonna be reading Braille faster than I read normal.
Matt: I already read Braille faster.
Jack (chuckles): Yeah, yeah, I get it. You smart ass (pats him). I’ll be right back.
Jack goes to see the two men. The first one who called him starts laughing as he sees Jack coming.
Man: What’s the word Jackie-boy?
Jack: Roscoe. Silke.
Silke (second man who hadn’t said anything yet): Hello, Jack.
Roscoe: I heard about the wee one (referring to Matt). That’s a tough break.
Silke: You have our condolences.
Roscoe: And you’re young yet. Plenty of time to have more kids.
Jack: What can I do for you boys?
Silke: We come bearing glad tidings. A match with Creel.
Jack (surprised): Creel? How’d you pull that off?
Silke: Mr Sweeney (referring to Roscoe) can be quite persuasive when he puts his mind to it.
Roscoe: It’s me Irish charm.
Jack (still surprised): Jesus! Creel?
The two men nod their heads. Jack is so excited at this information
Jack (stutters): I owe you…I owe you guys.
Silke: Ah. You’re doing us the favour. It’s 3-to-1 that you go the distance. You drop in the fifth, we’re clearing 70%.
All that wave of excitement falls from Jack’s face.
Jack: Right.
Roscoe: Come on, Jackie! It’s time to celebrate.
Silke: It’s the big time, Jack.
Jack: Thanks for the offer. I’m gonna take a pass.
Roscoe (laughs): Did he just say "pass"?
Jack: I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Really, I do. But…(looks at Matt) I got other things to worry about now.
Roscoe: He don’t want to do it, he don’t do it. Man makes his choice and we make ours.
Jack: You wanna step into the ring, see how that plays out?
Silke: You gotta think of your family, Jack. This could do a lot of good for your boy.
Roscoe: Yeah. What else are you gonna leave him when you’re gone?
Jack looks at Matt again who is still studying, then turns back to make his decision.
Jack: All right.
Silke: We need to hear you say it.
Jack: I go down in the fifth.
Roscoe: There you go. That wasn’t so hard.
Matt had been listening to the conversation the whole time even while trying to learn Braille.
Present Day (Claire’s Apartment)
Matt opens a drawer in her kitchen and picks a small knife, still struggling to even be on his feet because of the injuries he has sustained. Claire on the other hand is still surprised at what he’s doing, being a blind man.
Matt (raising the knife): This all you got?
Claire: Yeah, it’s for vegetables, not a knife fight.
Matt covers his hair with the mask, places his left hand on his right side, moving towards the door.
Matt: He’s at your neighbor’s door (referring to the man going from door to door he sensed earlier).
Claire: You kidding me? (moves towards him) Hey! Hey, hey, hey hey. You can barely stand up.
Matt: That’s what the knife’s for.
Claire: Wait! Don’t do this. Not in my home. Okay, nobody has to get hurt. Just stand over there on the side and be quiet and I’ll get rid of him.
Someone knocks the door. Matt wants to move but Claire stops him.
Claire (whispering): Please.
Knocking continues.
Claire: Who is it?
Man: NYPD (New York Police Department), Ma’am. Please open the door.
Claire (whispering to Matt): Okay. Go.
Matt moves towards the side, covering his eyes with his mask.
Claire: I’ll be right there.
Claire checks her place to see if there’s nothing unusual the man at the door will see.
Claire (beckoning to Matt): Move over.
She checks her door’s peephole, sees a NYPD badge pointed at it, sighs and opens the door.
Man: Sorry to bother you so late, Ma’am. My name is Detective Foster, with the 65th precinct. We had a bit of a disturbance a few blocks from here. We’re asking everyone if they’ve seen or heard anything unusual in the past few hours.
Claire: What kind of disturbance?
Detective Foster: Armed robbery. Some dickhead in a black mask shot up a bodega on 38th.
Matt is listening with his hands firm on the knife.
Detective Foster: Owner put up a fight. Perp fled on foot, leaving a trail of blood in this direction.
Claire: Oh, my God.
Detective Foster: Probably long gone by now, but just in case, you know? You see anything, hear anything tonight?
Claire shakes her head signifying that she has no idea what’s he talking about, looking down and up in the space of two seconds before answering the question.
Claire: No, sorry.
Detective Foster: Just being thorough. You have a good night, Ma’am.
Claire: Thanks. You, too.
Claire checks to confirm he’s gone and then closes her door.
Claire (to Matt): See? No reason to get all stabby. Boy, were you right about that cologne. What, does he dip himself in that crap?
Matt (opens the door): He didn’t believe you.
Claire (sighs, following him): Mike!
Matt picks a fire extinguisher and moves towards the stairs. He stops at the corner of the stairs and places the fire extinguisher down as if he wants to drop it from the floor they’re in. “Detective Foster” is on a phone call, speaking Russian and moving quickly down the stairs.
Claire: What are you doing?
Matt gently moves the fire extinguisher, tracking the steps of “Detective Foster”, trying to pick his target, and then drops it as he leaves the stairs and into the hallway. The fire extinguisher goes down from a number of floors and hits the “detective”, enough of an impact to knock him out. Matt steps back to rest on the wall while Claire is shocked, looking at Matt with surprise written all over her face. Claire looks down and sees the “detective” on the floor, knocked out.
Claire: What do we do now?
Matt senses something and beckons to her to move back.
Matt: There’s someone else on the floor up watching us. Oh no. He’s young, he’s scared.
Claire looks up and sees the boy who helped her carry Matt into her apartment.
Claire: Santino?
The boy runs away.
Claire: He’s the one who found you in the alley.
Matt: He’s seen my face, too?
Claire: Yeah.
Matt: Claire, go upstairs and get him (grunting). We’re gonna need help carrying “Detective Foster” to the roof.
Claire: What the hell are we going to the roof for?
Matt: Less chance of someone in the building hearing him scream.
Josie's Bar
Foggy takes Karen to a bar, then makes a phone call, which goes straight to voicemail.
Foggy: Matt, it’s me again. Where are you? I’m introducing Karen to Josie’s, and I have high hopes it’s gonna go terribly. Climb off whoever you’re on and get down here (draws a seat for Karen).
Karen: You saved the best for last, huh?
Foggy (picks two glasses): Oh, yeah, this place is a shithole, but it’s our shithole. The city’s tried to shut it down half a dozen times, but I helped Josie (owner of the bar) with the liens, and as a result, we get to drink for free (smiling).
Josie (smirks, passes a bottle to Foggy): You absolutely do not get to drink for free.
Foggy (smiling): Let’s agree to disagree (pours a drink for Karen and himself).
Karen: Thank you.
Foggy: Cheers.
Karen (after taking a sip): Oh! (coughs)
Josie (smiling): You could do so much better, love.
Foggy (pours another drink): Thank you, Josie. But this is my employee, for your information, and we are not on a date; (to Karen) Are we on a date?
Karen (smiling): Definitely not.
Foggy: Okay, good, because I was starting to worry you might be in love with me.
Karen looks at him as though she wants to say "Huh?"
Foggy: What other explanation could there be? You hang around my office all day.
Karen: Well, I’m your secretary, Foggy.
Foggy: You refuse to leave. You’re always at your desk.
Karen: I’m a good secretary.
Foggy: No. You gaze at me lovingly when you think I’m not looking.
Karen stops having her drink, chuckles as she’s short of words for Foggy.
Foggy: What? You might. How would I know? I’m not looking; (switches his facial appearance from "joking" to "not joking") Just let me live in it.
Karen (laughs): Oh. (picks the bottle and notices something) Is there something in there?
Foggy: I think that’s an eel.
Karen (chuckles): Really?
Foggy: Let’s get to the bottom and find out.
Karen haves another drink and sighs.
Foggy: So, you wanna talk about it?
Karen (sniffs): Let’s leave it alone.
Foggy: Yeah, no problem.
Karen nods.
Foggy: Okay, technically, "leave it alone" is not my strong suit, but…
Karen: I can’t, um. I can’t get Danny’s blood out of the carpet. It’s like somebody spilled a wine bottle and it just won’t come… And a man broke into my apartment and tried to kill me. He dented the wall where he bashed my head into it. If that guy in the mask hadn’t been there…(sighs)
Karen is referring to the events of the first episode.
Foggy: My cousin does drywall. I’ll call him first thing in the morning.
Karen: It’s not the apartment, Foggy.
Foggy: I know.
Karen: I don’t see the city any more. All that I see are its dark corners. I look around this room and all that I see are threats.
Foggy: This room? (scoffs) These guys are harmless. Look, that’s Tom Belkin (points to a guy playing billiards). He’s the Road Captain in the Kitchen Hellions. He organizes the food drive every Thanksgiving. (points to another guy having a drink) That’s Rob Donohue. His wife Mira, she works at the dry cleaner around the corner from our office. (points to another guy) That’s Clint Peterson. He… Okay, he is a criminal.
Karen laughs.
Foggy: He’s done time for larceny and distribution. But he’s turning it around, and we are this close to getting his kids into Saint Agnes Daycare. Saint Agnes!
Karen (sighs): Okay.
Foggy (shrugs): You don’t want to go home, you don’t want to go home. We can stay out all night (pours another drink for both of them).
Roof of Claire's Apartment
Matt has tied "Detective Foster" to a ladder sitting on a metal structure. He pulls the rope from the other side of the ladder, still wearing his mask, leaving the "detective" on his feet, still knocked out.
Matt: You find anything? (referring to the "detective's" phone)
Claire: You smashed the hell out of it with that extinguisher. He had a badge. What if you’re wrong?
Matt: I’m not.
Claire: This is way past what I signed up for.
Matt (leaning on the wall): What exactly do you think that was?
Claire: I found a man who needed help, so I helped him.
Matt: Oh yeah? That simple.
Claire (walks towards him): Do you really want to get into this in front of him? (referring to the "detective")
Matt: He’s out.
Claire: Maybe he’s faking.
Matt tilts his head a little, stays silent for a few seconds and then responds.
Matt: He’s not.
Claire: Okay, that right there, that’s what I’m talking about. Okay, I find a guy in a dumpster who turns out to be some kind of blind vigilante who can do all of this really weird shit, like smell cologne through walls and sense whether someone’s unconscious or faking it. Slap on top of that, he can take an unbelievable amount of punishment without one damn complaint.
Matt: The last part's the Catholicism.
Claire: So, what? I’m supposed to take it on faith I’m on the right side of this?
Matt: You don't carry a masked man bleeding to death into your apartment on faith. You knew which side you were on the moment you found me.
Matt: Why'd you help me, Claire?
Claire: I'm a nurse. Work the ER (Emergency Room) at Metro-General. A few weeks ago, cops bring in three men. Said they were robbing tourists, beating them up pretty bad. Apparently, a man in a black mask took issue with their activities and decided to step in. I counted nine broken bones between them. A few days after that, EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) bring in a 19-year-old waitress, said some guy she knew waited for her after work in the parking lot, attacked her, tried to drag her in the alley. She said she screamed and screamed and a man in a black mask heard her and he saved her life. So, yeah, word's getting around. And I want to believe in what you are doing. I really do. But this? (scoffs while referring to the knocked out "detective" tied up)
Matt: I know you’re afraid. (grunts and walks towards her) You can’t give in to the fear. If you do, men like this win.
Flashback (After the Accident)
Young Matt Murdock is at home, reading out some lines from a book written in Braille.
Matt: There's a price to be paid for division and isolation. Democracy cannot flourish amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear.
Jack: Either you're actually reading all that, or you’re making it up as you go along. I don’t know which is more impressive.
Matt: It’s Thurgood Marshall.
Jack: Hmm. Starting centerfielder for the Mets, right?
Matt: You know who Thurgood Marshall is?
Jack (picks up a package): School wasn’t my strong suit.
Jack opens the package and whistles.
Matt: How's it look?
Jack: It's…It's red. It’s really red (referring to his boxing wear for his next match with Creel. The one he plans to lose to in the fifth round for money as he usually does)
Matt: Can I? (asking if he can touch it)
Jack: Yeah (places it in front of him).
Matt runs his fingers over the lines "Battlin' Jack Murdock" boldly written on the wear. His father wonders what he's doing.
Matt: Good thing about red.
Jack: Huh?
Matt: They can’t tell how much you’re bleeding.
Jack: Hey, who says I’m even gonna get hit? (drinks a cup of water)
Matt: We’re Murdocks. We get hit a lot.
Jack: Yeah, I guess we do.
Matt: But we get up. Right, Dad? We always get up.
Jack pauses for a moment at what Matt just said, realizing his son is right.
Fogwell Gym (Training Center for Boxers)
Jack heads to the gym from home and makes a call.
Jack: Hey, it’s Jack.
Man: Hey, Jack.
Jack: Too late to change it?
Man: You can change it.
Jack: Good. All on me. Win by knockout.
Man: You sure?
Jack: Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure. Listen, you gotta do this quick. Cash out the second Creel hits the mat. Don’t wait. Okay, get a pen.
Man: All right. Got it.
Jack: You’re gonna take the money down to Lloyd Wagner at M and R Credit Union. You’re gonna deposit it into account number 0048256882.
Man: Account’s in your name?
Jack: No, no, not under my name. It’s under Matthew Murdock.
Man: Matthew. Got it.
Jack: Yeah, thanks. Thanks, Ed. You’re gonna want to lay low for a couple days after.
Ed: Can I do anything for you?
Jack: Nah, don’t worry about me. I got it covered.
Jack ends the call and is about to leave before deciding to make another call. It goes straight to voicemail.
Woman’s voice from the answering machine: Hi. Not here. Leave a message.
Jack: Hey, it’s uh. It’s me. I’m about to go do something. Well, I’m about to go be me. You know better than anybody that doesn’t always go so well. I don’t know how this is gonna go, but if I were a betting man, Matty’s gonna need you. More than ever. Look after him, okay? I know what I’m asking here, but he’s a good kid. He sure as hell didn’t get that from me. So, it’s better this way. Just once, I want Matty to hear people cheer for his old man. Just once.
Present Day (Matt’s Apartment)
Foggy: Matt!
Foggy is at the door, knocking and with Karen. The two of them are drunk from their time at different bars.
Foggy: Matt, come on! Get up! I drank the eel.
Karen (laughs): Oh, no.
Foggy: Not a euphemism (laughing). Matt, I know you’re in there! Get up!
Karen: Shh.
Foggy: Here, you talk to him.
Karen: Okay.
Foggy (whispering): Pretend I’m not here.
Karen: Okay. Matt! Matt, it’s Karen, and I am very, very sorry about this, and if I were you, I would not come to this door (chuckling). But I think I also drank the eel.
Foggy: And we are now filled with mighty eel strength! Matt!
Karen: It’s true. Matt, come on!
Foggy: Come on!
Karen: Come on!
Foggy: We’re staying out till the sunrise! We’re gonna go to the fish market!
A door opens behind them.
Karen: Oh, no. Oh, Foggy.
Foggy: Oh, hi, Fran (referring to Matt’s neighbor, an old woman they had been disturbing).
Karen: Oh.
Foggy: Sorry.
Karen: We’re really sorry.
The woman smirks at them.
Foggy: Sorry.
Karen: We’re really sorry. We’ll be quiet.
Foggy: You wanna go to the fish market?
Karen (chuckles): No, she…
Foggy: I'm gonna buy a bluefin.
Fran closes her door.
Foggy: I'm buying a bluefin, Murdock! (still knocking the door)
They both leave the apartment and begin to walk in the streets.
Foggy: Okay, we've got what? (checking his watch). Two hours to kill?
Karen giggles.
Foggy (claps): Let’s brush you up on some Japanese auctioneering terms.
Karen: Okay, you don’t have to do this, Foggy.
Foggy: Do what? You haven’t lived until you’ve argued with a 90-year-old Okinawa survivor about sturgeon meat.
Karen (laughs): Thank you. I needed this. I really needed this. But it’s late and we should go home.
Foggy: Are you kidding me?
Karen: Yes.
Foggy: After what you told me, I’m never going home again. Men are waiting in the dark corners of this world to prey on us.
Karen (chuckles): Oh, God.
Foggy: The valiant, the kindhearted. We must band together. We must never sleep. We must remain vigilant. Here in the lights of Hell’s Kitchen.
Karen (leans on his left shoulder): Never sleep!
Foggy: This city will protect us! This city’s beautiful.
Karen: Yeah.
Roof of Claire's Apartment
"Detective Foster" slowly wakes up to see himself tied up and two unknown individuals wearing masks, staring at him. One of them, in a black outfit, walks towards him. "Detective Foster" is familiar with this man (Daredevil - the one who has been making life difficult for certain criminals that just like to speak Russian).
Daredevil: Here’s how this is gonna work. I'm gonna ask you some questions. You're gonna answer them. If you're lying to me, trust that I will know and I will be unhappy. Where's the boy?
Foster: He's dead.
Daredevil lands a punch on him. Foster coughs, breathing heavily.
Daredevil: This is what unhappy looks like. Where's the boy?
Foster: What do you care? If he's not dead yet, he will be.
Daredevil: Why did you take him?
Foster: Figured you'd come running.
Daredevil: And after I was dead?
Foster: Sell the kid, like all the others.
Daredevil lands another punch on him, this time feeling the pain from his injuries.
Foster (bleeding): I was telling the truth on that one.
Daredevil: I know.
Foster: We got you good, didn't we?
Daredevil: Who do you sell the children to?
Foster: I don’t know. Whoever has the money.
Daredevil: Where's the boy?
Foster: So, you find him. So what? We'll take another. Kill me, somebody takes my place. Long as people are buying, we'll be selling. Nothing you do tonight will change that. But go ahead, keep hitting me. Let's see who drops first.
Claire stops Daredevil from hitting him again
Claire: Try stabbing him in his trigeminal nerve.
Daredevil: Where is it?
Claire: Go in through here, right above the eye. That’s the supraorbital foramen. You want to go in right under there.
Daredevil places his left hand where Claire just described with a knife on his right hand. Foster struggles by shaking his head.
Daredevil: Hold still. I might do some serious damage if you squirm.
Foster starts panting.
Daredevil (to Claire): How will I know when I find it?
Claire: He'll tell you.
Daredevil places the knife just above his eye while Foster screams from the pain. He covers Foster’s mouth with his left hand and removes the knife after a few seconds.
Daredevil: You're right, what you said before. I kill you, somebody takes your place, but they all end up back here just like you, and sooner or later, one of you is gonna tell me what I need to know.
Daredevil climbs up the ladder and uses the knife to cut the rope. He grabs Foster who is groaning from the pain and places him on the side of the roof, threatening to drop him. Claire follows him, scared as to what Daredevil wants to do.
Daredevil: This is important. Shh! Listen, I need you to know why I’m hurting you. It’s not just the boy. I’m doing this cause I enjoy it.
Daredevil places him on the edge of the roof and lowers him down a little. Claire is just right behind them, still wondering what will happen.
Foster (scared to bits): No, no, no! No, no no!
Daredevil: Where is he? Where is he?! (lowering Foster as he asks)
Foster (sobbing): No! Underneath Troika Restaurant. 11th and 44th.
Daredevil lifts Foster up to his feet. Foster starts laughing.
Foster: They'll be waiting for you. If you're lucky, they'll kill you before they start in on the boy.
Daredevil smiles.
Foster: It would be a shame for you to have to watch what they do to him. Oh!
In this moment, Daredevil pushes Foster off the roof. Claire immediately screams and removes her mask.
Claire: Oh, my God!
Daredevil: It's all right. He landed in the dumpster you pulled me out of.
Claire sees him in the dumpster.
Claire: Is he dead?
Daredevil stays silent for a few seconds before answering her question.
Daredevil: He'll live. You need to get your things and leave. Don't tell anyone where you are going (moves back to the ladder and removes the rope on it).
Claire (moves towards Daredevil): What?
Daredevil (grunts): He wakes up, he'll be back, and he won't be alone next time.
Claire: But he didn’t see my face.
Daredevil: That was just for effect, to scare him. He knew you were lying when you answered your door (groaning).
Claire: Mike.
Daredevil (breathing heavily): Do you have somewhere you can go?
Claire: I'm cat-sitting for a woman I work with. Her brother's sick. She's in Oklahoma.
Daredevil (wrapping the rope around his hands): What's the address?
Claire: Why?
Daredevil: I'm thinking if I make it through the night, I may need some help getting patched up.
Claire: 10th and 54th. Apartment 412, um, in the building above the liquor store.
Daredevil (places his hand on her shoulder) Hey. Thank you, Claire.
He groans while slowly leaving the roof of her apartment, then stops when he hears Claire say some words.
Claire: I don’t believe you. What you said. I don’t believe you enjoy this.
Flashback (Boxing Match Between Jack Murdock and Crusher Creel)
Jack Murdock steps out from the shadows in his boxing wear, having a lot of red with his nickname (Battlin' Jack Murdock) boldly written behind the wear.
Announcer: In the red corner, weighing in at 164 pounds, from Hell's Kitchen, New York.
Jack smiles and begins to hit his hands together while walking to the ring.
Announcer: Please welcome Battlin' Jack Murdock (crowd cheers loudly).
Young Matt Murdock is at home, listening to the commentary of the game.
Commentator: Murdock lands another and another!
Matt: Get him, Dad! Get him!
Commentator: Creel is rocked! Murdock won’t let him out of the corner! The younger Creel seems stunned by the ferocious display of the more seasoned Murdock! Creel goes down! (crowd cheering)
Matt (gets up in excitement): Yes! Yes!
Commentator: He’s not getting up. It’s over! (bell dings) Battlin’ Jack Murdock has defeated Crusher Creel!
Matt (pumping fists in excitement): Yeah, Dad! Yeah!
Jack rushes to his locker room to change after the game. He starts hearing the crowd chant his name, and for a moment, he decides to enjoy his victory, aware of what will happen next nevertheless.
A gunshot sound wakes Matt up who was asleep on the table. He gets up in fear and rushes out of the house with his walking stick, running towards where the gunshot was made. He is stopped by a police officer at the crime scene.
Police Officer: Oh, oh, hang on there, son. What's the hurry?
Matt (scared): I think that's my Dad.
Police Officer: Jesus, Ray, the kid's blind.
Matt moves underneath the police officer's hand and runs towards the dead body of his father on the floor.
Police Officer: Hey, wait! (following Matt)
Matt (bends over and touches his Dad’s face): Dad?
Matt (crying): Daddy! Daddy!
Matt keeps crying, waiting for some kind of miraculous response, but there is none.
Matt (crying): Daddy! Daddy!
Present Day (11th and 44th – Underneath Troika Restaurant)
A man walks out from a room with a meal on a tray, and heads towards another room where the kidnapped boy is.
Boy (panting): I want to go home. I want my Daddy.
The man replies in Russian, not bothering to care about what the boy wants, starts eating an apple on the tray that was meant for the boy and leaves the room. He enters another room where there are four men playing a game of cards, all speaking in Russian. One of the men enters another room where there is another set of men watching TV. All of these rooms are opposite each other with a hallway. At the end of the hallway is the room where there are keeping the boy.
Daredevil slowly walks in, not alerting any of these men. He is dressed up in his ‘all black’ outfit, a black mask covering his eyes and head, parts of his body have been patched up from the wounds he received earlier from the Russian criminals before ending up at Claire’s apartment. It’s remarkable that he is even standing at all, let alone heading back to save the boy who was kidnapped. His hands are wrapped up with ropes, planning to use it to strengthen his grip in the inevitable fight. He breathes gently and walks slowly across the hallway, placing his left hand on the first door in the hallway, waits for some seconds, as though he’s preparing his mind and body for combat, then breaks in to the surprise of the criminals inside.
He immediately kicks one of them and begins to punch another while the rest step in to fight him at the same time. Gunshots are made, glass is shattered along with yelling all across the room. One of the criminals breaks the door following a hit from Daredevil, signifying that the fight is going Daredevil’s way, for now. The one who just gave the kidnapped boy the meal goes to the room to see what’s happening. He immediately gets hit by a television set on the head. Another is flinged out of the room like waste being disposed. Daredevil steps out to see another criminal coming at him with a shotgun, as well as two others, both holding pistols. He places his hands on the first one with the shotgun and uses the weapon to hit him in the face, while bending his head to dodge gunshots from another criminal. He kicks the one right in front of him with his left knee, uses the shotgun to hit the second one in the face as well as the third one.
The two criminals are on the floor now while the third one is still being held by Daredevil; he throws him to the floor and immediately kicks the first criminal again. Sensing that the second criminal is going to shoot, Daredevil moves towards him and diverts the gun away from him to avoid being shot, he then kicks him with his elbow and throws the shotgun in his hand to another criminal coming from the room. He turns the one he’s struggling with his pistol for with a move that makes the criminal lands on the floor and then hits him on the face with the pistol.
Daredevil rolls to another side, trying to catch a few seconds break as he’s still struggling with earlier injuries. Three criminals rise up, as if to say to Daredevil "is that all you got?". They come at him in the hallway but he easily takes on them by dodging the punch of the first one, hitting him at the back of his head with the gun in his hand, then turning to hit the second one in the stomach and the third one in his neck. They aren’t down yet, still trying to approach Daredevil; who hits one in his face, throws one across the hallway and throws the gun at another. Daredevil leans on the wall for a moment, before dodging the punch of the one who gave the boy a meal earlier. He lands five punches to his face with both hands in boxing style, hits that make this criminal stagger and fall. Another one yells while trying to attack him again, but the yelling doesn’t last long neither does his resolve to beat Daredevil, as he gets kicked back to the floor.
Daredevil notices another one coming at him, dodges two of his punches, landing one on his face. The criminal manages to hold Daredevil’s hand before he hits him again, and pushes him a bit, but Daredevil responds by turning and delivering a right kick. He immediately punches another one coming at him, hits the one he just gave a kick in the stomach and delivers a knockout punch to a third one coming angrily at him. The fight doesn’t end yet as these criminals keep rising up at Daredevil. He on the other hand doesn’t seem to get tired of hitting them, he also seems to be aware of their attacks as he’s fast in dodging and attacking. He lands two quick punches to one, turns backward and bends down to hit another one in his stomach, and then a punch to his face before he goes down. He uses his elbow to hit the first one again who is quite relentless given the amount of times he has fallen to the ground, and then kicks another one trying to rise up again. He turns to his side by using the wall as a support system, placing his right leg on the wall and landing another punch to the latest criminal behind him in the fight.
Daredevil rests on the wall for a few seconds, before another one comes at him trying to punch him. He holds his arm, launches a headbutt, then a hit from his right knee, a punch and then a powerful kick with his right leg that involves a rolling turn. This takes more out of him than usual, making him distracted for a little while, enough for two criminals to finally land punches on him. He responds by hitting one and focusing on the other, he is still doing so when the second one pushes him to the wall. Daredevil improvises by using his back to push him into the room opposite where they are in the hallway. Another criminal rushes in again, trying to defeat Daredevil who still has the fight going his way.
One of the criminals push Daredevil back to the hallway but he hits him with his right hand, enough for him to stay down. He grabs the legs of another one coming at him, kicks him with his own leg, having enough force that he lands on the floor and then gets two fast punches from Daredevil. Another one is still trying to get up when he gets kicked by Daredevil who makes a turn with his whole body to deliver the kick. They both rise up and Daredevil immediately punches him, throws him to the wall, punches him again in the stomach, then the face, enough for him to move to the other side of the hallway. He still tries to fight, launching a punch that Daredevil dodges. Daredevil hits him three times with his right fist, then an uppercut with his left fist and a final hit with his right fist. This causes Daredevil himself to fall from the force he just exerted (as he is tired from the injuries he got earlier and the new fight he just ended), but not as much as his last opponent who ends up knocked out on the floor with his co-workers.
Daredevil rises up and goes to the room where the boy is being kept. He takes his mask up a bit, to reveal his eyes so as not to scare the boy more.
Daredevil: Hi. I know you’re scared. But I’m here to help you. Okay? You don’t have to be scared any more.
Boy: Okay. Okay.
Daredevil: Let’s get you home to your Dad.
Daredevil walks out of the room, carrying the boy, with his mask covering his eyes. The boy notices several criminals on the floor, all knocked out. And slowly, the fear in the boy's heart begins to disappear as he is carried out of the building by the man in a black mask.
End of episode.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it? Here’s the link to the first episode in case you haven’t read it. If you have any questions or thoughts about this, please leave a comment.
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Man, this' 'super short'...
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