The episode begins with a girl watching cartoons. The camera zooms back as Wilson Fisk bursts through the door, carrying Vanessa, revealing that this is an emergency room. Medical staff attend to them immediately, and Wesley tells them that Vanessa drank something, but he has no idea what. Owlsley asks if he needs to be checked out, too, since he had a glass in his hand--he is ignored. They ask how long Vanessa has been unconscious, to which Wesley replies “Twenty minutes.” Owlsley makes a comment about how bad the ER is, and Wesley says it was the closest ER. (Owlsley, you are not being helpful.) Wesley tells Fisk that he’s reached out to Dr. Rosenberg, who is now on his way. We see Fisk looking down at Vanessa, stroking her hair, and it’s clear how much he loves her. The doctor asks how many others ingested the drink, and Owlsley answers four or five--then asks if the doctor is sure Owlsley doesn’t need to be looked at. (Owlsley, stahp.) The doctor says they’ll send someone out for Owlsley, then they start to wheel Vanessa back. Fisk tries to follow, but a nurse stops him, leaving Fisk with a stunned expression as the doors close behind his one true love.
Cue opening credits.
As always, the opening credits are a work of art. It’s interesting to think about how they were made and how much work was put into them. (I wonder if the red paint is pouring over Charlie Cox’s actual face, or at least a model of it.)
After we return, Matt is sitting in his apartment when a visitor knocks on his door and announces herself as Karen. Matt gets up, still moving slowly and looking incredibly sore. He also doesn’t look thrilled that Karen’s visiting him. Karen pleads with him to open the door since she can’t get a hold of Foggy and there’s no one at the office. Matt finally wordlessly opens the door, and Karen takes in his injuries in surprise as she follows him in.
Karen: “You look like shit.”
Matt: “Then I’m looking better than I feel.”
Karen asks if they’re going to sue and insists that they should go after whoever hit Matt in his “car accident.” (Since Nobu is dead, it may be a bit difficult to sue him.)
Karen: “What kind of car was it? Please tell me it was expensive and German.”
Matt: “Japanese… and it was my fault. I, uh… should have been more careful.”
Matt has slipped on his glasses at this point, making me wonder if they’re kind of a shield for him to hide behind.
Karen takes in his trashed apartment, leftovers from Matt’s fight with Stick (he’s been a little too busy lately to clean up). She asks him what happened. Matt brushes her off and takes a long swig of beer.
Karen: “It’s a little early for beer, isn’t it?”
Matt: “Depends on what kind of day you’re having.”
At this point, Matt has had several of those days. He offers Karen a beer, which she declines. She then asks him where he was when he got hit by the car. (She probably suspects something.) Matt asks if it matters, and Karen says it might if there wasn’t actually a car. She proceeds to ask if this has anything to do with Fisk or Matt’s visit with Vanessa. Matt tries to change the subject, but Karen keeps pressing. She asks if someone broke in, which Matt denies.
Karen: “And no one beat the crap out of you either, I’m guessing.”
Karen sits down across from him and reminds him of the last time she was there, when she was terrified and he gave her his shirt. She says he made her feel safe, like she could trust anything he said. Matt says that she lied to him, though, about having the Union Allied pension file. Karen looks at him seriously and says that she didn’t want anyone to get hurt like Daniel Fisher did. Matt says he knows the feeling.
Karen: “So that’s it. That’s all you’re giving me.”
Matt: “That’s all that I have right now, Karen.”
Karen says it’s not all she has--she located a marriage certificate that was misfiled. It was for Fisk’s mother, Marlene, but it wasn’t to Fisk’s father. It was to another man, and it’s dated two years after all the reports say Marlene died. She tells Matt about her trip with Ben up to the care facility upstate, which Matt isn’t too happy about.
Matt: “Oh Karen, Karen…”
He says Fisk could have people watching, but Karen says she was careful and didn’t leave her real name. He says she should have talked to Matt or Foggy before running off like that. Karen says she tried, but neither of them were picking up. (She has a point.) Matt asks if she talked to her, and Karen says yes. Marlene isn’t all there, but she told them that Fisk killed his father and she helped him cover it up. Matt looks surprised but says that Fisk was a minor and it’s not going to be enough. Karen says it won’t be enough to put him in jail, but it doesn’t match up with everything he’s been saying and altering on the internet. It might be enough to get people to look at him a little more closely. Matt isn’t convinced since this information came from an old woman who isn’t all there. Karen says she hasn’t seen Matt or Foggy come up with anything better. Matt barely masks his concern and asks her if she’s spoken to Foggy. Karen says she hasn’t since yesterday when Foggy was covering for whatever it is Matt’s not telling her. Matt tells Karen to go wait for Foggy at the office to tell him what she found. Matt starts to ask her to tell Foggy something else but changes his mind. He implores her to please be careful. She closes the distance between them and puts her hand on his face.
Karen: “You know… maybe you should take your own advice.”
Looking flustered, she takes her hand off his face and remembers that she got him something. She hands him a get well balloon and tells him it’s got a monkey on it. Then she leaves.
Elsewhere in Hell’s Kitchen, Foggy is woken up by his ringing cell phone. On the screen is a cute picture of Karen (I still totally ship this). He picks it up but doesn’t answer. Suddenly Marci appears in the background, asking if Foggy has somewhere to be. She’s getting ready for her day, and it appears that she and Foggy slept together. (Without Matt, Foggy is apparently directionless and makes bad decisions.) Foggy seems annoyed with her, but it leads to some oddly cute/humorous banter.
Marci: “You’re not in the woods. Grunts don’t count as words, Foggy Bear.”
Foggy: “Please don’t call me that.”
Marci: “I’ll call you whatever I damn well please.”
Foggy: “Okay, just… can you do it with your inside voice, without speaking?”
Marci: “That’s a very asshole thing to say. I’m impressed.”
Foggy: “Sorry.”
Marci: “And now you’ve ruined it.”
Marci asks if he’s going to work, and Foggy says he won’t be going today--maybe never, at least not with Matt. Marci says that Matt and Foggy have been friends for as long as she’s known them.
Marci: “Whatever’s going on between the two of you… I don’t really care! Okay? Not gonna get sucked into the drama.”
Okay, that was pretty funny. I shouldn’t be laughing at this, but I am.
Marci leaves, and Foggy sighs.
Our next shot is of Fisk sitting in the hospital waiting room. The camera slowly pans outward to show Fisk’s guards. Nearby, Wesley and Owlsley watch. Owlsley says that Fisk looks awful and then wonders how Fisk is going to run things. With a barely-hidden irritated expression, Wesley tells Owlsley that this isn’t the time. (You go, Wesley. Wait, why am I rooting for you?) Owlsley says that this is exactly the time and asks if Wesley thinks that someone was trying to take Vanessa out of the equation. Wesley admits that this seems unlikely. Owlsley says that they almost killed him--all to get to Fisk. Wesley seems to be thinking, then asks if Gao seemed unhappy when Owlsley spoke with her. Owlsley says she didn’t show any signs that he could tell. Owlsley’s money is on the Japanese, who might want revenge after what happened to Nobu. Wesley says that they’ve transferred the building titles over to the Japanese, as per the agreement, and that the Japanese believe that the Man in the Mask is responsible for Nobu’s death. Owlsley says maybe the Mask is responsible for poisoning Vanessa. Wesley tells Owlsley to keep an eye on the Japanese’s accounts for any shifts that might tell them something. Someone comes up to Wesley and whispers in his ear. Owlsley asks if Vanessa is dead--she isn’t, but the three others that drank the same thing have passed.
Owlsley: “Passed… always hated that description. Such a sad attempt to avoid the bare-knuckle truth.”
Wesley: “She’ll make it.”
Owlsley: “You got a med degree in your pocket I don’t know about? Why are you so sure?”
Wesley: “Because she has to.”
Wesley watches Fisk’s demeanor, looking worried. Owlsley says that they have matters that need to be addressed. In response to this, Wesley tells Owlsley to reach out to Gao. Owlsley is concerned--what if Gao’s the one who did all this? Wesley reminds Owlsley that he didn’t think it was her. Owlsley says he might not know for sure--he was almost poisoned, so he’s not thinking straight. Wesley tells him again to speak with Gao, this time more firmly. Wesley says that if Gao wasn’t involved, then they may still need her support against future unpleasantries. Owlsley asks what will happen if Gao was responsible. Wesley says, “Then it’s been an honor doing business with you.”
Elsewhere in Hell’s Kitchen, Claire is putting stitches in Matt’s abdomen. He winces, and she asks if he’s okay.
Matt: “You talking about the stitches?”
Claire: “Mostly.”
She asks him how he reopened the stab wound; he says he just wanted to see how much he could move. Claire insists that he really shouldn’t be moving at all, and Matt says he knows. She tells him he needs to rest, let himself heal. Matt tells her that he meditates for that. Claire is surprised by this, and Matt continues--he learned to meditate when he was a kid. It helps with the pain and healing faster.
Claire: “Is that why you’re still alive?”
Matt: “Or I’m just a contrary son of a bitch.”
Claire: “Either way, you really need to ease up, or I’ll be stitching up a corpse next time around. You really should get some kind of… body armor, like I told you.”
Matt: “Yeah, I’m thinking you might be right.”
Claire: “There’s a first.”
Matt tells Claire that when Fisk came at him in the warehouse, Matt sliced his jacket open and didn’t cut him--he was wearing some kind of armor in the lining. It was light and tough, like nothing Matt has ever seen before. (I guess Mr. Potter makes some… different kinds of suits.) Claire packs up her stuff and says that it must be because Fisk has all the money in the world. (Now would be a good time for Matt to get a large inheritance.)
Matt puts his shirt back on and asks Claire if she wants to get a drink or something. Claire says no.
Matt: “Second woman today that’s turned me down.”
Claire: “Got a revolving door, do you?”
Matt: “That’s not… not what--I didn’t mean it.”
(This is so painful to watch. Please, let my babies just be happy.)
Claire says to not worry about it and that she needs to go home and pack. She says she’s taking some time off and getting out of the city for a while. Matt seems pained when he asks her how much time she’s taking off.
Claire: “Why? Gonna miss me?”
Matt: “And if I said I would?”
Claire sighs deeply and says that she didn’t think she was ever going to see Matt alive again--not after that last call the night the city blew up. Matt says he left her a message when it was over. Claire isn’t pleased that he left a message. Matt asks what she expected since she made it pretty clear that she didn’t want to move forward with whatever they had together.
Claire: “You know what it was… what it could’ve been.”
Matt: “If I stopped.”
Claire: “I’m not looking to go around in circles, Matt. I know you’re not going to stop.”
Matt: “Not until the city is safe from people like Fisk.”
Claire: “Which is never. It’ll always be something… someone. You know that, right?”
Matt: “Yeah.”
Claire: “You told me you were the man this city needs. I think that was only half true. I think you’re also the man the city created… for better or worse.”
Matt: “I’m sorry you got pulled back into this.”
Claire: “At least I got to see you with a shirt off again. So hey… it’s not all bad.”
Matt: Thank you, Claire. I know I keep saying it, and it probably doesn’t mean anything at this point, but… thank you.”
Claire: “I’ll always be there… when you really need me… to patch you up. Beyond that…”
Matt: “Yeah.”
Claire: “Yeah.”
What? What? No! This is not okay!
Claire walks to the door, then turns around.
Claire: “You know, the only thing I remember from Sunday School… is the martyrs. The saints, the saviors… they all end up the same way. Bloody… and alone.”
Matt: “I never said I was any of those.”
Claire: “You didn’t have to.”
Okay, what? Claire! Why would you say that and then leave him??
Karen walks down to the water’s edge to meet Ben. She asks if he’s still mad, and he isn’t exactly excited to see her. She apologizes, saying that she needed him.
Ben: “You know who needs me, Karen? My wife. She needs me.”
He’s mad that she didn’t just tell him, instead spinning some story about a great nursing home upstate, like she gives a damn. Karen says that’s not fair, and Ben says, “Welcome to my life.” (No, Ben. No.) He starts to walk away, but Karen chases after him, saying that he’s right and she should have told him. He asks why she didn’t, and Karen says that she was afraid he’d say no.
Karen: “This isn’t a story. This is people’s lives.”
She says that this could be the “smoking gun… or whatever” to finally bring Fisk down. Ben isn’t convinced, saying it’s more like a whatever than it is a smoking gun. Karen insists that he needs to print this and get it out there for people to see. Ben says it isn’t that simple, but Karen won’t give up, saying people need to know this. Ben says that Marlene Vistain is an old lady, confused and talking about things that maybe happened a long time ago. Karen asks if this means that Ben doesn’t believe her. Ben agrees to play it out hypothetically.
Ben: “So I write up the story… get it on the front page. Then what happens?”
Karen: “Well, everybody will see that he’s been lying about his past.”
Ben: “Yeah, sure, absolutely will. Then he goes on TV again, tells everybody, yes, he lied about his past because he was just a scared little kid trying to protect his mother. Maybe he even rolls the old girl out, gets all teary-eyed. See where I’m going with this?”
Karen: “Sounds like you’re going nowhere.”
Ben: “Need to think this through is all I’m saying.”
Karen: “He’s gonna win. If we don’t do something, Fisk is gonna win.”
Ben: “There are no winners and losers in something like this.”
Karen says that Elena Cardenas might disagree with him there if she still could. Ben ponders this, then says maybe they don’t have to do anything. Karen asks what that means. They walk away from the water and Ben asks her if she heard about the benefit at the old Van Lunt building. Karen says she did and that she heard they all got food poisoning. Ben doesn’t think it was bad food and that he has an unconfirmed source who says it was something in the drinks--maybe even a couple fatalities. (Okay, Ben, but you’ve been saying all along that you need valid sources… Just saying.) Karen is shocked to hear this and wonders why it’s not all over the news. Ben hypothesizes that maybe Fisk is spinning this, which means he has a lot of influence in the media, maybe even at The Bulletin. Karen asks why someone would attack a benefit.
Ben: “Fisk made himself public. People who he’s connected with might be less inclined to be dragged out of the shadows.”
Karen: “You think someone’s trying to kill Fisk.”
Ben: “I’ve been writing about crime in this city since before you were born. The only thing I know without a doubt is you don’t get to be the man at the top without making enemies looking to tear you down to the ground.”
Whoa. Chills.
At the hospital, Fisk is still waiting. (It’s kind of way too easy to sympathize with him--I’m worried about Vanessa too!) Wesley comes through a set of doors and sits down next to Fisk. He offers Fisk a cup of tea or coffee, which Fisk declines. Wesley takes a sip instead.
Fisk: “There was a time when I… I believed that I was complete. That I needed no one to truly… understand who I am. If she dies--”
Wesley: “Rosenberg is in from Hartford, and she’s strong. We’ve all seen that.”
(My heart is kind of breaking over this.)
Wesley tells Fisk that Owlsley thinks it might’ve been Nobu’s men who did this. (I’m wondering the same thing. Is it them? Is it Gao? Is it someone we haven’t seen yet? Oh, the intrigue.)
Fisk: “Fate.”
Wesley: “Sir?”
Fisk: “It was something Gao said to me. I had to choose a path or fate would choose for me.”
Wesley: “I sent Leland to speak with her.”
Fisk: “You suspect her hand in this?”
Wesley: “Until I know for certain, I suspect everyone.”
(Good point, Wesley. Oh, wait… what if it’s Wesley? He wouldn’t do that to Fisk. Or… would he?)
Fisk: “You need to find who did this. You need to. I want to look in their eyes when I salt the earth with their blood.”
Wesley: “Understood.”
Fisk: “I told her the safest place she could ever be was by my side.”
Wesley: “This wasn’t your fault.”
Fisk: “Well, she’s lying in there because she was by my side.”
Wesley sighs deeply. Fisk says that if Vanessa recovers, he wants Vanessa sent away, somewhere far from him and the city. Wesley says he doubts Vanessa would want that.
Wesley: “I… doubt she would want that.”
Fisk: “Well, we seldom get everything we want… not in this world.”
Wesley: “But… some of us deserve to.”
Fisk asks Wesley to move the appropriate funds into place. Wesley says he’ll have Leland do it, but Fisk says he wants it done quietly and handled only by Wesley. Wesley says he’ll send him the papers, and Fisk thanks him. Fisk looks over at him and starts to say something but then just settles for thanking Wesley. Right after this, the doctor comes out and says he knows Fisk has been waiting a long time. Fisk asks him to just please tell him what’s going on. The doctor tells him that she’s in a medically induced coma right now and that she will pull through. Fisk thanks him. Wesley looks on with a relieved expression before pulling his phone out of his pocket.
Elsewhere in Hell’s Kitchen, Matt is sitting in a pew at church. Father Lantom approaches him, saying that the morning service was hours ago. Matt says he knows. Father Lantom asks if he’s here for confession, to which Matt shakes his head. Father Lantom then asks if he’s there for a latte, and Matt says no.
Father Lantom: “Probably for the best. Already had four cups. Decaf. But you know there’s still a bit of caffeine in there they just can’t get out.”
Matt smiles a bit at this. (My baby.) Father Lantom says, “Some things are just ingrained, I guess.” I sense he’s talking about a little bit more than coffee. Matt senses it too because his smile fades. Father Lantom asks about the thing that brought Matt there last time, guessing correctly that it didn’t go so well. Father Lantom asks if Matt killed the man he mentioned, to which the answer is no… but he tried to. Father Lantom asks if Matt is disappointed he didn’t succeed or relieved.
Matt: “A friend of mine says that if I don’t change the way I do things… the way I live my life… I will end up bloody and alone.”
Father Lantom asks if Matt believes that, to which Matt responds that he’s not afraid of dying.
Father Lantom: “Lot of people aren’t, comes right down to it. It’s living scares the holy crap out of ’em.”
Matt asks Father Lantom if he knows what he does and who he is. Father Lantom sits down in the pew in front of him and brings up the Sacrament of Penance, which means he won’t tell anyone what’s said to him in confession. Matt says that’s not what he’s asking.
Father Lantom says that he’s not an idiot, so he has a pretty good idea of who Matt is and what he does.
Father Lantom: “How you do it… that’s something else entirely.”
Matt: “Accident. When I was a kid. Used to think it was God’s will.”
Father Lantom: “Used to?”
Matt: “Yeah. He made each and every one of us with a purpose, didn’t He? A reason for being.”
Father Lantom: “I believe so, yes.”
Matt: “Then why did he put the Devil in me? Why do I feel it in my heart and my soul… clawing to be let out… if that’s not part of God’s plan?”
Be right back, I’m sobbing.
Father Lantom says maybe Matt’s being called to summon the better angels of his nature.
Father Lantom: “Maybe that’s the struggle you’re feeling… deep within you.”
Matt: “And how do you know the angels and the Devil inside me aren’t the same thing?”
Father Lantom: “I don’t, but nothing drives people to church faster than the thought of the Devil snapping at their heels.”
Father Lantom says maybe that’s why God created the Devil and allowed him to fall from grace and become “a warning to us all… to tread the path of the righteous.” Matt considers this, looking deep in thought.
We then pan to a scene of Matt meditating. His shirt is off, and he still looks really beaten up from his fight with Nobu. His fingers and body twitch as he flashes back to all the most painful moments from his fight with Nobu. We see a flashback of him trying to attack Fisk, and on the outside, Matt’s hand tightens into a fist. He remembers Fisk beating him up, which finally snaps him back to reality. He opens his eyes and tries to calm down, then opens his super secret crime fighting trunk, groaning as he does.
The next shot is of Turk running down a street, firing at some unknown target. He scrambles up a ladder then up to a roof. He drops down from a ledge and you can hear the possible sound of bones breaking (lovely). Before Turk can get back up, the Man in the Mask puts his foot down on Turk’s arm.
Matt: “I’m really not in the mood for this tonight.”
Turk: “It’s cool, man. It’s cool. We don’t gotta do all that.”
Matt kicks Turk’s gun away and tells him that if he goes for the knife in his boot, Matt will break his leg. And if he goes for the backup piece in his belt, Matt will throw him off the roof. Turk agrees to this, then tries to get up. Matt kicks him back down. Turk asks what he’s doing this for since he hasn’t done anything. Matt says it’s not about him and that he wants information.
Turk: “What do I look like, public damn library?”
Matt kicks him. Turk acquiesces and asks what it is that Matt wants to know. Matt mentions Fisk, to which Turk replies that he has no idea where he is. Matt says he doesn’t want to know that--he wants to know where Fisk gets his body armor. Turk says he doesn’t know, and Matt says that Turk is of no use to him and marches him to the roof. Turk tells him to wait, just as Matt hovers him over a dumpster that looks oddly like the one Matt fell in way back when. (Ahaha, the good old days.) Turk tells him he thinks he might know a guy, and Matt says to give him the name.
Fisk is sitting in Vanessa’s hospital room when his phone starts vibrating. (He’s an Android user, who knew?) The caller ID reads, “Vistain, M.” Fisk ignores the call, then walks to Vanessa’s side, looking grief stricken. He kisses her lightly on the mouth. He goes out into the hall where Wesley is talking on the phone. Wesley ends his phone call and asks Fisk how Vanessa is doing. Fisk says that she hasn’t woken up and that Rosenberg says there may be complications. Wesley reassures him that if that happens, they’ll deal with it. (Wesley, you are such a good friend.)
Fisk then tells Wesley that his mother called and asks if Wesley can see what she needs. Wesley says he’ll take care of it. Owlsley shows up on the scene and asks if Vanessa is still alive. They tell him that she is, and he says that’s something. Fisk says he doesn’t want to be disturbed and then goes into the hospital room, despite Owlsley’s protests. (This proves that Fisk has truly given up on caring about anything but Vanessa. It’s kind of sweet.)
Owlsley is annoyed, asking if he’s invisible, but Wesley turns the topic right back to Gao. Owlsley says that Gao said she was deeply saddened and “quoted a fortune cookie or some mystical shit.” Wesley asks if she sounded sincere, but Owlsley says he isn’t sure because she was speaking in Chinese. Owlsley says he doesn’t think Gao’s translator liked him very much--he kept staring at Owlsley funny.
Wesley: “Funny how?”
Owlsley: “Funny!”
Gao said she’d stand with Fisk if it comes to that. Wesley asks if Owlsley believes her, to which Owlsley isn’t sure. Wesley says they need to be sure. Owlsey says the only thing he knows for sure is that Fisk needs to get back to business while there’s still business to get back to. Wesley says Fisk will when Fisk deems it appropriate.
Owlsley: “Well, doesn’t that just fill me with confidence?”
Owlsley says that if someone came after Fisk once, they’ll come after him again. Wesley looks peeved as he tells Owlsley to go home and get some rest--they’ll call him if needed. Owlsley reluctantly leaves, and Wesley picks up his phone to call Marlene. He tells her that he works with his son and that they’ve met before. We discover that his name is James Wesley. It appears Marlene wants to talk to Fisk, but Wesley tells her he’s indisposed at the moment and offers his help instead.
Wesley: “Wait… who came to visit you?”
NOPE. Watch out, Karen and Ben!
Elsewhere, Matt walks through what I assume is Mr. Potter’s evil suit lair. He touches some fabric--a suit-in-progres--before a garage door-type-thing starts to open. We see Mr. Potter walk in and get some chocolate milk. He walks over to the suit-in-progress and realizes that it’s been touched by someone else. He turns around to see Matt standing there. Mr. Potter tells Matt that he shouldn’t be there. Matt asks if Mr. Potter works for Fisk. Instead of answering, Mr. Potter lunges at him and they begin a full-on fight. Mr. Potter bashes Matt’s head against a work station, then holds him above the ground, squeezing his head. Mr. Potter throws Matt against the ground, and his grunt echoes as we switch to the next scene.
Wesley is still on the phone with Marlene. He tells her that he’ll take care of it and that he’ll have Fisk call her as soon as he’s free. Wesley hangs up, looking concerned, and asks a nearby guard for his gun and the keys to a car. The guard offers to drive him, but Wesley insists that he wants as many men as possible to guard Fisk at all times. The guard asks what he should do if Fisk asks for Wesley, and Wesley says to tell Fisk he won’t be long.
Mr. Potter pulls Matt off the ground and they keep fighting. For a moment, Matt gets the upper hand, but then Mr. Potter grabs some nearby blades from a saw.
Mr. Potter: “That wasn’t very nice.”
He throws the blade at Matt, which barely misses, then grabs a hammer. Matt evades Mr. Potter and Mr. Potter smashes through a window. Mr. Potter throws Matt on a table and lands several punches before grabbing some chains and winding them around Matt’s neck. He pulls Matt off the table, and Matt dangles, the chains digging into his throat. Suddenly, in slow motion, Matt flips out of the chains and kicks Mr. Potter to the ground. (Yes, yes, YES!)
Matt chokes Mr. Potter until he turns red in the face. Mr. Potter falls to the ground and they both gasp, winded after the fight. Matt groans, holding his side where the stab wound is. Suddenly Mr. Potter starts crying, saying that Matt’s not supposed to be in here. He says Mr. Fisk’s gonna be mad and he’s going to hurt “her.” Matt asks who he’s going to hurt, then refers to Mr. Potter by name--Melvin. Melvin asks how Matt knows that, but Matt asks Melvin who Fisk is going to hurt. Sobbing again, Melvin says, “Betsy.” Matt kneels next to Melvin and asks who Betsy is. Melvin says that she’s nice and helps him when he gets confused. Matt asks why Fisk would want to hurt her. Melvin tells Matt that no one’s supposed to be there in the shop unless Fisk brings them. Matt asks if Melvin does indeed work for Fisk. Melvin says he said no when Fisk asked, since Betsy wants him to be good. Melvin makes things--he’s good at making things. Matt apologizes to him, looking pained, then tells him that Fisk has hurt people he cares about too.
Matt: “I know what it’s like to worry about them… wanting to keep them safe.”
Melvin asks if Fisk makes Matt work for him too. Matt says no--he wants to stop Fisk from hurting anyone else… from hurting Betsy. Melvin asks if Matt could do that, and Matt says maybe. He asks if Melvin made a suit for Fisk. Melvin said he’s made a whole bunch to keep Fisk safe. Matt asks if Melvin can make something like that for him.
Melvin: “You want a suit like… like Mr. Fisk?”
Matt: “No… no. I want something very special.”
Matt says if Melvin does this for him, he promises to get Fisk out of his life and to keep Betsy safe.
Melvin: “You can do that?”
Matt: “With your help, I think… I think maybe I can.”
Melvin: “What do you want me to make?”
Matt: “A symbol.”
YES YES YES.
Karen walks into Josie’s, where Foggy is sitting at the bar. She approaches him wordlessly and pours a drink for herself.
Karen: “You’re the dick.”
Foggy: “The hell did I do?”
Karen: “I’ve been calling you all day.”
Foggy: “Been busy.”
Karen: “Did you even listen to my messages?”
Foggy: “Yeah.”
Karen: “And?”
Foggy: “And what?”
Foggy isn’t as excited about Karen’s news as she is, echoing Ben’s concerns about how young Fisk was when this happened. Karen gets frustrated but tries to recover, saying that Fisk’s mother is supposed to be dead, so this proves that Fisk has been lying. Foggy says that with who they’re dealing with, it won’t be enough. Karen says he sounds just like Matt, and Foggy asks if she’s talked to him. Karen tells him that Matt asked the same thing about Foggy when she was at his place.
Karen: “What the hell happened? And don’t… don’t tell me that it was a car accident.”
Foggy tells her to ask him, to which Karen replies that she did. Foggy asks what Matt told her, and Karen says he just said it was his fault. Foggy scoffs and says, “Got that right.” Karen asks what is going on with the two of them. She asks why he wasn’t at the office, and Foggy says it’s not like they have any clients. After a moment and another drink, Foggy tells her they’re going through a rough patch. (Yeah, no kidding.)
Karen: “Found the Nelson and Murdock sign in the trash.”
Foggy: “A very rough patch.”
Karen: “You wanna talk?”
Foggy: “Yeah… but I can’t.”
(How many times can my heart be broken throughout the course of this show?)
Karen: “Why?”
Foggy: “It’s…”
Karen: “If you say ‘it’s complicated,’ I will punch you in the face.”
Foggy slams his fist down on the bar and says that it’s personal. Karen looks hurt but says that she gets it. Foggy says she really doesn’t. Karen’s voice cracks as she tells him they started tearing down Elena’s tenement building. She asks if Foggy knew that, and Foggy didn’t. Karen tells him that Fisk is still out there and that it would be nice if he and Matt could get their heads out of their asses and help do something about it before there’s nothing left of Hell’s Kitchen to fight for. She leaves Foggy to think about it and walks down the street, leaving a message for Matt. She says she just saw Foggy at Josie’s and asks if the two of them can just get their shit together.
Karen: “I thought this was supposed to be a team, not--not whatever this is, okay?”
Matt, you need your team. I know you want to protect them, but you need your team. She tells him that he seriously needs to call her back, then hangs up.
Ben is in his office when his phone rings.
Karen: “It’s Karen.”
Ben: “I know. They got this thing, caller ID, might have heard of it.”
Karen: “You still sound pissed.”
Ben: “Just tired.”
Karen: “You okay?”
Ben: “Will be. What’s up?”
Karen tearfully tells him that Matt and Foggy had some kind of fight and now she feels like it’s falling apart. Ben smiles and says it’s usually around this time that you know the story is getting interesting. Karen asks how he does this day after day.
Ben: “One foot in front of the other… just like everybody else.”
Karen: “Yeah, but you’re not like everybody else. You know that, right?”
Ben: “We all do what we can. Sometimes it’s enough.”
(Heart. Breaking.)
Karen smiles and thanks him. Ben reminds her that he didn’t say he was writing the story. Karen says she knows but thanks him for being there and for caring.
Karen: “Talk tomorrow?”
Ben: “Yeah, talk tomorrow.”
(I don’t have a good feeling about this. That conversation was too perfect.)
They hang up the phone, and Ben goes back to what he was doing on the computer. He’s looking at an old photo, and he zooms in on a photo of Bill Fisk’s campaign sign in the window.
 |
| My reaction was something like this. |
Fisk is once again sitting next to Vanessa’s bedside.
Fisk: “I don’t know how to pray. My father was not a religious man. My mother wanted to be… I think, needed to be, but she never quite found it within herself. I’d seen it in movies and watched it on television. I read it in books when I was a child, after I was sent away. And I tried to mimic words… the sentiment… but it was false. It was imitation of faith. So… I can’t pray for you. All I can do is make you a promise. One that not even God, if there is such a thing, can prevent me from keeping. The people that did this to you… they will suffer. They will suffer.”
He kisses her hand.
Karen is passed out on a table, and water is dripping in the background. She gasps, suddenly awake. In the background is Wesley, who takes off his gloves and coat. He says he thought maybe she wouldn’t wake up. Karen tries to stand up but falls back into her chair. Wesley prevents her from getting up and tells her to take a moment. In the meantime, he wants to chat. He sits down across from her.
Karen: “You can’t do this.”
Wesley: “And yet, here we are.”
Karen gasps some more--side effect of being choked, I guess. She looks terrible and I feel so bad for her. Wesley says it’s interesting because after the Union Allied article, he checked to make sure she wouldn’t be a problem anymore. He figured she’d already done as much damage as possible and that she was a nobody, a very small cog in the machine. He says that they’re the ones behind the legal agreement she signed.
Wesley: “You were supposed to go away, Miss Page. Fade back into… wherever people like you fade. But you made a choice… and that choice has brought you here, on this night, at this particular moment in time. Perhaps that’s the way it was always going to be. Perhaps we’re destined to follow a path none of us can see, only vaguely sense as it takes our hand, guiding us towards the inevitable.”
Karen: “Is that supposed to scare me?”
Wesley: “No… no. This is.”
He pulls out the gun. He lays it on the table in front of him and asks if he has her attention.
Wesley: “Hello, could you like, nod, or something?”
Karen nods.
Wesley: “Do you love this city?”
Karen: “What?”
Wesley: “It’s a simple question. Do you love this city?”
Karen says she hasn’t been here long enough. Wesley says that a day or a few weeks should be ample time to form an emotional response.
Wesley: “Growing to love something is simply forgetting slowly what you dislike about it.”
Wesley says he will be honest… he doesn’t love this city, mentioning the layer of filth that you can never completely wash away. Karen says maybe he should move. Wesley replies that he’s not here because he wants to be, he’s here because he’s needed. Karen asks if he means Fisk. Wesley nods, saying that Fisk loves this city in a way that Karen and Wesley never could. He doesn’t expect her to understand since even he struggles to understand it sometimes. But Fisk loves the city, almost as deeply as he loves his mother. Karen realizes that’s why she’s here. Wesley says she was surprised Marlene remembered Karen since her memory is fading. She described Karen as “the nice blonde lady with the big blue eyes.” Wesley knows about the man Karen was with, too--Mr. Urich.
Wesley: “My employer--sorry, old habits--Mr. Fisk, as I said, loves his mother. He would be extremely...disturbed… if he knew you found her. Even more so that you’ve been to see her.”
Karen is surprised that Wesley hasn’t told Fisk yet, and Wesley says that Fisk is preoccupied with more important matters, so he’s taken it upon himself to take care of the situation.
Karen: “If you’re going to kill me… just do it. I’m sick of listening to your bullshit.”
Wesley: “I’m not here to kill you, Miss Page. I’m here to offer you a job.”
Karen just laughs.
Meanwhile, Fisk exits the hospital room and asks for a black coffee. He asks the guard, Francis, where Wesley is.
We go back to Wesley and Karen, where Karen asks if she’s just supposed to be Wesley’s secretary. Wesley says that the position he had in mind is a little more involved.
Wesley: “You’ve proved yourself resourceful, tenacious, with a commendable ability to convince others that your way is the right one, the way that needs to be followed, pursued despite the obvious repercussions such actions may incur.”
Karen: “Is that even English?”
Wesley lets out a dry laugh. He says that, simply stated, Karen needs to convince Mr. Urich that everything is fine and that Wilson Fisk is a good man, a man this city needs. Then she’s going to tell everyone else that she’s infected with her negative opinion the same thing. Karen says she’d rather die first. Wesley tells her she won’t be the first to die--Mr. Urich will “have that honor.” Then he’ll find Mr. Nelson and Mr. Murdock; after that he’ll find her friends, family, and anyone she’s ever cared about.
Wesley: “And when you have no tears left to shed… then we’ll come for you, Miss Page.”
Wesley’s phone rings, and Karen lunges for the gun, pointing it at Wesley with ragged breaths.
On the phone is Fisk, waiting for Wesley to pick up. Wesley laughs and asks if she really thinks he’d put a loaded gun on the table where she could reach it. Karen says she doesn’t know and cocks the gun. Karen asks if he really thinks this is the first time she’s shot someone. Wesley laughs, then stands up. Karen fires and hits him in the shoulder. She fires again and again. Wesley slumps backward in the chair. Karen gasps and looks around her. Wesley’s phone rings again, and Karen cleans her fingerprints off the table. Taking the gun with her, she leaves. On the other line, Fisk looks annoyed and then worried that Wesley’s not picking up. Blood spreads through Wesley’s crisp white shirt as his ringtone echoes into silence.
Cue credits.
Have you seen "The Path of the Righteous"? What did you think of it?
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