The first episode of Daredevil’s third and final season set up the new status quo for most of the major characters, and introduced a new one. “Please,” the second installment, moves everyone further along their paths. I really have to say, the longer this goes on, the more annoyed I’m getting at Matt. His various other issues to one side, he’s being really thoughtless and self-centered as far as Karen and Foggy are concerned, to say nothing of Danny, Luke, and… ok, well, Jessica probably doesn’t care.

Matt wakes up on the floor, not really doing well after his little field trip the other night, and feeling the distance from who he used to, and still wants to, be. They do a great dissolve from him to Fisk in prison. Acting on Fisk’s info, Ray leads a team on a raid that catches an organized crime outfit completely by surprise. Ray gets greeted with applause when he gets back to the office, and he and co-worker muse on their surprise that Fisk’s information is good. Fisk goes about his workout in prison, and finds out that his reputation has changed with recent developments. Fisk is more than capable of taking care of himself, which he demonstrates here.

Matt is still recovering when Sister Maggie comes in and fires a lot of questions at him. His hearing is back to the muffled mess it was earlier in his recovery, probably due to his fight and getting hit in the head again. They debate health and theology, and Matt asks her an interesting question. She doesn’t like the implication he’s making, and they argue a bit more, especially about God. In a flashback, we see young Matt getting some advice from Father Lantom, and it seems Matt has always been difficult.

Ray gets some of his evidence logged in, and then gets both a sandwich and some bad news from a co-worker. Ray goes and argues his case to his boss, which is a back and forth struggle. Ray does seem to be in a no-win situation at work, and I sympathize with him. Karen, at work at the New York Bulletin, tries to push another story about Midland Circle with her boss, Ellison. They go back and forth about what she should be doing, but, since he’s the boss, he wins. Ray visits with Fisk and they discuss the new problems in Fisk’s life. The crime lord makes some good points about his cooperation.

Matt, with colored glasses and cane, goes to church, and flashes back once again to his youth. He and Lantom debate theology, which happens a lot in this season so far. Matt makes some statements that don’t sit well with Lantom, and leaves on a note that sounds even worse considering where it’s said. Out on the street, Matt follows up on a lead from the attack last night, playing heavily on other people’s sympathy for a blind man. Karen goes to her new assignment and her first task is getting the subject agree to talk. Karen makes a few good points, and then shares some of her background that’s been hinted at but mostly left blank in the series. Once they finally start talking, Karen hears something that absolutely stuns her. The police, DA’s office, and FBI have a meeting about Fisk’s future. When it looks like his side is losing, Ray makes an impassioned speech and wins the day. His boss is impressing me less and less as this season goes on. We do get to see DA Tower again, who has appeared here and there throughout the Netflix/Marvel shows.

Foggy pays a visit to his family, and we get his background fleshed out a lot. What had been just a throwaway line before becomes a lot more as we see what his family does, and he gets a lot of pressure put on him, some of it in the reverse way you’d expect from someone’s mother. Fisk gets a change of scenery and a lot of instructions. Matt does some snooping, and once again shows the value of a secret identity, something a lot of modern heroes are forgetting.

Matt goes back into action as he sneaks inside a place that’s a lot more than the façade it shows the public. He’s still not fighting at anywhere near his peak, but he does all right this time out. Maybe he should go train with Colleen, too. Matt comes out on top and makes an anonymous phone call, which is actually a big problem. Matt’s new costume has fingerless gloves, they show this several times. Matt called 911 from inside the building, which is now a crime scene. The cops, and maybe the feds, are going to very carefully go over this place. As a lawyer, Matt’s prints are on file. This is a bit of utterly foolish costuming, and I bet it never comes up, although it really should.

The Nelson family party starts to wind down, and Foggy talks with his brother Theo. They discuss the family business, and things once again come around to how much Foggy misses Matt (you’re being a dick, Matt!). Theo agrees Matt was good people, and then Karen comes in. She shares her newest discovery with Foggy, and he’s not buying in to her theory. I don’t blame him. She leaves in a huff, and his family gives Foggy the evil eye. We do at least hear in this scene that he’s still with Marcy, his girlfriend in past seasons. Matt visits the people he helped the other night, and gives the woman some information that makes her feel better and gives her something positive to do. She is thankful, and he corrects her in an obnoxious manner.

The episode ends with an intense action sequence. Fisk’s moving day doesn’t go smoothly, and things get really ugly as the night goes on. Not all of what happens is entirely clear. I thought for a moment that the Punisher was popping up again, but by the time it’s over, it’s clear it’s not him, not that he would have done what whoever this is did anyway. I suspect we’ll learn more about him next episode. In the aftermath of that chaos, Matt hears something surprising.

What I liked: The action on this show is great, especially the fight scenes. Matt has dropped several levels in fighting skill but he’s still believably effective in a fight, and far from perfect. I guess his faith issues are understandable, but he doesn’t have to be a jerk about them. It was nice seeing Foggy’s family, and Karen at work. The way she got her clues make sense and fit with the story well. The final scene was really well done, capturing the confusion of a major firefight well. The hint about Karen’s past was interesting.

What I didn’t: The bit with the gloves really bothers me, and it’s sloppy writing/research/costuming. Matt is being a dick to everyone around him, and he’s really not in a position to be doing that. He really owes just about everyone better than he’s giving them. I feel bad for Foggy. Ray’s desperate situation is grating on me, but I may be identifying with it too much.

It was a good continuation of the story. I’ll give it a solid 3.5 out of 5.