Daredevil Episode 5: World on Fire Recap

Episode 5 begins with Claire cleaning up in Matt’s apartment. Matt tells her that he practices [...]

By Andrew Steinbeiser

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Episode 5 begins with Claire cleaning up in Matt's apartment. Matt tells her that he practices law at his firm, Nelson and Murdock while he prepares her breakfast. He then feels Claire's remaining wounds, and notes that she has a hairline fracture. Claire asks how Matt is able to detect all of these injuries, especially since he's blind. Matt explains his radar senses, and asks Claire to stay at his place until things cool off with the Russians.

They kiss, and Claire asks why Matt hasn't consulted the police in his war agains the mob. Matt explains that he's going to go after Fisk, whom he suspects is slowly taking control of the underworld. He knows everything is connected to Fisk. Claire reveals that she heard a name, Vladimir, while the Russians held her hostage. She suggests that Vladimir sounds important.

Across town, Vladimir is visited by Wesley. Wesley thanks Vladimir for turning his operation over to Wilson Fisk. Then, another Russian enters the room and tells Vladimir that he found the dead body of his brother, Anatoli, whom Kingpin savagely beat to death the night before. The bring Vladimir the body. Vladimir inspects it, and finds Daredevil's mask in his pocket. Clearly, the Kingpin planted it there. Thinking Daredevil responsible for his brother's murder, Vladimir declares war on Daredevil.

Later that day, Wesley and Fisk meet with Union Allied's men and Madame Gao. Fisk informs them that he killed Anatoli, and that the Russians no longer have a stake in Hell's Kitchen crime. Fisk tells them that he framed Daredevil for the murder, and they'll hopefully just wipe each other out. Madame Gao now wonders how her product will circulate without the Russians, but Fisk assures that product will still move. With Gao satisfied, everyone agrees to move with business as usual.

In another part of New York, the Russians ask one of Madame Gao's men if he knows anything about the man in the black mask. He doesn't give an answer. Then, Daredevil ambushes them and asks where he can find Vladimir, but the Russians says that Vladimir "knows" that Daredevil killed his brother. The police show up before Daredevil can make sense of the Russian's words, and he flees.

The next morning at Nelson and Murdock, Karen tries uncovering the information hidden in Union Allied's old office equipment. Then, a potential client enters the office seeking the firm's help. She claims that her landlord, Tulley, is unjustly evicting her from her apartment, so that he can convert it into a lucrative condo. She explains that the police won't help, and she doesn't know what to do. Matt agrees to help, saying that Foggy will speak to Tulley's lawyers—the same law firm Foggy used to intern at and hates. Matt will go speak with the police. Foggy hates the idea, but takes Karen with him.

At the police station, Matt asks the the cop there what he knows about Tulley. The cop agrees to help dig up whatever info he can on Tulley. As Matt waits in the precinct, he overhears one of the Russians—who was arrested the night before—talk to the police. The Russian gives up Wilson Fisk's name, which Matt overhears as well. But the cops reveal themselves as crooked employees of the Kingpin. They tell the Russian that he shouldn't have mentioned Fisk's name, and shoot him.

At Foggy's old firm, Foggy reconnects with old colleagues. The lawyers say that the apartment building is overrun with criminals, and that it deserves to be bulldozed. Foggy pushes back though, and says they'll take the case to court. Karen and Foggy then visit the apartment building, where they re-meet with the woman raising the charges. They agree to help fix the apartment building themselves.

Across town, Daredevil attacks the crooked cop who shot the Russian narc. Daredevil wants all the information the cop has on Wilson Fisk. The cop reveals that the Russians are connected to Fisk somehow, but tries shooting Daredevil first. Daredevil is forced to knock him out without the information.

Vanessa agrees to meet Wilson for another date. She demands that Fisk be completely upfront with her from now on. Fisk agrees to always be honest, and the date takes off. Vanessa talks about how she once slept with Prince (the musician), which makes Fisk jealous. Fisk then talks about Wesley, and how he is the closest thing he has to a friend. Fisk then notices a gun in Vanessa's purse, and asks if she feels safe. She doesn't, but admits that she knows Fisk is a dangerous man. Despite the danger, she still likes him. Fisk says that he'll continue to hurt people in order to do what's necessary. Vanessa hands Wilson the gun, her trust earned.

At Vladimir's, Vladimir is tipped with information possibly revealing Fisk as Anatoli's murderer. Vladimir now thinks that Daredevil works for Fisk, and knows that Fisk is his enemy. He says he'll give one million dollars to whomever can give up Fisk's location.

Back at the condemned apartment, Foggy and Karen restore its conditions. As thanks, the tenant feeds Karen and Foggy before leaving the room, setting Foggy and Karen up on a "date." They flirt and dine, and Foggy discusses how Matt dates a lot of women, but never commits. Foggy almost reveals Matt's radar sense, but covers his tracks.

At Matt's apartment, Claire goes through a cell phone that Daredevil took from the crooked cop. She finds a useful address that might be Vladimir's. Daredevil invades Vladimir's apartment, but is quickly stopped by an explosion. Unbeknownst to Matt, one of Madame Gao's men was inside the building too, and triggered a bomb.

Another explosion ignites in the apartment that Karen and Foggy are in, along with several other buildings across Hell's Kitchen. It's all an organized hit on the Kitchen itself from the Kingpin. He's raising the city so he can rebuild it in his image. As Fisk watches, he admits to Vanessa that he orchestrated the destruction. Vanessa is impressed, and gives him her hand.

Daredevil struggles to pick himself up after the explosion, and pursues Vladimir. He catches him and starts viciously beating him. But before he can deliver the knockout blow, the police get the drop on Daredevil. With guns drawn on him, Daredevil raises his hands in apparent surrender.

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