Daredevil holds off on showing Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk in person until the very end of "Rabbit in a Snowstorm" in order to use the introduction as a jumping off point for this episode's plot. It's in keeping with the pattern of these first episodes of the season. The show is building quite the base for which the writers can spin off in a number of different directions. 





You almost don't know what to expect with each coming episode. Like the complete absence of Matt Murdock's lawyer persona in "Cut Man," this episode features very little of the Man Without Fear. Sure, he gets the central action fight scene simply because it's demanded of the show bearing his name, but a large part of the running time is devoted to fleshing out the villains of the piece. It's a great approach that gives more and more depth to a superhero story. Unlike some other shows that seem to struggle with the direction they want go, there's the assurance that this is one series filled with people who know exactly what they're doing.



This episode isn't necessarily all about revealing the truth behind the Kingpin. By framing it as a story of the Russian brothers' collective struggle to pull themselves up by the boot straps to be near the top of the Kingpin's organization, Daredevil is showing what it's like to be a soldier operating within a system that doesn't always benefit them. Fisk's constant need to operate in anonymity, to do things using Wesley as a willing proxy, and keeping strict control of his reputation and name would make it frustrating for anyone to see if results will come forth. They aren't easy circumstances, but most do yield because they understand that it's far better serving a master than being dead. 



Obviously, that doesn't sit well with the ambitious Vladimir who, unlike his more calculating brother Anatoly, is eager to prove himself as a badass gangster who can do things independent of leadership. He's the one who chafes at being given the recently deceased Mr. Prohaszka's holdings to develop; He's the one who doesn't care for Fisk's strict rules about saying his name out loud.







In an attempt to rein in his angry, raging brother, Anatoly volunteers to talk to Fisk to get him to ease up on them after their men failed to get the necessary information on the Masked Man. And they almost had it too. If the Russians had shown a bit of patience, they could have easily figured out that Matt was the Masked Man when they were kidnapping Claire. They ultimately failed because they allowed Matt to get the drop on them, and the fact remains that he is more resourceful and diligent than any of them. 



He is slowly recognizing the toll his vigilante ways are taking on those he cares about. Today, right now, it's Claire who is put in danger. She was nearly killed. What happens if Wesley or the Kingpin attack Foggy or Karen? Even as Foggy and Karen are seemingly growing further and further away from Matt. It's something Matt is going to struggle with during the life of this series.



But back to the Russian brothers. I found it ironic that it's Anatoly, steady and careful Anatoly, who ends up paying the price for defying the Kingpin. Sergei desperately wanted to give Fisk a piece of his mind, and his older brother just wanted to protect him from what had to be a pretty dire fate. The breakdown of the relationship between the Russians and Fisk did seem to occur a bit too quickly. For all of the show's prowess at slowly building tension within the ranks, severing that link happened much faster than anticipated. Sure, the Russians have been failing at catching or even stopping the Masked Man who's been beating the snot out of their best men, but it can't be easy to find qualified replacements for them on such short notice. 







The episode also took great pains to soften the image of the Kingpin, which was interesting. He clearly likes Vanessa, and goes far enough to try and impress her during their date. The conversation is awkward and painfully realistic, yet it doesn't escape my mind that he's a supervillain. That fact warps the perception of this meet-cute date of theirs. The fact that he likes her and is embarrassed by his subordinate's behavior drives his murderous rampage against Anatoly in the end. 



We see here what Fisk is entirely capable of, without filters, and it makes the fact that Matt awoke this beast of a man with his actions all the more frightening. Neither man is really aware of the other right now, and that means it's going to simmer like that for the rest of the season. That sense of impending danger is always helpful in driving what might ordinarily be simple scenes that function as connective tissue in the plot. Such as the little subplot with Karen and Urich chasing the ghost of Union Allied Construction. It makes them paranoid to an extreme degree, and rightfully so. They, and Matt as well, are poking at a sleeping bear, and there's the very real chance that they could get mauled in the process.