I guess Fisk deemed the Russians unworthy. Based on how much they've been screwing up of late, I don't blame him. That was a dastardly plan that Fisk and his minions pulled off, though. I'm still reeling slightly from the brilliant idea to pin the murder of Anatoly on the Masked Man. It's demonstrative of the genius in how Fisk's operation works. How he distances himself from any and all of the blood that goes on his hands.

 

 

This is how he can stay so calm and be awkward around the girl that he likes. Fisk lives up to his word that Vanessa can be safe in his company despite his apparently infamous reputation. Somehow, this episode is the payoff for what the show has built in the previous episodes. I write that because what happened at the end was rather unexpected. Most of the episode's running time was spent with two or three different subplots in motion. They were all loosely connected, going at their own languid sort of pace, and then, suddenly, they all came together. As a result of Fisk's plan, our hero is now left in a precarious position.

 

"World On Fire" can be classified as possibly the most romantic episode of the show to date. The episode takes its time to explore three different relationships, all of which are moving in different directions. It was speculated that Matt would have some romantic chemistry with Karen, but that now seems more like affection than romantic feelings. There is actually a much deeper bond between Claire and Matt. It would make sense that they're close to each other since they're mending each other's various injuries, but there's more to it than that. Beyond Matt telling Claire his real name, he can really lay on the charm in telling her about what he actually "sees" in the world.

 

The visualization of a fiery haze around Claire doesn't just fit his description and the episode's title, but is something beautiful. It's a look more beautiful than the aura that highlights a person when he hears their heartbeat. That first serene scene between the two of them sets up the moment when they engage in a fight over his vigilantism. They've known each other maybe a total of two weeks so it's a little early for Claire to fall in love with him. Though, that doesn't make it any less  heartbreaking when Matt chooses his mission of vengeance against the Russians instead of staying with Claire. And Claire again makes salient points on the task he faces. It looks simply like too much for one man to bear, even if he's so desperate not to let the criminals take over Hell's Kitchen and then the entire city. It's not like the Avengers can swoop down and save everyone from destruction again.

 

Compared to the soap opera theatrics occurring there, Foggy and Karen's dalliance plays in a more goofy manner. The law firm takes on a case where a one-percenter named Armand Tully is forcing out the tenants of an apartment building so that he can covert the building into a property that will bring him lots of money. That forces Foggy to meet with lawyers from his and Matt's previous law firm.

 

Once again, there is light and fun in the whole subplot due to the fact that most of the show is so dark, though it still keeps Foggy and Karen separate from everything going on with the Masked Man. It really is a relief to see how Karen continues to tease Foggy for everything he does. It goes into overdrive when she finds out that he once dated Tully's attorney. Both Karen and Foggy are about to get closer than they've ever been until Fisk's plan gets in the way. After that, their priorities are going to have to change.

 

The plan really is audacious in its execution. There are hints of how far Fisk is willing to go in his meeting with Leland, Madame Gao, and the Yakuza, but it doesn't reveal the whole scope. It's all in the name of eliminating the Russians with one fell swoop. What helps is the fact that Fisk has men willing to help his cause inside the police force. If the powerful Russians can't defeat a man with this level of power, what hope can Matt have as the Daredevil vigilante? Yes, Matt was effective in getting the necessary information from the cop, but it's one small morsel in the middle of a buffet line. To add spice to the whole ordeal, Fisk even goes so far as to align the Masked Man with him so as to enrage Vladimir even more.

 

Matt has no real context to apply to the addresses, and when he goes to confront the Russians and end all of the lies, it's too late. Fisk makes his power play, blowing up each of the locations on the cop's phone, and ending any and all Russian connections to his organization. He will absorb their share of the profits, distribute them among the other head associates, and the Chinese assume the lead position as Fisk's primary distributor of drugs or whatever they can get their hands on. Plus, he's torn down most of Hell's Kitchen in the process. The explosions will also likely force Mrs. Cardenas and all of the tenants out of the building they're living in, making it a real likely possibility that Tully is in league with Fisk or one of the associates.

 

The balance still tilts heavily in favor of the bad guys. The system is just too big to fight right now. That's why the episode can afford to be so patient in developing the relationship between Vanessa and Fisk. It could end up being one of Fisk's few weaknesses that Matt can exploit. He just has to make sure that Fisk falls from the top position he currently occupies.