This episode had a lot to juggle and it's a bit crowded. That much is made clear when you see the cast listing, indicating that Frank, Elektra, Fisk, and even Claire are slated to make appearances. Most of them end up being extended cameos, but it's probably for the best.
The episode's main focus is on a killing spree that erupts after word gets out about Frank's escape. The DA is shot down, as is the medical examiner who falsified documents to help cover up the botched sting operation.
Naturally, Frank is the prime suspect. Karen notes (multiple times, in fact) that this doesn't really fit his M.O, but nobody really takes her insight into consideration. She's right, but at the same time, the targets are logically consistent. The DA's actions did result in his family's death and the M.E. is guilty of crimes as well. As such, it's understandable why people would think that Frank was the one behind it.
But nope, the likely true culprit is instead a newly introduced big bad who goes by the name of the Blacksmith. He's sort of a Keyser Soze/Heisenburg figure, who deals in massive amounts of drugs. I'm guessing this is a character from the comics, but I don't know for sure.
I'm not sure the season really needed another big bad. It seems like the season has its hands full already. You could argue that it's relevant to Frank, as the Blacksmith is the reason the sting was set up in the first place, but you'd think that taking down the city's three biggest criminal elements would have been sufficient reason as far as the DA was concerned.
As noted before, I roam TvTropes, so I know the identity of the blacksmith. I won't give it away here, but I am looking forward to that particular reveal.
On the subject of Frank's escape, Matt is able to almost instantly deduce that Fisk was the one behind it, as they shared the same cell block. Matt writes it off as a coincidence, but couldn't that just be the wing where they send the most dangerous people? I mean, he's completely right, but it seems more like luck. Though, Matt does note that Fisk was likely counting on that mindset as cover. After all, Fisk (at first glance) has nothing to gain by letting Frank out, so why suspect him?
As was the case last episode, D'onofrio is quite a bit of fun to watch. Odd as it may sound, he's more entertaining as the faux affable manipulator. It's important to maintain him as a physical threat, but when he goes into his raging beserker mode, it seems like he loses something. You wouldn't think it as he repeatedly slams Matt into a table and swears vengeance. It's a likely hint at the next season's arc, more specifically that it will, at least in part, be based on the "Born Again" story line. That's the one where Karen dies, right? Probably not a good sign, but we'll see.
I am skeptical of Fisk's boasts regarding what sort of adversary Matt's up against. Granted, he doesn't know that Matt is contending with the Hand (or does he?), but it's already been shown that Fisk defers to them on several levels. He's still a big bad, but he's hardly the biggest one out there.
Speaking of he Hand,while they do take a back seat, for the most part, they aren't completely forgotten. While we had already seen the blood draining, having a few sets of fresh eyes investigate it in the episode's opening scenes really hammers in the horror of what was being done. Even more hardened New York City cops are aghast at the sheer levels of WTF on display here.
The victims are brought to the local hospital, bringing Claire into the fold. She doesn't show up often, but it's always nice to see her. There is an element of bitter-sweetness, however, as things continue to just get worse for her, which if you look back has been the case from the beginning.
In any event,it seems like she was able to save the victims, who were barely hanging on by a thread, but the episode's closing scenes make it clear that something went horribly wrong. This makes for a rare instance where the "came back wrong" trope applies, but they didn't die. Considering resurrection is The Hand's schtick (and Nobu's revival) you'd think that's how it would play out, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
As if that weren't bad enough, the Hand do storm the hospital, fulfilling Matt's warning earlier in the episode. It makes for a great episode cliffhanger as Daredevil readies himself to fend off the oncoming enemies. The fact that both Claire and Foggy are there helps add to the stakes as there are personal connections at play. On the plus side, Foggy getting a first hand look at what's going on should give him a better understanding of why Matt keeps fighting and pushing everyone away.
On other fronts, Elektra meets a guy at a bar. Not the most exciting of subplots, but it does, ironically enough, result in the episode's only action beat (Fisk's hammering Matt is borderline, but I'm not sure it counts) as the man eventually reveals himself to be an assassin sent to kill her. It was a solid fight, with both parties landing solid hits.
The unveiling of sais during the fight seems like an odd development, but these are gangs of ninjas. It is also a bit of a fandom nod, given that they are Elektra's weapon of choice in the comics. Really, if I were going to chide anything, I'd say that the assassin's name should have been Raphael instead of Jacques.
The big twist there is the reveal of who dispatched said assassin. The viewer, like Elektra herself, assumes that this is the work of the Hand, but before he dies, Jacques says that he was sent by Stick. I'd say that he could be lying as a way to sow dissent among the Chaste's ranks, but that doesn't really seem like the way the Hand operates. I could be wrong, though. Also, Stick probably would do something like that; either to punish her or to test her to see if she still has what it takes to fight.
This episode had a lot to deal with and it handled it fairly well. With only so much time, some things had to be put on the back burner. You could also argue that most of the guest stars really didn't have that much to do. Still, it's clear that things are coming to a head on several fronts. It makes for decent build up as we move closer to the end of the season.
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