Daredevil's premise is loosely based on events that have happened in the MCU in the past, specifically Avengers. In one of the shots of Ben Urich's (one of my favorite characters) office there are front pages from both the Battle of New York (Avengers), and one of the Hulk from his stint of destruction in a movie that happened so long ago I'd forgotten they considered it canonical. There are mentions of other things like Wesley's (my favorite character of this season) vague descriptions of Thor and Ironman which are shown in one of the trailers. Other than little hints there is nothing in the show that has been explained elsewhere that is pertinent to your enjoyment.

4. Is it better than Daredevil (2003)? -Yes. I was a more or less comfortable with the Daredevil myths going in so I can't speak very much to the ease in which they introduce information, except that there is still more to learn about Matt Murdock's past! Even though the season is concluded there are allusions to the future story lines of season 2! For those looking for the mystical story line it really doesn't pick up except in episode 7. Also Elektra is teased (for fans of Elektra), but is identifiable as a major plot point for season 2. (under the assumption they get a season two which I obviously think they deserve) Even Foggy mentions her in a flashback (I'm assuming here there may be a connection I'm simply wanting to make.) While the Battlin' Jack Murdock story line is somewhat interesting, I'm glad it was no longer than what it was. It stayed it's welcome and left, with enough reverential nods to the fact his dad was a major part of his life to cut it off.

Villains - Wesley is a solid character and, personally, the best villainous character on the show. He's not great at being a villain, he's just a gopher in all due respect, but he's witty and he can get down to blood- spurting business when he needs to. The Russians - Early main protagonists. They are stereotypical, but very weird and interesting. The brotherly bond is about the only character development they have, though Vladimir gets a little more interesting as time goes on.

Wilson Fisk- I feel like he's simply okay, which might be a problem for some people. Early on I really dug him, and he was one of the reasons I kept watching so vehemently. However, I feel like Vincent D'Onofrio gave up the ruse of playing a troubled character into playing a villain in the back half of the season, which is weird considering his arc at that point. He specifically makes a choice with his voice making it more cartoon-y? It just through me off in what was otherwise a really cool performance.

Solid cast, and I don't hate anyone (except maybe Vanessa, but personal preference). Rosario Dawson, as Claire Temple, was my stand out favorite early on in the series, but I have a feeling there was a scheduling conflict, or they couldn't pay her enough for the story they included her in. Vondie Curtis-Hall, as Ben Urich was my number two automatically, and I like his arch and his character and his pizazz. Foggy is fair, and well cast in Elden Henson, he's funny when he's supposed to be and was more than adequate in the dramatic scenes. There is a bit midway through the back half when I felt he (and Karen) were a little whiny, but I think that was the writers and not the actors. Karen was good, but I must admit I have a soft spot for Deborah Ann Woll, so take this with a grain of salt. Karen's character connected with other sub-characters a lot better than someone like Foggy, and I felt she was integral to exploring those plots, most of the time. Out of the three members of Nelson and Murdock, Foggy definitely has his place firmly set in the firm, which miffed me when the writers weren't letting him do lawyer-y things. Charlie Cox does a great job with his American accent, and even though there are small times when I hear him Irishing up at the end of a sentence, he is supposed to be somewhat Irish (Not enough to have any accent whatsoever, but let me have this one). He's not red-headed at all, but his acting as Matt Murdock is solid. I would have liked to see them make the blindness more believable, and I think they had this brought up to them, because they keep needing to have the characters remind us he is blind. I'll take this time to mention the child actor playing young Matt in the flashbacks did a great job. Daredevil was a solid investment in a solid story. As a fan of DC Comics, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe this, along with Arrow, really fill that inward need of having a live action Batman show on television. I think that the dark tones of this show, with the focus on crime instead of strictly super villains really fit what I would want out of a Batman: Year One type TV show (which makes sense because this is more or less an adaptation of Frank Miller's Man Without Fear.) There is enough grit and violence to really instill a sense of mortality in this world for me (if broken protruding bones freak you out I would recommend watching with a friend who can tell you when to look back at the screen). I look forward to Jessica Jones which comes next in the Defender's series.