Many characters of Netflix’s Daredevil are spot on. Charlie Cox in the titular role works, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, far and away the best aspect of Daredevil, commands his scenes. However, all the good in this series almost completely undoes itself with the role of Foggy Nelson.
Elden Henson, the lesser half of the Mighty Ducks’ “Bash Bros,” somehow landed the intolerable role of Matt Murdock’s best friend and confidant. Although, in the comics, Foggy Nelson is often the comic relief, the “humor” offered in this series is excruciatingly bad. The affable and quirky loser that is Nelson rubs off in the worst sort of way. This series has brewed the perfect storm of a bad character with worse dialog, played still by a worse actor. The result of this amalgamation is something that would be expected on Glee, not Netflix’s generally superb list of original series.
Despite Foggy, I enjoyed this series. However, I certainly could not have been the only one who wondered if they would miss any storyline by fast forwarding through Foggy’s drunken rants, of which, unfortunately, there is more than one. Foggy Nelson is simply not up to the standards that Marvel has set in drafting their characters for the screen. Here is hoping Foggy does not cameo in AKA Jessica Jones.
Am I the only one who cannot bear this character? Can Bullseye kill him off in season two? Would John Favreau be willing to reprise his role?