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Re: Why is giving Child!Matt a shot that big of a deal?

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, I'm not going to say Jack was in the right in everything he did, and particularly not in the face-stitching scene, but I think you're cutting him a little short, here.

I think Jack sees himself as being at a crossroads, when it comes to fighting Creel: He can continue doing what he had been doing, take the money and lose, but that doesn't mean that things will stay the same. For one thing, Matty clearly knows or at least suspects what's going on, now. He doesn't care about his kid seeing him as a loser, but he does care that his son not see him as crooked. He wants better for smart, idealistic little Matty than that: he doesn't want him to see his dad as nothing more than a cog in the rigged machine. So he finally draws a moral line he should have drawn earlier. That's not necessarily bad parenting. (He also probably hoped, despite his preparation, that the story would have a different ending.)

The other thing that has changed in his situation (being paid to throw fights) is that his "employers" have identified Matt as leverage, and how long will he live in an atmosphere of fear for what they would do to Matt if he doesn't buckle under? How long until they switch from the carrot (monetary gain) to the stick (threatening Matt, hurting Matt, etc.)? Whereas, if he disobeys right away, Matt won't be in any danger from them at all. They'll go after him for his defiance, not his blind son who's nowhere near the fight. That lump sum of money may not be much, but it's a better future than being easy leverage for ol' Fighting Jack Murdock.

Re: Why is giving Child!Matt a shot that big of a deal?

[(Anonymous)]

+1

I also read the exchange in the gym as implicitly threatening Matt.

Re: Why is giving Child!Matt a shot that big of a deal?

[(Anonymous)]

Same. I don't think Jack necessarily made a good decision, but he was in a situation where there WERE no good decisions.