TV Review: Netflix's Daredevil Season 2
Having seen the first season, I was pretty sure I knew what to expect. Daredevil, along with Jessica Jones and the upcoming Luke Cage are all part of what they call the Marvel Universe. Basically, they all live in the same world as the Hulk and the Avengers, which get referenced from time to time. At this point, lawyer Matt Murdock has firmly committed to being 'The Devil of Hell's Kitchen' and so we expect to find more fighting, more inner struggle, and definitely some villainous badassery. What we got was all that and more.
This season is all about the continuation of The Hand, Stick's training and that thing they teased last season...Black Sky. The tone is dark and almost forlorn. It's like the city itself wants everyone to die but you have this one guy who just refuses to give up. Almost immediately, though, there's another guy and he doesn't play by Daredevil's rules. Enter the Punisher. This season makes you wonder what good vs evil really means. It challenges you to see if you can really choose one side or the other. Are our heroes actually villains? Can bad people be saved? These are common themes in comics because it's easy to answer right up until you can't. This show does a phenomenal job of fleshing those out.
I've heard people say that this season's Daredevil was overshadowed by the introductions of Punisher and Elektra, but I have to disagree. While they were both shining highlights, I still cared about Murdock. I couldn't wait to see him fight because he pulls no punches and I was enthralled every time he was going through something without the mask on. That's a solid character, y'all. The other two, while both being flawed enough to carry their own storyline, were there to push him to answer this own questions of right or wrong...and that's the opposite of stagnant. That's growth. I've always been a DC girl (yeah, yeah...whatever), but these Marvel Netflix shows are killing it. You want Murdock to beat his bad guys, not give up and inspire people. You also want these other wayward vigilantes to find their way.
Some other things that make this season worth 13 episodes of your time: Karen (played by the ever-so lovely Deborah Ann Woll), accidentally finds her way into journalism-kind-of. It's exciting and happening in the background throughout the story and it's just one of the layers that makes it unique. The Night Nurse (played by the exquisite Rosario Dawson) is back, too and although she's not a vigilante, she always has to clean up their messes and there's something compelling about her begrudging willingness to do that.
Here's where I'm gonna get a tad bit spoiler-y. Let's talk about Elektra. If the only thing you have to go on is that Daredevil movie that Affleck was in, you're in for a rude awakening. She's not a rich daddy's girl that like, totally knows how to fight'n'stuff. Homegirl's a trained assassin that's missing that part of a person that makes them feel like killing is wrong. This show got her right. Daredevil and Elektra are one of those tragic couples that complete each other but can never really be together because she can't not kill, and he can't be with a murderer. That makes for some awesome story, though.
FAVORITE CHARACTER:It's always gonna be Matt for this show, but Frank Castle's evolution (devolution?) comes a really close second this time season. Matt is truthful and honest and brave and tough-unless he's protecting his identity which leads to loneliness and all the feels. Bernthal's Punisher, though-what?! That man was crazy-good as this broken, hard-core, feeling/not feeling I-can't-believe-that-just-f*cking-happened lunatic of a hero. I hope he gets his own show, despite the level of violence that did indeed cause me to flinch at times.
QUOTE:
Frank Castle: "You hit 'em and they get back up, I hit 'em and they STAY down!"
RATING:
This season was just as in-depth and engrossing as the first, as well as Jessica Jones, if we're gonna take it that far. I'll give it a a solid 8/10. I'll definitely watch it again. There's a ton of things that were left out just so you could enjoy them for yourself once you watch the show.
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