Editor's Note: Spoiler Level LOW
______________________________________________________________-
By now hopefully you've had a chance to see all or most of Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix. I have to admit I binged it and have been eagerly awaiting the expiration of our "spoiler window" to share some of my thoughts. Right off the bat let me say, AWESOME season. I wouldn't argue if you said there were flaws here & there, but they found a groove after a few episodes and rode that through to the finale.
The main cast is back; Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Elden Hensen as Foggy Nelson. We also see some returning supporting characters in season 2 as the Daredevil "world" begins to take shape.
Matt & Foggy have grown from last season and they've sort of found a balance, or at least an understanding of who Matt is. Foggy doesn't like it, but he begins to realize he's not going to change Matt's double life of being a lawyer by day and vigilante by night. This was a welcome development as no one wanted to see 13 episodes of Foggy telling Matt not to be a superhero.
Some new players have also arrived in Hell's Kitchen and they're making a lot of noise. Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher and Elodie Yung as Elektra are both fantastic. Both characters' story-lines are relatively predictable if you've read the comics. But both come with some twists that keep the origin story-arcs interesting.
Frank's "becoming the Punisher" is wonderful, incredibly sad, and believable. For me, the Punisher story arc is easily the best part of season 2, and Bernthal completely steals the screen every time he's on camera. The scene where Frank explains to Matt what happened to his family and why he's doing what he's doing is one of the most emotional scene's I've ever seen 2 actor's pull off. Very tough to not get at least a little misty.
Then there's Elektra. Sweet, crazy assassin, Elektra. This is very much an edgy take on Frank Miller's beloved creation, as she's not afraid to be more anti than hero. The show's directors do an incredible job of weaving Matt & Elektra together in a way that makes you believe unequivocally that they are meant for each other.
One of the best parts of this season is that it didn't feel like a "super-hero" show at times. It had a lot of mystery, court-room drama, and detective work weaved into the "costumed-times" and together, I think you saw something that worked on a lot of levels. One Part The People Vs. OJ Simpson Two Parts Arrow with a side of Spotlight. If this is the height of the medium, I think we're going to see Daredevil on screen for a very long time.
I'm going to stop there without giving up too much and just say, this is possibly the best single season of any of the super hero shows. Two thumbs up, and I absolutely encourage you to check this out. It's worth the $7.99 cost for Netflix by itself.
I also wanted to recommend some comics / mini series to you guys that may be good to read if you're looking for the inspiration behind this season and these characters in general. I'm sure we have some of them for sale in the store, but you can get them anywhere, and most should be in trade form at your LCS.
1. Daredevil Man Without Fear
From the great writer Frank Miller, this is a retold origin about the man who would become Hell's Kitchen greatest protector.
2. Elektra Assassin
Another classic from the great writer Frank Miller, this is an Elektra centered story, and goes deep into her origins.
3. Punisher Born
A classic tale of Frank Castle’s third tour of Vietnam in the closing days of the war, it's a full-on examination of the horrors of war and the effects it has on the soldiers on the front line.
4. Daredevil # 168 - 200
Miller's seminal run introduces Elektra to the Marvel universe.
5. Punisher Mini Series # 1-5
An in depth origin story of the man in black.
And there you have it, until next time...
-Nick "The Know It All" ///ACC