This is going to be slightly spoiler-y so if you don’t want to see something that could spoil this incredible show, do not read this. I won’t be offended.
I realise that I was going to do a sort of “reaction” post to each episode but over the weekend I was busy – selfish – and so I binged eleven episodes on Monday March 21st. I can’t decide if the reason it has taken me so long to write this is because it took me so long to get over it or I’m just forgetful/lazy. A mixture of both is good.
I love Daredevil. I think the move from the cookie cutter, perfect good guy hero to the more relateable anti-hero is a shift that should have happened years ago. However I am so glad Marvel didn’t attempt to do another Daredevil film. There is no way the complex and in-depth characters could have been so well developed in a film.
So, what happened in season 2? It really did start with a bang, I mean The Punisher? Who else loves him? It can’t just be me? He’s amazing. Jon Bernthal is simply sensational as Frank. But I digress. Matt’s off saving Hell’s Kitchen, Foggy is being an amazing friend worrying about him and looking after him, and Karen doesn’t seem to notice that Matt’s off doing crazy things. The main story of this season is The Punisher, with a hell of a lot of side stuff thrown in, like Elektra, who is amazing, but could their relationship be anymore messed up? Anyway… Season 2 was just as bloody and violent and amazing as season 1.
Does anyone else find that well choreographed fight scenes are the most amazing things to watch? In episode six when Matty and Elektra fight the Yakuza in her apartment? That is an amazing example of choreographed fighting. I love it. It’s like cat nip. Am I crazy for thinking that? Possibly… Anyway, Elektra did also get to say the greatest line in the show. In episode six, Regrets Only, Matty asks how she knew he was Daredevil and, her line is the best, “You can’t mask that arse.” Everybody who has ever met Matt Murdock should know he is Daredevil for exactly this reason.
A big theme in this season is the reason The Punisher started… punishing. The story of Frank Castle is as follows: War hero, saved his squadron, won a load of medals, came home to his wife and two small children, went to park, family gets shot in some sort of gang war, he gets shot in the head, whole family dies but he survives, the DA lied about how they died, he starts punishing people; taking out the three gangs in the park that day – The Irish, the Mexican Mafia, and the Dogs of Hell. No one actually believes it is just one person, he is an “army.” So why do I love him with all of my heart? I am a firm believer in the “nice motive, still murder” and Frank obviously fits that. But there’s something about him. Yes, he murdered a lot of people – he hung the Mexican Mafia on meat hooks – but there’s something about him. These people that he killed, they aren’t innocent. He isn’t like Fisk from season 1, he doesn’t want to rule the world, he wants justice for his family, he wants to find out why. He may be going about it in a completely ridiculously stupid way but that’s all he wants. And he wouldn’t let the Irish torture his dog. I think that makes up for his questionable character. Despite all this, when he gets arrested, Matt kind of sort of convinces Foggy and Karen to take his case. Frank’s attorney was utter crap, given to him by the DA that screwed him over before. It gets confusing. It really does.
What else happens season 2? Matt and Karen finally get it over with and date. In the first few episodes I loved it. I was so happy that Matty was happy, but then Elektra came and Matt was spending more of his time with her and we learned about their history. They are perfect for each other, they’re the epitome of “let’s be psycho’s together” but Matt and Karen were together for about three episodes until she FINALLY cottoned onto the fact that Foggy and Matt weren’t really doing well, and Matt kept forgetting to turn up at court after convincing them to take Frank’s case. I was glad they broke up, I loved them as just friends. Why can’t they just have guys and girls being nothing more than friends? Why are writers incapable of doing this? They were perfectly happy. Anyway, I wasn’t upset because Karen and Frank. Karen and Frank. I love them. I need this to happen. He saved her life, he talked to her about his family, he apologised for what he had done but he didn’t apologise for who he was and she kind of accepted him, she loves him. That last one might not be true, but the last time we see Frank on the roof top Karen is the only one standing up while everyone else is cowering because there is gunfire. She sees him. She says his name. Frank, not the punisher. She loves him. No one can convince me otherwise.
This isn’t really a review so I’m going to say now what I thought, as if it wasn’t obvious. Season 1 of Daredevil was amazing. It absolutely consumed me with how incredible it was. Season 2 only built on that. It was more violent and bloody, I had to look away a lot, but it only built on the amazing platform set by season 1. Watch it. You won’t regret it.
So for season 3 I want Matty to be ok…
And Karen and Frank to get together.
theredheadreviewer.wordpress.com 