TV Review: Daredevil Season Two Part Two

What Worked:

Punisher and Elektra:

For everything that didn’t elevate its source material this year, these two characters more than made up the slack with confident and layered performances. Jon Bernthal and Elodie Yung both brought an incredible amount of weight to their performances, making characters that could have become caricatures the heart and soul of the season. Even greater still was the sheer physicality each brought to the table, Bernthal a hulking, intimidating presence until undone by the thought of his family was a living and breathing weapon, and Yung showing through action rather than words that her character was pure rage. Elektra being Black Sky wasn’t the best twist the show could have made, but it gives her personal dilemmas and demons even greater weight.

Daredevil’s relationships with Elektra and Punisher:

Adding to my last note, what stuck out to me was how much more I cared about the interactions between Matt and Elektra and Matt and Frank than I did with Matt and Karen and Matt and Foggy. The former two brought out the more interesting and divisive aspects of Matt Murdock’s characterization, making him a much more compelling figure. His shouting matches with Frank about morality, their begrudged team up, Frank’s annoyance with “Red’s” interference to Frank stepping in to help save Daredevil in his final showdown with Nobu and his men was a wonderfully progressed dynamic between the two men. Both are more similar than the other would care to admit, but either as adversaries or reluctant comrades, they make for an intriguing duo.

But the very best part of the season has to be the toxic but oddly sweet relationship between Elektra and Matt. There is no doubt that they bring out the very worst in one another, especially when it comes to Elektra’s effect on Matt. Each interaction they have, be it physical or emotional, is riveting and fueled with an abundance of chemistry. Both damaged at a young age, abandoned and lost, we believe Matt when he tells Elektra he’s his truest self with her, we believe Elektra when she says Matt is closed off. While it’s made to look like she died at the end of the season (in a fantastic fight sequence), it’s not hard to believe there’s more to come.

The promise of threats to come:

And here is where things get interesting. Fisk’s inclusion in the season, Matt’s foolish threat directed at Vanessa and Fisk’s outburst plus control over the prison all spell bad things for the Devil of Hell’s kitchen. Whether he’s brought back in a possible third season or plays the role of villain in the much anticipated (but far off) The Defenders, Fisk is coming back in a big way.

Some other thoughts:

*The fight scenes were just as good if not better than the first season, especially in the latter episodes when they were shot in ways that felt overtly cinematic.

*Charlie Cox was just as great this season but was given frustratingly little to despite it being his show.

*The dissolution of Karen and Matt’s relationship still seemed too quick to me considering all the build up they gave them. I also don’t see how they couldn’t have a quick conversation with the latter explaining to the further that the woman in his bed was there because she was dying.

*Stick’s involvement was fun but largely felt arbitrary.

What did we think overall? How about Matt’s confession to Karen at the end or Foggy’s new career prospects? Let me know in the comments!

Season Grade: 8/10

Best Episodes: “Penny and Dime”, “Guilty as Sin”, “Seven Minutes in Heaven” & “The Dark at the End of the Tunnel”.