REVIEW: Breaking Down DAREDEVIL Season 2 - Episode-By-Episode (SPOILERS)
Have you finished watching Daredevil yet? If so, you're gonna want to check out my SPOILER-heavy episode-by-episode review of the Man Without Fear's sophomore season. Hit the jump!
By Minty -
Mar 20, 2016 11:03 PM EST
By now, I imagine you've already worked your way through Daredevil's sophomore season. At least, I'd like to think so if you clicked on this articles. Or you're just a mad man with no qualms about being SPOILED. Regardless, I've put together an episode-by-episode breakdown of the Netflix show that's available for your viewing pleasure below - whatever your mental state may be.
#2.1 ‘Bang’
With “Bang”, incoming showrunnners Ramirez & Petrie provide a strong series opener that eases viewers back into the world of Hell’s Kitchen - but not without a few bumps along the way. An Irish gang get torn to shreds, Karen, once again, finds herself on the run from a maniac, and Foggy steps up big-time to interview some bikers from hell. Special mention must also go to the outraged Detective, who has a go at one of the corpses for being sans hand. You the real MVP sir.
The decision to introduce S2’s big supporting player two episodes earlier than they did Fisk last year proves to be a wise one – if only for the sake of variety. We aren’t subjected to the incompetence of Hell’s Kitchen’s gangs and criminals for long – and instead receive our first thrilling match up between Daredevil and The Punisher roughly 45 minutes in. Not a bad way to kick things off at all.
9/10
#2.2 ‘Dogs To A Gunfight’
This episode may suffer from being branded ‘boring’ simply by virtue of being sandwiched between two excellent installments either side of it. Plot-wise, ‘Dogs To A Gunfight’ lays a lot of necessary and oft-overlooked groundwork for the season ahead, but as a result, it lacks time to deliver the flair or excitement seen in most other installments this season.
‘Dogs’ still sets the tone for the season ahead, pitting Nelson & Murdock directly against the antagonistic DA Reyes (who popped up in Jessica Jones) - even throwing in hints of corruption that’ll continue to plague much of the season’s legal story arc. It also begins to peel away at Frank Castle's facade, offering us a few glimpses that suggest he’s not quite the murderous psychopath they want us to think he is (and we all know he isn’t). Hey, at least he’s not into kiddie porn!
8/10
#2.3 ‘New York’s Finest’
With all due respect to the 100 minutes that preceded it, “New York’s Finest” is when Season 2 really kicks into gear. A fair amount of that is down to supporting players like Foggy and a returning Claire – who make the episode’s hospital-based B-plot almost as interesting as the main event. The same could also be said for the early stages of Karen’s solo investigation into Frank.
However, nothing quite tops Matt and Frank debating their contrasting ideologies on a rooftop. Many would choose to hone in on Jon Bernthal’s performance here (his conversation with the old marine is, admittedly, sublime), but it also features some of Charlie Cox’s best work as Matt. The following stairway fight scene is similarly fantastic. Even if it does feel like a blatant attempt to ‘top’ last season’s hallway fight, it offers up some truly excellent action choreography & stunt-work to admire.
9/10
#2.4 ‘Penny And Dime’
If (and when) Jon Bernthal gets nominated for an Emmy for his work on Daredevil S2, this better be the episode he submits. A far-cry from the rage-induced, sociopathic monster we’ve grown to fear thus far, Frank’s tearful, emotional breakdown over the loss of his family is both heart-rending and delicate. The ‘tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold’ is a trope we've seen time and time again in superhero adaptations, but Bernthal’s impassioned performance elevates Frank above the clichéd norm.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also receive the sage wisdom of Father Lantom, and a Dark Knight inspired monologue that sees Matt gift credit for Castle’s collar to the perennially undervalued Sgt. Brett Mahoney. Frank even shoots Tony Curran’s Irish mobster in the face! Finally, S2 DoP Martin Ahlgren outdoes himself yet again with a beautifully shot rainy romantic sequence between Matt & Karen, which – of course – is swiftly upstaged by the arrival of a certain ex-girlfriend…
10/10
(Believe me, I’d rate it higher if I could…)
#2.5 ‘Kinbaku’
Enter, Elektra. The arrival of Elodie Yung’s femme fatale could not have been more perfectly timed. The Punisher-arc started Season 2 with a bang, but the introduction of Elektra adds flair right when the story might have begun to seem a little monotonous. Yung effortlessly embodies the femme fatale role, capturing her character’s bold, seductive nature and sparking instant chemistry with Charlie Cox.
The sex scene was pretty stunning too… *Awkwardly moves on*
Flashbacks are always tough to execute, but the writers here make use of them to flesh out Matt & Elektra’s doomed history as lovers - while propelling The Hand plot forwards in the present. Elsewhere, Karen & Matt’s first date is pleasantly sweet (and beautifully shot under a rainbow of vibrant color). Yet Karen’s best scenes come from her attempts to emulate Ben Ulrich in her own investigation into Frank Castle. Her return to the Bulletin serves as a respectful nod to one of S1’s best characters.
10/10
#2.6 ‘Regrets Only’
‘Regrets Only’ juxtaposes the dominant Elektra & Punisher arcs to great effect. Arguably its greatest success is reintroducing the series’ legal themes by partnering a hospitalized Frank Castle on death row with the Nelson & Murdock trio. The show then spurns the opportunity to bring Foggy back into the fold by choosing to isolate Frank with Karen alone. As a consequence, Foggy sadly ends up receiving the short-end of the narrative stick for much of the rest of the season.
Bernthal once again shows a great deal of empathy and range in his portrayal of Frank as a man in mourning. However, Elodie Yung steals the show with another commanding display, adding a little playful wit to her portrayal of Elektra. Her and Matt’s escapade to the company of New York’s elite offers a welcome change in tone – and yet inevitably still leads to another beautifully choreographed action sequence, this time from behind frosted glass.
9/10
#2.7 ‘Semper Fidelis’
After the dizzying heights reached by Episodes #3-6 (which arguably represents the season’s strongest run), there had to be an inevitable comedown. Compared to previous installments, ‘Semper Fidelis’ feels relatively stale & formulaic in tone. Matt & Elektra’s investigation takes a procedural-like turn, with pacing more befitting of a weekly network TV crime drama. You can tell the writers are killing time with The Hand storyline, waiting for the rest of the show to catch up.
More interesting is Foggy & Karen’s work on Frank’s trial (and Matt’s notable absence). The first major wedge is driven between the two lawyers’ friendship, and it’s a conflict that genuinely makes sense. However, it’s harder to grasp the trio’s motives for defending Frank (beyond saving him from the death penalty). Do they want to free him, or are they trying to expose Reyes? This kind of storytelling inconsistency would go on to plague the writers towards the back-end of the season.
8/10
#2.8 ‘Guilty As Sin’
Boom. Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in. Here’s an episode chock-full of comic book greatness. The return of Stick is a welcome one. Scott Glenn plays the character with such a likeable grouchiness – it’s oddly charming. His arrival helps flesh out the (thus far) woefully underdeveloped Hand - with the help of a healthy dose of exposition of course.
However, the main focus is on the conclusion of Frank’s trial. Matt, fresh off an unfortunate (if somewhat contrived) break-up with Karen, steps up to question Castle, but is met with deafening hostility as The Punisher declares himself guilty. It’s yet another fine piece of acting from Bernthal (analogous to Peter Dinklage’s work in Season 4 of Game Of Thrones). Yet the real stinger is the identity of the man pulling Castle’s strings: Wilson F*cking Fisk. Well played Netflix. Well played indeed.
10/10
#2.9 ‘Seven Minutes In Heaven’
What a phenomenal piece of television. ‘Guilty As Sin’ was just the appetizer for what was to come: Frank Castle vs. Wilson Fisk. While the pair do match wits, but they also learn the advantages of working together. Vincent D’Onofrio is delightfully manipulative as Fisk – truly coming into his own as the infamous Kingpin in this episode. Whenever he shares the screen with Bernthal, sparks fly.
The BBFC rating for Daredevil Season 2 is an 18 – in comparison to S1’s 15-rating. You’d have to suspect the age-rating bump largely came from this episode’s brutal fight sequences. They really pull no punches as Frank tears his way the inmates of Cell Block D with gruesomely devastating results. Elsewhere, Matt finds himself face-to-face with an old adversary. Outside of Fisk, no villain made quite as much of an impression during S1 as Nobu. Boy does Daredevil have his hands full this year…
10/10
#2.10 ‘The Man In The Box’
It's nice to see Claire Temple take centre stage during this episode. As the connective tissue of the Marvel Netflix universe, she’s a character close to many viewers’ hearts. Never afraid to call out Matt on his constant BS, she attempts to make her ex see reason before he severs his connection to the real world entirely. Philosophical rooftop conversations have, thus far, been one of this season’s real high points... I’m not sure I would have predicted that going in last Friday.
Where this episode feels off is in its pacing. Matt’s confrontation with Fisk is sublime, setting the stage perfectly for Season 3. However, the rest feels all over the place. The Elektra assassination sub-plot comes out of nowhere and is returned to only sporadically - making it tough to engage with. The death of Reyes is executed well, but the introduction of a player like The Blacksmith this late in the season seems very hasty. That was one hell of a cliffhanger though.
9/10
#2.11 ‘.380’
He had one hell of a run, but this was Frank Castle’s last truly great episode. After that The Punisher starts to clearly play second fiddle to The Hand and that Black Sky obscurity (more on that later). Had the showrunners chosen to kill him off, this episode would have been a damn fine way to go out. From his conversation with Karen about love in the café, to his “one batch, two batch” final stand against The Blacksmith’s troops on the boat – it’s just impossible not to love this man (or Bernthal’s performance).
It’s tough not to feel inspired watching Claire stand up for what she believes in at the expense of her job. Meanwhile, the return of Madame Gao might be my favorite cameo of the season (yes, even more so than Fisk). There’s something so likeable about that despicable old woman – it’s part of her enigmatic charm. I sincerely hope she plays a big role in Iron Fist. The episode finally closes out under thrilling circumstances - setting up a nail-biting match-up between Elektra & Stick.
9/10
#2.12 ‘The Dark At The End Of The Tunnel’
I’m certain I’m not alone when I say this was my least favorite episode. While the season finale may be subjected to more scrutiny due to lofty expectations, this is where some of the season’s plotlines really failed to wrap-up. Tension-wise, the Blacksmith reveal is well executed, but it also feels slightly underwhelming in hindsight, and not to mention incomplete (oh, hi there Punisher spin-off).
Elsewhere, the revelation that Elektra is the ‘Black Sky’ feels almost inconsequential. The Hand have tried to kill her before this moment – why are they offering her their allegiance now? Elektra’s flip-flopping between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ also feels very contrived, and her decision to chose Matt for love comes off a little corny. Stick’s sudden desire to murder his former pupil also makes very little sense. What changed after he saved her life? That was one hell of a torture scene though… *shudders*.
8/10
#2.13 ‘A Cold Day In Hell’s Kitchen’
Is it possible to come away simultaneously satisfied and underwhelmed by a season finale? While last year’s climax was undoubtedly Season 1’s weakest episode, “A Cold Day In Hell’s Kitchen” shows vast improvement. Matt & Elektra’s last stand against The Hand is equally enthralling and emotional. It's a final battle worthy of the excellence displayed throughout S2 in the action department.
Furthermore, the episode is punctuated by some poignant character moments – not only between Matt & Elektra but Karen & Foggy too. It's grown a little tiring watching Karen revert to the damsel-in-distress role over and over again, but for the most part the episode's story holds up. The conclusion feels somewhat lacking though, and is seemingly more concerned with setting up last minute plotlines for Season 3 (particularly the “I’m Daredevil” reveal). It’s tough to argue with the decision to bring back Elektra though. We all need more Elodie Yung in our lives.
9/10
There were a great many more moving parts in Daredevil Season 2 than there were in the more tightly-scripted Season 1, enabling the narrative to occassionally get mixed up or even a little convoluted. However, when the show is on form it eclipses its predecessor and ranks amongst the best TV has had to offer in recent years. With likeable leads and a colorful array of supporting characters, Daredevil continues to impress, and must be considered the pinnacle of comic book television at present.
Season Rating: 9.1
Season MVP: Jon Bernthal
There we have it. Do you agree/disagree with my episode reviews? Who was your Season MVP? As always, I hope you enjoyed the read, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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