The future of Marvel’s Daredevil series
Season two of Marvel’s critically-acclaimed Daredevil Netflix series just dropped on Friday, and I was up until the wee hours of Monday morning finishing the nearly 11 hours of content that was rolled out on Friday. And, as a whole, I loved it. But I don’t want to get into exactly why it was so good quite yet. Let’s break down what worked and what didn’t work in Daredevil season two. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
What worked: The Man Without Fear has traditionally had something of a revolving door of supporting characters in the comics. This element of the character translated very well to the first season, introducing classic characters like Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, and Daredevil’s blind mentor Stick. This continued into season two remarkably well, with the introduction of Matt’s old flame Elektra, and the revenge-fueled, brutal vigilante Frank Castle, otherwise known as the Punisher.
On the subject of the Punisher, Jon Bernthal’s performance was spot-on. No other live-action incarnation of the character can hold a candle to the version brought to life by Bernthal. I felt legitimately sympathetic for the character, even to the point of smiling along with him when he cracks jokes with Karen in the diner in the third-to-last episode. He was surprisingly likeable, considering how brutal his methods are. His monologue to Matt in the Graveyard in episode four should at least merit him an Oscar nomination.
As an adaptation of various comic storylines, Daredevil’s faithfulness to its source material is second to none. The Punisher felt like the Punisher, and the conflict between The Hand and The Chaste was remarkably believable, given how ridiculous the concept is on paper. Elektra and Stick were also remarkably well-realized.
One more quick note: When the Punisher finds the Blacksmith’s storeroom of weapons and body armor, and takes the armor home, the viewer sees him take a can of white paint and draw a skull on the armor, I got chills. That’s all I have to say on that subject.
What didn’t work: While the first half of the season was very strong, a lot of the elements introduced in the later episodes were very rushed just simply didn’t work. These elements included the stone coffin, Claire Temple’s discontent with her bosses, and Elektra being the Black Sky. These were all clearly a setup for next season, but they were all extremely rushed and didn’t feel like they had much of an impact.
The Punisher’s ultimate revenge against “The Blacksmith” for the deaths of his wife and kids was extremely underwhelming, and it barely even seemed to impact Castle either. The blame for that doesn’t land squarely on Bernthal’s shoulders, but it was certainly a factor. The way the scene was shot put the focus more on Karen Page rather than the ultimate realization of a major character’s goal. That really shouldn’t be the case, either, as the leadup to that moment had been what was driving Castle forward since the beginning.
The reveal of the Blacksmith’s true identity, which seemed pretty obvious several minutes before the reveal itself, was wasted and extremely underwhelming. And speaking of major plot points being telegraphed and losing their edge; Elektra’s death, anyone? The emotional conversation between her and Matt on the staircase right before their final showdown with Nobu and The Hand was a classic “they’re-gonna-die” move.
The violence early on was a little gratuitous, but it was there to serve the narrative, and it worked beautifully. But stating with the Punisher’s fight in the prison and progressing through the rest of the season, it seemed like gore for the sake of gore. No substance to it at all.
Last notes: Elektra’s death. She’s definitely coming back.
WHY DIDN'T MATT TELL KAREN SOONER!?!
And also, where’s the payoff on that forty-story-deep hole in the ground? That was introduced way too early to be a season three setup. That was a waste.
Where to go next: Season one of Daredevil was masterfully executed, and went off without a hitch. Wilson Fisk was a compelling villain, and his behind-the-scenes puppeteering, as well as his violent confrontation with Matt Murdock provides a perfect setup for him to be a returning threat next season. Season two seems to have been received with a little less enthusiasm from critics (though, speaking as a fan of the character, it was remarkably satisfying). Jessica Jones was well-received as well, and season two of that show is on the way.
Personally, here’s what I think Marvel should do with the Daredevil series:
The character is already well-established, and is definitely going to become a member of the Defenders, which Marvel and Netflix also have plans for eventually. So, test the waters for the tone of The Defenders in season three. You already know the show has an audience. Ideally, season three will see a spike in quality, after the less-than-stellar closure of the second season. The Punisher was one of the biggest successes of the show, and a spinoff series seems inevitable. At first, I wasn’t really behind this, but given Bernthal’s brilliance in the role, I’d definitely watch the hell out of that.