“Father, why do I still feel guilty?”
If you’re like me, it’s because you just spent the weekend putting off homework, meals and social interaction in order to binge the entirety of “Daredevil” season 2.
If you’re Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, it’s because you have a savior complex that requires you to sacrifice yourself for a city that doesn’t seem to deserve it.
The first season of “Daredevil” introduced us to the grim world of Hell’s Kitchen and the “Man Without Fear” who defends it. The beginning of Netflix’s “Marvel Defenders” series, “Daredevil” quickly distinguished itself through dark themes, hyper-realistic violence and shadowy cinematography.
This season, everyone’s favorite blind lawyer by day/vigilante by night faces a variety of new challenges. With last year’s brilliant and compelling villain, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, safely locked away, Murdock and Co. are focusing on their bankrupt legal practice.
Sounds far from thrilling, right? Fear not: things kick into gear right away with the addition of two much-anticipated characters.
It’s safe to say no single superhero has been as wronged by TV and movies like the Punisher. A string of failed movies, video games and cartoon shows are testament to the difficulty that comes with telling the story of Frank Castle.
Audiences don’t exactly flock toward an ex-Marine who guns down mobsters by the hundreds in order to avenge his dead family. Captain America he is not.
Thankfully, with the casting of Jon Bernthal of “The Walking Dead,” Netflix finally got it right. The first four episodes of “Daredevil” focus on Castle and the massacres he leaves.
Right off the bat, it’s clear the grisly violence we’ve come to expect from “Daredevil” is taken to a whole new level with the addition of the Punisher. Brutal, gory and hard to watch at times, this season doesn’t shy away from bloodshed and brutality.
Although many other adaptations have struggled with the emotional side of Frank Castle, “Daredevil” does a surprisingly good job portraying his inner struggle.
Despite the torturous violence he both endures and doles out, it’s hard not to sympathize with Castle — especially in an endearing scene in which he gives romantic advice to legal aid Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll.
Although Bernthal’s Punisher is arguably the star of the season, his character takes a break from the spotlight a few episodes in so we can focus on Elodie Yung’s equally badass Elektra Natchios. Far from the leather-clad Jennifer Garner version, this Elektra is funny, deadly, sexy and probably a little insane.
Interrupting Murdock’s life just as he enters a relationship with Page, Elektra immediately upstages all of the major characters with her murky motivations and appetite for blood. Can we trust her? Probably not. Is she a villain? Possibly. Is she tons of fun? Hell yes.
Admittedly, season two of “Daredevil” is far from perfect. Bernthal and Yung are as entertaining as expected, but their great performances create some problems. With supporting characters this compelling, it becomes difficult to care about Daredevil.
The first season of “Daredevil” struggled with pacing, and while I’d argue this season was better, certain episodes were much slower than others. A weak plotline about the corrupt legal system drags things down, and I’d like to state for the record Foggy, played by Elden Henson, is still the worst.
That said, this season is still incredibly gripping. I would have stated last year “Daredevil” is one of the best productions Marvel has ever done, and this season corroborates that claim.
After the gritty, three-dimensional characters of “Jessica Jones” and “Daredevil,” it may be hard for me to return to the PG-rated costumed crusaders of this year’s “Captain America: Civil War.” I have an idea: Throw the Punisher and Elektra into the mix and see who’s left standing in the end.
Captain America wouldn’t stand a chance.
Kate Halliwell
@Kate__Halliwell
