Daredevil Season 2

Season 1 of Daredevil changed the way comics can be portrayed on television when not limited by networks. Everything from the character arcs to the fight choreography was nearly flawless. With all that, season 2 was going to have expectations that went through the roof. Before I go on, I think it’s fair to say that there may be some spoilers in terms of name drops or other minor details. I would like to go mostly spoiler-free because this season is best experienced at your binging pleasure. Still here? Then let’s continue.

This season is beautifully written and practically picks up where last year’s left off. Matt, Foggy, and Karen are the main returning characters and they each develop deeper by season’s end. They each flesh out their own individual stories and grow while still having the overall season arc remain the focus. As for the actors, Charlie, Deborah, and Elden are as strong as ever. Then there’s the introduction of the Punisher and Elektra. This is something similar to what happened last season with Fisk, but the writers really make the audience feel conflicted with how they should feel about these antagonists. But that’s where the excellent writing comes in. Do they really fit the mold of standard antagonists or is there more to them? And that’s really the focus of the whole season I guess. We saw it in the trailers, but at one point the Punisher and Daredevil are arguing about what the differences between each of them is. The way the show projects this theme throughout the season is one of the best aspects. I mean sure, it’s a trope that’s used in the superhero genre constantly but it’s always refreshing to hear. As for Jon Bernthal, he is exquisite as Frank Castle. There’s a certain gravitas about the way he portrayed Frank to the point I was cheering for him even when certain truths about him were revealed. Then there’s Elodie Young who was perfect as Elektra. The past lover of Matt who he’d have preferred to forget who came storming back into his life. It was also great to see that she remained as badass as her character is when she came to Matt for help. More often than naught, no matter how great women characters are, the instant they come into a man’s life they become shells of their former selves. This isn’t the case with her and she even outshines Matt at some points. They play off each other as equals perfectly. The minor characters also carry the story along well; from Claire, to Ellison, to Brett. As far as everything else in the season, it’s pretty much flawless again. This is all led by the fight choreography that everyone is drooling over. It really is some of the best we’ve ever seen on television; maybe even in movies. It’s so smooth and barely seems forced the way they handle them. The highlight last year was the hallway fight scene and this year it amps it up even further. The camera work and the shots they are able to get also makes it one of the most beautifully shot series out there. By season’s end it wraps up and sets up future events and answers most everything that audiences wanted to know. It’s going to be hard to wait until we get to see what the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is up to, but if they produce like this again it’ll be well worth it. Besides, we get to return to this neighborhood this September with Luke Cage.