Daredevil - Season 2 (2016)

"You hit 'em and they get back up, 

I hit 'em and they stay down."

You seriously do not want to fuck with Frank Castle...

Matt Murdock struggles to balance his life as the masked vigilante known as Daredevil and his life as a civilian as a new threat enters Hell's Kitchen.

Having been somewhat impressed by Season 1 of 'Daredevil' on Netflix, I tentatively decided to watch the first couple of episodes of Season 2 to see what the fuss was about. Straight from episode 1, you're straight back in the 'Daredevil' world with violence, good characters and a semi-blind man running about in a mask, which he finally gets at the end of season 1...

Being relatively uninformed when it comes to the Marvel Universe and all it's characters, I definitely think a lot of the hidden easter eggs would have flown straight over my head. However, what I can appreciate is story, character and bucketloads of blood. Marvel definitely seem to be having lots of fun as they're freed up to do their 18+ story with 'Daredevil'.

Matt Murdoch was always an interesting character in season 1 and it feels like a natural progression where they take him in season 2. His life is being consumed by the mask and he is struggling to keep hold of, and keep sight of, what he cares about most. It's a logical step for the story. Doing what he does will obviously have serious repercussions on his life and the lives of people around him so it was nice to see that play out. Charlie Cox gives a very steady performance as Matt Murdock and you really get on board with him. Balancing the person and the vigilante isn't just a battle for Matt Murdock but it's also one that Cox fights the whole season and, for the most part, he seems to find the balance very well. He sells the character and you really believe him as Daredevil too.

There are quite a few new characters in this season, the most prominent of which being the new antiheroes Elektra Nachos and, the fantastic, Frank Castle, who is probably better known as The Punisher.

Elektra, played by Elodie Young, is probably the weaker of the two new main additions to the cast. Her performance ranges from passable to pretty cheesy. She doesn’t feel like a natural fit in the 'Daredevil’ world despite having a pretty interesting character to work from. Her backstory is intriguing but is slightly lost in her performance. 

Jon Bernthal on the other hand is a powerhouse as Frank Castle. He’s both violent yet vulnerable as Frank Castle and brings a new level to the character who is known for his ruthless punishing. He is a damaged individual with a heart-breaking story who you can relate with entirely. This is where the genius lies in the character. You can totally relate to him in one scene yet, five minutes later, you're shocked and terrified at the viciousness that he can display in a split second.

When you have a character like The Punisher in a TV series as violent ‘Daredevil’ can be, you have to take full advantage of that and Marvel certainly have fun with it. There’s blood by the bucketload and The Punisher truly lives up to his name. Despite there being a lot of gore and a lot of violence, it’s not glorified in any way. It’s executed in a very matter of fact fashion and isn’t there as torture porn. When Frank Castle has someone that he wants dead, you better believe that he’s going to make sure they’re gone in an efficient and often violent way.

He has some of the best scenes in the season and one in particular is up there with one of my favourite scenes in a TV show ever. It takes place in a prison in Hell's Kitchen with The Punisher, the episode is called 'Seven Minutes In Heaven' and I won't forget it any time soon... Enough said.

The structure of the show was one of my only main issues. It’s a slightly off-putting balance between The Punisher storyline and the Elektra storyline. You spend a chunk of time with one before moving on to the other before you have time to properly invest in the plot. As much as I loved The Punisher storyline, I think it felt a little crowbarred in. He definitely needs and deserves his own show after how well they portrayed him in this season but, on a whole, season 1 had a better flow and felt a bit more focused. It could have flowed a lot better if they had just stuck to one plot and not try and get everything in.

I miss Wilson Fisk. There, I said it. He was the biggest reason I kept returning episode after episode in season 1 and you really do miss his presence and performance in season 2. He does show up in this season and, funnily enough, he turns up in some of the best scenes of the show which I don’t think is a coincidence. I am hoping and praying he makes a glorious return in season 3 but we'll have to wait and see...

What I love about 'Daredevil' is the cinematic feel and look that it has. The action sequences are so well done and so exciting that you do forget that it's a TV series. What TV is and can be has evolved so much from what it used to be. 'Daredevil' is the perfect example of what TV can be. Normally, a lot of shows feel padded out and could actually run better as a feature film but 'Daredevil' is creating a world and it's progessing and evolving characters in the time that it has. It's not in a rush to get where it needs to go and it uses the time effectively. Mix that with some great graphic novel imagery and a full cast of interesting characters and you've got a very addictive show on your hands.

Overall, Season 2 of ‘Daredevil’ was a better season on a whole, it wasn’t perfect but had some great characters, tension, action and excitement. I wasn’t planning on returning to season 2 after season 1 but, after watching this season, I’ll definitely be returning for season 3. 

I may also tune in to The Punisher spin off, who knows… 

Although I do want a Fisk spin off more. 

Don't get soft on us now Netflix.