Daredevil (Season 2) - Review: It Only Gets Better
Original air date (US): March 18th, 2016
Starring: Charlie Cox, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung, Stephen Rider, Rosario Dawson, Vincent D'Onofrio
**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any affect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind.
The Review
The sequel is rarely better than the original. That's what they all say, isn't it? And not without motive either. It's not often that a sequel can improve on almost every facet of the original while still being fresh and original. And while not all the critics agreed that Daredevil Season 2 was an improvement on the debut, I happen to think that this season is one of the finest pieces of entertainment that out there.
Wilson Fisk may have bene vanquished in the end of Daredevil Season 1, but there is more work to do in Hell's Kitchen. We catch up with Matt Murdock, attorney by day, vigilante by night. He, Foggy Nelson (Henson), and Karen Page (Ann Woll) are heading up a struggling law firm that they established in the first season, where they attempt to do good in a bad neighborhood by doing right by those who are not as privileged as most. But because of this, they aren't receiving enough money, and a fixture throughout the thirteen episodes is the rise and fall of Nelson and Murdock.
This is one of my favorite aspects of the entire series. The fact that this is a show about a man in a mask fighting organized crime takes the time to be real, to be down-to-earth, and to continue to tell the story about Hell's Kitchen, a very real part of New York, is what makes this series so appealing. Nelson and Murdock really does feel like a real firm. There are real courtroom scenes where legal cases are presented. You'd be surprised how much of the series devotes its time to a particular legal case, and while some may find this confusing and disinteresting, I think this is consistently one of the show's highlights.
All of the cast return in their respective roles. I found the character of Foggy Nelson even more endearing this time around. He's given a little more of a sympathetic arc, but a redemptive one for him. He goes through hell and back just as much as Daredevil, and in the end, he's rewarded for it which is hugely satisfying. Karen Page receives a huge upgrade from the first season, and while I am all for her character being given an expanded role, I just didn't find Woll's performance quite so appealing. It was real and tragic, but at the same time, it was rather one note and covered the same beats for the majority of the show.
But of course, as all good second installments do, we find our heroes in a bad place. Matt Murdock is struggling when we catch up to him, and not to disappoint anyone, but he struggles throughout the entire season. There are rarely any breaks that are given to this character, and I think that this really goes a long way into establishing his character and rooting him in certain beliefs. Characters both physically and mentally try to push him around, but Murdock stays true to what he is.
I will say though, there is this thing with the amount of women that Murdock falls in love with. Throughout season 1 and 2, he has been with three separate women, and at the end, there's supposed to be an emotional moment where Matt makes a choice connected to one of these. but it doesn't feel that right simply because it hasn't really been established where his loyalties really lie.
Joining the characters in the absence of Wilson Fisk is Jon Bernthal as the Punisher as well as Elodie Yung as Elektra. Both characters have been seen before in previous iterations, but having heard about their reputations, I believe it is quite safe to say that these are the best iterations of the character, hands down. Though Jon Bernthal's arc is a little confusing throughout, Bernthal's performance absolutely nails down the character. He is broken, hurt, but at the same he's made of steel and will do whatever it takes to wipe out whoever's in his way.
Elektra, on the other hand, might be hands down one of my favorite characters in the entire series. I think she is. Elodie Yung has a dripping charisma about her that makes her so enjoyable to watch on screen. She's charming, she's dangerous, she's flirtatious, and then she manages to be vulnerable, sometimes all at once. Something about her charm and her chemistry with Matt Murdock makes it so enjoyable to watch. Her arc, though perhaps not as streamlined as I would have enjoyed is complete and gives her an interesting motivation and going off point.
That's what makes this show ultimately so amazing. It's centered around two things - characters and story. And with those two things, almost everything else can fall away because we are so incredibly invested into what these characters are doing and where they are going to end up. Those incredible action (and yes, it's still absolutely phenomenal) is only that good because we care about who's in danger.
Now, I will admit: after the first half of the season focuses on a gritty storyline with characters like the Punisher and Daredevil on the rooftops of New York, the second half takes an interesting turn. The series delves into the more "science fiction"/"fantasy" elements, and even dabbles in horror a little. There is a scene that is truly terrifying and that can sear an image into your brain, not because of blood or gore, but simply because of the way it's shot and the way it's staged.
In Conclusion: Daredevil Season 2 improves upon almost everything in season one. The action is arguably even better, which is not something I expected. The villains I would argue are also an improvement on Wilson Fisk. And the series introduced one of my favorite new characters, Elektra. The heroes feel vulnerable, they have real problems and challenges, but ultimately, they learn to become better. That's what this series does. It rises up from the depths of Hell's Kitchen to become one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
Wilson Fisk may have bene vanquished in the end of Daredevil Season 1, but there is more work to do in Hell's Kitchen. We catch up with Matt Murdock, attorney by day, vigilante by night. He, Foggy Nelson (Henson), and Karen Page (Ann Woll) are heading up a struggling law firm that they established in the first season, where they attempt to do good in a bad neighborhood by doing right by those who are not as privileged as most. But because of this, they aren't receiving enough money, and a fixture throughout the thirteen episodes is the rise and fall of Nelson and Murdock.
This is one of my favorite aspects of the entire series. The fact that this is a show about a man in a mask fighting organized crime takes the time to be real, to be down-to-earth, and to continue to tell the story about Hell's Kitchen, a very real part of New York, is what makes this series so appealing. Nelson and Murdock really does feel like a real firm. There are real courtroom scenes where legal cases are presented. You'd be surprised how much of the series devotes its time to a particular legal case, and while some may find this confusing and disinteresting, I think this is consistently one of the show's highlights.
All of the cast return in their respective roles. I found the character of Foggy Nelson even more endearing this time around. He's given a little more of a sympathetic arc, but a redemptive one for him. He goes through hell and back just as much as Daredevil, and in the end, he's rewarded for it which is hugely satisfying. Karen Page receives a huge upgrade from the first season, and while I am all for her character being given an expanded role, I just didn't find Woll's performance quite so appealing. It was real and tragic, but at the same time, it was rather one note and covered the same beats for the majority of the show.
But of course, as all good second installments do, we find our heroes in a bad place. Matt Murdock is struggling when we catch up to him, and not to disappoint anyone, but he struggles throughout the entire season. There are rarely any breaks that are given to this character, and I think that this really goes a long way into establishing his character and rooting him in certain beliefs. Characters both physically and mentally try to push him around, but Murdock stays true to what he is.
I will say though, there is this thing with the amount of women that Murdock falls in love with. Throughout season 1 and 2, he has been with three separate women, and at the end, there's supposed to be an emotional moment where Matt makes a choice connected to one of these. but it doesn't feel that right simply because it hasn't really been established where his loyalties really lie.
Joining the characters in the absence of Wilson Fisk is Jon Bernthal as the Punisher as well as Elodie Yung as Elektra. Both characters have been seen before in previous iterations, but having heard about their reputations, I believe it is quite safe to say that these are the best iterations of the character, hands down. Though Jon Bernthal's arc is a little confusing throughout, Bernthal's performance absolutely nails down the character. He is broken, hurt, but at the same he's made of steel and will do whatever it takes to wipe out whoever's in his way.
Elektra, on the other hand, might be hands down one of my favorite characters in the entire series. I think she is. Elodie Yung has a dripping charisma about her that makes her so enjoyable to watch on screen. She's charming, she's dangerous, she's flirtatious, and then she manages to be vulnerable, sometimes all at once. Something about her charm and her chemistry with Matt Murdock makes it so enjoyable to watch. Her arc, though perhaps not as streamlined as I would have enjoyed is complete and gives her an interesting motivation and going off point.
That's what makes this show ultimately so amazing. It's centered around two things - characters and story. And with those two things, almost everything else can fall away because we are so incredibly invested into what these characters are doing and where they are going to end up. Those incredible action (and yes, it's still absolutely phenomenal) is only that good because we care about who's in danger.
Now, I will admit: after the first half of the season focuses on a gritty storyline with characters like the Punisher and Daredevil on the rooftops of New York, the second half takes an interesting turn. The series delves into the more "science fiction"/"fantasy" elements, and even dabbles in horror a little. There is a scene that is truly terrifying and that can sear an image into your brain, not because of blood or gore, but simply because of the way it's shot and the way it's staged.
In Conclusion: Daredevil Season 2 improves upon almost everything in season one. The action is arguably even better, which is not something I expected. The villains I would argue are also an improvement on Wilson Fisk. And the series introduced one of my favorite new characters, Elektra. The heroes feel vulnerable, they have real problems and challenges, but ultimately, they learn to become better. That's what this series does. It rises up from the depths of Hell's Kitchen to become one of the best pieces of television I have ever seen.
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