Advance Review: DAREDEVIL Season 2 Is A Brutal, Balletic Delight; And 'The Punisher' Steals The Show
The highly anticipated second season of Marvel and Netflix's Daredevil will be with us in just a few days, and you can get my spoiler free first reactions after the jump. Does it match up to season 1?
The first season of Marvel and Netflix's Daredevil was a big success with both fans and critics, and left us all eagerly anticipating another batch of episodes we could lock ourselves away in a darkened room and binge on. That'll happen in just 3 days time, but if you fancy some early word on what awaits you, read on.
The action comes fast and heavy right from the outset, as the Man Without Fear continues his mission to clean up the streets of Hell's Kitchen. Matt Murdock believes he's making a difference and seems to be managing to balance his dual identities fairly well... until a new player that doesn't share his no-kill policy enters the game and begins to wipe out various members of the Irish mob. Unlike Wilson Fisk in the first season, Frank Castle/The Punisher is introduced right away, and they don't hold off on the first meeting between the two Marvel Comics crime-fighters either as Castle and Daredevil come to blows in the very first episode. It's obviously a very smart strategy as it immediately hooks you in, and it doesn't hurt that Jon Bernthal is a revelation in the role.
Trust me, this is the best live-action interpretation of The Punisher we've ever had - and if you're thinking that wouldn't really be that difficult, remember the three actors that came before (yes, even Dolph Lundgren) were actually decent/very good in the role, they just happened to be working with lousy material. Fans of the character will lap up Bernthal's portrayal, and Castle is such a commanding presence that the show inevitably suffers a little when he's off-screen.
Without giving too much away, a few episodes in Castle is sidelined and there is a noticeable dip in quality as the narrative struggles to remain as engaging as it was; and, echoing some of the issues of the first season, the show becomes that much less gripping when the story shifts to the supporting characters. As impressive as Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll are in their roles, Foggy and Karen simply aren't as interesting as the writers seem to think they are, and their subplots just seem a bit pointless overall. Things pick back up when Elektra makes her grand entrance, however.
Elodie Yung brings a great mixture of humor, danger, and physicality to the role - but if you were hoping for the silent, serious warrior from Frank Miller's Elektra: Assassin you might be disappointed. This take on the character is something else entirely, displaying an air of bratty self-entitlement that makes her difficult to like, even as we want to see her in action and find out more about her.
If you've seen the trailers you know that The Hand eventually get involved, and with them comes the potential for a supernatural element to be introduced to the show. I only got to see the first 7 episodes and all of that stuff was just beginning to be touched upon - but believe me when I say the remaining 6 hours were shaping up to be some of the most intense, exciting television I'd seen in quite a while.
If you enjoyed season 1 of Daredevil there's no way you'll be disappointed with what I saw of season 2. The plot meanders occasionally and, like the first season, at times you may wonder if the story really justifies being told over such a long stretch - but with Charlie Cox better than ever as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and the introduction of superb incarnations of 2 of Marvel's finest, this is must watch TV. Oh, and if you thought that season 1 hallway fight scene was the pinnacle of action choreography, wait until you see what episode 3 has lined up for you!
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