Just finished Daredevil season 2 (Spoilers) · 5:04am Mar 19th, 2016
Fast as lightning, sharp as a sword
Not as good as season 1, but still awesome! CAUTION: if you haven't seen season 1 yet . . . . SPOILERS!!!
In the season, a new vigilante, a one-man army the press calls "the Punisher", is violently executing the gangsters of Hell's Kitchen. After a few meetings with this well-trained, overly armed badass, Daredevil questions the morality of the vigilante way. Meanwhile, an old flame of Matt Murdock's comes back--Elektra Natchios--and asks him for help in taking out the local Yakuza before they fill the void that Wilson Fisk left behind after his arrest in season 1. Karen Page deals with the guilt of having killed Fisk's right-hand man last season, Foggy must apply himself as a lawyer and peacekeeper when Matt isn't around, and a new enemy intends to unleash hell on New York--the Hand.
The action is a lot faster and more pulse-pumping than last season, and everyone gets a piece of the spotlight, especially Foggy. Karen's struggles with vicariously condoning the not-so-moral actions of others gets a little old after a while, but she gets proper balance when she starts on a new journey to find out what she wants to do. Jon Bernthal was absolutely excellent as Frank Castle! His performance rivals that of Vincent D'onofrio as Kingpin and David Tennant as Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, and I hope we see more of him in season 3. His dynamic with Karen was well-written and likable because they are almost a perfect yin-yang pair. Karen is the sweeter, more down-to-earth person who is still far from a saint, and Castle is a cold, brutish warrior who is still far from being a monster. They have several scenes together, and they make it work each time.
Also returning to the series are fan favorites Scott Glenn as Stick and D'onofrio as Fisk. The latter's role is reduced a bit, but he is still a threatening presence, even in an ominous sense.
Elodie Yung was very good as Elektra, though not as good as I was hoping. She's a complex character and has many of the same issues from her past as Matt Murdock has with his, and struggles with personal identity, especially late in the series.
Sadly, we don't really have a suitable replacement for Ben Urich in this season. He shall be missed.
Overall, an excellent continuation of a stellar series. With improved action sequences and great character development and interaction, all they need is a pillar performance to hold up the rest of it (Bernthal and D'onofrio were not really enough, to be honest), and season 3 should really bring down the house!
Stay quick, stay sharp, and thanks for reading!
What are some other super hero television shows playing right now out of curiosity?
3815614 Well, on Netflix, there's also Jessica Jones, another Marvel property. Jessica, a former superhero, is a P.I. in Hell's Kitchen who's dealing with some inner demons while matching wits with an old enemy--Kilgrave, the Purple Man (played by David Tennant).
On Fox, there's Gotham, a look at the city before the days of the Batman, where Detectives Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock protect Gotham from the precursors of Batman's most iconic rogues.
On the CW network, there's Arrow, about Oliver Queen using skills he honed while washed up on an island for five years, to save Star City from numerous threats. The Flash is about police forensic expert Barry Allen, who is struck by lightning and gains super speed. Lastly, there's their spin-off, DC's Legends of Tomorrow, where time traveler Rip Hunter recruits a group of heroes from the present to go back to the past and save the future from the immortal warlord Vandal Savage.
Gotham, Arrow and The Flash are all at least partially on Netflix as well, so check them out and get caught up any time!
3815619 Cool! Thank you so much for the recommendations. I will be sure to check them out.