The first season of Daredevil turned out to be quite great. It instantly became my favorite superhero show. Netflix also released Jessica Jones last year, which is pretty good. Its’ first season was not as great as Daredevil‘s, but it still had a solid Netflix debut. Now we are in Daredevil‘s sophomore season and somehow the show has gotten even better. The characters have grown, the storyline has developed, and the action has intensified.
You Know You’re One Bad Day Away From Being Me
One of the main reasons I believe Daredevil is superior to Jessica Jones is because of its cast of characters. I like every single character, and whenever they pop up on screen I am excited to see what they do. From Matt to Mitchell (The News Editor), I am fully invested in every single one of these characters. The standouts from the season are definitely: Matt, Frank, Karen, and of course Elektra. Elektra has a compelling arc this season, and the finale certainly puts her in a very interesting position. I was not fond of the first episode that introduced her, but her appeal as a character grew with the progression of the season. Karen had an extremely eventful season as she found love and a new job. I never thought she fit in as Matt and Foggy’s secretary, but she fits right in as a journalist. As far as her relationship with Matt, the show handled it very well. It never felt forced at all, and ultimately felt like a natural progression. We were given more hints about Karen’s mysterious past, but nothing concrete. I look forward to the mystery unraveling in future seasons. Now onto the one, the only: Frank Castle. Jon Bernthal did a phenomenal job in this very brutal role. However, what was most impressive is how Bernthal injected some humanity into Frank. I was able to sympathize with him, while also fearing him. Even though the show presented Frank in a more human light, he is still a ruthless killer. My biggest takeaway from this season is that Marvel and Netflix need to start developing a Punisher show. It is to the show’s benefit that its titular character is also the most interesting. This season absolutely destroyed Matt Murdock physically and emotionally. Matt struggles with balancing his normal life and his night life. He realizes that being Daredevil comes with a cost, and this season showed him what that cost is. Is he able to keep the girl? Is he able to keep his friends? Can he prevent his life as a crime fighter from interfering with his life as a lawyer? Is he able to keep his morals intact? These questions are all addressed this season, and because of it Matt becomes an increasingly interesting character.
One Batch, Two Batch, Penny And Dime
Along with complex characters, this show has truly outdone itself as far as storytelling and action. This season revisits some unresolved plot points from last season and expands upon them. Not only that, but there is some brilliant set-up for next season as well. Everything just flowed very well from episode to episode. My biggest gripe with the season is Elektra’s first episode (the fifth episode). The momentum that the first four episode built was slightly gone as the show took some time to explain Elektra’s past with Matt. It is a necessary episode, but it did disrupt some of the show’s momentum. As I mentioned earlier, the show has really outdone itself with the action. Several fights some to mind, but none more than Daredevil’s fight scenes against the biker gang during the third episode. I did not they could outdo the one-take fight scene from last season, but somehow they did. Finally, the three episodes that really wowed me have to be: Episode 3, Episode 4, and the finale Episode 13. I chose these episode because each of them have some great character moments, amazing action, and memorable storylines.
Closing Remarks
I absolutely loved this season, but it will be a long wait until the third season. Part of me wishes I spread out the episodes a bit more, but I will almost certainly watch this season once more in preparation for the third one. It may have a few minor flaws here and there, but the overall package is undeniably impressive. I cannot wait to see what the show has in store for us in the future.