Trapped face-to-face with the Punisher, Daredevil wrestles with the morality of vigilante justice. Meanwhile, Foggy and Karen work to save the firm.

This second season of Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil is fascinating in that it feels like it’s compressing things in the story as it rockets along.

While I expected it much later, this episode has a confrontation between Daredevil and the Punisher as a battle of philosophies is laid out.

What’s great is we subtlety get some insight into the mind of the Punisher and some of his origin. It’s really interesting as layers are added to the character getting past the simple man bent on killing bad guys he easily could have been. Instead we get a modern war vet who might be dealing with his experiences overseas.

Much of the episode is focused on this confrontation leading to a standoff that wraps up the episode with an action scene, following the pattern of the first two episodes. In this case the action scene is an homage to the beautifully choreographed hallway fight in the first season.

The other big things in the episode is the reintroduction of Claire who will hopefully have a bigger role this season.

Overall, the pace of the season is fascinating to me, it’s a much quicker pace than Marvel’s previous two Netflix efforts, and one I’m enjoying. While it’s “dark,” the show has much more of a “comic book action” tone, something we have seen in either of the two efforts.

While not quite as good as the first season, it’s still very entertaining and definitely has me looking forward to what’s to come.

Overall rating: 8.2

In the void left by Fisk’s removal, a new threat to Hell’s Kitchen emerges. Murdock and Foggy take on a client with a questionable past.

The second season of Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil kicks off with catching us up on where Matt, Foggy, and Karen are in their lives. Matt is continuing his vigilante ways, with Foggy covering for him, and Karen working for the two and managing their firm. And, it turns out the firm isn’t in the best of situations.

The episode, as it should be, is mostly about set up in a NYC without Wilson Fisk. There’s a power vacuum. Various gangs and groups are doing what they can to fill the void and grasp what’s now there for the taking, but violence is escalating. Is it the gangs fighting each other or is it one person? The end of the episode makes it clear that it’s the latter (and for those know who’s showing up this season it’s not a surprise).

The episode is very much a set up of what’s coming this season. It dives right into the action and through smart moments catches us up as to where things have been. It’s a smart start that just skips the long build and gets us right into the thick of it in multiple ways, building to an end of the episode full of action. This is not how I thought things would start, it’s so much better.

The series continues the excellence of the first season in many ways feeling like a proper continuation instead of a new season. It brilliantly continues the look and feel and doesn’t miss a beat at all. If this is the start, looking forward to what the rest has in store for us.

Overall rating: 8.3

Fisk seeks revenge while Karen is haunted by recent events. Daredevil makes a startling discovery about Fisk’s financing.

Daredevil makes his move in the second last episode of the first season of Marvel and Netflix‘s Daredevil, tracking down the drug trade, and cracking down on it. It’s all pretty standard stuff that might fit in any police drama.

What’s really special is the end of the episode where it’s revealed who’s moving in on Fisk. It’s a twist that seemed a bit predictable, especially for those who’ve read comics, and know a bit more about some of the characters involved.

What’s interesting is some tidbits dropped about Madame Gao who leaves the city to go to a place “considerably further than China.” The hints are there for comic fans, that she’s tied into the mystical realms that involve Iron Fist. We know is series will be coming, so it’s some cool foreshadowing there. That, plus the whole Black Sky thing from earlier in the season, possibly give us some hints as to what the all four Netflix Marvel series might be about and why they come together as the Defenders.

The episode wraps up with the question still out there as far as the future of Nelson and Murdock and Matt realizing he needs help and can’t go it alone. Don’t worry, he’s about to have some super friends joining him. There’s also the future of Ben Urich, now jobless he decides to strike out on his own.

The episode ends with a rather shocking moment. One that actually left a bad taste in my mouth, not only killing of a character with a lot of potential, but also killing off one of the few minority characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The story could have played out much differently. Just not a good ending to the second to last episode.

Overall rating: 7.75

Murdock and Foggy’s relationship is put to the ultimate test while a new enemy against Fisk emerges.

Daredevil’s tenth episode is the flashback episode as Foggy learns the truth about Matt. The episode does a lot to show their time in college, and judging by the haircut, I think we know why he’s called Foggy.

The episode is a decent one as it opens up Matt’s ability and get us to learn more about it. It also shows the relationship between the two and why they’re still together. There’s also a reference to a Greek girl Matt dated…. Elektra!!!! So maybe we’ll see her down the road? The episode also has some cool references to Roxxon, an evil corporation that keeps popping up in Marvel movies, and is well known from the comics.

The episode also focuses on Ben Urich and his wife. We see more of what’s going on there, and his how it affects his work life. It adds depth to a character who’d normally not get a lot of screen time.

But, Daredevil’s origin and motivation aren’t the only thing revealed. The episode also sends Karen and Ben on a trip to a facility where they meet a rather interesting individual.

The episode is an interesting one in that it fits a lot in much earlier than I’d have expected. Matt’s unmasked to Foggy with some big ramifications, someone makes a move against Fisk. It’s all things that feel very season two. But there’s a few more episodes to go still, and we’ll see what else the first season has in store.

Overall rating: 8

While Murdock, Foggy, and Karen’s mission becomes clearer, Fisk’s world spins further out of control in his battle for Hell’s Kitchen.

Even villains have origins and this episode takes us through some of the things that made Wilson Fisk the man he is. The episode is interestingly broken into segments each beginning with Fisk waking up to stare at the painting he purchased earlier in the season.

The episode shows an even more complicated man, focusing on his relationship with his father and mother and some key events that put him on the path he’s on today. I don’t remember Fisk’s origin in the comics, so I honestly can’t say how similar it is to that, but the scenes are brutal and tragic. They’re actually pretty beyond brutal, they’re rather graphic, again emphasizing this isn’t a Marvel live offering for kids.

In the present, we learn even more about Fisk, including a lot of what he’s been holding back. Again, D’Onofrio’s performance is absolutely amazing, easily the standout of the series. Fisk is probably the most complicated person in the series. All of this is explored at the same time things are getting tougher for him, and forces conspire against him. There’s lots of symbolism towards the end, showing off the small visual queues that make the series stand out.

The show might be titled Daredevil, but it’s as much about Wilson Fisk as it is Matt Murdock. And this episode that gives us a villain who’s more complicated and more interesting than the hero the series is named after.

Overall rating: 9