DAREDEVIL Season 2 Review: The Daily SuperHero Writers' Quick Thoughts

***This post contains spoilers for DAREDEVIL Season 2. You've been warned.***

DAREDEVIL Season 2 debuted March 18 on Netflix for your binge watching pleasure and a few of The Daily SuperHero's writers, who have finished the new season, took a few moments to reflect on the latest edition to the series.

And there are definitely some varying opinions here at The Daily SuperHero...

James Philbrick (@JamesPhilbrick2) -- Character Profile Writer

Heading into DAREDEVIL Season 2 I was a bit hesitant. I mean, how could they possibly top or even come close to the perfection that was DAREDEVIL Season 1? To my pleasant surprise, they did. Although they had a little trouble filling the character gap that Wilson Fisk left, they did a fine job with the addition of the Punisher and Elektra. They also filled in this gap by giving more screen time and character development to background characters like Claire. Not only that, but the showrunners kept the characters true to the comics and made them believable in real life. One of the many great things about this season is that they made the Punisher a true anti-hero. Sometimes I was rooting for him and other times I was horrified at how far he went.

Overall, Season 2 is a very different experience from the first season but keeps the similarities that made Season 1 so great. The soundtrack is on point, casting is perfect, tensions are high when they are supposed to be and the writers weren't afraid to show the dark corner of the MCU with violence and gore. Not only that but the acting is phenomenal and the chemistry between all the characters, especially Karen, Foggy and Matt are so much fun to watch. What I love most about this season is how the show doesn’t rely on action like some other comic book TV shows. All of the stories are character driven and the amazing fight scene choreography is just an added bonus.

Carly B. (@TVFanatic360) -- SUPERGIRL Beat Writer

The second season of DAREDEVIL was a slight disappointment. It felt like the storyline was too crowded. There were too many separate story lines that never came together and left more questions than answers. Matt Murdock also feels less likable than in Season 1. His constant state of being a martyr and abandoning his friends at the worst possible times will hopefully change in a hopeful Season 3. One good thing about this season were the new additions to the cast. Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / the Punisher was probably the best performance of the season. He can play the brutal, angry anti-hero but still tugs on the heart strings when he reminisces about his late family and the guilt of not saving them. Elodie Yung also brings iconic character Elektra to life in the show. She is able to reveal her vulnerable side that desperately seeks to be loved alongside her violent, dangerous nature that makes her hard to be trusted. It's easy to see why Netflix is close to green lighting a Punisher spin-off and it wouldn't be surprising if Elektra got one too.

The ending does leave some hope for a better season as another friend learns Matt's secret identity and Elektra's rebirth is hinted at. It'll be interesting to see how this affects him moving forward. We also see Foggy getting a job with Hogarth from JESSICA JONES. It'll be interesting to see who else other than Matt will be appear in THE DEFENDERS. Having Frank team-up with the others would definitely bring another challenge to the team.

Peter Freeman (@Peter_Freeman) -- TV & Animation Writer

Depending on what episode you’re watching of DAREDEVIL Season 2, it either has too much story, or not enough story. Such a problem is something that permeates the entire season. Some episodes are filled with tired monologues that cover the same material over and over again. Others have character development shoved into them and then quickly reversed. It’s a frustrating quality of this season.

Between that and a lack of a core, interesting villain, the second season fails to improve on many areas. There’s a lack of that special something that brought such a spark to the first season. It’s unfortunate, because it’s not all bad. The arcs of Karen and Foggy are great extensions of their characters and the show’s willingness to stick to its guns actually pays off in their cases.

Overall the second season of Daredevil doesn’t live up to the amazing first season, but it continues to be a fun piece of entertainment to kill a weekend with.

William Staton (@WilliamStaton80) -- Retro Movie Reviewer

Though it doesn’t necessarily fill the enormous shoes left from Season 1, DAREDEVIL Season 2 definitely showcases the entire cast and crew’s impeccable talent. After the spectacular first season, I was skeptical at the show’s ability to continue to frighten and surprise its audience, but all of my doubts were quickly put to rest. Even during the rare low moments for this season, I was still left on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next episode to tell me more. Though the story does delve into some unexpected territories, it never really loses its touch. Even when I was questioning why the show would even contemplate mentioning immortality, I found myself becoming more and more intrigued with this show’s in depth storylines. The action scenes in particular continue to showcase that Daredevil has the best stunt team of any television show there is. Each sequence flowed with such fluidity that it became hard to realize that I wasn’t just watching a live action comic book. 

Luckily, with the unbelievably talented crew, there is an equally amazing cast. This season seems to move away from focusing on Matt Murdock and instead creates a world where Karen Page, Foggy Nelson and newcomer Elektra Natchios can shine. Through all of this, however, there is nothing that can compare to the unbelievable performance of Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle. I’ve never seen a character before who can cause sheer terror in one moment and tears in the next. The Punisher immediately shows that he is not a force to be reckoned with and, by the end of the season, he becomes a character that not just needs, but deserves a spin-off series. He perfectly portrays the aspects of vengeance and justice that make this character so great, even causing me to question why anyone would be mad at him in the first place (until the “duh” moments sinks in).

Overall, this season is highly enjoyable and exactly what this show needed. It continues the story that the first season set up and shows the characters evolving, while at the same time continuing to provide new challenges to not only the characters themselves, but also to the audiences own sense of morals. Now all we have to do is wait until LUKE CAGE, IRON FIST and, eventually, the highly anticipated THE DEFENDERS series.

Daniel Wolf -- The Daily SuperHero Founder and Publisher

I'll be frank (pun) for a moment in saying that I've never been a big fan of the Punisher. I get his appeal to his fans but I just never liked his character for no particular reason except that he just didn't appeal to me. But that was in the past and before actor Jon Bernthal absolutely killed it as Frank Castle and the Punisher. Bernthal has made me a big fan and I can't want to dig deep into my large digital comics collection to read a bunch of Punisher comics. I get it now and I'm a big fan.

The Punisher was the brightest spot of DAREDEVIL Season 2, for me, he was the one character who I kept hoping to see as each episode started. Whether it was Punisher and Daredevil on the rooftop, Frank and Karen Page in the hospital, Wilson Fisk and Frank talking both times in prison, that beautifully gory Episode 9 prison brawl or the fantastic diner shootout, I loved all of it. It would be a damn shame for Netflix to not green light a PUNISHER spin-off because Bernthal not only deserves his own series to continue being this brutally fantastic version of the Punisher, but he should get some Emmy and Golden Globe nomination considerations, too.

Besides my new love for the Punisher, DAREDEVIL Season 2 was better overall than Season 1 despite the fact it lacked a true main villain. However, bringing Fisk back was a great move to show that he is indeed the Kingpin and will loom over how ever many more seasons of DAREDEVIL there will be; and quite possibly be a big bad in THE DEFENDERS ensemble series. From Foggy to Karen Page to Claire Temple to Matt Murdock, the core actors were all engaging and their respective character development was great. Especially Matt Murdock, who went from a guy figuring himself and his vigilante role out in Season 1 to fully embracing being Daredevil and loving the action that came with it. This was evident with Elektra as well — who also had a terrific performance by Elodie Yung... love her accent too — and she has a love for all the violence as well as being a bad influence on Matt.

If I was to find any negatives in this season it would be the lack of a main antagonist, The Hand weren't badass enough and the whole Black Sky thing is a bit confusing. But I'm sure that last bit will be addressed in either a hopeful Season 3 or maybe in THE DEFENDERS.


Related Posts:
DAREDEVIL Season 2 Episode 3: Watch the Stairwell Fight Scene Again

Charlie Cox Wants DAREDEVIL Against BULLSEYE Soon [and So Does Every Fan]

DAREDEVIL Season 2: The PUNISHER is so Good He More Than Deserves His Own Netflix Spin-Off Series