A smoggy, worn New York. A record 100 degree heat wave. The sounds of people arguing, fighting, dealing. A figure in red, small but evident horns on his masked head.
The wait is finally over.
After a month of teasing us with trailers, Daredevil ‘s second season has finally arrived. Assuming you haven’t already binged through it yourself, all thirteen episodes are available for streaming on Netflix.
Previous trailers have revealed certain aspects of this season. The main one being the introduction of fan favorites Elektra (Elodie Yung) and Frank Castle (played by a perfectly cast Jon Bernthal), aka The Punisher.
There’s a new tone to the new season. While season 1 found Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox) questioning how to save his broken town while trying to keep his vigilante work separate from the rest of his life, season 2 gives us a Daredevil in his element. Like any good season premiere, the existing premise and the new story line is effectively set up, even if you’re new to the show. (If you haven’t seen the first episode yet, Spoiler Alert for the next 2 paragraphs):
The premiere episode “Bang” opens with Daredevil capably taking down a group of criminals as they flee from the crime scene, tracking each one down before they can hurt innocent bystanders. Time seems to have passed since Fisk was locked away last season, and a lot of Matt and Co. are looking better for it. Foggy (Eldon Henson) and Matt are friends again as Foggy has learned to accept (sort of) Matt’s alter ego. Nelson & Murdoch has had an influx of clients (even if they still are broke) and there’s romance sparking between Matt and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll). Sorry Foggy/ Karen fans.
But as usual, not all is well in Hell’s Kitchen. A seemingly unstoppable force is taking down all of the gangs vying for the top in the power vacuum left by Fisk’s departure. Violently. The episode is noticeably more bloody than last season, and you can probably guess who’s at the center of this upped violence.
The decision to not have another Wilson Fisk- ian Big Bad and instead have The Punisher challenge Matt sets a different tone for the series. “I think the great thing about Frank Castle is that he’s going to make everybody rethink Daredevil. He’s going to make Matt Murdock rethink Daredevil. He’ll make Karen rethink Daredevil and if we’re very lucky, we’re hoping that it will make the audience rethink Daredevil,” Petrie told Slash Film. “Taking a look at everything Matt Murdock so painstakingly built in season one and shaking it to its foundation was absolutely something we wanted to do this year.
While every week is arguably a good one for Marvel and Netflix, this has been an especially big one. Yesterday Game of Throne‘s Finn Jones was confirmed for the titular role for Netflix’s upcoming Iron Fist and today the first trailer for Luke Cage debuted.