Daredevil Season 2

There will be spoilers in this post.

I didn't have a whole lot to say about the first season of Marvel's Daredevil. In fact this was it:

I got to this as soon as I got off the trail, and it was just about perfect. The funny thing is that the thing I like about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that it isn’t stuck in that dark and gritty rut that DC’s in, yet Daredevil is probably the darkest grittiest part of the MCU.

Which is truly criminal, because more and more I realize just how fantastic it is. From the storytelling, to the choreography of the fights, to the acting... it's all fantastic. Over 13 episodes they manage to tell an amazing story full of vibrant characters that all fit into the greater MCU without needing to directly tie into the movies or Agents of Shield.

What really made it amazing though was the single most engaging villain I think I've ever encountered. The Kingpin, Mr. Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D'Onofrio steals the show.

He's larger than life, and dominates the series. And he's engaging. You almost want him to win. He has a vision for Hell's Kitchen, a shining vision of what that neighborhood could be... He's sympathetic. He's... human. If you're going to make a bad guy, this is an amazing template to work from.

And season 2 suffers when he's not involved.

On the other hand, The Punisher and his storyline with Karen is nearly as strong.

Once again, we have a sympathetic villain... or perhaps anti-hero is the better descriptor. He isn't indiscriminate... and in a lot of ways, the only thing that separates Frank Castle from Fisk is that Castle is mono-focused on hunting down the 3 criminal gangs that he believes killed his family. The twists and turns of that are a lot of fun to watch.

The Elektra storyline wasn't bad, but resulted in the tiresome trope of the titular hero brooding over... everything. The weight and responsibility of saving the city/nation/world, having to cut ties with his friends, etc. etc. Murdock, Wane and Queen all need some serious therapy.

The return of Stick, and his war with the ninja clan The Hand proved that the Conservation of Ninjitsu is in full effect. I really wish it had been less ninjas, and more Madam Gao. I want more of her... Maybe in season 3?

Also, I could totally go for a spin off show involving all the lawyers who deal with these costumed weirdos. Froggy, Hogarth, Marci, and toss in Jen Walters (She-Hulk) for fun. With Karen at the newspaper, and Detective Hoffman with the police? I can just hear Dick Wolf's Law and Order theme playing.

While a little weaker than season 1, it's still a fantastic show, and I can't wait for whatever else the MCU brings to Netflix.