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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 322575" data-attributes="member: 23">Daredevil Season Two (2016) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themarysue.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F03%2FDDS2_Character_DAREDEVIL_US-Pre.jpg&f=1&nofb=1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="width: 501px" /> Bang / Dogs To A Gunfight / New York’s Finest Despite the Kingpin storyline being concluded at the end of Season One, I must confess I’d expected Season Two to begin with Fisk’s escape from prison in order for the whole cycle to start over again. Silly, really. I wouldn’t expect to pick up an issue of a comic the issue after a story is resolved and expect to see it start over again. Nor would I expect a Marvel sequel to feature the same story arcs and antagonists. This is why I’m not a show runner.My approach means I’ve been surprised by what we’ve been given. A double-edged sword. There’s an almost anti-climactic feeling that expectations haven’t been met. That thing I was looking forward to happening simply hasn’t happened, and it took me the first couple of episodes to adjust to the new status quo. On the other hand, the unexpected is usually a very good thing in such a twisty franchise, is it not?I avoid spoilers as much as possible, so I didn’t even realise the antagonist was The Punisher until  some time after the first episode. I am aware there’s a Punisher series as part of The Defenders Saga, but I hadn’t seen the character associated with other series and from the little I’d seen had got the impression it was somewhat more apart from the other series. I’m glad I was wrong. Part of me wishes I’d realised in order to savour his debut, but the opportunity to see a story unfold organically is a rare and priceless thing.The subtle crossovers between the (then) two Netflix Marvel series have been very gratifying. Like the MCU, they’re in order for a reason ’m glad I researched the order in which to watch these as they’re adding layers of enjoyment to the experience.In Jessica Jones I commented how I expected to see a Daredevil character walking round the corner and walking past another character on the street, or simply appearing in the background somewhere. It’s the same coming back from Jessica Jones to Daredevil. Following her time spent tending to Luke, Claire has crossed back to Daredevil and obliquely mentions her crossover experience to Foggy which is done in a way that is simply a little bit of dialogue for those watching only Daredevil while rewarding those who’ve followed both series in order. Meanwhile, after debuting in the final Jessica Jones I watched, Reyes the DA has marched over to Daredevil to screw over Foggy, Karen (and their client).Foggy and Karen both seem to have been given standout moments in each of these Season Two episodes. Something that seems intended to encourage the audience to cheer at their resourcefulness and courage. Some of these work better than others, and I can’t help feeling less would be more. Foggy calling the bluff of Reyes and Blake Tower in order to represent and support Grotto was a really nice moment for the character. However, Foggy giving two scalpel-wielding opposing gang members who listen carefully to every word he says and then follow his instructions stretched credulity for me. Opening with “Hey arsehole” alone should have been enough for his days to be numbered, even if it was the less impactful American “asshole” variant.Karen going to Tower with evidence of Reyes throwing her previous assistants under the bus fell somewhere in between the two. It showed resourcefulness and was played well enough for me to believe it, but there’s something I find very passive about either TV Karen or Deborah Ann Woll that make her more assertive moment feel almost out of character at times. Conversely, the manipulative, flirty way she interacts with both Foggy and Matt when she’s around them - and particularly when she’s alone with them - feels more convincing (there’s a sense she is crushing on Matt but wants to coerce him into taking responsibility for making the first move by giving out energy and meaningful little touches and words. Meanwhile, it reads to me that she’s not interested in Foggy as anything other than a friend but his low-key attraction to her - of which she’s aware - gives her a degree of power over him. It makes for an interesting dynamic).Like Foggy and Karen’s power-scenes, the Daredevil fights feel more dominant this season. They’re certainly longer and more choreographed. The fights in the first season were great. So far this year it feels in danger of gilding the lily. A stairwell fight against multiple antagonists in particular felt as though it went on forever and looked a little artificial (to the point I started wondering if it was partly CGI). Another case of less is more. Hopefully it won’t be a “twice an episode, every episode” deal.The dialogue is absolutely faultless. The exchange between Frank and Daredevil while the former held the latter chained on the roof is up there with the best of Season One.</blockquote>

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