Daredevil (Netflix)

Rosario Dawson mentioned Luke Cage so we’re all tied in now. Now she just needs to introduce everyone and we have Heroes For Hire/The Defenders.

So I recently completed the Brubaker/Fraction The Immortal Iron Fist: The Complete Collection Volume 1. It was pretty terrific and I really want them to keep the mystical elements. I want the full on wire fu, mortal combat, etc. I want to watch King of Orphans utterly humiliate you know who. I want you know who’s solid redemptive arc. I want to see the Thunderer Thunder. Actually if they wanted to replace Bride of Nine Spiders I would be ok with that but otherwise I want to see the Immortal Weapons in all of their glory. They might need to tweak the Hogarth arc just a little bit but that shouldn’t be too difficult and if anything it will give Carrie Anne Moss even more room to shine.

While the “white guy conquers Asia thingy” trope is beyond well worn at this point I’m ok with bringing this story to Netflix this way. There’s plenty of boss Asians waiting to kick ass in this story.

So we watched the first 3 episodes over the weekend, and so far I’m digging it. While the Punisher/ Daredevil arc is following a path traveled before, it aslo does it well so far. I also appreciate how they went right for it, instead of dancing around the comparison.

Really interested to see where this goes, safe to say. Also Hollywood should be paying attention. Once again the fight scenes put most major action films to shame. If any cinematographer suggests using quick cut shaky cam at any point in the future now, they should be fired on the spot.

Done. Better than the first season. The pacing is more consistent from episode to episode and there’s a lot less of Vincent D’Onofrio’s retarded man-baby growling in his made-up Batman voice. Punisher is great. Elektra is… well, pretty good, but such an asshole it’s hard to see what Daredevil sees in her. Fight choreography is still excellent.

Writing is still the weak point. Plot threads just get created and dropped (the bad guys dug a mile-deep shaft in the middle of Manhattan to… oh, never mind, on to the next episode). Characters lie to one another for no reason. Everyone’s hysterical all the time. I spent most of the show wishing they’d kill off Foggy and Karen, but in the end the writers left those two somewhere that makes me hope their characters may not be totally useless next season.

3.5 out of five. Would watch again.

I will abide no contempt for Foggy! He was consistently great, what didn’t you like?

The Hand-hole I assumed just had something to do with the mystical requirements for their backup plan. It didn’t need to be explained any further for me.

And having finished it, here are brief, vague impressions:

The first season started out incredibly strong. Those first two episodes are still the best the show has ever been. Then it changed, but it grew into something very compelling afterward based mostly on exploring the character of Fisk. The finale was a let down, but the rest of season one was excellent.

Season two started out a little slower, but it was a pretty well executed build up for the entire season of several different plots. We never got quite as deep or focused a character study as we did with season one’s Fisk, but we got more interesting plots to drive the action, and they build to a (mostly) satisfying conclusion.

Specific spoilers for season two about what didn’t work for me:

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The Blacksmith reveal was dumb and leaves Castle’s story ending on a slightly dumb note.

I’ll agree with you that the writing is still the weak point, but otherwise its funny how we perceived the rest completely different. The Punisher bored me and I felt he took up way too much screentime & was really happy for the Kingpin to show up for a bit! Also I appreciate Foggy and Karen, but would hope they get some better written storylines in the future…

Foggy is worse at literally everything than Matt Murdock. He’s ugly. He’s less charismatic. He doesn’t have superpowers. He’s not as good a lawyer. For some inexplicable reason they’re friends, but it’s not clear what Matt gets out of this relationship since every conversation consists of a shrill Foggy yelling at Matt that he shouldn’t be helping people because it’s dangerous.

Actually, everyone around Matt disapproves of his career choice. Half of them think he should stop because ooh, danger is scary. The other half think he’s a pussy for not killing all the bad people. You’d think he could find a more supportive circle of friends. Maybe when he hooks up with Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

Not done with the season yet, but my only real complaint is that the shrill whining (shrill is a great word choice there, well done Kyle) at Matt about how it’s too dangerous is beyond played out. Likewise the “oooooh Karen doesn’t know Matt is Daredevil! How will he balance his two lives???” conflict is just awful.

Rest of it’s awesome. Love the Punisher, like Elektra, and damn if the fights aren’t the best damn screen action of their style.

I give you the one good scene in Green Lantern, which turned that comic-book trope on its head.

Heh. That just makes me want to watch Deadpool again.

He shows up.

Showing up is 99% of pretty much everything (friendship and politics being two). And he does that better than Murdock.

Foggy is loyal and a good lawyer and a better friend to Matt than Matt is to Foggy by a mile. And if charismatic means “gets ladies by being attractive and blind”, sure, Matt beats him there, but if charismatic just means charismatic, I think they’re just about tied.

All the secrecy and worry that Foggy gets dragged into with Matt’s crimefighting and he handles it all well. By which I mean he is perpetually concerned for the life and safety of Matt, but he doesn’t break confidence—even with Karen, who Matt should’ve told ages ago. Foggy is great.

The actor playing Foggy steals every scene he’s in. I think he’s fantastic in the show.

Foggy is not a good lawyer, hes a great lawyer. Hes also far more vested in the firm and its success. Plus hes better than Matt at handling bad guys. Hell, he got two crazy worked up thugs to drop their weapons and allow themselves to be arrested, without hurting anyone. Matt, in that situation would have probably just gotten his ass kicked again. As for fun? Matt walks into a room, its like a frikkin wake, Foggy is a party waiting to happen. Worse at everything?! Think again, my friend, Foggy is better at everything, except women and considering Electra even that is in question.

I feel like Foggy got to breathe a little more as a character in S2 than S1 (again, not quite done with S2 yet).

I’m not going to try to convince you guys that you’re wrong, but I wish that I could see the show the way you see it.

Anyway, on a more serious note, what happened to Punisher’s dog?

John Wick found it in a pound.

He’s now The Punish-cur. He deals out justice…one bite at a time.