A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen

Like many, I was pleasantly surprised by Daredevil when I watched it last year; considering what it is, it was better than it probably deserved to be. The return of the second season made me wonder if it could not only deliver, but do so under the pressure of raised expectations. The promotion of the season seemed to feature heavily on two characters whom I don't have a great deal of love for in their cinematic ventures. Punisher was never really made to work for me (and a violent fan film seemed to be considered the best outing he has had), while Elektra's film is the reason I have seen the Assault on Precinct 13remake (I walked out of the former halfway and went into anything else that was about to start). So I was not caught up in the hype, but open to it repeating what it did in the first season.

It does this regarding the brutality of the show, and it nicely keeps the darker and violent material that marked out its action. This aspect it rides well and lets the events of the narrative do enough to get from one strong scene to the next. In doing this it is mostly engaging and with good forward motion. This is not to say that the show does more than this, but it works on this level. The in-between moments are not as good though, and there is a lack of character and substance in the show: relationships, motivations, etc – these didn't feel particularly rooted in anything.

As plotting though, the pieces are all moved around pretty well. Some of it doesn't work that well – probably too much truth be told, but mostly it creates its own world in a way that is slick enough and violent enough to hold the attention. The development of The Hand and other such matters tended to blur a bit for me, and made me hanker for the simplicity of the first season, but it still works. The cast is solid but not amazing. I like Cox in the lead but he maybe could have done more. Bernthal's Punisher is good, while Yung is as good as her material lets her be. Conversely Woll and Henson are mostly so-so, but again this is partly their material (although Henson is probably my least favorite part of the show).

Season 2 is not a great one, but it has a lot to like, and these elements carry it through the aspects which are not as good as they are polished to appear.

This season of Daredevil has been largely superior than the first in my opinion. The 4 or 5 best episodes of the entire series are a part of season 2, but perhaps as a whole, there's a certain amount of cohesiveness that's missing from the second go around, and that showed in the season finale.

As I'm sure everyone reading this knows, The Defenders series is right around the corner. With that, I would think comes The Hand as the main villain(s), so I was interested to see just how this season wraps up that ongoing threat. For the most part, it worked. While I was never a huge fan of Nobu as a so called "big bad", he made for a worthy opponent to Daredevil. Unfortunately, he was largely overshadowed by the other antagonists of this season.

The introduction of Frank Castle and Elektra were handled probably as nicely as I could have hoped. Frank doesn't get a whole lot to do in the finale (could have used a little bit more), his presence was felt throughout this 13 episode run. Elektra on the other hand, played a huge part in the climax for the situation with the Hand, and I would assume is a central focus going forward.

The team up fight between Elektra and Daredevil (and sort of Punisher) was cool to cap the season off, but I wasn't shocked at all that Elektra 'died'. Every time a hero and his/her significant other has the "were going to get out of here and start a new life together" conversation, you know it means bad news.

Foggy taking a new job with Jeri Hogarth's firm was a cool addition and makes me think that he may be involved with The Defenders series in some way. As for Karen, well apparently Matt felt the need to reveal his identity to her. I can't really imagine she takes the news lightly, considering all that she has been through over the past season. It also felt weird watching Matt go from being pretty much in love with Karen, to wanting to leave the city with Elektra, back to Karen, all within a few episodes time.

With all that said, this season did some phenomenal things for this universe even if it doesn't work as a complete season as well as it probably should have. And hey, giving Daredevil his classic Billy Club's was a nice touch.

+Satisfying conclusion for Elektra & The Hand

+Billy Clubs

+Sets up Defenders

-Matt's romantic life feels inconsistent

-Doesn't all work as a cohesive season

8.0/10

Review By Kamal K

Daredevil season 2 is almost as good as season 1 was. The acting, action and dialogue remain just as strong as they were in the first season. The story and villain are where this season falters a bit from season 1. In season 2, the story gets more complicated since there are multiple plotlines going on and it can be a bit difficult to keep track of everything once the season really gets going. The season manages to balance these plotlines decently enough, but it can get confusing at times. The bigger issue with this season is the villain. Unlike season 1, Fisk isn't the primary villain this time, although he does appear in the season. Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle is a bit of a villain, but the true antagonist is the organization called The Hand. Bernthal does a fine job portraying Castle and embodies the violent nature of the character very well. While Castle starts off as the show's villain, he becomes overshadowed by The Hand. Unfortunately, neither villain lives up to the bar set by Fisk, causing season 2 to feel like a bit of a letdown from season 1 despite The Hand being a better antagonist than Castle is. The season mostly recovers from this and gives us an ending that nicely culminates all the plotlines and lays the foundation for future storytelling and development. DD season 2 may not be as good as season 1 is, but it still has its merits and is worth watching if you're a fan of the character.

From the beginning, "Daredevil" has been a show willing to take risks, pushing beyond the traditional boundaries of superhero storytelling. While Season 1 maintained a laser focus, Season 2 significantly broadened its scope. With the introductions of Frank Castle and Elektra, and the looming threat of the Hand, this season has had to juggle multiple intersecting storylines, all while maintaining the grounded, character-driven core that made its predecessor so compelling. The season finale, "A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen," is a testament to that careful storytelling, delivering an action-packed, emotionally charged conclusion that ties together multiple arcs in a way that feels both satisfying and impactful.

The episode wastes no time in throwing Matt into the deep end. With the Hand growing more ruthless than ever, the stakes have never felt higher. The action sequences in this finale are some of the most intense of the series. With the Hand's army of deadly ninjas in full force, the fight choreography takes center stage, showcasing fast-paced, brutal combat that never lets up. The show has always excelled at its fight scenes, but here, the scale is larger, and the stakes are deeply personal. While the action is exhilarating, the heart of the episode lies in the emotional journey of Matt Murdock and Elektra. Their relationship has always been complicated - defined by passion, but also by their fundamentally different worldviews. Throughout the season, Matt has struggled with his feelings for Elektra, torn between the life he wants and the life he knows he must live. This finale brings their arc to a head in a way that is both heartbreaking and beautiful. The episode delivers a poignant resolution to their story - one that reaffirms "Daredevil"'s ability to blend emotional depth with its high-stakes action. Matt's love for Elektra is undeniable, and the episode forces him to confront the sacrifices that come with that love. It's a powerful moment of character growth, solidifying his identity as both a hero and a man who refuses to shut himself off from the world. If there's one area where the episode feels weak, it's in the handling of Foggy and Karen, whose presence and importance are largely subdued in this episode.

"A Cold Day in Hell's Kitchen" is everything a season finale should be - intense, emotional, and deeply satisfying. It expertly ties up major storylines while leaving just enough lingering threads to set up the future. It's a finale that proves just how well this season has balanced its complex, interwoven storylines, leaving fans eager for what comes next.

The season as a whole? Good. Cool storylines, good fighting scenes, phenomenal acting from everyone in the main cast. Still, I find it quite funny -or rather quite sad- how Matt in season 2 is the worst part of DareDevil. His storyline is confusing and doesn't find a proper way until we're too into the season to the point some probably don't even care. His actions are stupid (which usually I don't mind -I like flawed characters) in a way that feel out of character to him; his morals, which are great for character built, make him predictable -after one season (or even a few episodes), you know what he does and how he operates, there's no surprise awaiting whenever he's on screen like it happens with the rest of the characters. His on and off with both Foggy and Karen, his toxic relationship with Elektra and Stick... not handled properly, and felt rushed.

The best thing about this season, and the only thing that saves it, is the storyline of the Punisher, and Karen's great and realistic character growth.

Overall disappointing after a great first season.