The Punisher continues his crusade…

I realised writing separate reviews of episodes 2 and 3 of this second season of Daredevil that they were covering exactly the same ground as the first episode – some great fight scenes, the Punisher kicking the hell out of our hero, Foggy doing something suitably brave and heroic (standing up to various people, particularly), and Karen demonstrating that at times she’s really the brains of Nelson and Murdock. We had a brief appearance by Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple, and the establishment of DA Reyes as one of the not-so-good guys and Blake Tower as one of the rather better ones.

Episode four – Penny and Dime – did see some forward momentum, as Karen discovers Frank Castle’s home, left as it was when he went on his mission presumably, and Matt ends up hearing some of the truth from the man himself. The scene in the graveyard is one of the best bits of drama the series has done to date – making up for the rather over the top verbal battle between Frank and Matt on the rooftop – and makes the Punisher something rather different from his comic book origins. (And just who are these “suits” who were at the hospital? Are they linked to the changes that went on to one of the characters in Jessica Jones?)

There’s definitely something missing though about this season – whereas with the first year, and with Jessica Jones, you reached the end of one episode, and you just felt the pull of the next, this time around, they seem to stand alone a little more. The violence has also felt more gratuitous and dwelled upon – the Kingpin slamming a car door on someone wouldn’t stand out in this season the way it did last – and there’s not, so far, been a choreographed battle that has the grandeur of the hallway fight last. Lots and lots of blood; lots and lots of gunshots, and bullet wounds and the suchlike… but it feels more like watching a game than something that flows out of the characters and the plot. Hopefully with the arrival of Elektra, things might become a bit more involving…

Verdict: Definitely lacking the edge of the first season, these first four episodes are insufficiently engaging. 7/10

Paul Simpson