Daredevil Season 2 "Bang" Review
The Devil of Hell's Kitchen is Back
After an exciting and wildly successful start on Netflix, the television series starts again. Now that Season 1 has finished telling the origin story of Daredevil and the Kingpin, we can only guess what will happen next. I'll admit, I am not a fan of the comic book, so my reviews are based on the TV series alone, and not how well it matches up with the source material.
Episode 1, "Bang"
The episode was a strong and promising start to the season. It shows Hell's Kitchen after Fisk has been put in prison, with his empire in shambles. However, although Fisk and his allies have been dealt with or have disappeared for the time being, criminals and dangerous people are still walking among Hell's Kitchen, which leaves Matt Murdock plenty busy.
However, the end to Fisk's reign of Hell's Kitchen doesn't seem to be the end of organized crime. Indeed, the power vacuum has caused some mafias to plan for power. But it quickly becomes apparent that there is a new player in town, one extremely powerful individual capable of tearing entire mafia families to shreds. Can Daredevil find him and take him down?
Review
The Plot
As far as plots go, I thought it was a good start to the series. It's certainly not a stand-alone episode, but Netflix's Daredevil doesn't seem to have any episodes like that. Like the first season, the episode does a good job showing Murdock trying to juggle his vigilante life with his lawyer career, but it's nice to have Foggy as an additional word of wisdom this time around. The chemistry between the main characters is still great, though there does seem to be some tension in Karen and Matt's relationship, as she is understandably worried about the finances of their legal operation, and he seemingly has an unworried attitude about being totally broke.
While the episode was pretty good, I do wish that it showed the aftermath of Fisk's arrest a little more. Fisk himself is only mentioned a scant few times during the episode, and other than continuing to show crime happening in the streets, you can't really see how it's changed, or whether it's changed at all. I would have liked at least a line remarking how it's been a lot better recently or a line like, "Even with Fisk locked up, nothing's changed." There also aren't that many new characters in this episode, though it seems to introduce one, though I'm not entirely sure if he'll survive the next few episodes, so it's hard to find someone new to root for.The episode isn't the most exciting ever, but it gives promises to a good season.
The Atmosphere
As usual, Daredevil does a great job highlighting the murkiness of Hell's Kitchen. The heat wave mentioned at the beginning of the episode is nodded to at times, and only adds to the feeling of a rundown, poverty-stricken neighborhood. While it knows how to occasionally keep things light-spirited with witty jokes from Foggy and Matt, the dirtiness of the setting always manages to seep its way into the scenes.
The show also uses its more lenient age rating to its advantage, as it does not shy away from language or graphic violence. Being able to see the carnage onscreen and hearing the characters use explicit language makes the experience just that much more visceral.
Direction
Daredevil's first season was shot beautifully, and it continues to do so. Like mentioned above, every scene manages to incorporate the atmosphere of Hell's Kitchen. I loved the choice to keep Matt unseen until the last shot of the first scene of the episode, though we hear his voice about midway through. It gave a good buildup, and I liked the idea of only being able to hear the blind superhero in the beginning. After that, the choreography of the fight scenes are great, and they really get you invested in the story. One of the great things about Daredevil is that he isn't invincible. Matt Murdock can deliver a beating, but he can also receive a beating just as well, and this hasn't changed, though he has significantly better armor, so I'll guess that it won't be quite as bad as the first season.
Overall
It's a promising start to the season. While not an 'amazing' start on its own, it promises the viewers that something new, something big is going to happen. I think that if you were a fan of the first season, it's definitely something you should check out!