Daredevil - Episodes 1-4 Reviews

Punisher Rising: A Daredevil Review

It’s been a long recess, but court is now back in session. The law firm of Nelson & Murdock is open for business, and the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is ready to take back his city. So, fire up those Netflix accounts, forego all human contact for the next thirteen hours, and dive into the darker side of Marvel’s fare with season two of Daredevil.

Right out of the gate, season two throws us back into the action. Daredevil (Charlie Cox) chases a gang of robbers through the streets, picking them off from the shadows, one by one. After he takes down the last wrong doer and the police arrive at the scene, the camera pans toward the rooftops, with the show’s main theme rising in the background. Finally, as the music crescendos, the shot lands on Daredevil, stoic, as he surveys the city, reminding us why we fell in love with the series in the first place.

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Source: Marvel/Disney/Netflix

Episode one picks up several months after the season one finale. Nelson & Murdock is humming with clients, though not necessarily ones that pay, and we’re treated to a nice, brief re-introduction to the main cast. Re-introductions are rare for season two, and while the first four episodes mainly explore new arcs, the second third of the season really hits the ground running with continuing several story-lines from last season. If you’re a little fuzzy on any of the events from season one, or if you’re one of those brave souls who reads a review for a show they haven’t watched yet, it might be a good idea to take a look back at last season.

Unfortunately, the good times do not continue to roll for our protagonists, as they are quickly brought face to face with their next big threat, The Punisher. After two failed attempts at a Punisher film adaptation, (2004's The Punisher and 2008's reboot, Punisher: War Zone); fans wondered if such a complex character would ever be done justice on the big screen. Thomas Jane's portrayal in 2004 struck a chord in the hearts of fans, to the point that he even donned the mantle again for a short film that quickly went viral after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, the creative teams for both The Punisher and Punisher: War Zone lacked any discernible sense of the property, and both films fittingly missed the mark by a wide margin.

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Source: Marvel/Disney/Netflix

When word broke last June that Marvel had cast Jon Bernthal as the latest iteration of The Punisher for the second season of Daredevil, reactions were positive, though guarded. Bernthal rose to fame for his portrayal of the volatile Shane Walsh in AMC's The Walking Dead, and while fans believed he would bring the same explosiveness to the role of Frank Castle, as history has shown, the fit and talent of the actor isn’t always enough to compensate for a script that fails to capture the intricate ethos of the character.

Fortunately, Daredevil season two, easily puts these concerns to rest, and the Punisher arc is by far the highlight of the first four episodes and arguably of the entire season. Not only does Bernthal nail the nuance between Frank Castle's apparent psychosis and The Punisher's calculated and violent pursuit down the path of least resistance, but the narrative surrounding the MCU's most anti of anti-heroes matches this complexity, with a carefully laid web of clues that shrouds the character's background in mystery, and above all else, the execution of an ideological battle, between Daredevil and The Punisher, that feels neither contrived, nor without purpose. Top it all off with some truly gripping and well-choreographed action scenes, and you have a recipe for one of Marvel's finest character debuts to date.

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Source: Marvel/Disney/Netflix

The Daredevil-Punisher conflict ends up having quite the trickle down effect, as Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) get caught up in the legal side of the police investigation, giving us a number of wonderful moments for both characters. Particularly, I enjoyed the verbal sparring between Foggy and district attorney, Samantha Reyes. Reyes first appeared in the season finale of Jessica Jones, and serves as a nice nod to Daredevil's companion series, while also managing to establish herself as a compelling character in her own right. Karen fills the investigative vacuum left by Ben Urich's season one death. And, it's nice to see her transformation continue from damsel in distress to no nonsense gumshoe.

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Source: Marvel/Disney/Netflix

The character development falls a bit flat; however, when it comes to the interactions between Matt and Foggy. Foggy's concerns about his friend's dangerous hobby carry over from season one, though it's hard to imagine that in the time since the first season’s finale, he's yet to come to terms with Matt's Daredevil alter ego. What hurts this dynamic even further is the writers' and Henson's insistence on making this dissension come across as whiny as possible, undermining the character's likability with the audience. Yes, Foggy's reaction is probably realistic, but he comes across as just a tad bit hypocritical when he puts himself in relatively equal danger by visiting the Dogs of Hell bar, and confronting a rabid, armed gang member during his visit to Metro-General Hospital.

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Source: Marvel/Disney/Netflix

Luckily, the show does a better job with exploring the relationship between Matt and Karen. This romance angle was actually hinted at early on in season one, but was dropped almost immediately in favor of a Matt-Claire pairing. (Which, for the record is the ship I’m going down with). While Kare-Devil doesn't necessarily feel forced, there is a degree of abruptness to its introduction and execution that feels a bit weak narratively. However, their chemistry and our emotional investment in the characters is there, making this development both watchable, and at times even charming. It's clear by the end of episode four, however, where the writers intend on taking this arc. How they get there exactly remains to be seen.

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Written by A Play On Nerds Contributor, Garrett Yoshitomi. You can find his tweets @garrettweets

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The Walking Dead - "Twice As Far" - Season 6 Episode 14 Review

Alexandria, when not being overrun by walkers or filthy bushwhackers, is an idyllic little town.  Food is inventoried, Father Gabriel seems happy to patrol with a rifle, Eugene and Sasha watch the wall, and even Morgan gets outside to do a little practice of his semi-useless self defense forms.  Carol is still having a tough go of things ever since the slaughterhouse, clinging to her rosary and cigarettes.  We saw in an earlier episode that Morgan was working on a little project, and in this episode we see that he’s finished.  It’s a prison cell, to give Rick some choices next time around.  Of all the foreshadowing this season, this little moment strikes me as the most important.

The next day begins very much the same as the last, but we see that Carol and Tobin are still a thing, and Rosita has invited Spencer into her life to help the sting of Abraham’s departure.  Carol and Daryl have a moment where he asks what the Saviors did to her and Maggie.

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Source: AMC

“To us?  They didn’t do anything…” she replies.  What’s left unsaid is both tragic and chilling.

Thus begins our next step towards the season finale, and the inevitable debut of Negan.  Denise points to a possibly overlooked drug store that could hold valuable supplies and wants Daryl and Rosita to help her find it.  Denise has zero experience as a survivor but insists that her knowledge of medicine makes her a valuable addition to the team.  Having someone as inexperienced as Denise in a group usually means that group dies horribly and stupidly, but next thing we know, the trio are on the road with little arm twisting.  The three have to go on foot before long because of a downed tree in the road (that had pinned a walker with a backpack full of booze...priorities!).

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Source: AMC

We check in with Eugene and Abraham on their excursion.  We find out that Eugene has plans to manufacture ammo, so the two find themselves at a foundry.  It’s a wonder they hadn’t run out of bullets sooner, but plot points being what they are, this was a necessary turn to take and will be a big part of next season.  However a bit of childish arguing breaks out between alpha and beta males and Eugene is left alone to fend for himself.

Daryl, Denise and Rosita hit the mother lode at the pharmacy: an untouched cache of medication.  It’s a fairly uneventful raid, even though Denise discovers a grisly scene.  One thing I really do love about this show is the set pieces they put together.  It’s not all just gore and wreckage.  Certain scenes give us glimpses into the past and how each walker has its own terrifying, sad story.  Denise’s discovery only highlights the fact that she’s not battle hardened like the rest of the group, and they tell her so.  Later down the road when she tries to prove herself again, Rosita and Daryl dig into her for being stupid. 

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Source: AMC

There’s been a lot of tough guy/girl posturing in this episode, and this show in general.  There are weak people who need protection all the time, and there are the grizzled heroes who always have to get their hands dirty for little in return.  But Denise flips the narrative on them and calls them on their bullshit.  Daryl, Rosita and the rest of our heroes are still just people with needs and emotions, and are in denial of them, perhaps putting up an act of impervious guardians.  She quite literally doesn’t get to finish her thought, however.

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Source: AMC

Proving that Daryl isn’t the only one good with a crossbow, an unseen Savior snipes Denise in the head and yet another sudden, sad death befalls our heroes.  A formidable group of Saviors reveals themselves, and with Eugene as a hostage.  They are led by someone familiar to Daryl: someone he spared in the forest earlier in the season, the scar-faced Dwight, who will, forgive the pun, be someone to keep your eye on next season.  After a lecture on the morality of sneak attacks, Dwight explains that the Saviors want supplies, and they want people.  I don’t think they’re talking about free labor either, unfortunately. 

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Source: AMC

Eugene spots Abraham in hiding, and while they do have a contentious relationship, Abraham still does his duty in protecting his people.  Eugene makes a play by giving away Eugene’s position and sends someone to investigate.  As Dwight looks on, Eugene bits him in the dick.  Not the most sportsman or pleasant opening gambits, but effective.  Abraham had already moved from his hiding spot and gets the drop on the Saviors guarding Daryl and Rosita.  They join the fight and yet another comeback from impossible odds takes place.  It’s a shame they’re all so far away from Vegas, and that Vegas is probably rubble.  Dwight and the Saviors retreat, and it’s important to note that given the proper motivation, a man can run even with a grievous dick injury.  

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Source: AMC

Daryl wants to give chase with his newly recovered crossbow, but more important things need to be seen to.  Again, forgive the sight pun.  Eugene took a bullet in the firefight and needs to be carried back.  This means that Denise must be left there on the tracks, a painful reminder of what dead weight truly means.  It’s also important to point out that with her gone, those backpacks full of medicine are useless in Alexandria.  Hence, Eugene wakes up in Hilltop.  The antibiotics recovered from the drug store played a big part in his survival; Denise’s final gift.  He and Abraham kiss and make up, and Abraham finally confesses his feelings to Sasha.

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Source: AMC

Daryl and Carol bury Denise’s recovered body in the Alexandria graveyard.  We see Daryl hitting the tiny bourbon bottle (found earlier on the alcoholic walker) and Carol comments on their earlier conversation.  Later she leaves Tobin a Dear John note and we see it’s more than just “I’m leaving you.” Carol is gone altogether.  The thought of having to kill to save the people she loves has become too much to bear and she has washed her hands of it.  Rick sent her away for necessary killing, and now she is in self-exile to avoid having to kill again.  Morgan is the only one to notice she’s not on her porch swing, interestingly.  While zen and the art of broom handle maintenance worked for him, Carol is a beast not so easily soothed.

Up until this point, it seems like killing was an option, that to retain their humanity people had to be spared until no other choice was left.  But after the prison, Terminus and now Alexandria, the room for mercy is rapidly disappearing.  In order to protect what they have, now that they have something to lose, our heroes must shoot first and ask no questions later, or ever.  The Saviors are in a way the result of their past clemency, come back not to repay the favor, but to say “you should have killed me.”  So it seems that in order to find peace in the zombie apocalypse, you don’t find a cure, you don’t kill all the walkers, you don’t create a new society.  You take care of your people, and destroy everyone else.  Harsh, huh?

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Source: Image Comics

Also, fun fact: Abraham was the one that was supposed to get an arrow in the eye.  Yet another deviation from the comic that skews the odds ever so slightly for Negan’s first victim.

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Written by A Play On Nerds contributor, Jerry Herrera - Lover of horror, sci fi, and fantasy in that order.  Semi-permanent Disneyland resident.  I'm at least one of the droids you're looking for. Twitter: @FrankenJerry - Instagram: @GeraldoPedro

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - "The Inside Man" - Season 3 Episode 12 Review

After a solid start to the second half of its third season, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., keeps the momentum going with this week's episode, "The Inside Man.” So far this season, the writers have found a nice rhythm of churning out enjoyable weekly stories, while still keeping an eye on their larger, season-long arcs, a balance they've struggled to achieve at times. The show still leaves a bit to be desired in the character development department, but the core cast continues to be enjoyable, and the potential for future intersecting arcs is there. Although, given the show's history with developing new characters, I'm not expecting a transcendent Mac storyline anytime soon.

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Source: ABC/Marvel

We get two big reappearances this week in General Glenn Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) and Carl “Crusher” Creel (Brian Patrick Wade). General Talbot was introduced way back in the last third of season one as a minor antagonist. Since then, he's softened his stance on S.H.I.E.L.D. to the point of becoming a begrudging ally midway through season two, his most recent appearance in the show. This week, Talbot, as the new head of the ATCU, forms an uneasy alliance with Phil Coulson, and it's clear from the get go that there are still some mixed feelings between the two. This odd couple does a great job of driving the narrative for the episode, and manages to deliver some strong moments of comedic relief along the way.

Carl Creel was last seen in a short two episode arc back in the beginning of season two, and is a character I’m glad the show is revisiting. Creel, otherwise known as the Absorbing Man, plays a much larger role in Marvel’s comic universe, and is actually considered a fairly major villain, having famously gone toe to toe with both Thor and the Hulk. In the realm of television; however, Creel is given a much narrower scope, playing nothing more than the role of hired muscle. Luckily, hired muscle tend to get some of the best action sequences, and Creel's visually interesting absorbing power is well displayed throughout this episode. Ultimately, Creel's impact on the show might be more far reaching than his limited role would suggest. Fitzsimmons discovers that Creel's blood actually stops and reverses the active process of terragenesis, theoretically allowing it to act as a vaccine, a concept that you can bet your Quinjet will play a big role in the future.

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Source: ABC/Marvel

Lincoln gets a bit of the spotlight this week, and I’m interested to see if he develops into something more than just a cool set of powers and great hair. Lincoln's unique in that he's the show's veteran Inhuman, who also maintains a strong human connection to the world, through his experience as a doctor. As the newest member of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team, the writers have a chance to reinvent members of the old cast through their interactions with Lincoln, and I would love it if this jump-started some strong, character-driven storylines among the more veteran characters, like May or Simmons. Specifically, I enjoyed his fieldwork scene with May, and the coaching she had to give him. It reminded me of the earlier episodes of AoS when Skye was first getting her bearings. I hope the show explores this dynamic further because it’s a nice change of pace, and makes the narrative feel a bit smaller and more relatable.

Unfortunately, it seems like this potential character development will be railroaded for the foreseeable future by Lincoln's relationship with Daisy. If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know I have a hard time wrapping my head around a poorly developed romance arc. It's not that I hate love, I love love! But in the context of a network drama, it can be hard to pull off in a genuine way. Plus, every "do me eyes" scene between Daisy and Lincoln only takes away from the potential screen time that the two could be sharing with other characters.

Luckily, this episode introduces an interesting wrinkle to Shake and Bake. When the two learn that Creel's blood can possibly serve as an Inhuman vaccine, they are split on the merits of the idea, with Daisy believing Inhumans have no need for "a cure," while Lincoln argues that giving people a choice could be beneficial to the greater good. For those circa 2006 X-Men film fans, this dilemma will seem very familiar because it's the same one presented in X-Men: The Last Stand. Only time will tell if this difference in opinion turns into something more, lest we forget that Daisy started out as a Rising Tide conspiracy theorist. So, it wouldn't be too big of a stretch for this headstrong character, founded on standing up for what she believes in, to carry those beliefs to an extreme level.

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Source: ABC/Marvel

Finally, this episode continues to tease us with snippets of the new Grant Ward, aka Hive. Interestingly enough, it's revealed that Hive has access to Ward's memories, leading some fans to speculate that a total Ward resurrection might be in the cards, an idea that makes my eyes roll into the very rear-most point of my head. We also get to explore Hive's powers a bit more, although we still don't get a definitive demonstration. There's been a lot of build up to this villain, and I'm curious to see if the writers will be able to deliver a satisfying payoff. Recently, AoS has struggled to give us consistently compelling villains, favoring style over substance when it came to the super-powered bad guys of season two (Jiaying and Gordon) versus the more nuanced, non-powered foes of season one (Ward and John Garrett). So far, it seems like there's a lot of sizzle to Hive, but whether or not he has the steak to go with it is something we'll have to wait and see.

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Written by A Play On Nerds Contributor, Garrett Yoshitomi. You can find his tweets @garrettweets

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