Warning This post contains spoilers for season 2 of Daredevil.
For many of us, season 2 of Daredevil is already behind us after hours of binge watching. This allows us plenty of time for reflection and even the ability to re-watch the season or series as a whole. As we sit and wait for announcements on season 3, a Punisher spin-off, or an Elektra spin-off, the stars of this season have recently talked about many of the aspects at play.
The Hollywood Reporter was able to interview the likes of Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil), Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle/Punisher), and Elodie Yung (Elektra) to talk about each of their characters. They started with none other than the leading man to learn more about the mindset that Matt has this season. He is dealing with more villains and more cases than before, which means sometimes he has to wing it.
Cox: This idea that Matt Murdock has the courage and the arrogance to bring someone he believes to be a criminal to justice and then defend him in court, in a court of law — it sums up everything we know about Matt Murdock. He’s incredibly conflicted. He’s incredibly confused. On the one hand, he seems to have these very clear convictions over what is right and what is wrong, but at the same time, by his actions, we see that he doesn’t really know and he’s winging it.
By not knowing exactly what to do and not having a plan, this can lead to him making some questionable decisions. These decisions that he makes when suited up as Daredevil do not always match up with what Matt Murdock would do, causing some big contradictions for him at the core.
Cox: It’s all too blurry. How can you bring someone to justice, hand them over to the police because you believe what they’re doing is wrong, but at the same time, take on their case and rigorously defend them in a court of law? It’s a contradiction. At the same time, hopefully as you’re watching the show, you get it. What Matt Murdock is really doing is he’s almost defending himself. He’s getting up in front of people and he’s able to say things talking about Frank Castle but he’s thinking about himself. I think that’s pretty cool that I get to do that as an actor.
Showing both sides of Matt is not a simple task, especially when it comes to connecting how they come to effect one another. The show did this by bringing in more court time for Nelson and Murdock, which was a pleasure to see.
Cox: It gave us the chance to shift the focus of the show to Matt’s other life and connect his two identities.
One of the aformentioned reasons that Matt deals with so much conflict is his run ins with Frank Castle. These encounters are often met with plenty of bullets and punches, but as Bernthal explains, neither are his greatest strengths.
Bernthal: As the season develops, we will see a new, different side of Frank Castle. When we were introduced to him, we saw his brute strength, his drive, his physical determination. We saw his willingness to go all the way even when it physically hurt himself. What you’ll see as the season continues is just how cunning he is and how smart he is. One of his most powerful weapons is his brain and his ability to strategize.
The other big new addition to Hell’s Kitchen is Matt’s old flame Elektra. Right when she comes back, things start to go south for him, but Yung does not think this is her intent. Rather, she only seeks him out out of pure necessity. Well, and maybe due to her feelings as well.
Yung: I don’t think that’s her goal, to bring him down to her level or ruin his life. The manipulative side of her needs him for her mission. He’s the best fighter she knows. So for that reason, she needs to use him. She’s asking for his help but really she’s using him because she knows how to.
She also just misses him. That’s actually one of the first things she said to him when she broke into his apartment: ‘Would you believe it if I said I missed you?’ She was all light about it but I believe she actually missed him. She’s alone in this world and the only person she felt really close to in her life was Matthew. She’s strong, she gets what she wants, she’s independent, she’s a sociopath, she’s a killer, but she feels this failure of someone seeing through that and she fell in love with him. So I really don’t think she’s trying to mess up his life. I think she just can’t help it. She wants him and that’s it.
Matt and Karen had finally started the romantic relationship that was being teased in previous episodes. Elektra does not care about their relationship or anything else besides her mission.
Yung: It’s not on her agenda. She doesn’t feel bad or good toward Karen. She just doesn’t even care. She has things to do, she has Matthew helping her with the Yakuza and she knows her bond with Matthew is strong, and that’s all that matters to her. Every other girl and his job as a lawyer, she doesn’t care.
The final half of the season takes place with the rise of the Yakuza. Even if the Yakuza plot got a tad confusing and congested, it is definitely not boring. It is so exciting in fact that apparently Yung took to physical means to try and learn what was on the way as soon as she could.
Yung: Matthew thought the Yakuza were gone and they’ve come back with a bigger, darker plan for the city. Elektra doesn’t even know the full consequences of that yet. It’s bigger than what even she thinks it is. I can’t even tease it. The writers don’t want to give anything away but I’m very curious, so when I read that script I held one of the writers down and made him talk. I wanted to know what was coming next! I couldn’t wait.
Season 2 of Daredevil is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: THR.
