Marvel’s Daredevil
Season 2 Episode 13
Created by Drew Goddard
Starring Charlie Cox, Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Elodie Yung
Netflix
Premiere date: Friday, March 18th, 2016

So much has happened so far in Daredevil. I feel like Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride; “Let me explain, no there is no time, let me sum up.” Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) accidentally figured out who The Blacksmith was, Frank’s former Colonel Ray Schoonover (Clancy Brown), but Frank (Jon Bernthal) interceded and followed his teacher’s advice, “one shot, one kill.” After dispatching him, he found a cache of military grade weaponry that reminded me of the wonderful scene in The Boondock Saints where the brothers arm themselves. Elektra (Elodie Yung) has been marked by Nobu (Peter Shinkoda) as the leader of The Hand; a job she resists by helping Daredevil and Stick fight them off. It’s time for the conclusion to season 2 of Daredevil, which is like the Super Bowl in that it’s exciting but there’s a sense of melancholy that after this, something you love will be gone for long time…

Spoilers below for the season finale of Daredevil…

Episode 13 – “A Cold Day in Hell’s Kitchen”
Written by Marco Ramirez & Douglas Petrie
Directed by Peter Hoar

Nobu stands next to the huge stone engraved chamber deep within Hand confines and discusses finding twenty people who are spread out over New York. Who they are we do not know yet, but they probably will have something to do with a certain female assassin who The Hand believes to be their god-like leader. Elektra stands on a rooftop a woman torn. She wants to kill Stick (Scott Glenn) for betraying her, while considering the idea of being Black Sky for The Hand, and of course there’s Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). He convinces her that together they can defeat The Hand once and for all.

Foggy meanwhile, is on a job interview, with a very familiar lawyer, Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss). She makes a big figure offer with a partnership; after all Foggy knows his way around NYC and can deal with the “riskier non-traditional cases.”

Foggy – “You mean cases with vigilantes?”
Hogarth – “Let’s call them “˜People with complexities'”
Foggy – “You have no idea”
Hogarth – “Try me”

In case you don’t remember Hogarth was the lawyer hired by Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) who also ended up controlled by Kilgrave. CROSSOVER ALERT!

Daredevil takes Elektra to Melvin (Matt Gerald), who makes all his equipment. As he measures her for some new gear of her own, he has a present”¦ the billy club!!! Finally! It took until the final episode of season 1 to get Daredevil into proper costume, and now another 13 episodes to get him his traditional comic weapon”¦ and oh, it kicks ass.

As they prepare to go after Nobu and The Hand, Foggy calls to alert Matt that Sgt. Mahoney (Royce Johnson) had his ass handed to him pretty badly from people wanting to know about Daredevil, particularly the people he has saved. A trap by The Hand to distract Daredevil and separate him and Elektra, Matt runs off the save the hostages, one of which is Karen, who was saved all the way back in the very first episode.

My favorite part of this episode, maybe the whole season is the strange relationship of Matt and Elektra. Few actors I can remember have such good on screen chemistry as Charlie Cox and Elodie Yung. I love how she calms him down during his rooftop freakout, in almost the same way he did for her at the beginning. And when he of course goes running into danger she’s there to help because, “I got bored.” And my goodness does she look great in her new digs.

They head up to the roof (always the roof) for the final showdown with The Hand, and they have another “calm in the storm” moment where they talk of running off together if they survive. He has fully committed to her, he doesn’t even care about her being a killer anymore.

“Elektra, this is a part of me that I need and you’re the only one who gets it.”

The rooftop battle rages, and soon it boils down to Daredevil, Elektra, and Nobu. Nobu seems to be ready to deliver a death blow to Daredevil, but Elektra sacrifices herself for him. This is the straw that breaks Matt Murdock’s code’s back. As he lays her body down, bullets rain down wiping out the ninjas leaving only Daredevil and Nobu. We see a skull-clad Punisher for the first time all season using The Hand as target practice, and Matt has the face of vengeance on him. With Frank wiping out guys behind him, Daredevil uses his billy club to toss Nobu off the roof seemingly to his death. Turns out Nobu can survive rooftop falls… not so much decapitation, and that’s where Stick comes in.

Stick and Matt see Elektra buried and discuss her life and memory. Foggy and Karen share a final drink at shithole Josie’s, before Foggy uses his new job’s salary to pay the long standing Nelson & Murdock tab. The Punisher finds a secret CD in his house, takes it, and destroys the remains. And Karen finds her place at the Bulletin. There is one final confession as Matt shows Karen his mask. And then just when you think that’s over, The Hand has stolen Elektra’s corpse, and we fade out with her body sealed in the grave like chamber Nobu had prepared.

Oh my, what a season. This ranks up with some of the greatest seasons I’ve ever seen on TV. There were countless jaw dropping moments, and even more times where you just audibly reacted, whether to the violence, or the surprises. And what a perfect place to leave us off… Elektra will somehow be back with some mythological powers as Black Sky. Karen knows Matt is Daredevil. Frank Castle is roaming the streets of Hell’s Kitchen looking for blood, and there was the whole “remember Kandahar” question. Then of course there’s the ace in the hole, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). I loved how he was used to carry the middle portion of the show, and bridge the 13 episodes. Plus he constantly talked about “playing the long game” and he also threatened to go after both Matt and Foggy when he gets out. There is so much to look forward to! And with the ties ins to other upcoming Netflix series, I am geeking out. I’m sad that Daredevil is over and now I have to convince my son to start from episode 1, so I can rewatch all 26 episodes again.