Daredevil Season 2 is at least as intense if not more so than Season 1.  The action sequences are pulse-pounding and now that Matt Murdock has fully taken on his alter ego of Daredevil, costume and all, we really get to see him in full force.  Matt’s martial arts training is needed more than ever as he takes on foes with greater skill than he has faced before – not the least of which is the Punisher.  But the Punisher is only one of many new influences on the show.  Along with Frank Castle is Matt’s former girlfriend, Elektra Natchios whose past is as mysterious as she is.  And of course we see the Hand in all their ninja glory.

Along with the newcomers are some familiar faces as well.  Of course Foggy and Karen are back and the relationship between the three of them continues to grow and change.  Foggy continues to feel the weight of keeping Matt’s secret and Karen becomes much more than just an assistant.  The death of Ben Urich at the end of Season 1 has influenced her and made her more bold and strong.  She uses that newfound strength to fight for those who need it and develops her skills as an investigator.  Stick also returns to add new twists to Matt’s life as does Melvin Potter who continues to supply Daredevil with weapons and armor.  Melvin develops Daredevil’s only accessory – the billy club (which does much more than a standard police billy club as Melvin reveals to DD).  With the enormous amount of bloodshed drawn during the series, it stands to reason the Night Nurse also makes a return to the cast.

If Season 1 was about showing Matt’s development, Season 2 delved into his role as Daredevil and the mantle he has chosen to wear.  There are times Matt wonders if his methods are the right ones.  At one point, he says, “My way isn’t working. Perhaps it never has.”  The Punisher provides a great juxtaposition for this inner angst.  Daredevil loathes Frank’s methods which involve lots of killing and thinks of Frank as a monster but Frank calls DD a “half-measure.”  He looks at Daredevil as a man unwilling to do what is necessary to keep people safe. He tells Daredevil, “You hit them and they get back up. When I hit them they stay down!”

It also deals with Matt’s struggle to develop close relationships with people he cares about.  Elektra touches a side of him he isn’t sure how to deal with, his relationship with Karen is changing and he is growing closer to her, and Matt continues to put Foggy in difficult situations that puts a strain on their relationship.  How it all plays out is revealed over the course of the season and some very interesting developments occur – but this is the spoiler-free version of our Daredevil review so you’ll just have to watch to find out what happens.

Marvel’s Daredevil on Netflix continues to stay true to its comic book origins while creating fresh new takes at the same time.  The origins of the Punisher and Elektra will seem familiar but this version will also have its own unique stamp.  And there are definitely other surprises that are worth waiting to see.  Was it worth the 13 hours it requires to get through this next chapter in the life of Daredevil?  If you liked the first installment of DD’s story, you’ll find this one compelling as well.