Exes are tricky, especially if the slippery happened when there was still unresolved issue between you; however, you you’re the sort of person who is attracted to someone who universally seen as bad news, they can be like frickin’ catnip once they swan or swagger back into your life like they still pay rent or something.
That’s exactly the theme of the current episodes of Daredevil as the second season continues to follow up its superlative Punisher arc with an altogether different one concerning Matt Murdock’s manipulative and conniving old flame, Elektra, who is leading Matt somewhat astray with a potent mixture of feminine wiles, money and a who lot of peer pressure. Those who have been caught like a rat in a trap when a bad influence strides back into their life will no doubt relate, but look on the bright side, at least your ex doesn’t try and convince you to murder criminals or coerce you into fighting the Japanese mafia for shots and giggle.
Oh Matt, women really will be the death of you yet.
After defeating the Yakuza thugs who have been lured into fighting them by Elektra’s confounding thrill seeking, Matt not only has to process that his wildcard ex girlfriend is really trying to get her hooks into him once again, but he has to weigh up that maybe he didn’t defeat the Japanese mob as completely as he thought he did. However, while he solidly maintains that he is resolutely done with whatever bullshit game Ekektra is playing, the fact that she’s paid an ailing Nelson & Murdock a handsome sum for his time means his hands are still somewhat tied.
Of course, Elektra’s meddling could not come at a worse time as Matt and Karen are finally making moves on their mutual attraction and even have a date which proves to be everything that his relationship with Elektra isn’t. However, if her timing is bad when it comes to Matt’s personal life, it’s positively disastrous for his proffesional one as his firm has decided to represent kill crazy vigilante, Frank Castle – aka. the Punisher – for his upcoming case once they hear that crooked DA Reyes us gunning for the death penalty. Seeing as Karan has already sniffed out a gargantuan cover up when it comes to the repressed facts about the events leading up the fatal shooting of Castle’s family, they manage to convince Frank to take them on a legal representation only for the Punisher to reject a plea and defiantly annouce himself not guilty.
Of course, thanks to Elektra whisking him away to infiltrate the a gala held by the Japanese arm of the Roxxon Corporation, Matt isn’t around to help deal with the legal chaos. But is this stealth mission to steal a vital Yakuza ledger starting to help Murdock remember the wild, crazier, fun times he once spent with a woman with absolutely no real morals whatsoever.
As we head into the second episode of the more Elektra-centric section of Daredevil’s second season, I’ve noticed something rather strange that seems to mirror my earlier worries about the season. Essentially, while all the Elektra stuff is pretty well done, packed full of dramatic potential and is obviously leading to something huge, it can’t help but feel like a distraction with the Punisher plot that started the season off so unbelievably strong. However, if I had to hazard a guess, it seems like the Daredevil writing team are trying to go all meta on the overarching story and actually turn my worries about the split plot into the actual theme the show is going to run with. Concerned that all the Elektra stuff was going to get in the way of the Punisher stuff? Well guess what? That is literally now the plot as we find Murdock pulled away from the professionally hazardous Castle case every time his old beau calls, leaving Foggy and Karen to carry a very delicate bag all on their loansome. It’s something of a risky move to deliberately divert attention from one plot to give it to another in an attempt to pump more tension from it and for those of you who prefer the Elektra, please, enjoy the cool, almost James Bond turn the episode takes as the team of Murdock and Natchios infiltrates a gala in an attempt to bamboozle the Yakuza.
However, while I admire the balls it takes to do something risky with the narrative and seeing two well known comic book characters fighting together against a common foe, it’s a little bit frustrating that the trials and tribulations of Frank Castle has temporarily become a sidebar. Still, it gives Karen (once again in full Florence Nightingale/Nancy Drew mode) and Foggy (who genuinely looks terrified everytime he’s in the room with his growling client) something to do as they keep the plot on life support. Plus, Bernthal still manages to get a prime Punisher moment in despite spending the entire episode shackled and strapped into a hospital bed by bellowing his decision to plead not guilty in that animalistic tone that the actor can do so well. However, without the occasional spot of expert emoting from Bernthal, the most engaging Punisher plotlime continues to spin its wheels in order for Matt Murdock gets to continue his love/hate relationship with his former ninja lover.
However, to give the show its due, at least it’s doing interesting things with the whole Elektra thing even if we have no clue as to where it’s supposed to be going. The whole aspect of attending a gala in order to swipe a random macguffin adds a strong spy streak into the usual superhero shenanigans that changes things up nicely. Plus, despite the fact that Elodie Yung’s version of the character is clearly a hideously bad influence on a man that’s managed to vanquish the Kingpin, the Yakza, the Triads and the Punisher, the fact that he’s being led off his path by a lethal femme fatale is just the character of Matt Murdock through and through – Matt tends to think with his “billy club” a little bit too much if you get my drift. Also, she’s successfully speaking to that sense of reckless adventure that comes from being the man without fear and you can see that all this spy shit is stoking his ego and it’s plays nicely against the normal, natural dates that he’s having with Karen. Yes, I have personal grumbles with the shelving of the Punisher stuff, but I have to say that this fucked up superhero version of a romantic comedy where the lead has to pick between a good girl or a bad influence is a pretty nifty switch on expected conventions, it’s just that it need to get to a point pretty quickly otherwise all the good work done with Frank Castle intense introduction is going to be wasted on a plot that’s way less focused.
Also, I get holding off of the skull body armour on Frank in order to make a statement, but could we get some sais for the lady please, stat?
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