Episode Title: Kinbaku
Originally Aired: March 18th 2016
The fifth installment to Daredevil’s second season is decidedly different from the previous four. The violence was at a minimum this time around contained to two scenes instead of throughout the episode. The main activity in this episode was flirting, between Foggy and Marci, Matt and Karen as well as Matt and Elektra. Some people love the Daredevil movie, some hate it and a few love to hate it but it was the first live action appearance of Elektra and Jennifer Garner portrayed her. Garner is an actress that many people really like from things like Alias and 13 going on 30, but Elektra was not her strongest outing. Her performance or her popularity as an actress was enough for Elektra to get her own spin off movie. A movie that is beloved even less than the Daredevil movie. If this same kind of studio response is given to Elodie Yung, she will get her own Netflix series and a movie trilogy. While Garner was not horrible, Yung blew her out of the water in tonight’s episode.
There is still a lot we do not know about the character and what her arc will be, if she has one, but it was an impressive introduction. Her character can be summed up as a sexy psychopath. She is an extremely: intelligent, flirtatious, playful, attention seeking, up for anything crazy person. In this episode, alone we see her: steal a car, break and enter, twice, plant a computer virus and kidnap someone. She does all of this for her excitement and maybe out of a perverted form of love for Matt. While her character is in the spotlight that does not stop us from learning more about our trio of do-gooders.
Matt spends most of this episode building is love triangle; it may evolve into a love pyramid if I am right about Claire making a comeback later this season. A good portion of this episode is a flashback showing us the previous relationship he had with Elektra 10 years ago while still attending Columbia.
The two think they may have found a bit of a soul mate in the other as they share things with each other that they have never shared before. The main problem is that while not as extreme as the Punisher, Elektra is squarely on his side of the dividing line. The darkness that the Punisher recognized in Matt is what Elektra was attracted to and tried to pull out of him. The events of 10 years ago culminated with an event that shaped Matt into a man that would not kill unless he was left with no other choice. If he was unwilling to kill the man that was responsible for the death of his father he would not be they type to kill bad people who had not wronged him directly. I imagine if the events of that night when differently we may have had another Punisher on our hands. While his interactions with Elektra are sultry and dangerous, the other side of the triangle with Karen is almost the direct opposite. Their relationship is cute and almost innocent as the two friends and coworkers struggle with the transition to a romantic relationship. Will Matt keep things moving forward with Karen or will he be lured back by old love, or will the two girls drop him harder than the Punisher did in episode 1?
When she is not flirting with Matt, Karen is once again hot on the trail of who is Frank Castle and what happened to his family. The search for answers is tough work as key details are being kept from the news outlets. Why won’t they admit Frank was in the military or that he had a wife and kids? What may he have done in service to his country that when that service was over so was his life? It is amazing that Karen is the woman she is now after moving to the big city from a tiny town of 400 just months ago. Why she is not back home in Vermont already or maybe in a psych ward is anyone’s best guess. The determination she has to defend the clients of Nelson and Murdock and in her search for justice is inspiring. You thing the optimistic girl that came to the city would be gone forever after those experiences include being framed for murder, being kidnapped, almost being murdered multiple times and being forced to kill someone. Don’t worry though; the city always has a great new Indian restaurant you can discover that will make everything better. Is it the work, Matt, the great food or the safety of being anonymous while being surrounded by people that’s going to keep her in New York? How long can things continue down this path before something will happen that could break her spirit? Her attraction to Matt over Foggy, who pines for her, must be based in a physical and subconscious place. There are not many differences to the two men, Foggy being much more dependable, and Matt having great abs are the biggest two.
This was another Foggy light episode unfortunately. We get an few interaction with him and the Assistant District Attorney that shows he isn’t going to be intimated by their office into doing something he considers unethical. The stance is admirable but the negative impacts do not take long to set in, as they are start losing some of the precious few clients. With his opportunity to be with Karen seemingly over, he turns to Marci for legal advice and I am sure a little carnal comfort. Marci is able to tell him that the current District Attorney has plans for moving up in the world on a platform of stopping vigilantes. Her first goal was to take down the punisher whose over the top violent acts made him the biggest target. She is also building a casefile against Jessica Jones for her recent activities and after that, she will turn her sights and ambition to Daredevil. I hope this trend is not going to continue as more characters are introduced this season and that we can get back to the Frank and Foggy filled episodes.
What will happen to the firm of Nelson and Murdock if the D.A. continues to push them? What other secrets does Elecktra know and how does she know them? Who is that running up the stairs to confront Matt and Elektra if it is not the Yakuza? Find out with me next time on Marvel’s Daredevil.
Channel: Superhero 