CREDIT: MARVEL TELEVISION/ ABC STUDIOS
Just like the first, the second season of Daredevil did not disappoint, but be forewarned, it is way too easy to binge-watch the entire season.

Minor spoilers ahead

When Netflix announced that they were partnering with Marvel to take on a set of series based on some of their grittier, lesser known properties, comic fans everywhere took notice. The streaming service had just come off strong showings with their first original series, and provided an outlet for more mature superhero stories than you find in the cinematic universe. What would remain to be seen is whether or not these characters could attract the same sort of success as their more famous counterparts.

All doubt was thrown out the window last year with the first season of Daredevil, delivering a dark, violent and moving tale of an almost regular man seeking to redeem his city.

Charlie Cox’s take on Matt Murdock was instantly memorable, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk was the most terrifying Marvel villain yet. The extended origin story format worked as well, with the whole season serving as a slow burn to the blind lawyer finally donning his iconic devil costume.

So would the second season, which premiered on March 18, live up to the highs of what came before?

For the most part, yes it does. Compelling character drama and dual conflicts framed another intriguing and action packed season, but the big highlight was in the comic book characters that were getting their official Marvel debuts. Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, and Elektra, Murdock’s former lover and deadly assassin, both appeared in Hell’s Kitchen this season, and both would leave unique marks on the titular hero.

Elektra, played by French actress Elodie Yung, instantly serves to erase the memory of Jennifer Garner’s godawful portrayal, displaying the proper mix of sexy and deadly that serves to draw the morally uptight lawyer so closely to her. Her portrayal is helped in no small part by her decade of karate study, it helps when the actress actually can kick the ass of most people in a room. Her appearance early in the season serves to kick off the second big storyline of the season, which is hard to describe without entering spoiler territory.

It was the first storyline that had everyone excited however, as The Punisher made his MCU debut. One of the hardest protagonists to sell in the entire Marvel locker, the hyper-violent anti-hero needs to be equal parts evil and good. You need to somewhat root for this guy, even when he’s removing faces with a shotgun. Fortunately, that aspect of the character is absolutely nailed in Daredevil, giving us a complex and damaged man, who may be hard to cheer for, but is easy to understand.

John Bernthal, who plays Frank Castle, is used to portraying the sort of unsavoury dude that The Punisher needs to be, and easily portrays a believable ‘man on a rampage’. An inspired introductory sequence is just one of the many standout shots of the season.

While it may lack the amazing villain of last season, the extended cast of potential allies and more complex universe serves to prop up the second season, and secure the vision of Netflix’s set of programs. The only downside now is that we have to wait another year to watch some more.