2x08 Guilty as Sin

7.5/10. Look, anything with Stick is going to be improved almost by default. His world-weary sarcasm and cut-the-bullshit demeanor are always a welcome presence on this show, and work well as a contrast to Matt's more boyscout qualities. I'm not sure how on board I am with the show's turn to the mystical, world-changing magic side of the Daredevil mythos. I know it's a major part of the comic, but one of the things that made the first season of the series so notable is that it felt very grounded and made an effort toward having at least the trappings of realism despite its semi-fantastical premise. I know there were hints of mysticism at the margins, but I worry that the show manages to lose that delicately struck tone if it turns too much into magic ninjas and globe-threatening weapons. I'd rather that were saved for The Avengers, but let's see where it goes.

There is something neat to the challenge of ninjas that Matt can't hear or sense, and the chase sequence had its moments, but I think the show is leaning a little too heavily into the combat stuff. The better part of the scene was the urgency that Stick brought out in his compatriot when trying to cure Elektra.

I also like the reveal that Elektra's been working for Stick since at least the time she first met Matt. If the bad girl stuff was all just an act, and the whole deal was calculated to have Matt be willing to cross the line and kill people so that he'd be ready for some big war, it's still a little corny, but it retroactively makes some of the cheesier parts a little more tolerable in terms of Elektra's characterization. The "I didn't plan on falling in love with you" shtick is a cliche, but it at least adds a layer of complexity to their relationship and helps to give it that Batman-Catwoman vibe the show is so desperately trying to capture. Elektra's "this is who I am" kill and her attempt to break ties with Stick is pretty on-the-nose, but yet again, I like the thought behind it if not the way it's done.

The love triangle side of it with Karen is pretty weak in terms of plot, but I at least appreciate that Karen's a total adult about it -- clearly upset but mostly just telling Matt that she doesn't care, and he just needs to do his job. There's a strength to Karen and it's nice to see that vindicated in her personal affairs as well as in her professional ones.

The courtroom drama was again a highlight, as Castle's commanding officer had a great one-scene wonder effort that helped make you think Punisher might actually find his way out of this until Frank himself is clearly coerced into forcing himself to be found guilty. Again, Jon Berenthal does a great job in his scenes up at the stand, both showing what is clearly an act but also how perfectly-calibrated that act is to enflame the courtroom and the jury. I'm less enamored with Charlie Cox's big speech as Murdock, though maybe I was just thrown off by the way this doesn't cohere how legal proceedings work at all.

To boot, the Kingpin reveal is a great moment and a great twist that helps shine a new light and answer some interesting questions about what we've seen so far. Excited to see where his part of the story goes.