Man, Marvel’s Daredevil is really coasting on a lot of Elektra goodwill, isn’t it? If previous installment “Kinbaku” had been the roaring success that Daredevil apparently thinks it was, this would be understandable. But “Kinbaku” was a rushed, disjointed episode that, while not without its qualities, was the nadir of the season so far. “Regrets Only” tries, ill-advisedly, to build upon “Kinbaku,” and while it is a better episode (slightly), it’s still not a complete success.
The elephant in the room, of course, is the Roxxon Corporation. Is Daredevil going to benefit from some corporate malfeasance subplot? The first season of this show set itself apart from the pack by being tonally and visually different from any other interpretation of a superhero on TV or on film. So it’s upsetting to see it backslide like this. The Roxxon plot is something we’ve seen before, and furthermore it threatens to upend the claustrophobic atmosphere Daredevil has so carefully cultivated. The show takes place only in Hell’s Kitchen, the events of The Avengers are only referred to as “the incident,” and those factors (among others) help establish the show’s self-contained world. Roxxon threatens to launch Daredevil onto a much bigger stage, which would arguably hurt the show. Sure, that will happen when The Defenders is a reality, but since it isn’t yet, I’m not going to talk about it.
Speaking of things we’ve seen before: do we really need another depiction the Yakuza wearing skinny ties, leather jackets, and riding motorcycles in formation? This isn’t Rush Hour. That said, the fight scene between Daredevil, Elektra, and the Yakuza was pretty damn good.
Much of “Regrets Only” involves Matt and Elektra attending a fancy gala, where Elektra plans to steal the Roxxon ledger, detailing all of their misdoings. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right – we’ve seen this fuckin’ ledger subplot a million times by now. I want more, and better, from Daredevil. I will allow that Elodie Yung and Charlie Cox look great all dressed up, but they’re so goddamn good-looking already that that’s not a huge surprise. There’s a very well-done fight scene in a conference room, showing us only their two silhouettes as they beat up Yakuza. And it’s fun to watch Matt use his blindness to earn people’s trust, which he does twice.
I do appreciate the implication of Roxxon not bothering to hide their sale of weapons and drugs, but hiding something else behind a cipher that must be even worse. That’s tantalizing, but I’m still not a fan of this subplot.
Since it sounds like I’m shitting all over this episode, let me be clear: I didn’t hate it. Why not? Because the Punisher is finally back. I say “finally” even though it’s only been one episode without him, but Jon Bernthal is just too damn good to waste. This subplot works a lot better, as Matt convinces Foggy and Karen to represent Frank Castle in court, after seeing the piss-poor public defender assigned to his case (who’s probably in the pocket of DA Reyes anyway).
Bernthal has officially become the best incarnation of the Punisher, and as I say that as someone who loves both Ray Stevenson in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and Thomas Jane in The Punisher (2004). In the hospital, bruised, lacerated, and bound to his bed, Bernthal plays Frank Castle like a wounded animal. “He’s tied down,” Brett Mahoney warns, “but keep your distance.” Good advice. Castle is angry and paranoid, and only wants to open up to Karen, casting Foggy out of the room.
It should come as no surprise that Bernthal and Deborah Ann Woll have great chemistry, although their characters are far from fast friends. But Karen gets to the man behind the murders – 37 of them! – and we get another heartbreaking glimpse into the Punisher’s past life. It might not be as impactful as Bernthal’s monologue in “Penny and Dime,” but it serves to further flesh out the character. Bernthal excels at all aspects of Castle, and is truly a casting coup for the show. Looking back on Daredevil‘s second season, we’ll see that Jon Bernthal should have been playing him all along.
A Few Thoughts
- “Why are you fancy?”
- I’m much more interested in the DA Reyes conspiracy than I am in the Roxxon conspiracy, especially because through Reyes, Matt will enter the orbit of Jessica Jones.
- Speaking of Reyes – I am shocked, gobsmacked, and flabbergasted that the Internet has not been flooded with hysterical Tumblr thinkpieces about the real villain of Daredevil being a woman of color. Maybe even outrage culture can think straight every now and then.
- Best line of the episode: when Karen tells Castle that she was in his house, he asks, “The plates…were they on the table, or did they get to the sink?” Wonderful writing, devastating delivery.
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