Daredevil Season 2, Episode 12 "The Dark at the End of the Tunnel" (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[flickchick85]

Discuss Episode 12: "The Dark at the End of the Tunnel" here.

Daredevil goes underground to save an old friend. Karen follows a dangerous lead. The law firm of Nelson & Murdock may have reached its final chapter.

ANY SPOILERS FOR EPISODES BEYOND THIS ONE MUST BE TAGGED.​

 

[TX85]

Awesome flashback with young Elektra and Stick, Their little fight was decent

 

[Broseph44]

Just started this episode. Loved the beginning wth the the flashback.

 

[Broseph44]

Love these flashbacks with Stick and Elektra

 

[Mike Murdock]

This is definitely a different take on Elektra (and, technically, the Hand). I'm glad we got some flashbacks for all that. The idea that she was a member of the Chaste first and then the daughter of a diplomat is different, but it fits this character very well. The idea that her prim and proper version is an act is nothing new, this is just a different reason why. However, her being the Black Sky (I guess an analogue for the Beast) is definitely new. It's fine with me, though, it fits the story. It also explains why the Chaste would want to kill her, which, in turn, reenforces the darkness she feels. While it's not my favorite take on Elektra, the Man Without Fear version would fit in easily with that.

I love the ninja stuff generally. The fact that the Hand are stealthy and have no heartbeats is not new. But the way Matt can't track them is. He often gets caught my surprise, but it's rare he's in a position that a sighted man would be better suited to fight them. The way he's able to pull it off is quite cool.

I was saying the two stories are going strong separately. It seems they aren't going to tie back together. On the other hand, it gives Karen a very strong presence (the Punisher story is essentially her story). I like Karen as a reporter. If Nelson and Murdock is gone for good, it's a good place for her to be. On the other hand, she keeps getting herself into mortal danger and, this season, Daredevil is not around to save her. I'm happy with the Blacksmith being the Colonel. Since it wasn't a comics character I was aware of (although I don't know Punisher villains so I wasn't positive), it had to fit into the story. My fear was it would be Stick (I have no idea why, I just thought the stories were going to converge). This ties everything with a nice bow. On top of that, having ties between Afghanistan and heroin makes a lot of sense.

There is a theme about redemption that ties the two stories together even if they aren't going to converge. Elektra is given a choice and she takes the path of goodness. Frank Castle is given one final choice (with an ultimatum from Karen) and he definitively becomes the Punisher. The idea is he's not a true serial killer. He doesn't kill for fun. On the other hand, while the reasons he killed are sympathetic, it wasn't a man who snapped. He's going to keep killing and he's going to get better at it. I think that cements where the Punisher stands.

When writing this review, I'm beginning to like the episode more and more. At the beginning of the episode, I had no idea how it was going to end. Now, at least, I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going Four and a Half Stars.

 

[Pokkle]

I'm happy with the Blacksmith being the Colonel. Since it wasn't a comics character I was aware of (although I don't know Punisher villains so I wasn't positive), it had to fit into the story. My fear was it would be Stick (I have no idea why, I just thought the stories were going to converge). This ties everything with a nice bow. On top of that, having ties between Afghanistan and heroin makes a lot of sense.

I didn't know but the Colonel Ray Schoonover was a comics character.

"In the comics, Ray Schoonover was the commanding officer of Frank Castle in the Vietnam War, who secretly directed an human traffic of cocaine. He tried to kill all the former members of his squad, only to be found by Castle and forced to commit suicide."
http://marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com/wiki/Ray_Schoonover

 

[Mike Murdock]

Cool, good catch.

 

[Lencho01]

This was the most confusing episode for me.

 

[Web-Head]

The Punisher is born!

 

[Dark Raven]

Why did the Colonel want Frank dead exactly? Did he say? Didn't Karen say that if he kills him then Frank won't ever find out. Does he know why now?

Also, is Elektra not really even Greek in the MCU? It seems her so-called Greek heritage comes from her adopted parents who have the name Natchios, and that she just happened to be called Elektra before, which is a typical Greek name.

 

[Vortigern99]

My wife and I found this episode narratively unclear. We had to look up the summary of the ep. on Wikipedia afterward to understand that the Col. was the Blacksmith!

For one, the burned corpse that Karen saw at the docks did not look a damn thing like the guy in the photo. For another, even given that those two have some kind of link does not lead to the iron-bound conclusion that the Col. is definitely the head of a heroine cartel. While stumbling through the woods after the car wreck, he mutters something unintelligible about dealing drugs, but I couldn't make sense of it. For being such a key revelation, we felt this element should have been better explained.

 

[Dark Raven]

Karen should've actually spelt it out, or the Colonel should have when he revealed himself as a villain.

Also, if the Hand wanted Elektra for themselves as the Black Sky, why did they try to kill her earlier when she was sliced with that poisonous blade, or even earlier at the beginning of the episode when they arrived to kidnap Stick? They can't have only just learnt she was the Black Sky?

 

[Vortigern99]

Karen should've actually spelt it out, or the Colonel should have when he revealed himself as a villain.

Also, if the Hand wanted Elektra for themselves as the Black Sky, why did they try to kill her earlier when she was sliced with that poisonous blade, or even earlier at the beginning of the episode when they arrived to kidnap Stick? They can't have only just learnt she was the Black Sky?

Exactly. And why did Nobu have zero qualms about

Spoiler

killing her in e13?

What makes her so special, anyway, if she can bleed like everyone else and is not necessarily superior in fighting ability to Daredevil or Nobu? It's all quite confusing.

 

[Dark Raven]

You should warn that you are putting spoilers for the next episode since people have usually been just talking about the current episode in spoiler tags in these threads. You spoiled a huge plot point there. And what has been seen cannot be unseen.

And even your "zero qualms" sentence is spoilerish since anyone with any intelligence can figure out something has happened. It's like those blackout bars where people just blackout a word or two but the rest of the sentence gives away enough.

 

[Vortigern99]

Okay, but I'm following the rules laid out in the OP, which state in large, bold letters:

ANY SPOILERS FOR EPISODES BEYOND THIS ONE MUST BE TAGGED.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Spoiler

I didn't want them to do that.
I did not want Wade Eiling to be the Black Smith.

 

[TheVision]

I got confused by this one too.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

What's confusing about it?

 

[Vortigern99]

What's confusing about it?

To recap:

The burned corpse that Karen saw at the docks did not look anything like the guy in the photo. Even given that those two have some kind of link does not lead to the iron-bound conclusion that the Col. is definitely the head of a heroine cartel.

While stumbling through the woods after the car wreck, the Col. mutters something unintelligible about dealing drugs, but I couldn't make sense of it. For being such a key revelation, this element should have been better explained.

If the Hand wanted Elektra for themselves as the Black Sky, why did they try to kill her earlier when she was sliced with that poisonous blade, or even earlier at the beginning of the episode when they arrived to kidnap Stick?
And why did Nobu have zero qualms about

Spoiler

killing her in e13?

What makes her so special, anyway, if she can bleed like everyone else and is not necessarily superior in fighting ability to Daredevil or Nobu?

 

[pixen]

To recap:

The burned corpse that Karen saw at the docks did not look anything like the guy in the photo. Even given that those two have some kind of link does not lead to the iron-bound conclusion that the Col. is definitely the head of a heroine cartel.

While stumbling through the woods after the car wreck, the Col. mutters something unintelligible about dealing drugs, but I couldn't make sense of it. For being such a key revelation, this element should have been better explained.

If the Hand wanted Elektra for themselves as the Black Sky, why did they try to kill her earlier when she was sliced with that poisonous blade, or even earlier at the beginning of the episode when they arrived to kidnap Stick?
And why did Nobu have zero qualms about

Spoiler

killing her in e13?

What makes her so special, anyway, if she can bleed like everyone else and is not necessarily superior in fighting ability to Daredevil or Nobu?

[BLACKOUT]He was trying to kill Daredevil and she ran in front of him before he could do it and took the blade herself.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Vortigern99]

[BLACKOUT]He was trying to kill Daredevil and she ran in front of him before he could do it and took the blade herself.[/BLACKOUT]

Okay, great! That's one.

 

[ernesth100]

Plus death is kinda a loose term now since people can be brought back to life.

 

[dmcreif]

I've gotta ask this question with The Defenders out, but, was dissolving Nelson & Murdock the right thing to do? Part of me thinks that Matt, Karen and Foggy could have toughed it out and kept the firm open even after everything that happened in season 2.

 

[dmcreif]

Another question I wanted to ask about this episode was, how would Karen's interview with Colonel Schoonover have gone if Matt had gone with her? Would he go as Daredevil or as Matt Murdock?

 

[Iceman]

The flashbacks were great. They did young Elektra really well IMO.