Grumpy Bird Reviews: Daredevil s02e09 Seven Minutes in Heaven

Been a bit of time since I watched episode 8. So much so that it took me a moment to remember the ending. And then I did and all I could think was “Elektra’s emotional state has drastically improved.”

Daredevil s02e09: Seven Minutes in Heaven

director: Stephen Surjik

writers: Marco Ramirez and Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Quick Review:

There are three basic plots winding their way through this episode with a few interlocking moments. I’m not overly thrilled with the legs on any of them. Frank’s seems to be the most well handled, but is also the most straight forward and familiar. Karen is on the hunt for more information. I want to like this more, but she seems to have been in the same place for the past several episodes. It also doesn’t help that we learn info in Frank’s story that that fill in the missing puzzle of her mystery. At this point I’m just waiting for it to get to the payoff. As for Matt, well, he is in the classic Daredevil comic story. Really, the only missing element is his secret identity being leaked. Still, he is accepting all the mysticism and ninjas a little too easy. I wouldn’t mind a little more lampshading in the story to show that this is new to him. That makes two of the three storylines that feel like spinning wheels.

Spoilers Lurk Below

Analysis:

A showdown between Frank and Wilson. Okay, so not yet a showdown, but at least some tense looks and later some punching. I am curious where this relationship will lead. It does seem that there will have to be more conflict between these two, or maybe that will be in season three.

I’m more curious where Frank will go from now. If he ends up back on the trail, that runs a risk of just repeating the first four episodes. But, since those have been the strongest that might be a good thing.

For the whole Karen plot, I just want it to get somewhere. I’m almost at the point of wanting to shout at the screen “We get it! It was a cover-up! Hurry along!” It either needs to arrive and announce, or it needs to really through a curve ball in there.

And with Matt, yeah, show us some dis-belief. Acknowledge that even a guy who fights evil as a hobby might find it odd that there is an undying real war between good and evil featuring New York based Yakuza. In full ninja garb. Also, if you are going to go mystic, go mystic. Revel in it. Let’s get trippy and surreal. Commit. It’ll make the show better.

By the way, I’m starting to notice that there are a lot of fights in hallways. Or maybe that is just how it feels since there were two such fights this episode. I couldn’t help but wish there was some more mirroring of action. Some type of screen poetry to tie Frank and Matt together.

Wrap Up:

I really liked the line Matt says to Elektra “We need to stop corrupting each other.” It is an acknowledgement of their respective outlooks and how they don’t mesh. He is just as bad for her true self as she is for his. And it seemed to come off with no real condemnation for Elektra even as he opposes her stance. It was a great little line that could have benefitted from some better build and resolution.

That was more backhanded than I expected.