Daredevil S02 E02 – Bad Branding

Previously: There’s a new vigilante in town.
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Dogs to a Gunfight

Marines: Cops are combing through the wreck at the hospital. Foggy is speed walking as he talks to Karen and tells her to stay put. She asks about Matt, but Foggy hasn’t seen him since last night. Foggy tells Karen to meet him at the precinct and to not let anyone talk to Grotto ’til they get there. 

Foggy makes it to the hospital and surveys the damage a bit from outside the police line. He overhears a call come into a police radio about reports shots fired up on a roof on 10th. Foggy takes off. We watch as he climbs up many stairs and checks out a couple of rooftops until he finds an injured Matt. He starts losing his shit, yelling for his friend to wake up. 

JUSTICE AND WAX. 

Mattpartment. A bloody Matt is out of his suit and on his couch. He asks Foggy for some aspirin, as his primary injury seems to have been to the head. Foggy asks if maybe he doesn’t want an X-RAY or a PSYCH EVAL instead, on account of having just got shot in the head. Matt says the aspirin is fine. The whole shot in the head thing was just a mistake because he should’ve known that the guy had an extra gun in his boot. 

Jessica: I feel really bad for Foggy here, and the actor does a great job of showing his traumatized reaction to finding his friend nearly dead. So many super hero shows don’t really show this aspect of it, so I find it interesting that Daredevil does, I just hope they can pull it off in a way that makes sense for the characters, but so far so good.

Mari: Agreed. My worry is that it will go on too long, which is believable because finding your friend half-dead will never be fun, but not necessarily the most compelling story. 

Foggy is 100% over Matt’s shit, especially when Matt gets up to put on some pants and get back out there. Matt has all his righteous reasons for wanting to get back out there and stop this guy, and Foggy is like please take a nap or something, Jesus. And when Matt wakes up, Foggy recommends getting rid of the suit entirely. Foggy picks up the suit himself and Matt is right there, tugging it back. Matt tells him to let go and then pulls it away. Matt repeats that this guy won’t go down easy and lives will be lost, and he has to help. Foggy repeats that right now he needs to stay home, rest, and not raise anymore questions they don’t have answers to. The NYPD and the DA will do their jobs, and Foggy will also do his. Matt says nothing as Foggy walks out. 

Interrogation room. Karen is filling out paperwork for Grotto, who is still freaking out about the gun-happy-murder-man. He notes that Karen doesn’t look rattled at all. Someone just tried to shoot her head off. Isn’t she scared? Karen looks up, face still rather neutral, and tells Grotto that she’s terrified. (J: I didn’t love Deborah Ann Woll’s acting in this bit. It’s such a cliche line too, I would have rather that either she really sold it, or maybe had a slightly different answer than the one we always hear.)

Foggy busts in and asks if everyone is okay. He hugs Karen. Grotto asks where Matt is, and Foggy shortly says that he took a sick day. Foggy quickly starts pressing Grotto for more answers since he originally told them it was like an army and it turns out it was just one man. Grotto admits that he heard rumors about the guy, but thought they were fake. How can one guy mow down 20 people with precision? 

Officer Brett comes in with a change of clothes for Grotto. Unfortunately it’s a jump suit. They clarify that Grotto isn’t arrested, just in protective custody until witness protection comes through. Brett’s pulled the footage from the hospital. Foggy asks if he has any leads, but Brett was hoping they could help them there. He asks Foggy and Karen to step outside with him. 

As they walk, Brett says that the DA is sending someone over right now to talk witness protection options. He recommends they take whatever they offer because the gun-happy guy they are dealing with is no joke. Foggy wants more information on who he is, who’s bankrolling him. Brett says they guy seems to be independent, a vigilante type targeting different crime families. 

Jessica: A+ gif usage.

Mari: Brett says that this guy is not out there cleaning up the streets Daredevil style, but Death Wish style. The whole force is split. Some people think that’s cool-motive-still-murder and some people think it’s making cops’ job easier. Brett thinks it’s just a matter of time before the wrong person gets caught in the cross-fire. I mean, good guess, seeing as he was shooting up a HOSPITAL and at KAREN. (J: FOR REALS.) 

Foggy says that it was a matter of time before Daredevil inspired copycats. Brett makes things worse for Matt when he says this is just the latest copycat. They call them Devil Worshippers. (J: Hmm, that nickname’s not a good look for the Daredevil brand…) Most are ineffectual idiots, but this gun-happy-pro is unlike anything Brett has ever seen before. 

Mattpartment. Matt grabs a glass of water, but when he turns on the tap, the sound causes a high pitched ringing in his ears. He’s obviously very disconcerted. He puts the glass down and grabs some medicine, but the pills hitting the countertop also cause him pain. He ends up knocking the glass down and is too slow to stop it from hitting the floor. Matt realizes his nose is bleeding. He sinks down to the floor and starts yelling and banging on the wall, but there’s no sound. He can’t hear it. 

The DA herself arrives at the police station. Foggy appears to be a little nervous about this. Foggy tries to introduce himself, but the DA, Reyes, won’t even shake his hand. She starts ordering her ADAs around, condescendingly explaining that they’ll be taking the case on from here and bringing on a firm with more legal knowledge. I mean, have they ever even negotiated witness protection? Foggy says they haven’t, but they are fast learners. Reyes and her ADA basically roll their eyes. Reyes says that if their firm doesn’t fold under the weight of the chickens and fruit baskets they collect from their indigent clientele, they may one day need a favor from the DA. The way they handle this situation right here will determine whether they receive that favor or not. Foggy meekly says he understands as Reyes stomps past him. 

Foggy calls after her. “About that favor… you wouldn’t happen to have the number for the U.S. Attorney’s office?” Foggy pulls out his phone and says never mind. He’s got it. Reyes asks what they hell he’s doing. “Zealously protecting my client’s rights,” Foggy replies. Local DA’s don’t have jurisdiction over the witness protection program, the Feds do. And while they might be just as douchey as Reyes is, at least the Feds can deliver on their promises and their threats. Since Reyes won’t work with him, he can work directly with the Feds. Foggy places the call, even starts giving his name, but Reyes tells him to hang up. What does he want?

Jessica: Woo! Way to be awesome, Foggy. I like how they show his lawyering skills. He is incredibly good at his job, and in a believable way.

Mari: Karen tells Foggy he did great. She’s been smiling and trying to keep her shit together this whole time in the background. No game face, but it’s adorable. Foggy says that was just round one. 

In the interrogation room, Grotto says he’ll hand over names, dates and “favorite titty-bars” for all of those “Irish pricks.” The DA says that isn’t good enough, though Foggy insists that that’s what Grotto has. The DA points out that most of Grotto’s associates are either dead or fleeing the country. They want him to wear a wire and meet with an old associate. If TV has taught me anything, it’s that a wire is basically a death knell. They also name Edgar Brass, and that freaks Grotto out, too. Foggy and Karen try to calm him down, but what really sells him on the idea are the DA files on all the people that new vigilante is killing. It’s a lot of people. Karen asks if the police have any leads. The ADA says that it’s an ongoing investigation but the guy does have a codename. Any guesses? Any guesses? Anyone? 

THE PUNISHER. 

J: Whaaaaaat? Crossover magic! I actually didn’t suspect until now.

Mari: I didn’t suspect at first either, but I was spoiled looking up the character. If I understand the timeline correctly, Punisher debuted here. We’re going to try and watch all the Netflix Marvel stuff in order. 

Pawnshop. The Punisher walks in and clearly freaks out the owner. Punisher asks for an NYPD mobile communications rig, one that gets encrypted tactical frequencies. Owner scoffs, but then Punisher drops a fat wad of cash. Owner asks if he’s a cop, as if a cop would go, “yeah, you got me!” 

Anyway, Owner has exactly what Punisher asks for. He hands it over for a grand. Punisher looks up and sees a security camera. He asks for the tape from that as well. Finally, Punisher asks about the double barrel gun under the counter. At the owner’s hesitation, Punisher drops some more money. The Owner pulls out the gun, unloads it, and hands it to Punisher. Turn out, Punisher just wants the ammo to guarantee he’s not going to get shot as he walks away. He grabs his radio and starts to walk out, but the Owner can’t just shut up and watch him go. He starts yelling, asking if Punisher wants anything else. At first it seems like he’s selling porn tapes but by the end, he offers a girl who is “barely 12.” Punisher freezes, turns back, and grabs a baseball bat on his way. The owner insists that he’s just trying to make a buck. We hear, but thankfully don’t see, when the bat connects with the Owner’s head. 

Back at the office, Foggy catches up with another client who isn’t paying them. After the call, he asks Karen if there is anything else they are ignoring. Karen hands them a stack of past due bills. Foggy jokes about them, but Karen doesn’t react, so he stands up to see what she is distracted by. She is going through the morgue reports for all the people who died in the hospital. She could’ve been one of them. After Fisk and now this, Karen wonders if she’s attracting all this almost dying. Foggy says that Punisher is just a nickname. Karen asks what if she deserves it. I’d kind of forgotten that she killed a man. Her guilt is tying all of this up to the Punisher hunting down bad people. Foggy assures her that she’s not the one who deserves to be punished. Plus, she’s awesome for getting away from a sniper! 

Matt is still hearing ringing in his ears, but it seems to be going away. He hears knocking and then tests his hearing with snapping. He stands and opens the door. It’s Karen. He asks how she’s doing, after the whole sniper thing. She says she’s fine, but then corrects that being shot at is the worst, and she’s barely holding it together. Matt hugs her and tells her it will be okay. He invites her in and she notices the mess of glass. Of course she assumes this has to do with the “drinking problem” Foggy made up. Matt says it isn’t like that, but of course can offer no other explanation. Karen says she isn’t an idiot. She tells Matt that whenever he feels like he can tell her the truth, she’ll be there, waiting. Matt says it’s a deal then quickly changes the subject to work.

Jess: Just tell her dammit! Ugh, this is so infuriating. And not in the “good TV infuriating” like when you want someone to solve something – it’s just really irritating and without a good reason.

Mari: Team Tell Her.

Karen fills Matt in on the meeting with the DA and eventually on how it all ties back to the Punisher. Matt says they have to start there. They have to create their own file on this guy. Matt asks if Karen thinks the Punisher is crazy. She doesn’t. She thinks he was inevitable, once they accepted Daredevil. Matt starts to object, but Karen presses it. They let Daredevil practice his vigilante justice and applauded him for it, never stopping to think that it could open the door for men like the Punisher. Men with guns. Men who think the law belongs to them. Matt says that Daredevil never killed anyone. Karen says that they know of. There is something about this city that makes good people want to shoot their way out of bad situations.

    

Karen gets flustered by her own overshare, the progress of her own thoughts, and bails pretty quickly. At the door, though, she reminds Matt that they care about him. He’s worth keeping around. Matt shuts the door behind her and grabs his coat. 

Matt visits Melvin to get his mask fixed after Punisher shot at it. Melvin says that the Punisher could’ve killed him, easy, so maybe this was a warning shot. Matt asks if Melvin can fix it or not. He’s hesitant, because he doesn’t want to do anything illegal. Matt says he isn’t a criminal, but Melvin points out he doesn’t exactly have a badge. It’s a real rough day to be Daredevil. Melvin says he needs to make a new mask,  but that will take a few days. Matt wants something NOW, so Melvin offers to reinforce the cracks and add some padding. Melvin wonders if Matt is really ready to be out there again. We all wonder, Melvin.

Later that night, Matt is in a hoody as he checks out the pawn shop, now crime scene. In the alley, he finds a broken and bloody chain. He follows the blood trail, which he is most definitely sniffing, out into the streets. It appears he comes to something of a end to the trail, but then he superhears a police radio and follows that sound into an apartment building. 

Matt finds the exact apartment and breaks in. There’s a dog chained up inside the apartment, which Matt quiets with some dog food. He sniffs around and we see an arsenal, basically. 

Shady garage. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but there is a dead body in a truck, so it’s definitely bad and murdery. One of the of the shady men is tasked with washing the blood out of the truck. He’s doing it with headphones on, so he doesn’t hear when shots start ringing and his shady comrades are picked off. Punisher finds him soon enough, though. 

Grotto is outfitted with his recording device, and I’m actually on his side when he mentions how bulky it is. The DA threatens, Karen calms, and Foggy tries to joke. Grotto is still v nervous. He asks Karen for a kiss for good luck, and Karen flicks him off.

  

After Grotto is gone, Karen asks after Matt, and there is another lie from Foggy about him turning in early. 

The DA, Foggy and Karen are watching Grotto as he sneaks into a back alley, clearly freaking the heck out. In the alley, Grotto yells out to Brass, basically being like yo yo yo,  I am totally chill, to buy the drugs. 

Someone appears behind him and Grotto heads toward the man standing in a shipping crate. He’s grabbed and pulled further inside. Grotto starts yelling, but the man tells him to shut up. He’s a cop. The people with the DA say they’ve lost visual and audio, but don’t seem too concerned. Karen marches over and hits a button so they can hear the chatter on the police radio. They are talking about a target and a field of fire. The DA has used Grotto as bait. Foggy is UPSET. He wants to pull Grotto out of there ASAP, but it’s too late. The Punisher is on his way. 

Punisher appears to be driving the truck from earlier, but we cotton on pretty quickly that he isn’t driving, because he gets littered with bullets. The truck crashes and they find the Headphones Man from earlier and it looks like he’s taped to the steering wheel. The DA curses. Punisher knew it was a trap. 

The Punisher is standing on a water tower, taking aim at the shipping crate Grotto is in. Suddenly, a smoke bomb lands in front of him. Daredevil kicks him the heck off the water tower. The police are now shooting all over the place while Daredevil and the Punisher fight. 

These fight scenes never stop getting more tense. I know Matt hasn’t died yet, but holy crap, they are so well matched and Matt just needs to TAKE A BREAK and I’m WORRIED. 

Grotto uses all the gunfire to get away. Karen wants to go after him but Foggy is like GIRL: GUN. FIRE. The officers report that they see Punisher, but they don’t have a clean shot. They see now that Punisher and Daredevil are fighting. The DA orders them to take the shot anyway, and Foggy lets out an emotional, “no!” I feel you, Foggy. (J: Aww, poor Foggy. And Matt. He always is getting so beat up.)

Daredevil and Punisher keep fighting, now with renewed gun fire. Punisher gets shot in the arm and Daredevil uses this to his advantage pretty well until Punisher picks Daredevil up and throws them both through skylight windows. They both land in pretty bad shape and struggle to get up, circling each other, figuring out who is the most hurt. And then the ringing in Matt’s ear starts again. He can’t hear anything. He can’t hear as Punisher gets closer and closer to him.

Foggy runs and pushes past the cops to look down into the building where they fell. They are both gone and there is a blood streak like someone was dragged away.

I’m enjoying the actor who plays the Punisher, but he better leave Daredevil alone.

Jessica: I legit didn’t know that Punisher crossed over into Daredevil. I haven’t watched that one at all. I’m v interested/nervous to see the outcome of their interactions in the next episode.

 

Next time on Daredevil: Punisher and Daredevil have a heart to heart in S03 E03 – New York’s Finest.