Daredevil Season 2, Episode 7 "Semper Fidelis" (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[flickchick85]

Discuss Episode 7: "Semper Fidelis" here.

Murdock and Foggy take on the DA in the trial of the century, but their client refuses to play along. Murdock struggles to balance his dual identities.

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

 

[flickchick85]

I love the scenes with Frank and Karen. Don't believe I've ever seen them interacting in the comics, but I like it.

And regarding Matt/Elektra: She's bad news and I shouldn't ship it but I do. Which is exactly the way it supposed to be with those two, imo.

 

[Gamma Goliath]

Yeah elektra is borderline psychopathic.

 

[TheVileOne]

I would say she is a total sociopath.

 

[TX85]

Frank and Karen scenes were great, Daredevil/Elektra teaming keeps getting better. Elektra didn't react at all to Matt stitching her wound!?

I really liked Elektra and Matt talking on the couch.

 

[TheVileOne]

There's good reason for the wound thing.

 

[TX85]

There's good reason for the wound thing.

Which is what? I probably missed it

 

[TheVileOne]

Keep watching TX85

 

[djsunyc]

elektra might be the sexiest woman on tv right now.

charlie cox has the same ability as hayley atwell (peggy carter), great chemistry with the entire cast.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I love the jury voir dire. On the one hand, it sets out all the sides of the debate (without sugar coating it either). On the other hand, it shows how hard it is to get a juror who hasn't made up his mind already. If they can't get a jury that can't be excused for cause, it would be a mistrial (and it shows that, yes, New York City may have made up its mind, but that's why they need to move for a change of venue and go somewhere else). Also,Frank Castle shouldn't go in front of the jury wearing orange and handcuffs. Maybe he wanted it to be that way because it shows how much the state is trying to punish him for "helping the city", but a defendant has a right to wear court-appropriate clothing in front of a jury and it's clearly reversible error otherwise. The music in that scene is badass, though.

New York has a defense called "Extreme Emotional Disturbance." It's an affirmative defense, but it's broader than you were provoked into acting. If you can show this, you can turn murder into voluntary manslaughter. With all the stuff about PTSD, etc., it seems that's their best bet. I don't know if Frank would agree. I like the debate between Matt and Karen. Matt strongly believes that Frank deserves a fair trial (which he isn't getting), but he doesn't think Frank is right in what he did. Karen doesn't seem to agree. I like that the debate between the two positions continue. Daredevil isn't any more right than he was in episode three in this.

Much of my thought of this episode is "damn it Matt." Elektra comes off as fairly unlikeable because she's causing Matt to make stupid decisions. The trial is more important than everything else, but Elektra is ruining that. I hope he manages to come around because things are falling apart (and they didn't even get the mistrial for more time).

Four Stars.

 

[Docker2.0]

When I watched the first episode, I almost fell asleep until the Punisher made his entrance. This thing gets better each episode. Love the Jessica Jones reference.

 

[Drizzle]

Elden Hensen really brought it in this episode.

 

[Lencho01]

Do Matt and Foggy butt heads this much in the comics?

 

[Smilodon]

Love how Cox is getting more time this season to stretch his legs as Matt than as Daredevil. I like how Elektra is just wreaking havoc onto his professional and private life, creates a lot of drama and makes Foggy/Karen that much more involved rather than solving mysteries together elsewhere.

I also cannot help but to ship Elektra and Matt. They shouldn't be together, but that conversation on the couch between Matt and Elektra...I can't help it. That was one of my favorite bits of the season thus far.

 

[Web-Head]

This was my favorite episode of the season until I watched the next one.

 

[TheVision]

I really liked this episode. It played out near perfect for me. It had humor, action, nice character interaction, mystery.

Also DD and Elektra fighting together > softcore. Even Elektra is better than in her intro episode.

Happy!

 

[Dark Raven]

The law side of this episode was almost more interesting than the DD side. I would've liked Matt to have spent more time doing his job as a lawyer.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Do Matt and Foggy butt heads this much in the comics?

Not in the original classic 60's stuff for sure. I think they have done stuff post Miller, when Foggy was in the mix that was similar. You have to remember in the comics there have been already so many different eras of DD.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

The show still has all the tropes of super hero and legal dramas and night time soaps but it has managed to balance all that out quite well.

You know, I think those few extra minutes that a Netflix show has as a opposed to network shows helps to add nuance and action overall. Plus, since it's a show that no one is going to NOT have seen the previous episode, there is no need to restate plot points or reintroduce characters.

As for the rest of the episode...

Spoiler

The Karen and Frank stuff was great. Frank's single mindedness does feel more real here than it ever did in the comics. He is fleshed out and emotionally understandable as a human being. Karen gaining his respect says a lot to the audience... Which again worries me about the ultimate fate for Karen in the show's life.

Elektra is too much of a temptation on so many levels for Matt. She does bring out the worst aspects in him, takes him to the edge. That said that interrogation scene of the guy that encrypted the Hand ledger just looked so much of what I expected and dreamed a DD show should.

Matt and Foggy... I fear we are seeing the seeds of this bromance break up. Which I suppose makes Elektra Yoko? Real talk though, Foggy is covering for him and feeling the pressure. Foggy is sort of an Alfred that, rightly so, has not come to a zen like acceptance of what the hero is doing but Alfred doesn't have to deal with Bruce continually lying to him.

Elektra says some harsh truths to Matt here about himself and his crusade. No pun intended, that man has a blind spot. Which... Is what makes the character so interesting and rich. Cox's performance doesn't hurt either.

Those trains of soil and that giant hole, man... Bad juju. Which brings up... Given that the Hand injects major league elements of the supernatural, and no not "magic and science is one and the same" but straight up mysticism and horror elements I have to wonder how all that is going to mesh with the street level vibe that the show has had from the start, Matt's powers notwithstanding.

 

[Link]

Much better than the last episode. I liked the law drama side of the episode better than the DD stuff, just goes to say what a diverse show this is.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

When I watched the first episode, I almost fell asleep until the Punisher made his entrance. This thing gets better each episode. Love the Jessica Jones reference.

Must have missed that, what was the reference?

 

[dmcreif]

I love the jury voir dire. On the one hand, it sets out all the sides of the debate (without sugar coating it either). On the other hand, it shows how hard it is to get a juror who hasn't made up his mind already. If they can't get a jury that can't be excused for cause, it would be a mistrial (and it shows that, yes, New York City may have made up its mind, but that's why they need to move for a change of venue and go somewhere else). Also,Frank Castle shouldn't go in front of the jury wearing orange and handcuffs. Maybe he wanted it to be that way because it shows how much the state is trying to punish him for "helping the city", but a defendant has a right to wear court-appropriate clothing in front of a jury and it's clearly reversible error otherwise. The music in that scene is badass, though.

New York has a defense called "Extreme Emotional Disturbance." It's an affirmative defense, but it's broader than you were provoked into acting. If you can show this, you can turn murder into voluntary manslaughter. With all the stuff about PTSD, etc., it seems that's their best bet. I don't know if Frank would agree. I like the debate between Matt and Karen. Matt strongly believes that Frank deserves a fair trial (which he isn't getting), but he doesn't think Frank is right in what he did. Karen doesn't seem to agree. I like that the debate between the two positions continue. Daredevil isn't any more right than he was in episode three in this.

Much of my thought of this episode is "damn it Matt." Elektra comes off as fairly unlikeable because she's causing Matt to make stupid decisions. The trial is more important than everything else, but Elektra is ruining that. I hope he manages to come around because things are falling apart (and they didn't even get the mistrial for more time).

Four Stars.

Frankly, I wish the trial had gotten more justice or had be more focused on the trial rather than on Elektra.

I mean, would Nelson & Murdock have won if Matt had devoted himself to the trial?

 

[Iceman]

The law side of this episode was almost more interesting than the DD side. I would've liked Matt to have spent more time doing his job as a lawyer.

We saw some good bits earlier but I would have liked to see this as a staple throughout the series.

 

[dmcreif]

Matt's behavior kinda baffles me. If he had any common sense, he would cut all ties with Elektra after she sabotaged the witness.