Daredevil Season 2, Episode 2 Recap And Review: “Dogs To A Gunfight”

The second season of Daredevil continued to up the ante from where Episode One left off as we learned a bit more about The Punisher (they used the name!) and what exactly he is doing in Hell’s Kitchen. We also got Daredevil v Punisher, Round One, Foggy showing he can be much more than comic relief and Karen getting ever closer to finding out what Matt’s secret is.

As with all these recaps, full SPOILERS for the episode follow.

Not-So-Short-Summary: Foggy frantically searches for Matt, who was just shot in the head by the mysterious one-man killing machine who tore through the hospital looking for Grotto. After searching several rooftops, he finally finds Matt, still alive but bleeding and not in the best of shape.

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Once Foggy gets Matt back to his apartment, Matt’s radar sense beings to go haywire due to being shot (these things happen) while Foggy meets with Karen to deal with District Attorney Reyes. And in what has to be one of the best moment of the episode, Foggy gets in Reyes’ face to defend his client and goes all Clarence Darrow on her.

In the meeting with Reyes to discus Grotto entering witness protection, Foggy and Karen learn that the police are very aware of this assailant who is systematically killing anyone associated with the gangs in Hell’s Kitchen. The list of people he has sent to the morgue is a long one and they have even come up with a name for him: The Punisher.

While all that is going on, the Punisher does some shopping, which does not end well for the shop proprietor, and Matt and Karen have a heart to heart that may indicate Karen knows more than she is letting on about Matt’s double life.

When Matt goes to Melvin to see about getting his helmet fixed, he learns that maybe The Punisher didn’t mean to kill Matt after all. Afterwards, Matt tracks the mystery man using the scent of the dog he rescued in Episode One and finds his hideout, which looks like something out of Apocalypse Now.

Meanwhile, Foggy and Karen are watching as Grotto fulfills his part of the deal so he can enter into witness protection, which is wear a wire to get evidence against a drug dealer. Which is all well and good except it is all a trap set by Reyes to lure out the Punisher and take him down once and for all. Just as The Punisher is ready to start causing a body bag shortage in New York, Daredevil shows up to save the day.

Kinda.

Because it turns out Matt is still having trouble with his radar sense and it allows The Punisher to get the upper hand. The episode ends with both Daredevil and The Punisher gone while Foggy and Karen look on.

Man does he look unhappy. (Photo credit: Marvel Studios)

Miscellaneous Musings and Thoughts: Okay, first things first: what a fight between Daredevil and The Punisher. You can be sure we will see better as the series goes on, but what a first round. Season Two is wasting no time and really increasing the pace from Season One, which is just fine by me. Honestly, if I had to wait until midway through the series to finally see the two go at it, I would have been very disappointed.

And while seeing Daredevil versus Punisher action was great, for me the real standout of the episode was Foggy Nelson. While Matt was incapacitated thanks to issues with his radar sense, Foggy really carried the episode and acted as the glue that held it together. Seeing him not only stand up to Reyes but put her in her place was a real standout for the character and my favorite moment of the series thus far.

As for Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, Episode Two fleshed him out a bit more and moved him out of the shadows so we could see what makes him tick. The scene with the shopkeeper was a highlight, as it did a lot to define what this version of The Punisher is all about. And yes, it must be said: it looks like someone finally got a screen version of the character right. Bernthal is all menace and intimidation in the role and so far he seems like the perfect choice.

Related Story: Daredevil Season 2, Episode 1 Recap And Review

In addition, we get a bit more of the developing Matt/Karen relationship, more Melvin Potter and another great cliffhanger. Season Two is shaping up to be even better than Season One and I’m jumping out of my skin to watch Episode Three.

So I’m going to go do that.