S02.E12: The Dark At The End Of The Tunnel

[The Crazed Spruce]

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.

[Bec]

Elektra is the Black Sky? Am I crazy or have they still not explained what the Black Sky is exactly? We only got "nobody knows what it does" and "The Hand worships it".

[rozen]

I suspect because they're still trying to figure out what The Black Sky actually does. 

[Xenith22]

So I don't really understand what the point of the Colonel's plot was?   I mean I now get that he was the Blacksmith, but that still doesn't explain why he killed the DA or went after Karen when she was under armed guard?   I mean at that point no one had any idea at all about him, and he had no reason to believe Karen or really anyone had any hope of finding anything connected to him did he?  So was his goal simply then framing Frank for more crimes?  What purpose would that really serve...I mean Frank had already been convicted with multiple life sentences without parole.   Did he think the police needed extra motivation to look for the escaped mass murderer?  It just does not make any sense to me...

 

For that matter it seems pretty absurd that the Colonel could get close enough to spray the courthouse with bullets with an assault rifle and have no one see him.  I mean at least the Punisher seemed to usually work under the cover of night on basically empty streets.  We saw the outside of the courthouse before Matt and company entered and it was teeming with people.  Pfffft.

[VCRTracking]

I think it was one of the Colonel's loyal men who shot Reyes and not him. Someone who probably ended up dead on the pier.

[FurryFury]

Holy shit, poor Karen. The show tried repeatedly to sell me her supposed love for Matt, but this episode? I'm more than convinced she felt something for Frank, maybe something even stronger. Of course, this is totally subjective. But my heart just broke watching her burst into tears.

 

This was the episode Elektra finally became a real character to me. Loved her flashbacks and her relationship with Stick. It's way more nuanced and interesting that her and Matt, TBH. But the Black Sky stuff came out of nowhere. They really should have foreshadowed this better.

 

Didn't expect for Clancy Brown to be the Blacksmith. That was a nice twist. Still, a part of me hoped Frank wouldn't kill him - even if it would be a cop-out.

Edited March 21, 2016 by FurryFury

[Bec]

Yep, I'm feeling Karen / Frank more than I'm feeling Karen / Matt.

 

Man, I should have known the Colonel would turn out to be a bad guy. He's played by Clancy Brown after all. Hee.

 

Now I wonder if Stick saying to Elektra "You think (Matt) will still want you when he finds out what you are?" some episodes ago was supposed to be about her being the Black Sky. But she had no idea she's the Black Sky. So, I don't know. And it wouldn't be like Matt to reject her for being the Black Sky, anyway. He wanted to save that kid Stick killed who was also a Black Sky.

 

Matt doesn't really believe this "the Black Sky will destroy us all" mystical mumbo-jumbo. I'm not sure I believe it either. How exactly is this destruction supposed to come about? Nobody has any clue!

[JustaPerson]

I agree that Karen and Frank had a really interesting relationship, though I thought it was in a familial/friend/kindred spirit way. I could see Frank having a grudgingly affectionate big brother bond with her. I hope we get more of them together next season

[driedfruit]

I realized I shipped Karen with Frank from the sheer joy I felt when I heard the music blast on her radio. Her and Matt are cute, but I'm won over. As far as this season goes, her bond with Frank is deeper while Matt has kept her at bay with his barrier of lies.

 

Elektra flashbacks were great, more interesting then Matt's I thought. I'm all for her getting a series. Or if she stays a regular on DD. The stuff between her and Matt and Stick isn't likely to resolve anytime soon. 

 

The ending with Frank finding bulletproof vest with the skull was cool. Rogue ex-general with a legion of loyal thugs? Why not. 

[Dandesun]

Rogue ex-general with a legion of loyal thugs? Why not. 

 

Well, that's the premise for the A-Team. Also, Lethal Weapon. Slight difference between the two but still...

 

It's funny, the ex-general who returns after war to become a major drug dealer is so prevalent in movies that I wonder when that actually happened. 

[feverfew]

It's funny, the ex-general who returns after war to become a major drug dealer is so prevalent in movies that I wonder when that actually happened. 

 

I think it's from warlords who's main income usually seems to be from the drug trade. But it makes a certain kind of sense; a morally corrupt soldier might make some veeery interesting friends abroad...

[thuganomics85]

Oh, Clancy Brown.  You just had to end up being the Blacksmith, didn't you?!  I feel bad for not seeing it earlier but I do think there was some signs; mainly how all the recent killings were done in the same militaristic way that Frank killed the Irish mob, so it was always likely that someone from the military was behind Reyes and the coroner's deaths. 

 

Now that the Blacksmith is dead, I wonder if this is finally it for whatever you want to consider Frank and Karen's relationship to be.  Karen looked like she was shaken to the core after he still killed him even after she begged him not to, and I have to think she can't come back from that.  She always knew he was wrong for doing what he did, but something kept drawling her back to him.  But after this, I wonder if she just can't handle it anymore.  I'm still surprised that this turned out to be one of the most interesting things about this season.

 

So, in the end, Elektra was this Black Sky thing that The Hand was all obsessed.  Yeah, I got nothing.  Weren't they saying the Black Sky would lead to ultimate destruction or something, so does that mean they think Elektra will bring that?  She clearly was tempted to join Team Hand their for a second, until Matt finally got through to her, but I'm sure anything can happen come finale time.

 

Stick may be one of the biggest bastards on the planet, but that old guy is tough as hell.

 

Foggy and Matt are continuing to put an end to Nelson & Murdock even though they both clearly don't want to on some levels.

 

And, of course, I'm going to be busy for the next few days, so I have to put off watching the finale until then.  So close! 

[FurryFury]

I wonder if this is finally it for whatever you want to consider Frank and Karen's relationship to be.

 

I don't think it's the end the same way it wasn't the end for her and Matt when she broke up with him earlier this season. A bump in the road, nothing more.

 

Of course, if they give Frank his own show and never have him crossover it may be over, but I want to hope the writers have noticed they work really well off each other.

[GHScorpiosRule]

The ending with Frank finding bulletproof vest with the skull was cool. Rogue ex-general with a legion of loyal thugs? Why not. 

 

 

 

Well, that's the premise for the A-Team. Also, Lethal Weapon. Slight difference between the two but still...

 

It's funny, the ex-general who returns after war to become a major drug dealer is so prevalent in movies that I wonder when that actually happened. 

 

 

Guys! Clancy Brown is a general in The Flash Universe! He was a Colonel here! And why? why?why?why? Did he have to be a bad guy? Seriously folks, I was having visions of DCAU Lex Luthor while he was talking to Karen and holding a gun on her.

[that one guy]

Elektra is the Black Sky? Am I crazy or have they still not explained what the Black Sky is exactly? We only got "nobody knows what it does" and "The Hand worships it".

Yep, nobody knows. Although this IS the MCU, so there's some kind of dark alien mystical mind-control substance involved. I can't help but think of Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and wondering whether Marvel is just short of ideas, or whether there's some MCU-wide X-Files type conspiracy going on. The ninjas are immortal and Roxxon Corp was a badguy front in Agent Carter, too - how long has the Hand controlled it? Hydra also worships some kind of shadow demon, and has apparently done so for centuries. So it's possible Marvel is playing a very long game here, and years from now we'll meet the baddie who's behind all of it. Which is a risk, because if it ends up being a letdown, it kind of kills of the MCU.

It's funny, the ex-general who returns after war to become a major drug dealer is so prevalent in movies that I wonder when that actually happened.

 

I don't know specifically of any general being involved, but most of the world's heroin used to come from the "Golden Triangle" in Southeast Asia, and a certain number of underpaid military personnel who were send to Vietnam did become involved in transporting the stuff to the United States from Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. In the 21st century, a significant proportion of heroin production has moved to lawless Afghanistan. So, there's been motive and opportunity. Although most heroin exports from the region are controlled by ethic Chinese organized crime operation in the region - oh, hello, Madame Gao. So a competition between ex-military or ex-mercenary (Blackwater?) people bringing in Afghan heroin and a Chinese gang bringing in stuff from Southeast Asia is not actually far fetched.

 

ETA: while I don't know of any general, this was a real person. He was enlisted, though.

Edited March 24, 2016 by that one guy

[FurryFury]

I can't help but think of Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and wondering whether Marvel is just short of ideas, or whether there's some MCU-wide X-Files type conspiracy going on.

 

It would be so cool to see the Element Zero from Agent Carter spring up on any MCU show. I mean, it's not that hard to do, it's an unexplored substance of unknown origin and has different effect on different people. Easy to integrate into the plot. But the only show that may incorporate it is AOS and I don't watch it anymore.

 

So it's possible Marvel is playing a very long game here, and years from now we'll meet the baddie who's behind all of it.

 

I don't believe it. I think at this point there is movieverse, ABC-verse and Netflix-verse and the only way they are connected are mentions of some background details or of the Avengers. 

Edited March 24, 2016 by FurryFury

[Actionmage]

I binged 9-12 tonight. I'm picking up pieces of my mind like the Hand after a fight with Matt. Just...[insert noises].

 

I kicked myself for not figuring out Frank's side of the thing faster, but the digression in prison did it's job.

 

Many props for Lil' Elektra! She was awesome and scary and ended up with a nicer bye than Matt, at least.

 

My heart and head hurt from this episode though. My Team Supreme is still a million miles from each other and, damn it, I understand them and yet want to mush 'em all together and make them be good with each other. *sigh*

[AudienceofOne]

So Elektra isn't a one-dimensional complication but is instead a MacGuffin? Well, that's an improvement [sarcasm].

 

And the idea that it was Frank's old army CO who coincidentally killed his family by accident? Coincidence is coincidency. I didn't see any indication there was a connection between the two events. The Blacksmith's involvement in the narrative at all was tangential, which in retrospect makes it look really contrived.

 

If it seems like I'm nitpicking it's because I really do think this is superior television so when they fall back on these cliches and contrivances it annoys me. This has been good season of television. But it could have been great.

[Kel Varnsen]

The whole ninjas who hide their location by masking their heartbeat was probably the thing that has bugged me the most this season. It makes no sense and totally contradicts how they explained how Matt's powers work. I mean in an earlier episode he could sense if a boxcar was full or empty so why can't that part of his powers figure out where they are. Hell couldn't he just yell and use that as kind of an active sonar to figure out where they are?

[AudienceofOne]

His powers have been pretty well demonstrated to be a kind of echolocation (which annoyed me in the beginning because being blind does not cause you to develop echolocation). There's no way masking your heartbeat (and... how?) could stop you from being seen using echolocation.

[Kel Varnsen]

His powers have been pretty well demonstrated to be a kind of echolocation (which annoyed me in the beginning because being blind does not cause you to develop echolocation). There's no way masking your heartbeat (and... how?) could stop you from being seen using echolocation.

I thought they could have come up with a better way to explain it, something like how them masking their heartbeats and super quiet movements made it more difficult to track than the average goon, and gives them a split second advantage in fights. Like he senses a generic blob and not a fist coming for his face or something.

[blueray]

I was thinking it was like they were able to control their heart beat by remaining calm and in control the whole time regardless of the amount of fighting they do (not a real life possibility but neither is immortality).  This made them hard for Matt to detect until it was to late, however as Stick suggested follow there breathing. Which I imagine would also be still a challenge, however they do need to breath and Matt could pick that up.  Plus that gave Matt two things to look for.

[tennisgurl]

I am really glad they gave Elektra more of a story now, even if it is a little confusing. Still no idea what the Black Sky is? I hope it does not turn out to be an alien thing. I want it to be a magic thing. Stop being afriad of magic, MCU! But, I did like seeing her backstory, and it does explain a bit more about her. I like the actress a lot, I find her to be really believable as a badass, but also doing well with the more dramatic or light scenes. 

 

I know it seems like either Karen or Elektra is going to turn out to be Matts true love, but his real big Will They Or Wont They relationship is clearly with Foggy. Platonic wise, anyway. They're like that couple on every show who everyone knows is End Game, but they keep breaking them up to keep things "interesting", and they find new love interests for a few episodes, but everyone knows they'll get back together and end up together when the show ends. Its just like that, but with friendship. 

[KaleyFirefly]

Kudos to the child actress who played young Elektra -- she was great fighting and in the emotional scenes too. 

 

I wish they'd explain what Black Sky is already! Can't Stick give some exposition on that -- or is it that he doesn't know either, just knows it's something destructive?

 

Punisher finally got what he wanted. I'm good with that.

[Pogojoco]

I agree with everyone who said Karen and Frank had a deeper connection than Karen and Matt. You could tell Matt didn't like the fact that Karen trusted Frank and wanted to believe him. 

 

The music in the car was a nice touch. Mr. Krabs!

 

And the fact that it's heroin makes me think the Blacksmith made all sorts of connections in Afghanistan (with the poppy fields) and built an empire with his unit as his muscle. Frank wasn't on board because of his moral compass (maybe) and Colonel thought he should've been more loyal. But I think the Castles were in the wrong place/wrong time- which explains why the Col. said something like if you had joined us, you could've been on vacation rather than in the park. Reyes screwed up which is why she wanted Frank silenced. 

 

On rewatch, I realized the tell as to why it wasn't Frank who shot up the DA's office. He's a sniper who believes "One shot. One kill." Watching the hospital scene, he is very stringent with the shots he takes. He would never spray something with bullets. He would set up somewhere and shoot Reyes in the head with one bullet if he wanted her dead. I think the blonde guy Karen recognizes in the Col.'s picture is the one who shot up the DA's office. He shoots up the heroin boat the same way. I have no idea their vantage point to spray the DA's office. 

 

I don't really know about this Black Sky stuff. Stick is a great character, though. 

Edited March 28, 2016 by Pogojoco

[readster]

 

Frank wasn't on board because of his moral compass (maybe) and Colonel thought he should've been more loyal. But I think the Castles were in the wrong place/wrong time- which explains why the Col. said something like if you had joined us, you could've been on vacation rather than in the park. Reyes screwed up which is why she wanted Frank silenced.

Right, and if anything, Castle picked a wrong day to take the family to the park and Reyes didn't clear it. If anything, she could have kept things from children and families from being in the area by closing down the merry go round or something to that effect. the Colonel knew Castle went off the deep end with his targets, but as he pointed out, he doesn't want innocents in the way in any shape or form. If anything, he would have exposed Reyes and not killed her and we know it was the blonde guy who shot up the boat who killed Reyes and hit Foggy in the process. Frank has never been that reckless during the entire season. 

[Actionmage]

There's no way masking your heartbeat (and... how?) could stop you from being seen using echolocation.

 

I believe we are supposed to believe that the Hand ninjas are undead in some way or reanimated. The morgue scene with Shirley the Administrator, Claire and the Cover-up Guy pointed to that. Claire, and we, could see the autopsy Y-cut that indicated that an autopsy was performed.  Matt couldn't hear their heartbeats because the hearts either didn't beat or they had no heart in their chests.

 

Still, yeah on the sonar/echolocation; if Matt could figure out where there was or wasn't empty space in a train car, guestimating how many bodies around you should be relatively easier. 

[AKA...CJ86]

Caught up to this episode...

 

...So...my love for MARVEL and all, comic wise I'm not too familiar with the Punisher's origin, more specifically the specifics, I get the gist you know...but does it involve so many machinations, and plots, and coverups, and twists, and turns?

 

I'm enjoying the season, and still have the next/finale episode to go, but they certainly tried to cram quite a bit in this season didn't they?

[readster]

Caught up to this episode...

 

...So...my love for MARVEL and all, comic wise I'm not too familiar with the Punisher's origin, more specifically the specifics, I get the gist you know...but does it involve so many machinations, and plots, and coverups, and twists, and turns?

 

I'm enjoying the season, and still have the next/finale episode to go, but they certainly tried to cram quite a bit in this season didn't they?

  Not really, what was done and even put together and updated. Frank Castle was a war vet and respected cop. However, his experience in the field made him a little derange and when his family was killed due to two waring gangs. He lost it and became a one man war against crime: judge, jury and executioner. They tried to make it like Castle brought it on himself in the movies, but really it was an accident and even more, there was talk even in the original origin that the DA was aware of the gang war and didn't warn anyone about it. Hence why Frank had little respect for the DA or lawyers as he knew there were dirty ones or ones that bent the law to have it their way. However, he would expose them and let the public "punish" them as he saw it as a more fitting punishment than a single kill even if they were majorly corrupt. Unlike say well known mob leaders or gangs, where he saw no redemption in them, but he left their families alone if they weren't involved. Like a wife or children who don't know what daddy or mommy are really into. Verses the entire family being born men or killers. 

[AKA...CJ86]

  Not really, what was done and even put together and updated. Frank Castle was a war vet and respected cop. However, his experience in the field made him a little derange and when his family was killed due to two waring gangs. He lost it and became a one man war against crime: judge, jury and executioner. They tried to make it like Castle brought it on himself in the movies, but really it was an accident and even more, there was talk even in the original origin that the DA was aware of the gang war and didn't warn anyone about it. Hence why Frank had little respect for the DA or lawyers as he knew there were dirty ones or ones that bent the law to have it their way. However, he would expose them and let the public "punish" them as he saw it as a more fitting punishment than a single kill even if they were majorly corrupt. Unlike say well known mob leaders or gangs, where he saw no redemption in them, but he left their families alone if they weren't involved. Like a wife or children who don't know what daddy or mommy are really into. Verses the entire family being born men or killers. 

 

Thank you for the reply, appreciate your insight Readster.

[Primetimer]

Just when you think there's too much going on, all these evil ninjas show up without much to do.

Read the story

[WatchrTina]

I'm commenting after watching without first reading the comments above.

1. There is too much torture in this series.  It's just about enough to drive me away.  I've cried out "Jesus Christ!" and had to cover my eyes about five episodes in a row but this one takes the cake with the bamboo under then nails bit.  Enough already.
2. I just KNEW they hadn't hired Clancy "The Kurgan" Brown just to be a one-off dude testifying at The Punisher's trial.  So he's "The Blacksmith"?  Excellent.  
3. Aaaaand he's dead.  Okay, I'm down with that -- especially because when Frank dragged him into that tool shed and they gave us a lingering shot on an electric drill I nearly said "nope" and opted out of the rest of the episode.  Thankfully Frank reverted to his "One shot, one kill" training and ended that MF.  And now he has a whole secret room full of toys with which to continue his vigilante ways.
4. So . . . Electra is the "Black Sky" weapon.  And Stick left her alive, knowing that she was "it." He even trained her.  And then he parked her with a rich Greek couple to keep her safe. (Side note -- I have been wondering all along how a woman who looks anglo-asian ended up with a Greek last name -- though that still doesn't explain why she was called "Electra" to begin with.)  So anyway -- we saw Stick murder a kid last season who was believed to be the Black Sky, right?  Why then, did he protect Electra?  Was he trying to short-circuit the prophecy by co-opting the Hand's long-sought-for weapon so that she would fight for the other side?  But once she went rogue she was too dangerous to let live?  I must say, the constantly changing kaleidoscope of alliances in this show is both impressive and rather confusing.
5. So . . . who do we think is in the coffin, being fed by the special blood cocktail brewed inside the children of the corn?  Who's dead that we wish was back?  OMG -- could it be Wesley?  BTW -- has anyone seen the movie "Underworld"?  I'm half-expecting Viktor, the most ancient of the vampires, be resurrected out of the coffin-o-blood gizmo.  

Edited November 25, 2016 by WatchrTina