TV Review: Marvel’s Daredevil – Season 2 Episode 6 “Regrets Only”

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

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EPISODE 6: “Regrets Only”

SYNOPSIS: A lethal foe returns with a vengeance, Foggy and Murdock risk the firm to ensure justice, and Karen sees a different side of the Punisher.

REVIEW: Picking up right where the previous episode left off, we find ourselves on the brink of a big fight between the Yakuza and the duo of Daredevil and Elektra. Giving us a quick intro of the Japanese thugs arriving via motorcycle, we then see them get down to blows with our two heroes. The fight is short and nasty and features several broken bones followed by breakfast. Like most of this season thus far, the fighting is kept to a minimum while there is an emphasis on dialogue. Hell, even The Punisher, a man who is known for spreading bullets without caution, is relegated to confinement in a hospital bed. All together this makes for a good episode of the season but definitely not as good as the last two. Maybe that is because the focus is split between the two arcs and divides our main character’s attention a bit too much.

We all have seen how Matt Murdock has to keep secrets. Since last season, he has lied to his friends and loved ones about his alter ego both to protect them and to protect himself. We have also seen his reluctance to work with anyone else, but both of those aspects of his life are about to crumble before him. On one hand, Elektra needs Matt’s help in order to steal a Roxxon ledger that holds the secrets to taking them and the Yakuza down. The only way Matt is willing to assist her is on the promise that once their task is done, she will be out of his life forever. But, dealing with Elektra and his questionable ethics and spur of the moment personality leads Matt to lie to Foggy and Karen about the mysterious deposits in their account and the sudden requests for Matt’s attendance elsewhere. Matt poorly plays it off as being a new client only he is dealing with but it clearly indicates that he is stressed out about handling these two events in his life.

On the Frank Castle front, the public defender for Frank Castle deposes Karen but he is clearly unqualified to handle such a massive case. The team decides they will defend Castle pro bono. When they arrive at the hospital, the newly promoted Mahoney greets them with massive security measures. Castle’s room has been stripped of everything and the man is strapped to his bed. When Matt enters, Castle appears to recognize his voice. After some convincing and Karen’s revelation that she was in Frank’s home, he agrees to let them defend him. D.A. Reyes is livid and still plans to have Castle tried in Delaware where the death penalty is an option. While Matt is quickly whisked away by Elektra’s driver, Foggy and Karen review the charges to prepare for Castle’s arraignment. Castle agrees to speak with Karen and talks to her about his family and some of the items she saw in their home, a place he has not returned to since their murders. Karen is affected by Frank’s emotions and she and Foggy manage to get him to agree to plead guilty in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Meanwhile, Elektra takes Matt to a Roxxon gala where they plan to steal the key card from Gibson, their finance expert. Donning a tux, Matt and Elektra enter the party and adapt their plan as things go awry. Using his blindness as a distraction, they manage to steal Gibson’s key card after knocking him out in a bathroom. They ascend to the 13th floor where they search the office for a safe. Matt uses his enhanced senses to find a hidden room where they steal the Yakuza ledger. Security realizes they are there and shuts down the floor. Matt and Elektra take down one room of thugs before pretending to get caught having sex in order to escape. When they do escape, they review the ledger and see it is full of receipts for weapons, human trafficking, and illegal drugs. But, there is one entry that is encrypted and they do not know why. Matt and Elektra seem to have their work cut out for them. Back at Roxxon, Gibson is brought to the office of his superior where his guards are killed. Gibson pleads that he would never double-cross the Yakuza but is met with the cryptic response that they are not Yakuza after all.

At Castle’s arraignment, Reyes appears smug as the charges are read. Foggy and Karen are prepared to accept Frank’s fate, but when his plea is requested, Castle defiantly pleads not guilty. Reyes is shocked, as are Foggy and Karen. Clearly, Frank Castle knows something else is going on and this may or may not be a part of his ongoing plan for vengeance. Foggy meets Matt at his apartment later that night and reveals the news. Angered at being crossed, Reyes has pulled every string she has to expedite Castle’s trial, meaning that Nelson and Murdock are going to court in just one week. This means that not only will Matt have to deal with Elektra but we are finally going to see some courtroom action from this series, something that was sorely lacking in the first season. Whether the Punisher trial will take up substantial screen time over the next seven episodes remains to be seen.

I was pleasantly surprised by the reveal that the Yazuka are not the foe for this plot. There have long been suspicions leading back to season one that who we assumed were Yakuza were actually The Hand. With Iron Fist in development, it seems logical to introduce the occult ninja order sooner than later. Whether or not they will be part of the enemy facing The Defenders remains to be seen, but I am glad they are sliding it in organically like this. While this episode felt like it was being pulled in too many directions, I like the direction of the plots. There could have been some better editing between the gala scenes and the arraignment, but I think we are in store for some fireworks over the next half of the season. I just hope we don’t spend most of them with Frank Castle tied to a bed.

MARVEL UNIVERSE REFERENCES: Elektra mentions Roxxon Corporation which has appeared in multiple MCU properties, most notably ABC’s Agent Carter. Marcy also works for Jeri Hogarth’s firm and mentions Jessica Jones.

EPISODE GRADE:

NEXT ON DAREDEVIL: “Semper Fidelis” – 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.