Ricky Church reviews the fifth episode of Daredevil season 2…
One of the most anticipated factors going into this season was the introduction of Elodie Yung’s Elektra, a fan-favourite character who has not received proper treatment in live action. ‘Kinbaku’ takes a break from Punisher’s arc to explore Elektra’s character and her unusual relationship with Matt, flashing back to the time when they dated.
While this was a Punisher-less episode, it was nice to get a break from that plotline and introduced to some of the other elements that will be this season’s focus, especially since Elektra brings something different to the show. The juxtaposition of Matt and Elektra’s relationship in the past and present was great to watch. It was immediately clear why the younger Matt was so drawn to Elektra; she was the first person in a long time to have an absolute read of him and understand what he was going through. Conversely, Matt was someone who Elektra felt understood her and was attracted to the mystery surrounding Matt. It was easy to see why these two fell for each other.
Elodie Yung was quite impressive in the role, displaying a lot of charisma and danger in her performance. Yung also played up the mysterious factor, never letting you feel sure of Elektra’s next move, particularly during her and Matt’s home invasion of the man who killed Matt’s father. The enjoyment she got from her reckless nature was telling as Matt beat Rosco, being nearly reminiscent of Xenia Onatopp from the Bond film Goldeneye. In the present time, Yung showed Elektra as being more confident and put together, but perhaps even more manipulative and unpredictable. It was a good performance showing how much Elektra had grown over the last decade, and not for the better.
After ‘New York’s Finest’ and ‘Penny and Dime’ spent so much time discussing Matt’s drive not to kill, it was gratifying to see the defining moment that choice was made. Elektra wanted to mold Matt like her and offered him a gift he had been dreaming about for years, but when the moment came to avenge his father, he chose to step back from that choice. Charlie Cox really sold how panicky and resolute Matt’s younger self was in that moment, showcasing his desire to rise above his darker feelings. Between Punisher and Elektra, it really helped elevate the inner battle Matt will face this season.
I continue to like the ways in which the supporting characters have their own stories outside of Matt and his alter-ego. Seeing Karen go to The Daily Bulletin, once again on her own initiative, to discover more about Castle was great. It’s excellent that they’re able to make Karen stand apart from Nelson & Murdock by showcasing her drive and intelligence by connecting dots Matt and Foggy are otherwise unable to see. Deborah Ann Woll’s scenes here and on her date with Matt displayed everything we should like about Karen; she’s smart, resourceful, funny and very kind, showing why she’s probably a better match for Matt than Elektra is.
‘Kinbaku’ was a nice break away from The Punisher which not only set up more of the mystery surrounding his family, but gave a great introduction to Elektra and what Matt will soon be up against. It’s clear Elektra only brings bad news, but this time Matt may not be able to simply walk away from what seems to be a very formidable group as well as Elektra’s own danger.
Ricky Church
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Originally published March 22, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
