The weather is not the only thing heating up in Hell’s Kitchen after Matt and Karen share a very special moment together.  But things cool down quickly when Matt is visited by an old friend, Elektra Natchios. Elektra is the woman he remembers her being, yet wants no part of her new offer. Finding out that she put money into the Nelson and Murdock account, Matt wants to see why she really wants him to be involved at all.  Finding a rooftop to eavesdrop from, Matt listens as Elektra plays the victim, but also hears everything that happens when the computer servers in the office go offline.  Elektra has the know how to take down the people holding her money, but for some reason, she wants Matt back.

With the Punisher in police custody, Nelson and Murdock should be thriving, yet their clients are quickly starting to dwindle.  With a quick visit from the Assistant District Attorney, Foggy has to decline his help to get Reyes’ choke hold off of the office. Foggy will not do anything that is illegal for any reason, even if it is to save his job, so he calls his old friend Marci for a drink. Knowing that he wants something else other than her pleasant company, Marci tells her old friend what she knows about the District Attorney and her plans to make a run for the Mayor’s office.  With the Punisher in chains, her next target will be the vigilante known as the Devil and with those two behind bars and the streets being run by the police once again, there will be nothing to hold her back.

Karen is having a difficult time with what the stories in the newspapers are holding back about the Punisher.  Knowing that he had a family and seeing his past accomplishments from when he was a Marine, the lack of any reporting of this is pointing to a cover-up. Checking with the paper's editor, Ellison, Karen is surprised to see that they did their research, yet none of these facts show up in their databases. Checking the old archives, paper by paper, the week that Frank Castle was put in the hospital, there is no mention of a shooting or anything about a family being slain. But this search doesn't end up being a complete waste of time, since Ellison remembers a story he tried to run around the same time about a mob shootout and when seeing the picture of the carousel in the paper and matching it with the one in Castle’s family photo, Karen is able to put the pieces together that Castle’s family was killed in the crossfire.

Most of this episode however took place in the past, showing how the relationship between Matt and Elektra came to be.  Being a young law student, Matt had a cute appeal to the rich Elektra but she needed something a little more dangerous.  Finding out what made the young man tick, Elektra keeps him on his toes and makes sure he will do what she wants him to do to keep her happy. Breaking into places becomes a thrill for them both as they confess their love for each other, but on one fateful night, Matt breaks into the wrong house. When the old crime boss Roscoe Sweeney arrives home to see two young kids in his house, he is beside himself, but Elektra has the skills and training to handle the situation. Tying up the man who put the hit on her boyfriend’s father, Elektra believes that Matt has it in himself to kill the old gangster out of revenge.  Matt is unable to and after beating the heck out of the old man, chooses to call the police instead.  But when he looks up, the young love of his life is gone and his life will have to start again.

Good backstory episode, I was starting to wonder when Elektra would make an appearance in the show. Seeing how she and Matt became an item in their youth and now with her wanting him back, it is easy to see where the disconnect was. Although Matt will never have her back, he has to worry about being charming for Karen on their first date and when it ends up going well, he needs to peel himself back just a little bit before he gets in too deep. I loved Karen’s drive in this episode, she is determined to find out why things are being left out of the reports surrounding the Punisher and her persistence pays off when she finds what she is looking for.  There is something going on behind the scenes that nobody knows about yet and whatever it is, it has to do with Frank Castle, The Punisher. 

When I sat down to watch Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week after last week's tearjerker of a goodbye for Bobbi and Hunter I was expecting there to be a sense of unity amongst a group that just said goodbye to two people who sacrificed their careers for the greater good. I truly thought their actions would represent so much more to their cohorts and they would honor their comrades by way of incredible deeds. 

Well it turns out that I was wrong. Incredibly wrong at that. Outside of Mack and Coulson, Bobbi and Hunter's goodbye seems to have had little effect on the team since the show decided to go to some pretty dark places this week on a moral level which in turn wiped away the honorable exit we saw last week and I found myself sitting there stunned after this one ended to be quite honest. This episode felt incredibly uncomfortable and nothing like the show I've come to love.

That sense of discomfort came squarely from our favorite agents, since these characters didn't feel like the ones we have come to know, they felt like guest stars from a different show. I mean come on, it was cool to meet Mack's family and everything that came with that, but does he really strike anyone as a guy who takes a vacation? Something about it didn't feel right and it only got weirder from there, since it was also a little odd to see Coulson rip Lincoln to shreds the way he did on the flight over to Blake's safe house. It's not like Coulson to simply demand respect and command his people. He usually finds a way to reach them without activating boss mode on them. But all of these things that I think I would normally brush off if they popped up elsewhere in the series were perhaps amplified by the biggest stunner of the night...Daisy.

Now, we know she is a fiesty character. She always has been, even when she was the obligatory "edgy hacker" character from so long ago, but last night...she crossed some serious lines with her willingness to do anything and everything to learn about the Watchdogs by more or less hunting down a member of the group and borderline torturing him to gain information. It's something we have never quite seen on the show and well, while we have seen our heroes go to tough places internally to save the day in the past and pay their own price for it, this season is taking that concept and pushing it further. First it was Coulson offing Ward and now it's Daisy slinking down to the bad guys level. But what troubles me more, is that Mack and Fitz didn't say or do a whole lot to stop her despite the fact they clearly disagreed.

So I guess really this is an episode that leaves me wondering a couple of things...is this a one off episode where the writers wanted to see what it would be like if our characters indulged their darker sides a little bit, or is this an incredible paradigm shift in the tone and design of the show. Because this is quite the slippery slope for our characters to be on now and well, once the precedent is set it's difficult to put Pandora back in her box. But when all is said and done, I really do hope that this is a one off episode and this strange behavior across the board is explained away by the characters indeed grieving for the loss of Bobbi and Hunter. It won't justify their actions from this episode, but what they've done will at least make a little bit of sense. Hopefully the return/introduction of Ward/Hive next week will give this team the focus they need once again. Until next time.

I'll be the first to admit that I've always loved crossovers when it comes to comic books. I don't know why, but it is always so cool to see another superhero pop up on the pages and help save the day. Seeing a pair of people on the same side working toward the same goal is always just magical and it pleases me to no end that it's starting to become a standard in cinematic comic book universes and hopefully last night's episode of Supergirl helps make it a standard for television.

I say that, because "Worlds Finest" the first ever multi network superhero crossover event, was an absolute delight to watch. It was truly all the things we love about the superhero genre condensed into an hour because we were witness to raised stakes, epic fight scenes and a little bit of character growth along the way...all thanks to a surprise appearance from The Flash in National City, and I'm so glad this whole event revolved around the wonder of the Multiverse theory, a staple of the DC Universe and an easy way to keep everything that happened on last night's episode contained to each series' respective realities.

But the wonder of this episode didn't end there. The first thing I absolutely loved about this one was our villains. It was great to see Livewire return to the screen...and I was super happy with the fact that Siobhan's past was tied closer to the comics after all, adding a little of the mysticism and magic that tends to lightly permeate the Kryptonian side of DC. But aside from that, these two villains were pretty badass on screen together and while their plan was on the simple side and based solely in revenge I really didn't care. This was a chance to watch bad gals team up and that of course led to a super fight in the heart of National City, which turned out to be the best part of the night.

I really can't help it, but I am a sucker for action in any superhero story simply because of the amazing things that both sides can do and well...this battle royale did not disappoint. It was a fast paced showdown that had me on the edge of my seat and the best part of all, it meant something. This was the moment when Kara regained the trust of the city she accidentally betrayed and watching the people rally behind her and stand with their hero was a touching moment indeed and oddly enough at times this whole sequence felt like another homage to the Superman film franchise, specifically Superman II when the public went after General Zod. 

But I digress, after all this isn't the first time and likely not the last time they will pay tribute to the films, what mattered most here is that this episode of the show was strictly for the fans and there were so many moments that I found myself simply grinning at the television with pure joy. As always, Grant Gustin was phenomenal as Barry Allen and he and Melissa Benoist were a fantastic duo on screen and I really do hope the powers that be find a way to tie these two worlds together one more time. But despite all the fun and wonder we enjoyed this episode, there was still one big issue that needs to be resolved, Non, and it looks like the show is taking us back into the thick of it with that curious and ominous ending now that Myriad has been activated. I'm glad we will finally get the answers we need when it comes to this longstanding evil Kryptonian plan and I'm glad we had plenty of fun on the show before it came back into play. Until next time.

Coming back home to pay respects for his fallen boys, Finn is back in town and wants the man responsible for this disaster taken care of, but mostly because he lost a million dollars. Turning his crew loose on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, they are able to piece together the description of the Punisher and find out where he is hiding out in town.  As Frank is making it back home, he sees that the Irish gang is just leaving his apartment and knows that there will be more blood on the streets soon. Taking care of his last batch of wounds in the back of his van, he is ready for whatever the gang can throw at him since he needs answers as well.
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After attending Grotto’s funeral, Nelson and Murdock are ready to start their day and finding out what Karen has been able to dig up on the Punisher, Matt is ready to spring into action once again. Seeing that a bullet went through his new foe’s head, there must be more to the story as to what exactly made the ex-marine snap. Before he is able to get any additional information, Karen is already on her way to find someone that knows who the mad man really is. Questioning the orderly that took Frank Castle home, Karen is able to find his home and goes snooping after dark. Finding pictures of Frank’s family with nobody in the house, she is starting to put the pieces together on her end.

While watching families having fun on the carousel, Frank finds himself surrounded by the Irish gang with no place to go.  Being able to take out a couple of the goons, he is overmatched by drugs and stun guns and taken to Finn's house of pain.  Only wanting to find out where his money is, Finn starts the torture with some common beatings, but when he sees that the Punisher will not give up his secret, he turns to a more sinister way of questioning with a power drill.  Even that does not affect the man that has killed half of his crew and he decided to try one more tactic, bringing his dog in and threatening to kill it as well.  This gets Frank’s attention and he gives the location of the money, but he has something special in the suitcase as the gang finds out.

Trolling the recent violence in the city, Matt is trying to figure out who is behind it this time since shop keepers are being taken out. The Irish gang has been pulling no punches in finding the Punisher and now the violence has escalated once again. Hearing that there are gun shots reported at the carousel, Matt gets there first and is able to question one of the survivors. Knowing that Frank will be murdered by the group if he does not help, Matt gets to the hideout and battles his way to the torture chamber.  Finding Frank is already working on his own escape, the two are able to neutralize the situation without killing too many people. Getting safely to the cemetery, Daredevil and the Punisher have a little heart felt conversation before the cops arrive to take him away.  Finding out what Frank’s little poem is about before he pulls the trigger, Matt gets the story about what happened to make Frank turn into the brutal assassin he has become.

A very powerful episode and while the last one was off the chain, you finally start to find out what is driving the Punisher to do his dastardly deeds. The story about his daughter, his foundation, would drive anyone to tears and was well played, you even see Daredevil get a little choked up. It appears that the District Attorney knows who the Punisher is and Karen has the crazy idea that he has been turned loose in the city to cover something bigger up. Although Foggy and Matt don’t seem to agree with this, Karen will not be deterred in her search for the truth. Daredevil has also just received a new suit from his old friend Melvin as the game has changed drastically and with the bigger guns coming out, more protection will be necessary.  Watching Matt as he is struggling with the loss of Grotto as he was not able to stop it and then being able to come back down to earth and enjoy the company of Karen might have made this episode extremely special. There is something sweet going on between these two, and hopefully it does not interfere with Matt’s night job. 

​I'm honestly not sure what's more difficult when it comes to our favorite television shows. Is it saying goodbye to said show when it is either cancelled or the series finale comes calling? Or is it when we say goodbye to characters we love regardless of whether they die or simply exit the show. These elements are something no fan enjoys facing, but we know it's only a matter of time before it comes up and on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this week, time finally ran out for a couple of characters.

The good news is, "Parting Shot" didn't put our feels through the wringer by killing someone off in horrible fashion, but let's be honest, they might as well have. Because the exit of two key characters last night was heartbreaking on so many levels and while you know not everyone can stay on a show about spies and espionage forever, you still didn't want to see them go, at all, and I know I'm not the only person who needed to wipe a little mist away from their eyes in those closing moments of the episode. 

But...at least Hunter and Bobbi left S.H.I.E.L.D. for all the right reasons, especially when the stakes were super high this week. I did love the fact that Hydra was back to its usual business of causing trouble and sowing seeds of distrust around the world by essentially doing their best to destabilize all of Russia by putting together a plan to see the Prime Minister murdered by his own Defense Minister, who also happened to be an Inhuman. I really had no idea how cool of a customer Gideon Malick turned out to be when it came to executing his dastardly deeds, he treated this whole matter like a quick errand to be done with before lunch, without a care in the world. Thankfully Coulson and the gang did care about the scheme and it led to one of the coolest showdowns with an evil Inhuman on the series to date. 

All of this however, was greatly overshadowed by what I mentioned earlier, the fact that this unexpectedly turned out to be the final episode for Hunter and Bobbi and it was a decision and a move that left me in shock. These are two outstanding characters that have brought so much to the show and well, they're absolutely going to be missed. But despite the sadness I feel over the two of them leaving the series, I am extremely grateful for the fact that the show handled their exit in the classiest of fashion, and that Hunter finally grew as a character. It really was beautiful to see the both of them walk away from the intelligence industry all in the name of the greater good to ensure that world peace was maintained. You really can't ask for a better way to go out, that's for sure. 

But the fact that Hunter was willing to accept that kind of a fate, when he's questioned Coulson and May and S.H.I.E.L.D. in regards to how they do things time and time again, well that's especially magical. He finally got it, and I don't quite know where these two characters are going to go, I hear rumors their own show is possibly up next, but I certainly hope they find their way back to this one from time to time, especially when we consider the fact that the big fight between Hyde/Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. is still brewing in the background and it wouldn't be a bad thing to see these two love birds pop up one last time to help save the day. Until next time.

Hell’s Kitchen is ripping itself apart at the seams and it is all being caused by one man, The Punisher.  After escaping the police’s sting with his new friend Daredevil, the Punisher is ready to for his next assignment.  But Daredevil is not ready to let him complete this as of yet, but has little say in the matter since he is chained to a chimney.  Trying to find out who this new player in Hell’s Kitchen is, Matt tries all of his lawyer tactics to get him to talk, but since he has never been in a war and seen the things that really change a man, the Punisher will not continue the conversation.

After the blowup on her sting attempt to capture the Punisher, District Attorney Reyes is in no mood to be messed with.  Trying to get the reason for having their client being the bait, Karen and Foggy try to strong arm the ambitious woman, but get shut down before they can even get started.  Threatening to hold the Nelson/Murdock office responsible for the battle scene, Reyes will not answer to anybody for her actions.  Being a small firm, Foggy knows that they would not be able to come back from a disbarring, so he lays back and plays the game by the DA’s rules for the time being.

Karen is not willing to let this go as she starts digging into Reyes’ past and finds some instances that prove what kind of woman she really is.  Trying to threaten the Assistant District Attorney, Karen finds that she can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar and gets the police file for the Punisher so she can start her character profile of the mad man.  Foggy is trying to get a hold of Matt, but when the phone goes to voicemail, he will have to turn to the place he hopes not to go.  The hospital is packed full of gang members who are needing to be restrained as they are in the middle of a war.  Only looking for Claire to find out if she has seen Matt, Foggy finds himself doing what he does best, defusing situations.

As the night continues on the rooftop, Matt is able to break through the Punisher’s walls and gets a dialogue going. Finding out that his new foe’s name is Frank, he tries to reason with the man, but there is something that has snapped in his mind. Frank applauds Matt’s attempt at cleaning up Hell’s Kitchen, but putting people in jail is not working since they make their way back to the streets faster than they can be captured again. Putting the evil of the city into the ground is the only way to make the streets safer and since the Daredevil is not willing to take a life, Frank will follow through to the end. Giving Daredevil the opportunity to stop him from completing his mission, the Punisher puts a gun in his hand and tries to provoke him to do the right thing.  Daredevil is not willing to comply, since he has not taken a life, he will not start now, even if it means saving one.

Finally, the Punisher speaks and when he does, he has plenty to say.  The dialogue between him and Daredevil on the rooftop was great and I wish it did not have to end since you started to find out more about Frank.  Even though you get a piece of the backstory, you do not have enough to find out what set off the ex-soldier and whatever it is, it is gonna be epic.  With Karen not willing to take the threats from the District Attorney lying down, she is able to get the police file on the Punisher and start her own work. While the crime scene photos are graphic, she continues on with her profile which is going to be quite the read.  As always, Foggy steals the show when he is able to stop two rival gang members from killing each other in the ER.  It is easy to see how Hell’s Kitchen can fall apart, but bringing it back together will take more people like this who care enough to save their city from total destruction.

I always get a little nervous when a television show puts forth its finest episode for the season well before the end of the year and with good reason, something that great is always impossible to top, but that doesn't stop some shows from trying. They realize they've hit storytelling pay dirt and try to impress us and well...the end result leaves much to be desired.

So, needless to say, that exact concern was at the fore front of my mind when I settled in to watch this week's episode of Supergirl since last week's episode was absolutely incredible and I'm happy to report that the show did not try in any single way to top "Falling", instead the folks behind the scenes decided to compliment it by keeping the consequences of Kara's actions rolling before throwing a few surprises in front of us by way of a steady, simple and satisfying episode in "Manhunter".

In order to do that, the show decided to fall back on a storytelling device that I haven't seen used in a long time, something we all refer to as "The Flashback Episode" since the past came heavily into focus this week with the U.S. Government launching an inquiry as to what went wrong at the DEO and how an alien came to power there. It was the interrogation sequences that provided us with a bevy of flashbacks that allowed us to learn how Alex ended up at the DEO and more importantly, how J'onn became Hank Henshaw. That turned out to be one of the coolest parts of the night and kudos to actor David Harewood for his performance of the two versions of Hank this week since you see a significant difference between both iterations of the man.

But this is a show that has made it abundantly clear you should expect surprises from this story every step of the way and this week was no exception to that rule. For one, I loved the fact that Jeremiah Danvers is alive and well at Project Cadmus and it was incredibly special to see Alex and J'onn make the call to find the facility and Jeremiah. It's a great little twist that he's alive, but nothing could top the birth of another villain this week. I loved everything about the Siobhan storyline this go round because her character is a true tragedy. She really believes she's doing the right thing in getting revenge and doing whatever it takes to get where she needs to be and it never works out for her. All of that somehow made the surprise appearance of her sonic scream all the more satisfying because the Silver Banshee has arrived at last. 

Of course there are more questions than answers when it comes to that scream because now we have to wonder if Siobhan is like Kara, an alien that has done everything to keep her powers hidden or if her backstory is more in line with the comics. Either way, time will tell and I can't wait to get those particular answers. But I will say, I'm quite glad the show decided to fill in the blanks on a few mysteries this week and I'm glad this episode was a little more low key than we are used to, especially when it came to Kara working to regain the trust of National City after her red kryptonite freakout. I love that she is in essence, apologizing and repairing relationships one person at a time, starting with her inner circle and it won't be long before the public trusts her again. Until next time. 

It is difficult to understand what a vigilante really wants when they are working by their own rules.  When they are taking out the trash on the streets so the cops do not need to, even the police have a hard time deciding if what they are doing is right or wrong. Justice can come in many forms, but the only form that is observed in Hell’s Kitchen is by the courts. Now with two vigilantes running amuck around the city, the police will have to pull out all of the stops to capture or kill these men before something bad happens.

Being found on a rooftop by Foggy, Matt has now seen the face of the man he will have to hunt down.  But after receiving a shot in the head from his new nemesis, he will need time to recover and Foggy will take care of everything else in between.  With Grotto making it safe to the police, he is willing to give up all of the information that he has on his former employer, but wants to be safe from the man that is on the streets with the oversized weapons and protective custody is the only thing that makes sense. 

Karen is beside herself after the attack in the hospital and believes that she might be the cause of it. Needing to be talked down by Foggy, she needs to hear it from someone else as well and with Matt out of the office, she will have to make a special house call when time allows it.  Matt is dealing with his own issues when his senses start to work on their own out of his control and then like a breaking of a glass, his sense of hearing goes away.  Lying in wait to see if something changes, he is able to hear a knocking at the door and surprised to see Karen there.  After Foggy has passed on the word that Matt is an alcoholic, Karen is worried that his drinking might be getting the best of him, but suspects that there is something else happening that the two are not telling her. Filling Matt in on what will be happening with Grotto, she excuses herself but lets her friend know that she is there for him whenever he is in need.

To get his Federal Protection signed off on, Grotto is being forced to wear a wire and get a known drug dealer to admit to his crimes. With the District Attorney running the sting and all of the police force waiting to make the bust, there is something completely different going on. Finding out that their client is the bait for the ‘Punisher’, Foggy and Karen are trying to find a way to get him out before the bullets start flying. But before they know it, the single man army arrives on the scene to take out the last of the Irish mob that he has missed the last two times. Daredevil is also on the scene and after finding the Punisher’s hideout, he starts to see where the mad man is getting all of his information from.  Being able to stop the kill shot, Daredevil does what he is best at and hands out a beating to his new foe, but with bullets flying through the air directed at the two vigilantes, the fight might be more costly than expected.
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The second episode has come to an end and there is no disappointment as of yet.  You finally get to see the Punisher in the daylight and start to figure out what kind of man that he really is.  With few words spoken, he lets his actions do his talking and for a particular pawn shop broker, that doesn't work out too well. I really think I am going to like this addition to the story more than I expected. There is also a new storyline being put into play, Karen is starting to crush on Matt a little bit, this will be very interesting when all is said and done since she does not know his secret yet.  Foggy is just being Foggy and there is no reason he should not be.  Standing up to the District Attorney about his client’s rights, Foggy knows much more than he appears to, and is still able to help his buddy Matt out in a time of need.  With the battle between Daredevil and the Punisher in full swing, I cannot wait to see what happens between them and now with them both being injured, it might be a little different than expected.

​I don’t even know how long it has been, but I have been dying to see Daredevil come back and my dreams have come true.  With the way the last season ended with Fisk being sent to prison, you would think that Hell’s Kitchen would be back to normal, and in fact it is.  But there are more players coming out of the woodwork and an unseen force that is going to make it more difficult for anyone to escape with their lives.  With the best friends of Nelson and Murdock on the case, there may be a way to find out what is happening, but one thing that Hell’s Kitchen is not known for is pulling any punches and neither does the season opener of Daredevil.

Matt Murdock and his partner Foggy Nelson have made a name for themselves after having a hand in sending Wilson Fisk to prison.  But they are quickly finding out that their business strategy is a little bit harder than they realized.  As their new clients are good, innocent people, they have little money to pay the team with, the bills are starting to pile up and with little to no income from their many clients, it will be difficult to keep the doors open.  Matt knows that everything will work out, he does not know how, but he does know that good things are on the horizon for them and will make sure that his friends are taken care of at all times. 

While having a night out with his friends, Matt confronts a man that appears to want to make some trouble in the bar, but before a punch is thrown, he finds out the man is looking for his lawyer team.  Grotto has just been part of a mass execution at his boss’s hideout and needs help before he becomes the next victim.  Not knowing exactly what is happening, Matt and Foggy take a trip down to the crime scene to check out the man’s story.  Talking with their police insider, Matt uses his ears to catch anything else that is being talked about at the scene.  Hearing about a similar hit being performed on the Dogs of Hell, Matt knows that there is much more to investigate and find out who this military force is that is taking out the new thugs inside the city. 

Hitting up Turk, his favorite gun dealer, Matt gets a location on where some high powered firepower is being delivered in the warehouse district.  Foggy is working on getting any information on his own and makes it to the Dogs of Hell’s hang out.  Using the name of his old elementary school friend, he is able to gain entrance, but is quickly thrown out, only to find out that his friend has been killed by this military force as well.  Knowing only to keep her client safe, Karen stays in the hospital with Grotto until he has time to heal from the wounds he suffered in the shootout.  But when screams fill the hospital, she knows that the two will have to get to safety sooner than later. 

This is the best way to open a new season, it feel as though only a day has passed in Hell’s Kitchen and things are getting worse before they are getting better. While the city seems to be calm, there are plans being made to take the streets back by the evil doers, but before they are able to formulate a plan, they are being killed off by a force greater than their own.  The civilians may not see a problem in this, but Matt and Foggy certainly do as nothing ever goes according to plan when it comes to doing the right thing.  Knowing that innocent people will be caught in the cross fire, Matt has to don his mask once again and find out who is behind the attacks before they get worse.  Even though you find out who is behind it all, there is nothing to know about him at this point and you have to wait and see if he and Daredevil are really fighting for the same thing, or if they are looking for something completely different in Hell’s Kitchen.  I cannot wait to find out!