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Daredevil

Season two of Daredevil hits Netflix at 3 AM ET tomorrow, which means that as of this moment you probably have just enough time to binge through all of season one in preparation. However, we also recognize that cramming an entire thirteen-hour-long season of Daredevil into one sitting is probably a crazy idea. I mean, WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT? Furthermore, who could possibly be crazy enough to wake up at 3 AM — on the dot — to binge-watch all thirteen episodes back-to-back? (Oh, I was crazy enough to do just that last year.)

In any event, you might be psyched to jump into all-new episodes of Daredevil, but you might also be a little rusty on the who’s who and the ins and outs of Hell’s Kitchen. Heck, it’s possible you never even watched the first season of Daredevil, but you want to jump in because you’re curious about The Punisher and Elektra! The good news is we’ve seen the first half of the new season and it turns out you don’t need to remember every single little thing about season one to follow along. Sure, the show loves its Easter eggs — and you’ll see pretty much every single memorable side character pop up again — but the new season is fresh enough that you could go in “blind.”

Nevertheless, whether you’re new to the show or if you’re just having trouble remembering the details of Daredevil, here is a quick rundown of who’s who and where we are in the story at the start of season two:

Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil

Daredevil is the alter-ego of attorney Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox). Our fearless hero — for, yes, in the comics, Daredevil is referred to as “the man without fear” — “became” Daredevil when he was struck by a car carrying toxic chemicals as a child. The chemicals made him blind, but also left him with enhanced senses. Matt also became Daredevil over a number of decades, wherein he experienced the tragic loss of his boxer father, was sent to live in a convent, and was trained by a mysterious blind ninja. He also spent all of last season transitioning from ragtag vigilante in a scarf and sweater to the badass superhero he is today.

Matt is defined by his devout Catholicism. He feels that he must use his gifts to protect his city when the law fails them, but he does not feel above the laws of God. He’s against taking another person’s life. He also has trouble being emotionally available as a boyfriend and is constantly wrecked with guilt. At the end of season one, Matt and his friends successfully take down the Kingpin using both the power of the law and the power of Daredevil. Now, he watches over his neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen.

Foggy Nelson

Matt’s best friend is Franklin “Foggy” Nelson (Elden Henson). The two met at Columbia Law School and promptly set up their own fledgling law firm in Hell’s Kitchen after graduation. Foggy is sweet and loyal, but briefly turns on Matt when he discovers his secret. The two quickly made up, though. Foggy still does not approve of Matt’s alter ego.

Karen Page

Season one of Daredevil kicked off with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) being discovered covered in blood, next to her murdered Union Allied co-worker. As it happens, Karen was set up for the crime because she had discovered that the real estate company was up to no good. Down on her luck — and with her life in danger — Karen glommed onto Matt and Foggy. She works as a secretary in their office and does her own investigations on the side. Her curiosity often gets the better of her, but she’s high-minded and sweet. The one problem? She has a dark past. In addition to her secret bad girl history, Karen also killed the Kingpin’s right hand man, Wesley, last season and has told no one.

Claire Temple

Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) is a luminous, straight-taking nurse who patched Matt up quite a few times last season and had a brief romance with him. In addition to saving his life, she might also be responsible for saving his soul. She’s often presented as Matt’s conscience, or at the very least, the voice of reason.

Claire and Matt have split, but she’s shown up on Marvel’s Jessica Jones and will appear on Marvel’s Luke Cage. As much as she doesn’t care for their dangerous secret lives, Claire connects the characters of the Defenders together.

Stick

Stick (Scott Glenn) is a mysterious blind martial arts master who mentored Matt as a boy and taught him how to harness his special powers. Stick returns to Matt as an adult and tries to recruit him for an impending mystical war. Matt’s emotional need for a father figure upsets Stick, who often abandons him at the worst times. Secretly, Stick is hoping that Matt can be the man who can save the world from what’s about to happen.

Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk

Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) was the big bad of Daredevil season one. He simultaneously ran a real estate business and an imposing underground crime ring. His dream was to tear down old New York and rebuild it in the manner he saw fit. He falls in love with an art curator named Vanessa, and the two conspire to run away when his corruption is revealed. However, Daredevil foils Fisk’s plans and ensures that he is sent to prison. It’s possible that Kingpin is connected with HYDRA, but unconfirmed.

He’s currently in jail, staring at a wall, waiting for when the time is ripe to be reunited with his beloved Vanessa and to strike Daredevil down.

Punisher & Elektra

In the new season of Daredevil, the peace of Hell’s Kitchen is disturbed by a new vigilante called The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who leaves his prey dead. Meanwhile, Matt is revisited by his ex-girlfriend Elektra (Elodie Yung). She’s referenced in the first season in a college flashback, but this year, we’ll see how her torrid love affair with Matt unraveled.

For more info on Season One of Daredevil, check out our recaps by Sean T. Collins or our live-binge blog.

[Watch Daredevil on Netflix]