Overview
- This week’s penultimate episode delivered a shock turn, and the showrunner said the character’s fate was changed late in the edit to strengthen the story.
- Michael Gandolfini said he originally filmed later scenes before being told the new cut would end his arc earlier, calling the decision the right creative move.
- Luminate figures for the first five weeks report about a 46% decline in season views and more than a 54% fall in hours watched versus Season 1, and the show did not reach Nielsen’s streaming originals Top 10 in its premiere week.
- Season 2 is drawing a warmer critical response than Season 1, with a 91% Rotten Tomatoes score compared with 87% previously.
- Marvel is pressing ahead with this corner of the MCU, with Season 3 already filming with returning Defenders characters and a Punisher special slated for May 2026, putting added pressure on future installments to rebuild the audience.