While the belated folding of the Netflix Daredevil show into the arms of the MCU was hugely welcome, at times the aptly titled Born Again felt like the sum of its parts were greater than the whole. The reason was this was a well documented transitional period that saw production of the new halt haunted halfway in order to start again and bring it more in line with the darker, harsher, fan favorite earlier series and as a result, even a blind man could see where some of the joins are as both the new and previous attempts were hot glued together in order to create a cohesive story.
Unsurprisingly, it was the moments that harkened to the Netflix era that worked the best, and the return of beloved characters and the return to really hard-edged violence pushed the boundaries of what the PG-13 world of the MCU could do. But with none of those previous obstacles standing in the way of Born Again’s second season, can the second coming of Daredevil’s second coming manage to solidify the show into what it’s trying so hard to be?
We rejoin Matt Murdock and his horned alter ego with a new look after going underground with Karen Page to strike back at the efforts of Mayor Fisk as his large, bloodied mitts close ever tighter around the neck of New York City. In order to build a port that would be exempt from the laws of the state, Fisk has kept public attention elsewhere by making masked vigilantes a scapegoat, initiating an 8pm curfew and building the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, a fascist collection of disgraced police who move without the usual rules that normal police live by. Those arrested and detained under this “Safe Streets” programme are denied any legal rights. The public seem mostly pleased that violent crime has dropped so sharply, but Matt Murdock has taken it upon himself to strike back from the shadows to shed some light on Fisk’s corrupt practices.
We rejoin Matt as he infiltrates a Cypriot cargo ship that is smuggling in a huge cashe of weapons into Kingpin’s freeport for a mysterious third party and during the vicious brawl, the remaining crew sinks the ship to hide its damning load. This however is only a part of a bigger tapestry of events that drapes over Murdock and Fisk’s supporting cast like a suffocating blanket.
Murdock’s ex, psychologist Heather Glen now works for the Mayor’s office interviewing arrested vigilantes and having unnerving visions of the serial killer Muse and the offices of McDuffie & Murdock are trying to ensure that those arrested still have a right to a fair trial.
However, the most worrying addition to proceedings is the introduction of mysterious CIA agent, “Mr. Charles”, who not only has a connection to those problematic guns on The Northern Star, but seems to answer to none other than Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. But as Fisk’s grip tightens all the more, it seems that Murdock’s plans will be scuppered when his attempts to rescue an ailing Cherry place him in the custody of the AVTF. However, while salvation sometimes takes strange form, getting a helping hand from Bulleye certainly takes the cake.
There’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done for Born Again’s second season, but thankfully returning directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson are well versed at finally managing to spin all those multiple plates into one cohesive whole. This does mean that all these re-introductions means that “The Northern Star” proves to be an incredibly dense experience, but it’s worth it when you realise that all the unevenness of season 1 has mostly been unified into a more solid direction. But as well as attacking its status quo with far sturdier legs, Born Again has a fair few things to say about what’s going on in the news right now concerning certain forces of law and order overstepping their bounds for questionable leaders.
While there’s a complaint to be made that the length and breadth of Daredevil: Born Again is so epic, the episode doesn’t actually have a lot of breathing room to move quite yet as it painstakingly sets up the new normal, but on the bright side, it’s mostly all killer. Having Matt and Karen Page not only working together once again, but also back in a relationship feels right and as they plot against Fisk from the shelter of Josie’s Bar, it’s a scenario as cool as Daredevil’s kickass new suit. Dropping the red in favour of black, it merges the two states the vigilante often finds himself in – the red superhero costume (hero) and the black sweats (underdog) – to echo his mindset as an urban freedom fighter.
Meanwhile, we don’t get anything too meaty on Mayor Fisk’s side of the street other some more marshaling of power, but a majorly new wrinkle comes in the form of Matthew Lillard’s wonderfully abrasive CIA agent who fully doubles down on the show’s themes of corruptable power. You see, those weapons on the The Northern Star belong to the notoriously shifty Allegra de Fontaine, who already has flexed her creepy muscles numerous times throughout the MCU. In other threads, the show impressively adds some dramatic weight to some of the weaker aspects of season one.
I don’t think too many people were upset when the frankly annoying Heather Glen broke up with Matt, but now she’s a corrupted, enthusiastic mouth piece for Fisk who doctors her evaluations and has visions of the masked, psycho-street artist who tried to kill her, she’s become a splendidly hissable – yet tragic – character. Similarly, BB Urich’s puff piece news reports are revealed to us as a cover for her more underground news coverage that takes the form of an online call to arms and Michael Gandolfini seems blissfully unaware that he’s being put in place to be a necessary scapegoat if things for Fisk go sour. Along with Kirsten McDuffie fighting for the rights of jailed vigilante socialite, Jack “Swordsman” Duand, the scale of things is so huge it’s a wonder that the episode has an actual time for some old fashioned, brutal superheroing. However, rest assured that old hornhead gets to enthusiastically break some faces in the opening sequence that ends with a ship sinking and the climax, that sees Matt finally brought to heel by the AVTF as cherry succumbs to a heart attack.
Of course, this is just the opening salvo and while the “previously on” segment is woefully ill equpped to bring you up to speed on matters (a rewatch of season 1 is basically mandatory), there’s still a lot to come. For example, the much hyped return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones is mentioned off-hand, but the super powered private eye has yet to make her full bow. But even more intriguing is the fact that also waiting in the wings is the always welcome Wilson Bethel as Bullseye who seems to be willing to offer a lethal hand in aid – whether Matt wants it or not.
While fully immersed on getting everyone back up to speed, Born Again’s second season seems mostly focused on the big picture to start with as it aligns it’s sizable cast in the same direction. However, with seven episodes still to go and a more cohesive vision on the cards, Daredevil’s strong return seems to hint that things are well in hand as the corruption spreads and the blood flows. Ironically for the man without fear, a future laced with darkness seems extremely bright…
And thank God we finally got a double D on his chest.
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