Daredevil: Born Again Season-Finale Recap: Resist, Rebel, Rebuild

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As a die-hard movie enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by the intricate planning behind productions like the revamped Daredevil series. From its inception, it was envisioned as a 18-episode journey. That’s why “Straight to Hell” feels like the perfect midpoint, akin to ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, where hope seems shattered, but the spirit of resistance endures.

Though we might not get the immediate victory or retribution for the good guys in this installment, the anticipation for Daredevil’s ultimate takedown of Kingpin will only amplify. And let’s face it, who wouldn’t enjoy watching the Punisher dispatch some corrupt cops with impunity? After all, the suspense makes the eventual triumph that much sweeter!

The narrative opens with the revelation that Vanessa employed Dexter to assassinate Foggy and his client. Matt has an intuition about this fact, but he comes off as delusional when expressing his concerns to Heather and Kristen in the hospital. Kristen does provide useful insights: Foggy was intending to file a motion to dismiss prior to his demise. However, Heather remains deeply suspicious of Matt’s alerts regarding Fisk, which is increasingly irritating to observe.

Moving forward, let’s discuss Heather’s role in this series. Apart from her brief appearance towards the end of this finale as Fisk appoints her as his Commissioner of Mental Health, her presence has been limited. This appointment, however, ensures that her conflicts with Matt Murdock over Fisk will persist in season two. While I’m not particularly excited about these ongoing tensions, I hope Heather shifts allegiance to support Matt and uncovers his dual identity. If she is to continue as a major character and potential romantic interest, this revelation seems crucial. Their relationship appears to be the most substantial one Matt has ever had, but unfortunately, we don’t get to see them bond deeply very often. The reappearance of Karen Page later in the episode serves as a stark contrast, highlighting how genuine and developed their relationship seems, regardless of its romantic potential for the future.

Meanwhile, Fisk doesn’t express much gratitude towards Matt for saving his life. Instead, he sees this incident as a chance to eliminate an old foe. However, when Buck arrives at the hospital and the power goes out, Matt has already left – heading home where Frank Castle awaits, ready to deal with the Task Force agents lurking outside. (Karen contacted Frank to look after Matt since she learned that Dex had escaped prison.) Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead don’t shoot this fight in a single take like they did for Josie’s impressive brawl in the premiere, but it still carries the classic feel of Daredevil. This fight involves Matt and Frank arguing over Matt’s no-kill rule, which Frank is eager to disregard. Interestingly, by the end of the fight, Matt’s entire apartment has been destroyed by a grenade, meaning anyone Matt had left unconscious no longer survives.

In a dramatic turn of events, Karen arrives with urgency, whisking Matt and Frank away to safety. For a brief instant, this threesome forms an unusual bond. However, beyond a fleeting moment of intimate conversation about Matt listening to Karen’s heartbeat, their attention quickly shifts to the matter at hand – searching a storage area for case files that led to Foggy’s death. Karen successfully locates them and discloses a chilling revelation: the Red Hook Port operates beyond jurisdiction, giving the Fisks free rein to launder money and engage in illegal activities without fear of repercussions. Foggy may not have fully understood the gravity of the case, but Vanessa was aware.

Without a doubt, Fisk is now acting like a ruthless dictator, openly disregarding legalities. He orchestrated the blackout as a pretext to lock down the city, ordering the Task Force to apprehend all vigilantes without proper trial. What’s even more astonishing is that it seems everyone on his team is fully on board with him, which in some instances is more surprising than others. Daniel has already demonstrated his sinister side, and here he’s excelling at coercing the city council to support Fisk’s authoritarian Safer Street program. Anyone who opposes will be marked as an enemy, and the team will quietly arrange to handle them.

Sheila seems unwilling to be involved in these wrongdoings, and I wish there had been more scenes showing when she fully grasped the extent of Fisk’s wickedness and still decided to stand by him. However, this particular scene could be that moment: Sheila shares her conversation with Commissioner Gallo with Fisk, exposing that Gallo is planning against him. She had the chance to take action, but she didn’t.

Nevertheless, the most astonishing twist in this finale comes after Buck delivers Gallo to Fisk. It becomes clear to Gallo that Fisk will always be the Kingpin, and he proves this correct. In full view of Sheila and some of his loyal soldiers, Fisk does not shoot or beat Gallo to death as usual, but instead brutally crushes his skull and tears his head apart with his bare hands. This is reminiscent of the ruthless Fisk from early Daredevil, who decapitated a Russian gangster by repeatedly hitting him with a car door.

This episode lacks a traditional climax; instead, it focuses on the chaos that unfolds in the middle, and the final act sets up the grim new life under martial law in Fisk’s New York. Matt and Fisk don’t meet again after their encounter where Matt saves Fisk, and Matt resists his urge for revenge. Recognizing the danger, both Matt and Karen arrive at the port, but they realize that confronting Fisk now would be foolish and would not bring justice for Foggy or the city. They decide to return with reinforcements.

This is how we’re setting up for season two, and honestly, I can’t wait! ‘Straight to Hell’ reminds me more of the original Daredevil than most episodes this season, except the first one, and that’s not just because Karen Page is there. It’s due to the character development, the dark atmosphere, and the examination of faith. Most of this season didn’t quite meet my expectations for a revival, but it started well and ended well. Now that we have a clearer understanding of ‘Born Again‘, now that the show has addressed its pre-transformation elements and focused on a good visual style, I believe that season two will be an upgrade.

The TV series “Born Again” has been wrestling internally, as two distinct storylines compete for supremacy. This internal conflict mirrors Matt’s personal journey, as he carries both light and darkness within him. Despite witnessing his dual nature, Karen and Foggy accepted him wholeheartedly. As Matt grapples with his inner darkness, so does the show itself, acknowledging its own shadows. Although the season is concluding, it seems that “Daredevil” is only now finding its way back.

Devil in the Details

I’m curious about your response, why are you willing to risk your life for such an ungrateful individual?”

This phrase maintains the essence of the original statement while being more conversational and easier to understand. It also sets up the possibility for a thoughtful response, as was suggested in the original interaction.

• Nice beat when Frank quietly says, “Stay safe” after Karen and Matt have already left.

• Officer Cole North, who killed Hector Ayala, is one of the guys left to die in Matt’s apartment.

It’s intriguing to watch Frank tackle impostors of his Task Force at the port, despite ending up in their grip himself (alongside Jack Duquesne). However, the post-credit scene hints that he may have already begun to escape from their grasp.

I deeply regret that we didn’t get to witness Powell’s demise. He was an ideal choice for a minor adversary at this stage in the story. Oh well, hopefully we’ll see it unfold next year.

• No BB Urich, but hopefully she’ll link up with Matt and his army.

• Wondering what Vanessa’s part will be in the future. I didn’t anticipate her completely betraying Fisk, but it was interesting to see more of her on her own due to their disagreement. In this final episode, she seems to return to a less vocal, supportive partner role.

In my opinion, Matt’s concluding voiceover once more highlights his spiritual bond with God. I would appreciate more exploration of Catholicism in season two, as it seems integral to his character and somewhat unexpectedly scarce given the show’s title “Born Again.” Although some may disagree, I believe this aspect plays a significant role in defining the character and feels inconsistent to have so little of it in a series that carries such a religious name, especially since season three has largely followed the original comic.

From the present political climate, there are many interpretations that can be drawn from “Born Again,” and I must admit, Fisk’s closing speech left me feeling uneasy, perhaps more so than it would have a year earlier.

Radiohead’s ‘Everything in Its Right Place’ makes for an ideal closing tune for a season, maybe even for any season, as demonstrated by its use at the end of For All Mankind‘s third season.

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2025-04-16 21:54