Daredevil, the man without fear. The Marvel Comics character has been a staple in comics for decades, and even on the small screen. Daredevil: Born Again was the sorta revamp of the character thanks to the Disney and Marvel Studios merger. The success of the new series warranted a second season, and fortunately, everything the fans love about this iteration of the characters is back in full force. Folks, Daredevil: Born Again, hits the ground running and doesn’t hold back in one of the best small-screen stories of the character.
This season of the show sees the return of many familiar faces. Charlie Cox is back as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin. This time around, Fisk has become the mayor of New York, created a task force, and bent the law in his favor to arrest and convict any vigilantes. Daredevil, with the aid of Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll, will have to form a resistance to stop Fisk and bring him to justice.
The show’s story, on its face, gives it a classic comic-book-y feel, but the writing adds so much nuance.
Disney+ and Netflix series have primarily focused on Murdock’s trials and tribulations, his battles with Fisk, while also trying to keep his moral compass fixed. This time around, Daredevil: Born Again brings a bit more focus on Kingpin’s downfall and the means used to achieve it. It’s a much-needed flip in the series that allows viewers to see Fisk reach his breaking point. The lead-up goes hand in hand with the city’s slow destruction under the mayor’s tight grip on power.
There are several moments in this season of Daredevil: Born Again that gave me a close-up view of the people affected by Fisk’s authoritarian rule. It gave the show a sense that any of the heroes or members of the resistance could be captured and sent to a Black Site. It kept the show’s tension ramped up throughout most of the series and made me eager to marathon the whole season. Consequently, the showrunner, Dario Scardapane, and his writing team drew very convincing parallels between the show and what’s going on in America this season.
The underlying message of Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again leaned more toward police brutality and other forms of A.C.A.B. This time around, we get a full display of “F**k I.C.E.,” and the show doesn’t apologize for that. The second season isn’t afraid to show the brutal nature of unchecked government task forces and raises awareness of the need to challenge the government. Now, before you clutch your pearls, understand that it’s not preachy or ham-fisted. This type of storyline still offers a level of entertainment expected from comic books and other action films or shows that use the same tropes.
Another aspect to be applauded this season is the cast’s outstanding performance. Cox and D’Onofrio continue to show why they are the perfect choices to play these characters. Woll is giving so much more to Karen Page this time around and is delivering a noteworthy performance. One of many great examples of this is when Page confronts Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel, which showcases how Foggy’s death weighs on them. It reflects how far this character has come and how she’s just one bad day away from losing herself.
Unfortunately, Daredevil: Born Again still has glaring issues that’ll smack anyone who’s paying attention.
The show’s cast is a decent size for the second season and works for the most part. In contrast to some of the rich characters, there are just too many of them. Characters like BB Urich (Genneya Walton), Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan), or Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) are given plenty of opportunities to contribute to the overarching plotline. These and other characters’ storylines begin to flounder at the end, as if the writers didn’t know exactly where to end their arcs.
That notion becomes even more apparent when Matthew Lillard’s Mr. Charles shows up and adds little of true value to the story.
Is Daredevil: Born Again perfect? No. However, it makes up for anything that was lacking in season one. The action is great this time around, as the show delivers an amazing single-take shot and FINALLY lets Bullseye loose in all his bloody glory. Lastly, Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones makes a triumphant return, and so does another Marvel character who made me leap from my couch with sheer excitement.
The wait for season two was worth it, and the season finale promises some interesting turns for season three.