“Daredevil: Born Again” is a complicated first season of television that was plagued by a complete creative overhaul midway through production. In light of this, a bulk of the series is a Frankenstein’s monster of course-corrective rewrites and newly finalized footage. While this definitely led to a lack of cohesion week-to-week, “Born Again” triumphs and delivers a majority of episodes that range from good to God-tier.
“With Interest”: Episode five
Even though this was a lackluster episode of “Born Again,” it’s still better than 90% of other shows on television. That said, it is still an underwhelming episode of the acclaimed series. What brings “With Interest” down is how episodic it is. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it was entertaining watching Matt Murdock use his superhuman abilities to stop a bank heist, “Daredevil” and by proxy, “Daredevil: Born Again,” isn’t any other episodic television series—it’s “Daredevil.” This is a show that thrives upon the ways in which it builds compelling characters through complex narratives, so to air an episode that is almost completely self-contained just feels out of place in what is traditionally a story-driven series. To reiterate, episode five isn’t a bad episode. The references to “Ms. Marvel” are fun, if not a little shoehorned-in. Murdock is as cocky and charming as ever and it is nice to see a superhero stop street-level crime—even if they are not in the suit. But all in all, “With Interest” fails to deliver on everything this and the original show have become known for—placing it at the bottom of the ranking.
“Excessive Force”: Episode six
Episode six finally lives up to the series’ title as Murdock and Wilson Fisk are, indeed, born again. The first noticeable aspect of this episode in particular is how obvious the reshoots and rewrites are. While there are many noticeable scenes that are not from the original script, episode six is the most obvious offender in this case. It flashes back to Foggy Nelson and Karen Page and really hammers on Murdock’s Catholic upbringing in a way that previous installments of the series, up until this point, haven’t. It’s as if to reassure the audience that the new showrunners didn’t forget about the original series’ most defining details. Nitpicks aside, it was great finally getting some momentum going for “Born Again” as opposed to playing “pick-up” for “Daredevil.” Murdock donning the suit to save Angela del Toro is reason enough for the character. Likewise, getting the return of Kingpin as Wilson Fisk resorts to his more “aggressive” methods was thrilling. The choice to match-cut between Daredevil and Wilson Fisk’s fight is a brilliant choice that highlights how these two opposing forces have more in common than they care to admit. Despite its relative lack of emotional moments that rank it as low as it is, sometimes all an episode needs is a little “Excessive Force” to be a truly enjoyable episode.
“Art for Art’s Sake”: Episode seven
While this episode does highlight issues leftover from the series’ creative overhaul, it manages to tell a thrilling story. Since “Born Again” was originally plotted to be 18 episodes, that lack of development is really felt throughout episode seven. Despite the fact that audiences only just met the big bad Muse, and Murdock finally returns as Daredevil, “Born Again” season one is almost over. Episode seven feels more like the midpoint of a longer story rather than the run-up to a climactic conclusion. This lack of trajectory or sense of finality for the season as a whole is a glaring issue caused by the show’s mass rewriting. That said, however, episode seven is quite good because of the tension it manages to build. Three big storylines converge in the final minutes and it feels properly climatic for a singular episode of television. The fight between Daredevil and Muse delivers the level of graphic violence fans want from the character and is propelled further by meaningful stakes. In the end, in spite of some glaring production issues that affect the overall season, “Art for Art’s Sake” still makes good on a riveting outing.
“Heaven’s Half Hour”: Episode one
The Devil’s reign has begun and being back in the filthy gutters of Hell’s Kitchen has never felt so good. From the opening wide shot of the “Nelson, Murdock and Page” sign followed by the main three walking into frame, hardcore fans knew they were in for something special. The Bullseye fight was a sucker punch of visceral brutality with a dual emotional climax that had the audience mourning along with Murdock and Page. That Wilson Fisk scene with Murdock in the diner has quite possibly the best dialogue in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. The tension was perfectly balanced with the genuine respect these opposing forces have for one another. However, because episode one has to pick up the pieces from “Daredevil” season three in addition to setting up this new series, it has a bit too much ground to cover and can feel disjointed at times—especially in the pacing department. That said, “Heaven’s Half Hour” is still a great hour of television that sets the groundwork for a season that, mostly, only gets better.
“Straight to Hell”: Episode nine
Even though the season finale has crowd-pleasing moments, it suffers from issues that are not its own. First off, the Punisher’s characterization is on point. His backhanded banter with Murdock is packed with dry humor while his soft spot for Page always humanizes this animalistic vigilante. Also, seeing Punisher and Daredevil throw down together is always a massive win because their opposing philosophies always have a hand in the action, elevating it above just another fist to cuffs. While this dynamic is ever entertaining, Page is the MVP of this episode—if not the entire show. She grounds our heroes so beautifully and acts as a constant reminder of what both Murdock and Frank Castle are fighting for. Despite not having played this character since 2018, Deborah Ann Woll jumps into the deep end without missing a beat. Page’s inclusion in the finale only highlights how pivotal of a role she plays in the world of Hell’s Kitchen—a role that has been sorely lacking this entire season. Where episode nine falters, however, is because it feels detached from the rest of the season. Since the new showrunners had to work around a preexisting story, they couldn’t tell one of their own. In light of this, by the time the finale starts to pick up speed and set up more engaging plotlines, the credits roll, leaving fans in a slump as they wait for season two. “Straight to Hell” delivers an exhilarating season finale, but, unfortunately, that ending feels like the setup to a better story, not the end to this one.
“The Hollow of His Hand”: Episode three
Episode three isn’t just a great courtroom drama set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but a great courtroom drama—full stop. Once again, “Born Again” thrives because it fully relies on the strength of its character work. There is no fight scene but the courtroom is a battlefield nonetheless. Episode three uses the audience’s knowledge of real-world police brutality to evoke a dire sense of dread for the outcome of Hector Ayala’s trial. Murdock revealing Ayala’s identity as the White Tiger was a shocking moment for the audience that turned the tide of the narrative. The scene where Murdock and Ayala’s debate the morals of vigilante justice and whether the man can be separated from the mask is a beautiful and powerful externalization of Murdock’s internal struggle. However, just as everything was looking up for Ayala, the rug gets pulled out from under everyone’s feet with a jaw-dropper of a cliffhanger. “The Hollow of His Hand” proves that the show-runners truly understand that their audience doesn’t love “Daredevil” only because it’s a Marvel property, but because of its top-tier character work.
“Optics”: Episode two
While “Daredevil” is what viewers tune in for, this episode proves this show is carried by its compelling story and characters. Where episode one had to bridge the gap from the Netflix series, episode two is where “Born Again” forms its own identity. While Murdock has “quit” putting on the suit before, this episode is the first time the concept has really been explored. Likewise, since audiences have spent so much time with the vigilante, it is refreshing to spend time with the man behind the mask as he tries to navigate his civilian life as a lawyer. While it would have been nice to spend time with Ayala, or the White Tiger, to better understand him as a character, his role in the episode highlights thematic excellence that inadvertently forces Murdock to reconcile with his dual identity and the responsibility that comes with it. Also, the development the show is putting into Wilson and Vanessa Fisk’s relationship by having them attend couples therapy humanizes these antagonists in a fun and unique way. While there is none of the usual vigilante justice in episode two, “Optics” shines because of how compelling each of the featured characters is.
“Sic Semper Systema”: Episode four
Even though episode four may have been lighter in terms of plot development, it expounds upon the characters’ darker halves. Somehow, every single scene in episode four fires on all cylinders to deliver powerhouse growth or a moment of reflection. Wilson and Vanessa Fisk’s therapy sessions continue to be riveting. Little moments where Vanessa Fisk says she knows her husband won’t hurt her or how Wilson Fisk, in an attempt to reform his violent ways, lets his wife know he didn’t kill her lover, show how despite this rough patch, there is still a deep love between them. More on Wilson Fisk, the enraged look in his eyes when the students were singing, “We Built This City,” brilliantly highlights how his past self is trying to break out of the system he finds himself in. Onto Murdock, his exchange with Castle, or the Punisher, is as good as their ideological debates from “Daredevil” season two. Castle continues to be the perfect foil for the title character because he forces Murdock to reckon with and overcome the devil inside of him. Murdock punching Castle and then immediately apologizing for it, again, not only breaks the tension just enough in this dramatic moment also but showcases how Murdock continues to struggle with his violent life as Daredevil. “Sic Semper Systema” uses its break from plot development to deliver on truly remarkable character exploration.
“Isle of Joy”: Episode eight
The show may chronicle the “Devil’s Reign,” but episode eight shows off some God-tier writing. For the first time all season, “Born Again” feels like one cohesive vision unabashed by reshoots—possibly because it plays the most like what “Daredevil” season four would have been. The episode is beautifully paralleled with its opening and closing scenes both revolving around the series’ defining relationships. The tension between Murdock and Heather Glenn is palpable and comes from authentic character beliefs. Wilson and Vanessa Fisk continue to be a criminally complicated power couple audiences can strangely root for. Also, concluding the episode with Murdock and Wilson Fisk confronting each other’s love interest not only raises the dramatic and emotional stakes for the characters and the series overall but furthers the cohesion of this episode. While the aforementioned elements were all spectacular, the standout has to be the return of Bullseye. After a too-long hiatus, Benjamin Poindexter reemerges to remind fans how twisted and enthralling this villain is. The scene between him and Murdock, while short, overflowed with raw emotion. Poindexter’s escape was edge-of-your-seat levels of thrilling and his assassination attempt at the mayoral ball is, while maybe not intentional, a riveting replay of the “Daredevil” season three finale. Even though easter eggs can sometimes be distracting, the one given to Delancey Street totally works as an understated nod to the Marvel comic book legend, Jack Kirby. “Isle of Joy,” while definitely an emotional rollercoaster of an entry, are also the exact words used to describe the long-awaited return to form for the series.
Even though the creative in-fighting heavily impacted the level of enjoyment for select episodes, when “Born Again” got it right, it got it near perfect.
