The way art imitates life in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 2: “Shoot the Moon” and episode 3: “The Scales & The Sword” is jarring. The residents of New York City continue to buy into Mayor Wilson Fisk’s propaganda, lies and fear-mongering tactics, and the Anti-Vigilante Task Force continues to find (and use) any excuse to take innocent people in.
The difference is that New York in the MCU has Daredevil to save the day, grow a resistance and lead a rebellion.
The newest episodes of the Marvel series on Disney+ are paving the way for the grander narrative to come. Episode 2 handles a lot of smaller points to set up more of the overarching story. Episode 3, however, is where the story really starts to build momentum. And dropping the episodes on Disney+ as a pair helps balance out the slower storytelling with action and suspense.
Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk are Two Sides of the Same Coin
Daredevil: Born Again has done a great job at using Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Fisk to juxtapose each other. They may be on opposite sides, but deep down, they have the same purpose. They’re both New Yorkers who are using their abilities to serve the city they love. In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 2 in particular, the contrast between Matt and Karen talking and lying in bed and Fisk and Vanessa talking and lying in bed is so compelling. It’s obvious to see what sets them apart, but the parallels highlight what makes them the same.
There’s also a moment in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 2 when Buck Cashman suggests to Mayor Fisk to out Matt as Daredevil. It seems simple enough, but it’s far from that. Fisk has integrity. He has no qualms about imprisoning innocent people and creating a false narrative about vigilantes being an outright danger. Yet he still has a code. That code means he can’t betray Matt, the man who saved his life. It’s another instance that showcases their similarities.
Matt couldn’t just let Fisk die in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1. He wanted Fisk to be taken down and brought to justice, not taken out. That’s where his integrity lies. Meanwhile, Fisk can’t out Matt, because that’s the man who saved him. Daredevil, however, is a different story.
Building the Narrative
Dex/Bullseye’s minor appearances in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 2 feel like a reminder that he’s around but not yet ready to be in the spotlight. His first scene was especially intriguing, though, and raises some questions. He was in Clinton Church asking for Sister Maggie, Matt Murdock’s mother. It’ll be interesting whether that mention is just a way to address her and better connect the Disney+ show to its predecessor or if it will serve an actual purpose to the narrative.
Meanwhile, the mystery behind the City Without Fear’s satirical Mayor Kingpin videos has already been revealed, with BB Urich behind the parody. The person responsible for the videos felt pretty obvious in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 1. Even so, revealing BB to the audience so soon feels rushed. It feels like the situation should have never been unknown to the viewers and should have just been an instance of dramatic irony from the start.
Cherry also makes a brief appearance in Episode 2. He’s at the hospital recovering from a heart attack and has a room full of police officers keeping him safe (and helping him escape). It doesn’t do much for the story at the moment, but it would make sense if this whole ordeal is what will bring Brett Mahoney into Daredevil: Born Again.
Breaking In and Blowing Up
Technically, Daredevil doesn’t break into the AVTF prison. After all, he does have a keycard. But that’s not how Fisk sees it or will spin it.
Watching Matt make his way through the prison is one of those scenes of pure excitement that makes fans love Daredevil: Born Again. As he uses his heightened senses to navigate the prison, the formatting, direction, and editing of the scene further enhance Matt’s experience for viewers. It’s nothing new for the Disney+ series, but it’s awesome every single time.
And then, of course, there’s the actual fighting. When Jack Duquesne made his MCU debut in Hawkeye, we doubt anyone would’ve expected to eventually see him team up with Daredevil to break prisoners free. But we certainly aren’t mad about watching him fight alongside the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. The guy deserves to get into a good (makeshift) sword fight after being wronged in his trial!
The fight sequence, combined with the suspense of whether Karen Page and Angela del Toro would make it in time to help made for a thrilling conclusion to Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 3. But Fisk calling for the Northern Star to be blown up added more excitement — literally.
The explosion was an effective counter to the prison rescue. It quells the pride and accomplishment that Matt and Karen had, replacing it with guilt for the deaths of the ship’s innocent night crew.
This battle between Daredevil and Kingpin is becoming this high-stakes game of chess between chessmasters who know each other so well yet can never quite predict each other’s next move. It’s a frustrating situation for them, but it’s making for an entertaining watch for us.
Other Thoughts on Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episodes 2 and 3
- Is Sister Maggie on sabbatical in Rome because Matt wanted her out of New York and away from Fisk’s mayorship?
- Why on earth is Fisk going to be in a boxing match?
- Heather Glenn being the face of mental health for New York City is disturbing.
- When did Dex’s Bullseye mask get a bullseye logo?
- “How many more worlds do you need to conquer?” “How many are there?” A brilliant exchange between Wilson and Vanessa.
- Leave Josie alone!!!
- Matt and Karen’s hideout being above Josie’s Bar is heartwarming and sad.
- Fisk’s mayorship has made New York into such a totalitarian setting that even public basketball courts are locked up, and that’s such a shame.
- Does Karen just already have a key to Frank Castle’s hideout?
- Shirtless Matt Murdock.
- Heather claiming that Kirsten McDuffie can’t see things clearly is bold, coming from someone who knows their judgment is skewed.
- Seeing Angela del Toro wear the White Tiger is awesome, but goodness, get this girl out of there! Red Hook is NOT the place to learn how to harness the power of the White Tiger.
Daredevil: Born Again releases new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on Disney+.
