Spoiler Warning:
The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen has risen. After Netflix cancelled “Daredevil” in 2018, Marvel Studios announced plans to revamp the series with “Daredevil: Born Again.” Charlie Cox graciously plays Matt Murdock while Vincent D’ Onoforio reprises his role as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin.
“Daredevil: Born Again” continues the grittiness and angst of the original series. It plays with technical aspects, such as switching camera lenses and shifting aspect ratios — a sign of the increased budget. The story continues to deliver, but some emotionally-driven moments suffer from clunky dialogue.
The same can be said about Marvel Studio’s continued overuse of CGI. It does not make sense for New York City to look as clean as it does; however, the show tries to balance this out with its intersplicing footage covering the perspective of New York City citizens.
Episode 1, “Heaven’s Half Hour”
This episode opens several years after the “Daredevil” season 3 events. Murdock’s best friend — Foggy Nelson, played by Elden Henson — is shot by Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel. This act leads to Murdock donning the Daredevil suit to fight Bullseye in a five-minute one-shot action sequence — paying homage to the Netflix series’ hallway fight scenes. As Murdock utilizes his enhanced hearing, the screen changes aspect ratios and employs a dolly zoom to convey a troublesome atmosphere. After Daredevil throws Bullseye off a roof for killing Nelson, “Born Again” jumps another year to crime-riddled New York City without the vigilante protecting it.
This opening is the first instance of the series’ persistent weakness: pacing. No time is given to Murdock’s mourning or for him to contend with his attempt on Bullseye’s life. In the span of 15 minutes, the audience has endured two time jumps.
In Daredevil’s absence, Fisk campaigns in and wins the New York City mayoral election. Meanwhile, a festering corruption within the New York Police Department causes Murdock to doubt his decision.
The first episode acts as a refresher of Fisk and Murdock’s relationship before introducing Hector Ayala’s White Tiger, played by the late Kamar de los Reyes. The episode ends with Ayala majestically fighting a pair of cops before one of the officers falls onto the subway tracks and is killed by an oncoming train.
Episode 2, “Optics” 3.5/5
The disorienting pacing is quickly solved in episode two. This episode places the attorney side of Murdock at the forefront of his character. As Murdock begins to unravel a conspiracy against Ayala, Fisk discovers that fixing New York City will be much more difficult than he imagined. The episode culminates in Murdock having an action-packed encounter with the NYPD. “Optics” depicts the griminess of New York while showcasing much of the gore that fans came to love in the original series.
Episode 3, “The Hollow of the Hand”
The third episode brings depth to Murdock that was previously missing from the character by placing him in the middle of a courtroom drama with the trial of Ayala. Notably absent from the series is Murdock’s Catholicism. However, this episode makes it clear that the court has become his church. A beautiful scene depicts Murdock alone in the courthouse with a horn from his mask in hand. Murdock can no longer trust himself to play the role of judge as Daredevil, so he must trust in the system. He worships not God but the legal system of the United States. God failed him when Nelson died, but the legal system put Bullseye behind bars for life.
After a key witness changes his story, Murdock is forced to reveal Ayala’s alias. This reveal poses the question, “Why wear a mask?” It is one that Murdock terrifically explains and capitalizes on to help acquit Ayala of his charges. Murdock’s faith in the system continues. De los Reyes gives a scene stealing performance at the end of the episode, so when the final scene of the episode plays out, the audience is left in shock and tears.
Episode 4, “Sic Semper Systema”
“Sic Semper Systema” opens with Murdock reassuring Ayala’s niece, Angela del Toro, that someone will get justice for her uncle, and so begins his doubt of the system.
Fisk continues to struggle with the mayoral position, and he realizes that the only way to make change happen will be to play dirty. D’Onoforio is spine chilling in the role. He comes across as tender in his scenes with his wife Vanessa, played by Ayelet Zurer. He demonstrates humor in a scene with school children. On the outside, he is perfect for mayor. He gets things done — sentiments echoed in the news clips of New York City citizens spliced into the show as transitions. The showrunners are unafraid to show off his darker, intimidating side by showing his abusive interactions with his mayoral staff.
Meanwhile, Murdock begins to hunt down the person who shot Ayala. The bullet casing leads him to an abandoned warehouse and into the presence of Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle — the Punisher. An emotional confrontation ensues regarding Murdock fearing the rage that festers from within. In the scene, Castle beckons Murdock to come to terms with his grief and realize that the court system is not enough to sate his vengeance. The moment culminates in Murdock finally saying “Foggy” — a name he has avoided since his friend was killed at the hands of Bullseye. Murdock returns home and opens a crate with red batons. The score swells and a terrifically edited montage cuts between Fisk torturing his wife’s secret lover and the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen being reborn. Shoehorned into the episode’s final minute, much like this sentence, is a tease for the series’ secondary villain — Muse.
Episodes one through four of “Daredevil: Born Again” are now streaming on Disney+. Episode five and six release on March 25, and the remaining episodes release on a weekly basis.
English
Spanish