The lines between good and bad aren’t always clearly drawn, and intent doesn’t fully account for what ends up happening and who’s caught in the crossfire. But, especially in fiction, heroes and villains behave differently and have their own parameters of what actions are acceptable and what they would never do, regardless of what they’ve endured or who might get hurt. In its second season, Daredevil: Born Again showcases two nemeses at their breaking points, enacting what they believe is necessary for their city as they both travel down an increasingly dark path.
Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) does want to improve New York City, but he’s less and less concerned with his public image and more interested in combating the wave of vigilantes who seek to undermine his vision. The Anti-Vigilante Task Force has their mission and their marching orders, and they’ll stop at nothing to complete their mandate. While Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is officially missing, Daredevil is still hard at work, partnering with Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) to expose Fisk as the criminal mastermind he is and to bring him down once and for all.
This show’s debut last year was welcome after the well-received three-season Netflix Daredevil series ended in 2018. Murdock, Fisk, and their alter egos are such rich characters inhabiting a uniquely dark world for Marvel fare that their journeys are absolutely worth continuing to explore, which season one of this new show proved. Season two feels very focused on these specific characters, even with some greater mythology and a few fun cameos thrown in, favoring supporting players who aren’t part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe rather than tie-ins to the brand that will continue to endure in movies for years to come.
What’s most captivating about this show and this season in particular is the fact that, not only does Murdock know just who Fisk is, Fisk is also well aware that Murdock is Daredevil. Having the most powerful person who can do him the most harm know his secret identity feels like a grenade he could detonate at any point, but it’s never anywhere near that simple. Fisk has his own calculated plan for using Murdock’s identity against him to hurt the perception of Daredevil, but he also wants to be able to deal with this pest on his own, eager to champion the noble cause of fighting vigilantism but not to have the public deal with a problem that he feels is his for him.
Cox and D’Onofrio continue to be excellent in these roles, which they’ve also had the chance to play in other projects like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo, respectively, and the darker and more vicious events become, the more they dig further into their characters. The rare opportunities for them to appear on screen together and react to each other’s natures are infinitely rewarding, and it’s just as worthwhile to hear them defend their courses of action to their closest confidantes, who most often tell them that their obsessions are threatening to undo them.
Having Woll back with Cox is also a boon for the show, especially since Page may not have superpowers but she definitely has less patience for what’s happening than Murdock, resulting in their frequent disagreements about the lengths to which they should go to do what they believe will protect the city. There are also degrees to which those working for Fisk consider the implications and ethics of what they’re doing, which makes both for great drama and insightful contemplation. This world, dark and unoptimistic as it is, has much to offer, and the news that a third season is also in production is terrific and deserved since this show very much merits its continued existence with its strong worldbuilding and formidable performances.
Season grade: 8/10
