Welcome back to the blog readers. I never saw the Marvel Netflix series, especially Daredevil (2015-18), so I am going into this series completely blind. I know Daredevil is eternally loved, so all I can do is hope for the best when it comes to this series. What kind of a start would we get with the first part of a two-episode series premiere, titled "Heaven's Half Hour," written by Dario Scardapane, and directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead? Stick around to find out.
NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the episode.
I have to say that Marvel has been on fire as of late with Deadpool & Wolverine and Agatha All Along (both 2024) killing it, while Captain America: Brave New World (2025) was a bit of a stumble but they will bounce back this year. It starts here, so how would this episode fare in terms of quality? For someone who never saw a frame of the original Daredevil series, I was pretty surprised at how good the episode really was. Great character work from Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio, a great action scene to open, and some intriguing story implications make for a pretty good premiere episode.
I have to say I was not aware of your game, Charlie. I have seen him as Daredevil before, in projects such as his cameos in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022). But I had no idea this guy could act, holy hell. I guess that one is on me because I never watched Daredevil, but now I am aware. Between the jaded veil that he puts up for the people that are not his friends to the rage and terror of losing one of and later both of those friends, Matt Murdock is made to be such an intriguing character with so much emotional baggage that it may take both confirmed seasons (and more potential ones) to be able to unpack it all.
Next up, we need to talk about Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. I doubt there is any doubt at the talent of D'Onofrio and how he can become whatever role he is in. And for the brief little while he was in Hawkeye (2021), I could see he definitely had a handle on his character especially since I never saw the original Daredevil series. And he absolutely has a handle on this character here because I feel a sense of remorse for the man known as the Kingpin. He feels remorseful for the things he has done and he seems determined to change things. Whether that will be the case is still to be seen, but I believe because he makes you believe.
Now as a disclaimer, again, I did not watch Daredevil so I will be referencing events from that show as if I am aware it happened. So this episode starts off with Matt Murdock and his friends Foggy Nelson and Karen Page celebrating the retirement of their associate Cherry at a bar called Josie's and the three begin to mingle with other patrons. Foggy takes a liking to this one woman before he gets a suspicious phone call from his friend that he has been caught. Without speculating, Matt prepares to protect Foggy's friend as the vigilante Daredevil but is upset Foggy did not tell him. Foggy tells Matt that he did not want him to get involved. Matt goes to the location, only to find out it was a trap as Foggy is shot in the chest, along with other people, by Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye. Matt rushes back to the bar to engage Poindexter in a desperate brawl that ends on the roof of the bar. When Foggy dies from his injury, Matt hears his heart stop and promptly throws Bullseye and his cowl off the roof, severely injuring Poindexter. Cherry also learns that Matt is Daredevil after following him off the roof.
One year later, Matt has stopped being Daredevil and began working for a new law firm with former district attorney Kirsten McDuffie. He attends a sentencing hearing for Poindexter, where he testifies he will never get justice because Foggy is dead, as Poindexter receives 11 consecutive life sentences for the massacre. Karen attends the hearing and wants nothing to do with Matt, revealing she has moved to San Francisco and is at peace with what happened. Kirsten tells Matt to meet with a potential client at a coffee shop, where it is revealed she is a therapist that Kirsten called for him. Turns out, she told him he was a client while telling her he needed a therapist. The two of them begin to hit it off and eventually begin dating.
Meanwhile, after being released from prison since the events of Daredevil, Wilson Fisk interrupts a meeting his wife Vanessa is having with the crime lords of New York, and his mere presence is enough for all of them to get up and leave. He announces that he has the 25,000 signatures needed, and it is revealed that he is running for mayor of New York. Over the next few moths, his ratings begin to improve with the help of a young intern named Daniel and his stance on anti-vigilantism. After a debate in which he scores big, Wilson is confronted by Matt, who has learned of his plans and is not happy. The two have a heated conversation in a diner where Wilson tells Matt he was not behind the death of Foggy as he has continued to honor the promise he made to him all those years ago. Matt also reveals he has given up being Daredevil and the two doubt each other's potential. Wilson tells Matt that if he resumes his vigilantism, he will go after him once elected, and Matt warns Wilson to not step out of line. Later on, Matt is on a date with Heather where he learns that Fisk has won the election, leading to celebrations all around New York. I like where we are being taken with these characters and I am curious to see where we go in future episodes.
Daredevil: Born Again starts off with a solid premiere episode that features great performances and a story that is heading in the right direction. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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