Daredevil: Born Again sticks the landing with an INSANE reveal! | 2x08 Review

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:00]I've legitimately been sitting here for half an hour trying to figure out where to even start after an insane finale like that. But there's one thing for sure. Peter Benjamin Parker is a bum.

[00:00:10]Jonah Jameson was right about him all along. The whole city's out here storming the capital to do a woke January 6th. And where is he? Probably stalking MJ's Instagram stories again.

[00:00:20]As far as I'm concerned, he's on fraud watch until Brand New Day. Same with Frank. No wonder they're teaming up together. As for the rest of the episode though, god, there is an overwhelming amount of stuff to talk about, and that's my favorite place to be in. What a brilliant finale that managed to tie everything together in an immensely satisfying way, all while setting us up for an even more exhilarating season 3.

[00:00:41]Watching Matt and Fisk's rivalry explode with the fate of the city in the balance is so thrilling as this tense legal drama boils over into a citywide blood bath. So many shocking moments that I could not believe they did in the way they did that all culminated in an ending sequence that had my adrenaline pumping so hard I could fight God and win. And that's pretty much all I can talk about without going into spoilers.

[00:01:02]So here's your big warning before I go off the deep end talking about things Mike Coulter revealed weeks ago. But hey, at least Marvel can now finally let him out of their basement now that it's been revealed that Matt Murdoch is Daredevil. He's going to prison and Luke Cage is back. And that's just three of the crazy things that happened this finale. So, let's just stop waiting and dive into how we got there. My favorite part of this episode was by far the continued trial of Karen Paige. For as much as I do really love the explosive climax of this episode, I think Daredevil is at its best with biting legal drama like this. I had my eyes glued to the screen and I didn't blink for the entirety of this court case. My eyes are dry as bones right now, but it is so worth it because that entire sequence was incredible start to finish.

[00:01:43]I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest from how tense it was.

[00:01:47]Even from that very first moment when Matt awkwardly enters the courtroom, it is rich with thematic relevance and parallels. I love how it compares to his big auraful entrance from last episode as he's now limping in to contrast that.

[00:01:59]It's a fun way to show how visually he is more backed into a corner than ever.

[00:02:03]Given the end result of this court case and the drastic measures Matt has to go to just to get it thrown out, setting up how weak he is at the beginning is a great way to show that desperation and drive the point home that Matt needs a win now more than ever. And even more than that, when you compare it to Fisk's entrance, it does such a great job showing you the power dynamic this episode, as he has these big booming footsteps you hear from offscreen before he even enters the frame, just to show how physically imposing he is. I know I'm talking way too much about the opening shot of this case, but it is a great example about the love and care that is put into this show to set up the expectations we have for an episode. And it makes it even funnier than Matt is happy to be sassier than ever in the courtroom while destroying Heather's views on vigilantes. If there's one thing about Matt Murdoch, it's that he lives to be a nuisance in the courtroom.

[00:02:47]That man wants to make the opposing side's life a living hell, and it's always so enjoyable to watch. The only thing I like seeing more than that is almost 15 minutes of Matt and Fisk verbally sparring. Every single time we are blessed with Charlie and Vincent sharing the screen together, it is electric. It very rarely happens in any season of Daredevil, as they save it for big moments. So, having them talk for this extended period of time feels special. It's so exciting watching them go back and forth in the public eye, having to dance around their secrets. I loved every second of it. That is the highlight of the entire season for me.

[00:03:18]And I'm not just saying that because Fisk said the line.

[00:03:21]>> When I was a a boy, >> although I can't help but point at my screen like a madman every time he does.

[00:03:27]It's the fact that for all five seasons of Daredevil, Fisk has been completely isolated from this aspect of the series.

[00:03:33]We've never seen him in a courtroom. So to now have this situation where he's forced in there as Matt's witnessed is one of the most gripping things ever.

[00:03:40]He's in completely uncharted territory as he enters Matt's world and effectively walks into a trap without even knowing it. I love how the case is structured with Matt systematically breaking down all of Fisk's arguments point by point and building up the evidence against him. It's a masterclass in building tension as the stakes rise sentence by sentence. Everything seems so scattered at first as Matt's just grilling Fisk and calling him out for all the horrible things he's done. But the more he talks, the more the dots start to connect. It's expertly done. I really love the little interaction they have where Fisk talks to Matt under his breath and threatens to expose his identity. I think it's so cool that this rivalry is so strong that Fisk knows he could talk to Daredevil like that and he'll just pick up on it. But I think it's really interesting how that decision was Fisk overplaying his hand, threatening to expose his identity to the world. It basically just inspired Matt to develop his case even further to the point where if Fisk reveals his identity, it dooms himself as well. He spends this entire case turning the Kingpin's biggest weapon against him into mutually assured destruction. And when that happens, I genuinely had no clue where the sequence was going to go.

[00:04:40]And I loved that. It felt chaotic and unpredictable in all the right ways.

[00:04:44]Even in spite of Marvel posting this clip on Twitter for some reason. Every single time without failure that Matt Murdoch is in that courtroom, he proves why he is a really good lawyer as his strategy is leagues ahead of anything anyone else is doing. We've spent the entire season with Matt and the resistance doing everything they can to gather evidence to take down Fisk and find the silver bullet that will do it.

[00:05:02]And while it has been a bumpy road for them to get here, Matt is now put into this position where he has to come up with an argument that will not only save Karen Paige, but the soul of the city is at stake as well. And you can feel that pressure. Really love the way Matt is painting this picture for the judge of all the bad things Fisk has done to remind her and the world he's nothing more than a liar and a criminal. There was a very intentional sequence back in episode 3 that showed this very judge was growing frustrated, getting headaches over how Fisk was having his way with the system and that truth no longer prevails in the courtroom. And I was really hoping that they would pay off that sequence down the line. So, I'm very glad that they did here in the finale as the judge is slowly being turned by Matt as he shows her that there is a way to do this honorably. She no longer has to deal with the pressure of a public eye that supports Fisk or all of his people in the courtroom he has under his thumb as Matt is actively undoing that propaganda in real time.

[00:05:50]Watching her start to wake up as she begins to agree with Matt more and more throughout the case is a great way to show that he's actually having an impact here and what he says matters. And it also ties into the other theme this season that anyone can make a difference as her stepping up to do the right thing again actively leads to Fisk's downfall.

[00:06:06]It's handled so well and feels incredibly natural because of the work they did to get to this moment here. And it's even better as Matt continues to poke holes in all of the Kingpin stories and fill them with the truth. There's genuinely nothing more rewarding than watching Daredevil fill Fisk's hole.

[00:06:20]Nope. Don't want to finish that thought.

[00:06:21]What I'm trying to say is that Matt is building up an unbeatable argument against the Kingpin by twisting his own narrative back around at him. And the way it is written is so smart and snappy that keeps this court case moving and incredibly interesting to watch. No matter what show it is, if you're able to get me interested in hearing legal jargon, the most boring kind of speech, you're doing something right. It also helps when you're the most charming man alive, Charlie Cox. He delivers all these lines in such a fun way. Whether it be his Murdoch sass or the vindicating victory he gets from taking down Fisk, it's all great. The case itself is paced really well with a great structure as Matt starts out by breaking down the definition of a vigilante to show that Karen isn't one, but more importantly than that, his entire defense revolves around proving that Daredevil isn't a terrorist. The entire campaign Fisk has built revolves around his hatred for this one vigilante. He can pretend it's all vigilantes as much as he wants. And while he definitely does hate them, this entire agenda spawns from his propaganda that Daredevil is a terrorist. If Matt's able to break that foundation, his entire argument is going to crumble around him.

[00:07:22]That is where the first mate testimony comes in from episode 4, as it's able to crush Fisk's narrative and add doubt to his propaganda where it matters most, in the courtroom. The sinking of the Northern Star was the big inciting incident that basically kicked off the entire season. Daredevil being on the ship was all the ammo Fisk needed to sink it and blame him for what happened.

[00:07:39]But with the first mate able to testify against that, everything starts to shatter for Fisk in the best possible way. But I love that that wasn't enough because we still have that piece of [ __ ] Powell to deal with who gave a testimony earlier on saying that Daredevil did do it. So what that means is both of them have testimony and they need a tiebreaker to basically reveal the truth and the only other person confirmed to be on the Northern Star by Fisk himself is Daredevil. The way they've been setting this up throughout the season only to pay it off now is so satisfying as Matt is able to twist the Kingpin's own narrative back around him to make it so his entire defense centers around Daredevil. And even better than that, Matt forcing Fisk to stand by his word when he called him a hero earlier on in the series. Doubling down on knocking down these lies by using his own words against him again is beautiful. Fisk thought he was so clever branding Matt as a hero as this way to get the people who support Vigilantes looking for him while the people who hate Vigilantes search for Daredevil. But that was such a short-sighted decision because it created a ticking time bomb as the man he branded a hero is now going to go out in public and reveal to the world exactly what they need to hear to ruin Fisk for good. It's this massive domino effect that basically hands Matt the win as he proves without a shadow of a doubt that Daredevil isn't a terrorist. Matt Murdoch is a hero and that Fisk's own initiative which this very court was formed to uphold was created to fuel his agenda to do crime. It's such a gratifying conclusion to this arc as the truth actually prevails for once because Matt made a solid argument that was written so well. It makes complete sense within the narrative of the show and wraps everything up in a really satisfying way, and it's presented to the audience in the most exciting way possible as Charlie Cox is able to deliver these killer monologues that are impossible to look away from. They are surgical, foolproof arguments that not only legally defeat Fisk, but more importantly, they win back the heart of the city. The only way he's able to tie all of this together and make it a reality is by outing his identity as Daredevil.

[00:09:29]>> I am Daredevil.

[00:09:30]>> Holy [ __ ] I still have chills from hearing that line. I cannot believe we actually got to see this in live action.

[00:09:37]Even Fisk knew that was tough as hell.

[00:09:38]He's not going to admit it, but there's a twinkle in his eye where you can just tell. I'm not going to say I didn't see it coming because I predicted it last week and I want the credit for that. But I wasn't prepared for how definitive this was going to be. Even proving on the spot he can move like that, catching his billy clubs as he throws them around the court. The genie is out of the bottle. And unless they want to have some children brainwash the world, I don't see a way for them to put it back in. We are in uncharted territory here.

[00:10:02]Even for the comics, the Bendis run always had this plausible deniability as Matt was outed by an FBI agent, not himself. Meanwhile, the Wade run played around with it in a really cheeky way until we got a moment that was very similar to this one. But what separates these two moments is that in the comics, Matt outing his identity came after a very long battle of him trying to run away from that truth. While in the show, it is done as a last resort when Matt builds up this argument surrounding his identity and makes it so only he's the person who's able to put the kingpin away for good. And I really love that change. I was pulling for Kingpin to be the one to out Daredevil. But I clearly just wasn't creative enough because this is the much more interesting choice as Matt sacrifices his identity to make sure Fisk has no more power over him or anybody else. If there's been one through line in every season of Daredevil, it's the fact that Matt Murdoch cares about Hell's Kitchen above everything else. Even his own health and sanity. He loves to make self-destructive decisions in favor of the city. So yeah, when this city he grew up in and cherishes more than anything else is at risk and we've spent the entire season building up to this moment where Matt has to make a choice to do something definitive to stomp Fisk that isn't killing him. This makes the most sense and gives Matt agency in the story in a really interesting way we've never seen before. He had the opportunity of a lifetime to blow up Fisk's entire operation. So of course he's going to take that chance. If he didn't do it, it would be character assassination. And on top of all that, this is a huge moment of growth for Matt. If there's one thing I know about my good friend Matthew Michael Murdoch, it's that he is a selfish, hypocritical, contradictory, self-destructive [ __ ] who somehow manages to see the good in people. And that's why we love him. But to see him make such a selfless gesture to give up his identity to protect the person he loves and the city he loves, I mean, that's just peak characterization.

[00:11:42]Especially when you take into account all the countless times Matt being Daredevil has gone in the way and ruined other people's lives, most notably Karen. This is his way of making that up to her and proving that he's committed to them. That for the first time in his entire life as a superhero, he's putting somebody else before Daredevil. It's one of the most romantic things I've ever seen as Matt makes this decision out of love to protect what's most important to him. Especially considering that you can tell he planned on doing this the entire time. He had that conversation with Karen last episode where he teased he was willing to do something drastic to put the Kingpin away that wasn't killing him. Then earlier on in this episode, during his conversation with Jessica, he teased again he's got this big idea and plan to take down the Kingpin. And the fact that he wore a burgundy suit to the trial should have been our first indication he knew what he was doing because that man is a drama queen and will go out of his way to make a point at any cost and it's the best thing ever. I know I might be the number one Captain America Glazer, but there's a reason Daredevil is my second favorite superhero of all time. It's episodes like this that reinforce why I love this character so much. With where Matt is at in the MCU and the story they've been setting up this entire season, it just made the most sense for Matt to out his identity himself. And I cannot wait to see how they explore this new status quo when he's not, you know, in prison. But we'll get to that later. I promise. We still got some things to talk about. I really love that throughout this entire case, Fisk is encouraging Matt to blow up his life and reveal his identity because he knows he'll break out of any prison. And he thinks this will only make Matt's life worse. It was almost like he was finding amusement in that decision. It's such a great added layer to Kingpin's character that he welcomed this change because he couldn't see past their rivalry and realized Matt was going to offer him grace. Matt may have been on the back burner a little bit more than you'd expect this season, but I do really like how everything falls into place because of the decisions he made. He's the direct force driving this narrative forward and making all of the big decisions. So, when the Kingpin finally falls, Daredevil can feel good knowing he made that happen. Even with how insurmountable the odds were, as only a higher power could stop him, like the state government, it's Matt and his good nature that makes this happen. Like with how Matt was willing to forgive Bullseye, give him a chance to do his one good deed by protecting the governor from this assassination attempt. And since Matt was willing to show him grace and give him this opportunity, Dex didn't kill the guy, thus leading that would be assassin to testify against Fisk, getting him down for another crime. Like any good show, every single decision made this season comes back in an important way to make the entire season feel as impactful as possible.

[00:13:58]And don't think I forgot about Bullseye.

[00:13:59]He's doing some really cool stuff this episode. The whole time he and Daredevil are arguing in the courtroom, Fisk has a fake bullseye on the loose that is sanctioned by the anti-vigilante task force, ready to assassinate Matt Murdoch at the last minute in case everything goes wrong so he can pin the blame on vigilantes and push his agenda forward more than ever. It's genuinely a really smart hailmary move from the Kingpin to get this last grasp of power on the city. But he didn't account for the fact that Bullseye is one of the good guys.

[00:14:24]Just ignore all the people he brutally murdered along the way to do it. Fisk is such a petty and vindictive person that he couldn't fathom the idea of somebody forgiving their worst enemy and that leads to his direct downfall. I really love the direction they've been taking Dex this season as he continues down his own twisted redemption arc. And we get to see him continue to be one of the absolute highlights of the MCU right now as a whole as he murders people in the most creative possible ways, ricocheting things off of walls that should not be possible but is through the power of pure aura. Special shout out to this one shot right here. I cannot get enough of it. and how the camera turns with the way he throws it. Oh my god, it looks so good. That's the kind of sauce and camera movement I love to see from Born Again. I also think it's really interesting though that this is the first time we're seeing Bullseye after he's balanced the scales and the first thing he does is take advantage of this situation and try to assassinate the Kingpin again. That alone makes me feel very reassured with the direction they're taking Bullseye that he's still willing to be a killer like that. I do think it's very funny though that Buck takes the bullet for Fisk for two reasons. One, he's the super villain named Bullet in the comics. And two, this basically confirms his role as evil Matt Murdoch, as he also takes a bullet for Fisk. And also, I wouldn't have been mad if that bullet killed him. I don't care how cool and swave he is. He killed Daniel Blake, and I still haven't forgiven him for that, and I never will.

[00:15:38]I don't care if he's the throat goat. We hate Buck now. Bullseye would have been a hero for taking him out as well, even if I do really wish he went for Powell instead. All that being said, Dex firing that shot basically acted as the ignition for the powder keg to explode once again. As New York City erupts into violence, this is where things take a turn as Daredevil reaches a scale we've never seen before. Riots in the streets begin to break out as protesters swarm city hall, leading Fisk to make this impassion plea to the city to protect them as he's basically asking for a war.

[00:16:08]There's not going to be any peaceful transition of power on his part. He's going down swinging quite literally.

[00:16:13]While I do really like seeing a full-on Fisk crash out, I will say that my one problem with this episode is how they handle the fallout of the anti-vigilante task force. Most notably between Cole North and Powell. I really like the idea that Cole finally has enough after finding out the truth of what happened to Hector and that the entire reason he's been fighting for this cause was all for nothing. And it makes a ton of sense that he wouldn't want to shoot Cherry, even though I think we'd all want to shoot Cherry. But at least for Cole's sake, they introduced the idea that he doesn't agree with them executing innocent people. Crazy idea, I know. Finally, after two long seasons of waiting for it to happen, it starts Cole North down the path towards redemption to hopefully make him more like his comic counterpart, who is so much cooler than he is. All of that on paper works, and I get the idea of what they're trying to do. It's just that I don't think there was enough time dedicated to the fallout of the task force to make it actually feel as impactful as it could have been because Cole just decides to hit Powell and then the entirety of the task force agrees with him and steps aside for the protesters to enter city hall. And then the next time we see these guys, they're just all suddenly in prison. If only it were that easy to get rid of these ice goons in real life. But I would have preferred some more time for Born again to dive into that.

[00:17:18]There's some really interesting stuff about the task force being cowards deep down and not wanting the smoke that I think would have been really interesting to play around with if we had some more time, but I fear we just don't. And it does hold the finale back a little bit for me not getting the complete resolution I would have liked on that front. That part felt very convenient and contrived to me and is the biggest symptom of the shorter runtime these episodes tend to have. And I get that the Punisher is doing a lot of other stuff this year and we're going to see him literally next week. But it does feel kind of incomplete that the Task Force story ends without any closure on them using the Punisher logo. I don't know if I can necessarily blame that on Born Again for factors that might have been outside of its control with how busy Jon is. So, while that aspect of the finale might have been a little undercooked to me, I can at least take solace in the fact that the final resolution between Fisk and Daredevil hit like crack. I loved everything they did between them. the cross cutting between Fisk snapping and killing people in the streets as he finally gets his own hallway fight. Welcome to the club, man. Thank you for giving me my new favorite clip.

[00:18:15]I don't know why he did that, but it's the funniest thing ever to me. And then how they cut between that and a hallway fight for Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and the White Tiger. The stakes have truly never been higher between Daredevil and the Kingpin as their personal war becomes so intense that the entire city becomes involved in it. It's so powerful watching the fascist mayor take matters into his own hands as he bends a man spined around a corner all while Daredevil is fighting back and leading this resistance right to his doorstep.

[00:18:40]And the coolest thing about this buildup to the big climax is that there's no more pretending for either of them. Fisk no longer has to put on the mask of a good-hearted mayor who cares about his people as he's casually bloody them like it's nothing. Meanwhile, Matt's identity has now been exposed to the public and they know that that hero is Daredevil, inspiring everybody to step up and fight just like him as he finally has the army he talked about in season 1. And you better buckle up because this entire sequence has so many full circle moments that I am obsessed with. The most poetic one is how this parallels the first episode of Born Again when Matt and Fisk are staring at each other from different levels. You've got Fisk in his ivory tower protected by all the wealth and status in the world as the new mayor while Matt is on the ground level completely alone and helpless in this new status quo. So now to come back to that moment all these episodes later as we get the same shot composition. It feels so intentional and a reminder of how far Matt has come to organize this army and inspire people to fight back against the kingpin. It's all echoing the number one aura farmer swordsman's words from earlier on in the season when he told Matt, >> "You're a symbol now hope for an entire city." It is incredibly profound and really resonates for me to see Daredevil become this icon. But the words I think about most when actually watching this sequence are Matt's own from the end of season 1 when he says, "I can't see my city, but I can feel it. The system isn't working and it's rotten, corrupt.

[00:19:56]But this is our city, not his. And we can take it back together. The weak, the strong, all of us. Resist, rebel, rebuild, because we are the city without fear." That was a terrible delivery on my part, but I got chills from that.

[00:20:10]just because of how powerful that scene was to end season 1 and now to finally come back at the end of season 2 as Matt has fulfilled that prophecy and united the army all on his own to take the city back. That is what Daredevil is about as the people come together and do what's right. And while I would have loved to see Spider-Man or especially my beloved K Bishop in this army, I literally made a whole video pitching who should be on the team. I was completely blind to the truth that this big climax works not because of the cameos, but because of what it represents. It's infinitely more impactful that the people of New York City rise up to reject the kingpin themselves rather than any superhero doing it. Watching people step up to the kingpin, no matter how stupid it might be, is immensely satisfying until you come crashing back down to reality when Matt points out that this isn't right either, as the pendulum swings the other way. And now the people are trying to beat the Kingpin to death in a very funny visual, but it's wrong. In a season that has tested Matt's limits and reinforce this idea that killing is wrong. It becomes even worse if he accidentally inspires and lets the people murder Fisk. He could easily let it happen and wipe his hands of the situation, no longer having to deal with the Kingpin, as he didn't kill Fisk himself. But Matt is smart enough to reaffirm the words he learned earlier on in the season that letting the people kill Fisk would only make him a martyr.

[00:21:20]Sure, he doesn't have to worry about the kingpin anymore, but now there's the idea of the kingpin that would solidify the anti-vigilante hatred and probably cause someone to rise to power who's even worse than Fisk. That conflict becomes so compelling as Vincent Denafhrio is giving his best performance in the entirety of Daredevil in this one single scene right here. Fisk has always been a very reserved character who boils over with rage. But we have never seen him like this before, making this impassioned war speech to the people about how he truly believes he was doing the best thing for the city and they reject him. It is chilling stuff.

[00:21:50]Denafhrio needs to take a bow because he is doing his best work here by far. And in my opinion, Charlie Cox just solidified himself as the best superhero casting choice of all time. I am so serious about that. This isn't even recency bias. You could have made a strong argument about it for every season of Daredevil up until now. But this very episode made me more confident than ever that Charlie is the best casting choice we've ever had in the genre. He just gets Matt like nobody else. Every single one of his mannerisms and line deliveries perfectly embodies what I know to be Matt Murdoch from the comics. all while he puts his own spin on it. It's genuinely really impressive work and he will never get enough praise for it. Charlie Cox as Daredevil is simply the goat. As for the whole Fisk problem, as Matt has to figure out what to do with him now, for so long, these two have been trapped in a stalemate, caught in this endless cycle of violence as they fight and fight and fight and nothing ever changes. It's been a massive theme of the season as Matt has been tasked with trying to break that cycle and figure out what the best way to do it is, even going as far as potentially thinking about killing him.

[00:22:46]They've both been backed into this corner where it seems like they can't do anything but continue to pound away at each other. But Matt finally found a move to end it. This was probably the last thing I expected to happen this season, but with the everpresent themes of forgiveness, it was staring us in the face the entire time and felt so right.

[00:23:03]Watching Matt unmasked as Daredevil begging Fisk to take the deal and break this cycle worked immensely well to bring this rivalry to a close.

[00:23:11]Obviously, he's not going to kill the Kingpin. That would be character assassination if he did. Matt Murdoch believes in grace and wants to put the city above the both of them. He already made that first gesture by outing his identity to protect the city. And now it's up to Kingpin to finally be a man of his word and do what's best for the city by accepting the deal and going into exile. Matt's entire arc over the course of this season and the other three as well has been building up to this moment right here where he shows grace. It's such a little detail, but I love that Fisk doesn't even entertain the idea until Matt is able to appeal to his love of the city, showing him that he's not doing it for Fisk and that he still hates the guy, but if he accepts that deal, he will be allowing the city grace. And it's only then that the Kingpin finally gives up. That is beautiful writing that really felt earned to me, especially when you consider that this is a direct call back to their diner scene in season 1. During that scene when Matt and Fisk set the terms of their agreement going forward, he directly talks about how he believes in grace along with retribution and will be there when Fisk steps out of line. So to see Fisk directly calling back to that as he makes fun of his retribution only for Matt to be a man of his word and offer Fisk grace, it's the best thing you could have done and feels like a proper conclusion to this rivalry. If I can just quote my favorite movie from last year real quick and cross over my two worlds, there's a line in Wake Up Dead Man that I think perfectly embodies what this scene is telling us. Spoilers for Wake Up Dead Man, I guess. But there's a moment at the end of that film where Ben Wablanc says, >> "Grace for my enemy, grace for the broken, grace for those who deserve it the least, but who need it the most."

[00:24:39]>> And that is exactly the message born again is giving us by showing it directly. Matt Murdoch at his core is a good Catholic man that believes in redemption. So, the fact that he's able to put aside his beef with the Kingpin to offer him grace even though he might deserve it the least is really powerful stuff that shows how much of a good-natured person he is. I know I've probably said powerful way too many times during this video, but I'm sorry.

[00:25:00]I can't think of a better word. Just know that I love this big conclusion cuz I think it feels so in line with what the season has been telling us. Matt has directly learned his lesson with Dex and is already seeing the benefits to that.

[00:25:10]So, why not give that same opportunity to Kingpin? They will finally be out of each other's hair and the city can begin to heal. Well, I guess not the Kingpin's hair cuz he's the baldest man to ever live. But you get my point, right? Also, I do love the idea that New York is so fed up with Fisk that they're offering him this deal just to get him out. Yeah, it's unrealistic, but so is a blind man fighting people in a devil costume with a grappling hook made out of his cane.

[00:25:31]If they are truly going to break this cycle, they can't just throw the kingpin back into prison. The first time that happened, he ended up in control of the FBI. Then the second time, he gets out and becomes the mayor of New York City.

[00:25:42]Every time he just comes back more and more powerful, so something needs to change. You can't just throw the guy into the raft because who knows, he might be running the thunderbolts the next time we see him. Instead, giving Fisk this ending where he has no money or assets anymore because he made all of his illegal resources legit and is just left alone on an island is perfect for him. His thirst for power ended up being his downfall, as he sacrificed his entire illegal operation just to gain more power. only in doing so, it made things so much easier for them to seize his assets and leave him truly broken with nothing to rely on. Instead, the kingpin gets a lonely life of exile, which is a fate worse than death for him. He just gets to live out the rest of his miserable life in a metaphorical cage on this island, living out the fantasy he dreamed of having with Vanessa, only she's not there. And that is exactly how you dispose of the Kingpin. I know this isn't going to be the last we see the Kingpin because he's looking like a homeless man on the set of season 3 right now. But the way I see it, season two will wrap up his rivalry with Daredevil for now, while season 3 will most likely adapt the return of the king story from the Brewbaker run, where Fisk has basically been ousted from his life of crime and ends up in a conspiracy involving the hand, who we know are in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Lady Bullseye, who I could see introduced as the villain of season 3 as Matt and the Kingpin are forced to work together. So, that is the direction I see things going right now. The rivalry ends in season two before in season 3 they have to have this unholy alliance to take on a new enemy which would be a really interesting wrinkle to add to that dynamic and I'm all for it. Just please give me a new main villain for season 3. I didn't mind having so much of Fisk because of how special it is every time he's on screen with Daredevil. But I'm ready for a new chapter now. And to me, the ending of this episode acted as a really neat conclusion to all that. But here's the thing. That's not even the ending of this episode. There's still even more to talk about in this insane ending sequence. Like the fact that Matt Murdoch got arrested in a twist that I definitely didn't have spoiled to me by Mike Coulter weeks ago, even before he posted this insane picture that I can finally show everybody. I've been theorizing for a while now that Matt was going to be arrested. And thank God because it means we're about to see one of my favorite Daredevil arcs, The Devil in Cellblock D, adapted in live action.

[00:27:46]I do really like how we get there, too, as Matt and Karen go on this nice dinner date after all the chaos. The city is quiet and calm for the first time in months and he gets to experience true happiness for I don't know probably the first time since Foggy died. Once again, I do really love the call back to season 2 as Matt and Karen eat out at the same Indian restaurant they went to 10 years ago that has basically become their spot where their relationship started. It's a very sweet full circle moment and now I'm determined to go to New York City and eat at that restaurant just to live out that fantasy. It's a state of normaly we are unfamiliar with seeing in born again which means you know something bad is about to happen and that's when he gets arrested. Look at my lawyer dog. He's going to jail. It's not lost on me the thematic significance of Matt sacrificing himself to let Fisk walk free from his sins. So, when you think about it, Matt Murdoch is basically Marvel Jesus now. And that is a great place for him to be. Considering where Matt started at the beginning of Born Again season 1 as somebody who lost touch with his faith, it's beautiful that by the end of season 2, he's not only in touch with his religion again, but he's going out of his way to live these ideals once more. And the coolest thing about it all is how Matt and Fisk continue to be two sides of the same coin. The Kingpin is free but trapped in a prison of loneliness while Matt is in prison but freed from the burden of his dual identity. Oh my god, I love that so much. It's really great character work that promises an even more exciting future for him as they lock his ass up in prison. I adore this shot here of Matt giving the faintest smile when he gets put in his cell as if he enjoys the challenge that comes with this new playground of violence. It also feels like a direct reference to this moment here from the Devil in Cellblock D where Matt is going to be moved into Genpop and Ben Urick notices him cracking the faintest smile as well. It's a great reference, but an even more exciting way to inform Matt's headspace as he welcomes this new opportunity ready to throw down in there. Plus, the fact that he's in there with Powell and all the other anti vigilante task force goons, too. Oh my god, we're going to get some insane one-take prison fights. I just know it. And you know what? While we're talking about people who Matt is going to run into in prison, can we please have him be cellmates with Turk Barrett?

[00:29:42]I refuse to acknowledge Born again as a proper continuation of the Netflix series until Turk returns. And this is how you do it. Throw Melvin in there, too. The last time we saw him in season 3, he was being arrested. So, this is how you pay that off as he can finally become the gladiator in prison and an enemy that Matt has to deal with. And of course, I'd be a fool to not mention the coincidental timing of Matt Murdoch going to prison right as Spider-Man is getting a prison action sequence with the hand involved. Hm. Now, this might just be me delusionally coping, but surely if Marvel is able to, please just let Daredevil be part of that prison break sequence. I don't care if we only get one fight scene or even just Spider-Man passing him in the hallway. I want a moment where during this prison break, Spider-Man notices his old lawyer in prison and offers to let him out now that he knows he's Daredevil, just for Matt to insist on staying in prison to uphold the sanctity of the system now that it's actually working. It would be such great world building and scratch the itch in my brain that has wanted to see these characters interact again on the big screen. Please, Marvel, I will do anything for this. And I mean anything. I have no shame and I am extremely desperate to make this happen.

[00:30:43]Just look at them standing next to each other. Tell me that doesn't look perfect. At least I can take comfort in the fact that we're going to be getting some Daredevil crossovers as the Defenders return next season to presumably try and get Matt out of prison. That is going to be incredibly exciting seeing the band get back together 10 years to the last time it happened. Especially after we got Luke Cage in this episode. Let's go, BABY.

[00:31:02]THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I've been predicting for weeks that Luke Cage was going to appear in this finale. And I got exactly what I wanted as he reunites with Jessica Jones and no longer has to work with Mr. Charles. While we didn't get too many answers as to what Luke Cage was up to in Europe, showrunner Daario Scardapani did an interview where he talked about how we're going to get those answers next season. So, I'm willing to let that slide as we get an in-depth explanation that does it justice next year. I'm just so happy to see him and Jessica back together again after all this time. It was incredibly surreal and made my entire year. No, it made my entire life. Okay, I can die happy now knowing that they got back together and seeing their relationship stronger than ever. I cannot wait to see what they do next season as we explore the ramifications of Luke Cage working with Mr. Charles, Jessica Jones struggling with losing her powers after childbirth, and Danny Rand being there, being cool, redeeming himself. That's going to be great. Don't cut Danny Ren short. I have no clue how he's fitting into the story yet, especially because I don't think he's going to become Daredevil like he does in the Devil and Cellblock D comics now that Matt has outed his identity. But Danny's going to be there and that's all that matters.

[00:32:02]And while we're talking about Mr. Charles, who goes by Mr. Robinson on that plane, maybe the biggest reveal this finale that I didn't see coming was Bullseye outright working with him now as he takes Luke Cage's place as Mr. Charles hired gun. I love this decision and how it pushes Dex towards becoming the assassin he is in the comics. While I would have appreciated at least one other scene that explains why they linked up together, it is such a smart idea to have Charles manipulate Dex on his redemption arc and convince him he's doing the right thing working for a trusted government organization like the CIA as he's out there doing his dirty work and killing people. My only hope is that the CIA will give him a proper costume to help fuel his delusions that he's a superhero. You got to let that jawline breathe, man. It's too good to be hidden by the balaclava as they basically do everything they can to become his north star and validate all the bad things he's doing with positive reinforcement. It is such a great direction to take Dex as he tragically becomes a villain again without even knowing it. I have no clue how that's going to fit into next season, but we know he's going to return for season 3.

[00:32:58]So, I cannot wait to see why Mr. Charles is still sticking around and how Bullseye plays into that. Selfishly, I hope that he somehow ends up in prison because I think it'd be really funny if Bullseye is the person who helped gets Matt out in the end as the rules are reversed and now Bullseye is saving Daredevil. And you can do some really fun stuff as Dex is doing it for the wrong reasons. If they can't get Punisher for next season, they should definitely have Bullseye take his place in that comic arc as the guy who goes into prison to see what's up with Matt.

[00:33:21]Somebody else who loves doing stuff for the wrong reasons. I'm on fire with the segways today. Is Heather Glenn, who finally makes her transformation into becoming Muse at the end of this season.

[00:33:30]We all saw this one coming. They've been doing such a good job naturally building that up episode by episode, turning Heather into one of the most interesting characters in the series. And also, there were like a dozen set photos that leaked her design already, which looks great, by the way. But I really love how it's only once Heather finds out that Matt, the person she loved, was a vigilante, that finally causes her psyche to snap. Putting on that muse mask for the first time and look in the mirror and see this uncanny reflection of herself, showing that she feels at peace with the mask on. having an entire season now where she transitions into a villain is going to be so exciting as she goes down this path more and more.

[00:34:02]That being said, no matter how insane she might be right now, I can fix her, okay? I promise you, Heather, please, please, Matt didn't treat you right. I would. But personally for Heather's character next season, it wouldn't make sense for her to try and kill Daredevil or other vigilantes. She's not exactly built like that and doesn't have superpowers. So, I think it would be really cool if she's out there trying to kill the Daredevil supporters. And maybe if you're feeling crazy, you let her kill Cherry to make a statement. Who knows? She can be a serial killer, knocking them off one by one as Karen Paige and Jessica Jones are now investigating this case to figure out what's happening. That is how you use Heather as Muse in an interesting way that continues the plot threads from this season. So, I am really looking forward to seeing more of her next year.

[00:34:39]I feel like she's going to steal the show. And then finally, as this video starts to come to a close, one last thing I want to mention is by far the biggest cameo I didn't see coming throughout all of Born Again. That being the return of Mitchell Ellison from the original Netflix series. Let's go, dude.

[00:34:53]That caught me completely by surprise, but I love it. Having BB expose herself as the person behind the Fisk stuff earlier on in the episode, almost unmasking herself in a way to help turn Daredevil into a movement as she puts her support behind him was such a great decision that tied into the themes of the season. And it's now incredibly rewarding that after BB went undercover, pushing Fisk's propaganda, she's able to now get a job at the New York Bulletin, working alongside Ellison and continuing Ben's legacy. That is just such a sweet thing they did that really tugged on my heartstrings of missing Ben Urick so much. Hopefully, this means that BB and now Ellison will have an extended role in the future as somebody working on the journalistic side of things. Maybe even getting Karen Paige back involved in that world. Huh? Come on. You can't tell me that wouldn't be great. All right, I know you see it, too. Wait, hold on. Do you guys see that in the background over there? Sorry, let me just zoom in and hands real quick. Oh my god. Yeah, that that newspaper in the background, that's an Agents of Shield reference. That same news clipping prop was in the Netflix show and is a direct reference to the cybert company that created Deathlock.

[00:35:49]Did Daredevil born again just fully canonize Agents of Shield to the MCU?

[00:35:53]After years of fighting on the front lines and telling everybody that this show was canon, us Agents of Shield truthers are finally vindicated. That might actually just be the biggest thing that happened in this finale. Oh my god, what a monumental win. I demand they get a reboot next to Marvel or so help me God, I'm bursting into those office and I'm going to kill. Sorry about that outburst everybody. I just get a little passionate when talking about this stuff. But uh to try and wrap up how I felt about this season in a few words, this is what I've been waiting for with Daredevil. They blew that first season out of the water and improved on it in every conceivable way. As somebody whose favorite show of all time is Daredevil on Netflix, they made me feel the same way I did when watching the season 3 finale all those years ago, which is exactly the kind of thing you want. I'm not going to pretend like this season is perfect. You can feel the restraints of the eight episode structure and some really strange editing choices that make the pacing kind of jarring at points, but I'm able to look past that at the overall narrative of this show as I can see that they truly get Daredevil. As somebody who spent years campaigning online that they'll finally save Daredevil, getting him back in Born Again was great, but that first season you could tell was being held back by a baffling original vision that made no sense. Season 2 was this new creative team's opportunity to prove they understood what they were doing. And they knocked it out of the park with a great season of television. And best part is we don't even have to wait too much longer to see season 3 in less than a year. That right there is what's most exciting to me that we now have Daredevil back and we're seeing him regularly making appearances in projects this great. Despite how bleak that ending might be for Matt Murdoch, his future in the MCU has never been brighter. And that makes me unbelievably happy. Man, now the video is over and I can't talk about Daredevil anymore for another 10 months. That's not fair. I love talking about Daredevil so much.

[00:37:29]It's been one of the greatest honors making these weekly videos talking about new episodes. How am I supposed to just go back to having a normal life and fixing my sleep schedule? That's so boring. But I guess we all can't be self-destructive like Matt Murdoch and finally sleep after like 46 hours. While I do that, why don't you just let me know down below what you thought about Daredevil Born Again season 2? I would genuinely love to hear what everyone has to say and continue the conversation down below. And while you're at it, make sure to give this video a like and subscribe so you don't miss the next one. If you don't do it, I'm doxing you and sending you to prison. This is not a joke. I've got all your information and I'm fully prepared to do it. So just subscribe and save