TV Review: Daredevil Born Again
DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN is a show that I approached with a mixture of anticipation and dread. I was a fan of the original Daredevil series on Netflix but not as huge a one as I thought was perfect television like so many others. I remember half of Season 2 sucking as well as the Defenders being an enormous dumpster fire. Still, it was a fantastic series, and I was glad to hear Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio coming back for a Disney+ series. There were many questions over whether it would be a reboot, a sequel, or some combination in-between. The showrunners also changed halfway through, and I was less enthused and more worried.
So, what was the result? It's pretty good. Not as good as Netflix season one and three but certainly enjoyable on its own merits. If you want to know if I recommend it then the answer is yes. It's certainly better than the vast majority of Disney output for the MCU but it also has quite a few flaws. If you really want to enjoy it then I suggest you don't compare it to what's come before but take it on its own merits. Charlie Cox is a decade older and far less likely to do death defying hallway fights, though he still manages a couple of shorter ones.
The premise is that Matt Murdoch has been living a good life with Foggy and Karen when Bullseye suddenly attacks the bar they're celebrating a friend's retirement in. The best fight of the season takes place before Foggy is killed and Matt attempts to kill Bullseye in response. This results in Matt having a breakdown of sorts and retiring from the mantle of Daredevil. Wilson Fisk, simultaneously, decides to cease his criminal activities to become Mayor of New York City.
What follows is nine episodes of Matt trying to resist being Daredevil, a couple of mini-arcs dealing with the White Tiger and Muse from the comics, as well as Wilson slowly turning New York City into a police state. We also get some use out of the Punisher, who is always welcome in these kinds of stories. My favorite episode is a (mostly) standalone in Episode 5 where Matt foils a bank robbery with the help of Kamala Khan's father. That proved to be controversial among fans because so many wanted more focus on the overarching season plot versus pure superhero shenanigans.
Cox, D’Onofrio, and Benthal do a fantastic job on screen. White Tiger's actor, Kamar de los Rios, is incredible for the short time he's on screen (and tragically passes). Wilson Bethel's short time as Bullseye brings a lot to the character and some of the show's few good fights. Still, I think just about everyone else is above average at best. Very little time is given developing the supporting cast and that's a shame. The loss of Foggy and Karen Page are immense. Matt's romance with Heather Glenn is also uninteresting even when it goes to Hell.
As I've alluded to, the action in the show isn't to the same level of quality as the original Netflix show. Charlie Cox is older and there's also the fact that the show has an over-long plot about him deciding not to be Daredevil when it's a foregone conclusion he will be again. This goes on far too long and hurts the overall narrative even as it's nice to see Matt being a lawyer again in some pretty wild cases.
If you know anything about my politics, you'd know that I lean toward the Far Left. So, a lot of people would think that I'd read a lot of anti-Trump, anti-copaganda, gentrification, and other stuff into the story.
Honestly, I don't think there's much more than surface level details here. The show says that electing crooked guys to office, sweeping draconian legislation, and police brutality are bad but that's not a deep statement to me.
Still, it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination and has the same DNA as the original show. Like I said, it's much better than the typical Disney+ drive through meal. It also is a miracle that the show turned out as good as it did given the behind-the-scenes nonsense that has come to light. If not for the executives stepping in, it probably would have been a complete disaster versus a B+ show. I recommend you check it out. Just keep your expectations toward a good time versus prestige television.
