Welcome, everybody! Every week, I’ll release a review corresponding to the available episode(s) of the eight-episode, second season of “Daredevil: Born Again” (2026). After the last episode airs, there will be an overall review of the season with spoilers at the end if necessary. I’ve only done an episodic review two times before with disaster striking the second time and was honestly tempted to not bother trying again so thank you for coming along for my experiment! There will be spoilers for the prior episodes of Season 2 in this review.
The last episode of Season 2, Episode 8, of “Daredevil: Born Again” is fifty-one minutes long, which is the maximum runtime for three out of eight episodes. Iain B. MacDonald stays in the director’s chair. Showrunner Dario Scardapane and Jesse Wigutow team up to write the season finale, and it is Scardapane’s first cowriting gig this season, and Wigutow’s second. The last time that they wrote together, they wrote the worst episode in Daredevil history, Season 1 Episode 8 of “Daredevil: Born Again.” As long as it was not a repeat of that travesty, I was going to be happy. I’m happy. It was a very rushed, over-the-top finale, but it tied up all the loose ends and worked more than not. They even had one quotable line that will resonate with people that are horrified while watching the news. It is a much needed calling out that made the ridiculousness easier to stomach, but how about the radical idea of making everything good and paced well? Again, I do not know why they do not take more time spreading out details than overstuffing them into one episode. On the other hand, if you are watching it as pure entertainment, it is cathartic in an empty calorie way.
The big surprise from Episode 7 was that Matt (Charlie Cox) decided to defend Karen in the vigilante trial, which I saw coming a mile away along with another development that happens during the trial, which may remind you of an early MCU movie closing scene. “Daredevil: Born Again” seems to want to make our fantasies come true and show that it is possible to have accountability using the legal system. Even though the way that the whole thing played out is preposterous, who am I to ruin the party. If only life was that easy! Kudos to Kirsten (Nikki M. James) for simultaneously seeming happy and as if she wanted to puke. DA Hochberg (John Benjamin Hickey) is so craven and opportunistic that it became fun in its own way.
Before Matt could have a second day in court, he got shot and had to survive the night! If there is a third season of “Daredevil: Born Again,” dear Disney+, please do not shoot him in the second to last episode again. I am old, not rewatching, and forgetting details, but even I remember that one. Matt does not need to get shot every season. There is fire, cold, sharp objects, heavy objects, poison. Kidding! It is a Madame Gao (Wai Ching Ho) reference (I think, maybe Faith from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). I should not be able to set my watch to a series. Fortunately, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) appeared to help and stuck around this time. More vigilantes appeared in this episode and used their powers so guess who and how many? Unfortunately, no Jon Bernthal. He does not have powers.
So, by now, you know that Buck (Arty Froushan) killed Daniel (Michael Gandolfini) for refusing to betray BB (Genneya Walton), and he and Fisk’s terse exchange was as close to them showing normal human emotions as it gets. Bro, gets a moment of silence. I had zero faith in Daniel, and Gandolfini made his eleventh-hour conscience awakening credible considering that nothing bothered him before. “Daredevil: Born Again” delivered three love stories, not two, and all of them are better than most of the stuff in movies. Unrequited love is a love story too. Ask Ethan Hawke.
It is amazing which absurdities I am willing to accept and which I am not. Dear “Daredevil: Born Again,” governors have security, state police, their cabinet, national, state and city press following them. They are bigger than mayors. Lili Taylor got robbed of doing anything meaningful as her entourage has entirely evaporated. Similarly, the federal government would have more reach than even a governor. Mr. Charles (Matt Lillard) gets his version of a happy ending, but his overall character arc was ultimately disappointing though Lillard is delightful and hopefully will return.
Instead, the people of New York play a big role, but again, no one gets the message that Fisk is also Kingpin and beat a man until he had to get taken out on a stretcher after a charity boxing tournament. Fisk has power, but he wants to get his hands dirty. These fight scenes stopped being fun or beautifully choreographed. They are now these huge orchestral affairs that are impressively staged and huge in scope but are not as satisfying as a simple hallway fight with fewer but more skilled people. During the uprising, it is interesting to see who continues to support Fisk, prepares their exit and ditches him without thinking twice. Heather (Margarita Levieva) crossed a line last episode and slapped Karen more than Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins) ever slapped Crystal (Linda Evans). While she does not do anything in public that would ruin her reputation, she seems completely gone.
The AVTF versus NYPD plotline is only alluded to briefly. Some developments occurred as expected in terms of individuating certain characters, but the AVTF is down, not out. They will clearly play a big role as a unit in future seasons, but not the cushy role that they occupied with no consequences. This season finale definitely changes the game in a big way that suggests that it will be impossible for Season 3 to crib plotlines from earlier episodes. The chess board has been flipped, and it is going to be challenging to move forward based on Fisk and Matt’s final exchange. It is interesting that after Vanessa died, Fisk could only interact with Matt. While they will never be friends, their dynamic was more intriguing than Daredevil and Bullseye. Also, somehow Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) and Matt made it to the end without breaking up.
Kids, don’t try this at home. Corruption in real life is not as easy to solve as it is in “Daredevil: Born Again.” Scardapane and Wigutow’s writing reminds me of Moorhead and Benson’s directing. When they are finally cooking and creating something visceral, tangible and pitch perfect, they get frightened that they are going to mess it up then rush through it like a kid reciting a text that they memorized for class. They got more right this time around but did not have the patience to lay down the foundation into a lesson that is scalable and can be applied in real life. It may be a lot to ask of a comic book series, but they are the ones who want to tackle the big problems. I just watch what is there. I’m excited for more if they have a vision and know how to execute it.
