Daredevil: Born Again (2025) is a series I was waiting for quite some time and had no doubts it would be a good one after the last Daredevil series on Netflix, this new series been with the same actor and after all they made a great decision at keeping the suit too. I'm still processing the emotional roller coaster that the first two episodes were, when rage kicks in its like double down shifting and then pedal to the metal, there is no stop until there is only one alive, Daredevil. The series brings back Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk in what feels like a continuation and a fresh start for these characters, specially for Fisk. The first two episodes did a great job as basically setting the scene for the entire series, presenting the new characters but keeping certain questions unanswered like why the hell Kingpin loose weight.
Source
The opening of episode one, titled "Heaven's Half Hour" immediately is going to transport you back to the Netflix series with Nelson, Murdock and Page, but this time is the trio of Matt, Foggy, and Karen celebrating at Josie's bar, including the retiring police officer Cherry and the introduction of Kirsten McDuffie. The series decides to go full blown action from the start having Bullseye attack Foggy for reasons that I don't understand yet but soon will, point been he kill Foggy and for that reason gets the beating of his life when Matt unleash his rage as Daredevil and it didn't matter how many knives or things Bullseye throw at him, Daredevil never stop until he throws Bullseye from the top of the small building where the bar was, some how he survives and went to trial where he was sentence, on this scene Matt explodes in rage too since after Foggy's death he decide to hang the mask for ever and remain as a plain simple lawyer.
Source
On the first episode we had Daredevil and Bullseye fight but that ended too quickly and I'm sure they will some how bring Bullseye back to the streets, its just obvious. On the second episode a new characters shows up, another vigilante that was the result of Daredevil going away, Hector Ayala a man who will latter on play the White Tiger. Hector tried to stop what look like a fight of two guys bullying another guy but when Hector jumps into the argument as a regular citizen, things go wrong for him and one of they guys is push in front of the subway ended up crush, turns out they were cops, probably corrupt cops but the end is that him fighting them end up with a dead cop and now he is going to trial.
Mayor Fisk, yes he got elected, begins implementing his anti vigilante agenda while maintaining his criminal connections through intimidation and blackmail, there he is a moment he shows up talking to his wife on how he would step out and want to do things right but he doesn't know right, showing that despite his new public image, he remains the Kingpin at heart. Hector and Fisk connect too not only because Fisk is against vigilantes but also because Hector "killed" a cop how now Fisk has to someone support and on top Matt ends up been Hector lawyer after been at the police station at the right time when cops were trying to squeeze Hector, everything everything on the series is connected.
Source
The White Tiger story line serves multiple purposes in these opening episodes, not only it introduces a new vigilante to the MCU, provides Matt with a legal case that aligns with his sense of justice and creates a pathway for him to potentially return to his Daredevil character, would not be strange to watch them both fighting together against the Kingpin. Hector Ayala's situation is very similar to Matt's as he also struggles with balancing his hero life style with his personal one, a problem they do share, and Hector is been frame by corrupt cops also resonates with Matt's life, they are both against the system under almost the same circumstances. The search for the witness who can talk for Hector in court drives the plot of the second episode forward and not only that, it opens the door for Matt once again loose it when he has to confront corrupt cops at the witness apartment when they were looking to get rid of him. Meanwhile Fisk remain distance to all this situation and I like it because its like they keeping him for latter, as the new mayor Fisk public stance against vigilantes like "the man dressed as a spider" and the one with "a skull on his chest" could tie the series to potential others, just like they did with ECHO they most likely will direct connect it to a Punisher series if it ever happens.
There is just a lot that happens between the first two episodes although the series is not complicated at all, meaning anyone could easy start watching it without any background and would love it for its action scenes. I appreciate how the series takes it time to develop the characters slowly and keep explaining their motives but still keeping others reserve, like why is Fisk now thinner? why they took away Bullseye so fast?, questions like those will for sure be answer latter on and it doesn't feel like the series is in any rush to get Matt back in the Daredevil costume, the show is taking its time to explore the emotional and psychological effects of Foggy's death and Matt's decision to put aside his vigilante identity. Same way goes for Fisk as he tries to rebuild his marriage with Vanessa but still staying out of the criminal business but its obvious that his tactics remain the same. There are many things I like about the series and cant find one that makes me doubt this point of view, also I'm very glad this was not released in a Netflix style, all at once, having one episode each week is way better in my opinion, so I gave this two episodes an 8/10 without a doubt.
