A ‘Hawkeye’ Favorite Is Put on Trial

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 wowed audiences with a great premiere, but slowed down quite a bit with Episode 2, which devoted more focus to some fairly routine buildup for bigger and bolder storylines. That could be why Marvel Studios and Disney+ decided to release two episodes on the same date, as Episode 3 is a big leap in a brighter direction.

The much more exciting installment picks up right where Episode 2 leaves off, with Matt (Charlie Cox) finding out that Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) has abducted an AVTF member during the raid on their hideout. Things take an interesting turn when it’s revealed that this hostage may not be a captive at all, as he quickly says he no longer wants anything to do with the AVTF and their criminal tactics. Matt plays around with the scared young defector for a bit, but his ability to detect heart rates makes it clear that he’s telling the truth and really wants out of Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) criminal activities, setting the stage for some powerful blowback against the corrupt New York Mayor.

‘Hawkeye’s Jack Duquesne Goes on Trial in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 3

Daredevil: Born Again and its Netflix predecessor may be superhero shows at their core, but they also have quite a bit of legal thriller DNA that even fans of The Lincoln Lawyer could find some enjoyment in. That becomes apparent in Episode 3 of the series, as MCU fans are reunited with Better Call Saul star Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne — the charismatic Swordsman who first appeared as a red herring for Hawkeye‘s mystery-centric storyline. Duquesne is preparing to face judgment for his alleged vigilante crimes, with Matt Murdock’s law firm partner, Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), representing him. She even interviews him in Fisk’s top-secret detention center — the very same one that Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) escaped in the end-credits scene of Season 1 — where all the Kingpin’s enemies are being caged like animals in absolutely deplorable conditions.

Ever the underdog, Duquesne is already fighting a losing battle, since the courts are clearly rigged against him, and the psychiatrist in Fisk’s pocket, Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), altered his interview results. McDuffie puts up a fight to try to defend her client, but alas, it’s all in vain. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Duquesne is found guilty of masquerading around New York as the Swordsman and is sent back to his squalid confines.

Once again, while our heroes may believe in the power of law and order in addition to holding ne’er-do-wells accountable for their crimes, Matt Murdock will once again have to put on his horns to fight injustice outside the courtroom. Still focused on preserving his identity, Daredevil meets with McDuffie to learn if she can point him toward Fisk’s detention center. McDuffie doesn’t think she’ll be too much help since she was blindfolded to protect the center’s location, but that’s not an issue for a superpowered blind man with heightened senses.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 3 Delivers the Show’s Best Action Sequence Yet

Thanks to McDuffie’s brief yet helpful descriptions, Matt and Karen are able to quite literally sniff out Fisk’s seedy detention center. The conditions they find there are predictably horrific, prompting them to work fast to try to get these people out, whether the detainees are willing to help them in their fight against Fisk or not. It’s not long before Daredevil is detected by the AVTF while helping the prisoners escape, which leads to an absolutely bonkers action sequence that fans have undoubtedly been waiting for.

The Daredevil IP has always stood out amongst the MCU crowd for its grounded street-level stakes and well-fleshed-out characters, but it’s also revered for its brutal, practical fight scenes. The hallway sequence from Season 1 of the Netflix series is perhaps the most famous example, and that’s partly because it’s portrayed as a single continuous take. It’s a beautifully executed oner, and Episode 3 of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 delivers another for the record books, as the long one-take of Daredevil’s prison break is nothing short of astounding. The camera is constantly moving from Daredevil’s batons bouncing across the room and hitting bad guys to a now-freed Swordsman using improvised objects to hold his own. It’s also a great listen, as the Newton Brothers’ epic musical score feels especially fitting for Daredevil: Born Again‘s best action sequence so far.

While Matt and Jack are fighting for their lives, Karen has a run-in with Angela Del Toro (Camila Rodriguez), who now possesses her late uncle Hector Ayala‘s (Kamar de los Reyes) mantle of the White Tiger with his magical amulet. She’s arrived to save her aunt, Soledad Ayala (Ashley Marie Ortiz), who was unjustly incarcerated by the AVTF in the last episode, but she’ll need to move fast as the organization’s higher-ups have authorized lethal force on all the escapees and those trying to free them. Thankfully, Matt, Karen, and Angela are successfully able to extract the prisoners and bring them to safety.

Matt and Karen’s bold escape plan is certainly a setback for Fisk, as it’s hardly ideal that there are now well over a dozen witnesses who can testify to the mayor’s shady dealings for the past few months. However, if anybody in New York City has developed a reputation for always being one step ahead, it’s the Kingpin. Before Matt and Karen are able to get back to safety, Fisk immediately detonates the ship that was carrying Mr. Charles’ (Matthew Lillard) illegal weapons shipment, destroying a great deal of evidence of any wrongdoing and also giving him something else to pin on Daredevil and New York’s alleged vigilante epidemic.

The first three episodes of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 are streaming now on Disney+.