Fisk Tightens His Grip on New York in a Slower Chapter

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Episode 2.Daredevil: Born Again made its triumphant return to screens last week with the long-awaited premiere of Season 2, and if the reviews are to be believed, the sophomore outing of Disney+‘s reboot series is a massive improvement in just about every way. With a current Certified Fresh rating of 95% from critics and 93% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that the prestige shine that made Netflix’s Daredevil so special is back after a somewhat divisive first outing. That being said, even the best shows have weaker episodes, and Episode 2 of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 might be one of them, which is perhaps why Disney and Marvel decided to release Episodes 2 and 3 simultaneously.

Episode 2 isn’t a bad episode by any stretch; it just slows the momentum that the Season 2 premiere initially kick-started. Instead of the uproarious action of that opening ship scene, the pace halts considerably to focus on the show’s central characters. This notably includes Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), both preparing for the inevitable chaos that is about to unfold now that the bloodthirsty and mentally unstable Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), aka Bullseye, is back in town, with neither side in the war for New York’s very soul quite knowing which side he’s on.

Bullseye Is Back in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 2

The Season 2 premiere ended with a bang when Matt donned the horns once again to save his friend Cherry (Clark Johnson) from being tortured by some AVTF agents. What started as a normal night for Daredevil quickly turned awry when Cherry began having a heart attack, which both reminded Matt of the death of Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and distracted him long enough for the AVTF to get the upper hand, even briefly unmasking him. Before any of the agents could tell anyone about what they saw, they were quickly killed by a nearby assailant, whose calling card of a target symbol on one of the knives made it indisputable that this was the work of Benjamin Poindexter.

Those who were worried about Cherry’s fate at the end of the previous episode can rest easy, as Episode 2’s opening makes it clear that he survived his ordeal with Fisk’s corrupt task force as he’s hauled away in an ambulance. While Matt can rest easy knowing that one of his most loyal and trustworthy companions is safe, it’s impossible to think he isn’t asking any question other than “Why?” Why on Earth would Bullseye, the man who has gone on several killing sprees that have slaughtered dozens, including Foggy, risk incurring the Mayor of New York City’s wrath just to save him? Speaking of Fisk, he’s busy preparing for an upcoming boxing match (his latest attempt to appear relatable and gain favor with his constituents, no doubt), and is none too pleased upon hearing that his former employee is working against him, as made evident by his killing of his personal trainer.

Things take an even stranger turn when Poindexter is seen in a church, and not just any church — this is the same church where Matt was nursed back to health by Sister Maggie (Joanne Whalley), later revealed to be his long-lost mother in Daredevil Season 3, following the events of The Defenders. Poindexter even says he’s looking for Sister Maggie, only to be told by the church’s new priest that she’s out of the country. Could this be another one of Bullseye’s mind games, or a true attempt to find redemption in a higher power? Only time will tell.

Daredevil and Kingpin Are Working on Their Next Moves in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 2

Matt is able to gauge that Bullseye appears to be going after Fisk and his empire rather than Daredevil, but his longtime partner, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), is even more skeptical, mainly given that Poindexter was responsible for Foggy’s murder and nearly killed her too on that fateful night all the way back in Season 1. Matt and Karen certainly need all the friends they can get in times like these, but a ruthless killer like Bullseye is hardly an ideal candidate.

Meanwhile, Fisk’s office is in crisis-management overdrive with a wide variety of issues, including the missing crew of the sunken ship, the masked Fisk imposter exposing the mayor’s corruption, and the potential team-up between Daredevil and Bullseye. Radical times require radical solutions, and Fisk’s right-hand man, Buck (Arty Froushan), suggests a major power play: revealing that Daredevil’s secret identity is Matt Murdock. Fisk has known Daredevil’s secret since Season 2 of the Netflix series, but he’s reluctant to reveal it to the public, especially after Matt saved him from being shot by Bullseye in Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again. Instead, Fisk plans to do the opposite and praise Matt as a hero to curry more favor with his constituents, while Buck tries to track down the impostor Kingpin, later predictably revealed to be BB Urich (Genneya Walton).

The AVTF Continues To Round Up Fisk’s Enemies in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 2

While Matt and Fisk plan their next steps and Bullseye continues to assassinate Fisk’s loyal AVTF agents, something even more harrowing is taking place in Hell’s Kitchen. Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again introduced the good-hearted vigilante Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes), who went by the alter ego White Tiger, until he was tragically executed by an AVTF goon. Season 2’s newest episode reunites us with the family members who survive him, including his wife, Soledad (Ashley Marie Ortiz), and his niece, Angela (Camila Rodriguez), who quickly get caught up in another scuffle in which the AVTF is violating citizens’ constitutional rights. Soledad is captured and brought to the AVTF’s detention center, and while Angela escapes, she concludes that there’s only one way to save her aunt: using her late uncle’s magical amulet to become the new White Tiger.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2’s second episode is a stepping stone through and through, but we do thankfully get another rock-solid action scene when the AVTF raids Matt and Karen’s hideout. It’s a fast, violent, and frenetic action scene on par with what one would hope for from this series, with ol’ DD even using one of the thugs’ guns to beat them down (non-fatally, of course). Episode 2 ends with the revelation that Karen has captured one of the AVTF agents, hinting that it may be time to fight Fisk on his own turf.

The first 3 episodes of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 are streaming now on Disney+.