Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4 Review

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again!

Daredevil: Born Again’s fourth episode continues to stir the pot and build tension, largely thanks to an excellent scene with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal). However, even Frank Castle is not enough to make up for the lack of Daredevil. (In four episodes we’ve had a grand total of 15 minutes of Daredevil. But who’s counting?) Matt Murdock’s investigation into the murder of White Tiger leads to some strong emotional moments and it’s clear to see the buildup of guilt and anger are getting to him. Maybe, just maybe, it’s just what he needs to put on the horns again.

I don’t mean to rag on the series too hard for doing a slow burn that presumably leads to an epic Daredevil return. But it’s almost funny how Marvel made such a big deal about bringing Daredevil back to our screens, only for them to not use him for three-and-a-half episodes. Fortunately, Murdock’s emotional scenes with Hector Ayala’s daughter Angela and later Frank Castle seem to have motivated him to at least take out his billy club and shake off the rust. Here’s hoping this means he’ll be suiting up in episode five.

Easily the best part of this episode is Bernthal’s return as the Punisher. His dynamic with Murdock, or “Red” as he calls him, is beyond fantastic. Murdock tracks down Castle to confront him about the skull logo he found on the missing bullet casing, as well as cops appropriating his symbol, but Castle brushes all that aside and cuts to the heart of what’s really been eating at him. Murdock tends to be in control of every conversation he’s in, but Punisher is nothing but wrath and anger, so it’s not long before Murdock breaks down and things devolve into a bitter, tear-filled argument about justice and revenge. Their explosive debate is just what the story needs to get some pep in its step.

Meanwhile, Mayor Fisk is forced to do things by the book in order to get anything done around the city, which he is definitely not used to. His tour around the city becomes lowkey hilarious when he’s forced to listen to a children’s choir serenade him, only to then be stuck listening to the same song sung by a Latvian choir at his next meeting. This man has taken a beating from Daredevil but this is the most pained we’ve ever seen him. Amazing.

Those scenes of Fisk enduring the political system are juxtaposed with Murdock being forced to re-examine the justice system. Murdock tries to quickly deal with Leeroy’s theft case by getting him reduced jail time, but Leeroy convinces him of how the system forces him to endure one indignity after another and pushes him to do more. It seemed like Murdock was getting complacent and even a bit smug with how he treats his clients, so this appears to be a necessary wake-up call for him. In a way, it complements what Castle told him and how Murdock needs to be more critical of the court.

Fisk’s marriage counseling with Vanessa has finally taken an interesting turn. There are even a few laughs as the husband and wife refer to their illicit activities with thinly veiled codewords. As it turns out, Vanessa was unfaithful while Fisk was away, and so we finally gain some insight on why their marriage has taken such a rocky turn. Murdock’s love interest Heather Glenn is their therapist, and it’s fascinating watching her try to navigate their words to uncover their true meaning. I can’t help but feel like she’s getting into more and more danger with each session, as she’s now privy to quite a bit of the Fisks’ most intimate dealings. And just in case you thought becoming mayor has genuinely changed Fisk for the better, we see he’s imprisoned the man Vanessa cheated with in an underground bunker so he can enjoy his suffering while dining on his fancy meals. Once a thug, always a thug, indeed.

In regards to Murdock’s relationship with Glenn, as well as the Latvian attorney he flirts with at the courthouse, it’s nice to see him enjoy some genuine happiness for once. His life is so filled with tragedy, it’s a welcome change to watch him be flirtatious and romantic (and it’s a lot of fun to watch Charlie Cox in these scenes). Of course, nothing good lasts long in Murdock’s life, and he’ll inevitably find out who Glenn is doing marriage counseling for, so let’s be happy for him while we can. Being with Glenn also allows Murdock to grieve the loss of Foggy, which ends up leading to an especially emotional scene in an episode filled with emotional scenes.

Bookending this episode are a pair of scenes featuring the artistically inclined serial killer known as Muse. It looks like he drains the blood of his victims to use as paint for his art. Gross. We only get a tease of Muse as setup here, but suffice to say the stage is set for Daredevil to battle one of his most heinous villains from the comics.

Other Thoughts

• In the comics, Angela del Toro inherits her uncle Hector’s amulet to become the new White Tiger. I wouldn’t be surprised to see her come into possession of his amulet and take up the mantle in a later season or even appear in the long-gestating Young Avengers project.
• Are you a superhero/villain in New York City if you don’t advertise with some street art?
• Murdock discussing Foggy made me realize that we never learned exactly why he was assassinated back in the first episode. Did Bullseye kill him simply to get revenge on Daredevil or is there more to the story?