REVIEW: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 Episode 2 and 3 Proves that Street-Level Heroes Are the Future of the MCU

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Episode 2 and 3 of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 are two episodes of a storyline that successfully incorporates both introspection and escalations into one. Contrary to a lot of action-oriented shows, the story begins by establishing its characters and creating a suspenseful build-up, eventually giving way to a high-octane narrative.

In episode 2, there is much calmness that focuses on the mental aftermath of the season opener. In this case, the attention shifts to Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who experiences personal troubles after his rescue from the Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). This event changes his views of justice and blurs the lines between good and evil. Inner conflict is shown through out this episode, since Murdock is presented as a very confused and contradictory person. Slow narration helps get some insights into the character and makes the story more realistic.

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First of all, it should be said that this episode includes further developing of the plot connected with Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) being the main threat for this season. In regards to this particular character, his battle against "heroes" is not just political struggle. Instead, it can be seen as a well-thought strategy for taking the city under control.

Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) also takes on a more active and conscious role. The relations between Matt and her change; the couple decides not to react on any events anymore but start to think about taking initiative. This small but crucial point indicates that the situation changes from mere survival into conscious opposition.

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This episode presents a sharp turn in the plot. The accumulated tension comes out in the form of the main character's decision to fully embody Daredevil takes offensive actions against the organization controlled by Fisk. The most important moment of the episode, penetration into the prison, stands out with its dramatic character and vivid nature. It is characterized by a great deal of realism and shows the danger of the special anti-vigilantes unit.

We see that the scale of the conflict becomes even broader than before. From the rivalry between two characters, it turns into real resistance movement. The first signs of cracking structure are seen here, as well as the actions made by Karen showing the fact that now it is not only Daredevil's game.

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However, the faster tempo of the third episode is paid for with some superficiality in some scenes compared to the second one. Although this point does not play any role in creating the initial impression, one thing is for sure that it was done with a certain intention in mind: to pave the way for something more extreme.

As a whole, the episodes fit one another perfectly, making up a good story. Episode 2 creates all the necessary prerequisites to put the audience in the atmosphere of moral relativism and growing tension. Episode 3 is the one to introduce dynamics into the story and its development.

Episodes 2 & 3 are important as a turning point for the whole season. Here the plot becomes more compact and intense, here things start happening at stake. By incorporating reflection and intensity, Daredevil: Born Again proves that it can find balance between the two aspects.

Rating: 4/5