The following recap, by the very definition of the word “recap,” contains spoilers from the Season 1 finale of Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again.
Daredevil: Born Again director Justin Benson warned us of “a moment in the finale that is extraordinarily shocking on a practical effects level, and is very, very, very violent — but also, as filmmakers, incredibly exciting. You’ll know what I’m talking about [when you see it], and I can’t wait for people to understand why there’s a gleam in my eye [right now].”
Benson’s directing partner, Aaron Moorhead, in turn said, “[The finale] is so brutally tragic…. A bonanza of bonkers visuals.”
Well, neither man told no lies.
“Straight to Hell” opened with a flashback to one year ago, where we saw Vanessa Fisk deliver to Poindexter the news that he was being released — with the implied proviso that he use his particular set of skills help her out with a situation involving a thief and his lawyer, Foggy Nelson.
Cut to the present, where Matt is in the hospital recovering from the gunshot he sustained, saving Mayor Fisk’s life. Hopped up on painkillers, Matt calls out for Karen — oops — while Heather is at his bedside. he then waves over Kirsten, to begin debriefing her on the Vanessa/Foggy/motion to dismiss situation, but his law firm parter isn’t hearing it. Heather excuses herself, with a kiss to Matt’s cheek, after which Kirsten warns him that they need to have a long talk on the other side of this.
Fisk gets updated on Matt’s condition, and plants in Buck’s ear the idea that the fearless lawyer who took a bullet for the mayor serves them better as a dead hero than an alive vigilante. When Fisk later has Con Ed pull the plug on the whole damn city, in the first moments of mayhem Buck slips into Matt’s hospital room with a syringe, only to find the bed empty. Matt, in his gown, finds his way back home, where Frank Castle is waiting. The gents trade some quite hilarious barbs, and then a wounded Matt suits up for the imminent arrival of some AVTF stooges.
The AVTF didn’t know what hit them. Daredevil wails on them with (non-lethal!) fury, whereas Frank… well, he is called The Punisher. He slices and dices, and uses pistol and snatched shotguns (and the edge of a kitchen counter) to perforate many of those who wished Matt harm. Matt and Frank then make a hasty exit when the former hears a grenade land, leaping from the balcony to a car roof below, barely escaping the blast.
“Come on. Get in,” says the men’s savior, one Karen Page, pulling up in her sensible sedan.
Laying low at Frank’s hideaway, Castle sews up his own bullet wound, while Karen cleans up Matt’s. Frank portends to call it quits on helping out, but Karen questions that he will. Leaving Frank behind, Matt and Karen head to where Foggy’s files are in storage, and share some tender words and gestures whilst rummaging for the case that got him killed. There is talk of heard heartbeats (Frank’s raced for Karen, just as hers pitter-pattered for Matt), held hands, and loving gazes.
There is also an incendiary motion to dismiss, which Karen and Matt realize would have brought to light the fact that the Red Hook port where the Fisk do their business is, dating back at the 1800s, a free port — meaning, it is subject to no state or national law. It could be used to launder illegal money without repercussion.
When the duo go to stake out the Red Hook port, Karen argues that Matt would be walking into a guaranteed demise. Too many dirty cops, AVTF agents, and he is just one, wounded man. Matt gives credence to her observation, declares his resolve to get back their city — though to do so, “We’re gonna need an army.”
Meanwhile, Frank headed out to confront the AVTF mano a many, and got beaten to within an inch of his life. The only reason he was spared, was because of his hero status to the dirty cops, as the OG Punisher. Frank has no interest in being anyone’s idol, though – -let alone to anyone who can’s possibly know his pain, his loss — so he invites them to beat him some more.
Fisk, during the blackout, first had Daniel Blake leverage the city council members into supporting the mayor’s Safer Streets initiative. Fisk himself put the screws to Commissioner Gallo, whom Sheila revealed to have plans to take his case against Fisk to Albany the next morning. Before a small crowd of Gallo’s rank and file officers, Fisk placed the commish’s melon between his meaty palms, squeeeeeeezed…. and then you got the “shocking” practical effects moment cited up top.
Come morning, Fisk announced to the city his Safer Streets plan, which involves an 8 pm curfew and zero tolerance for vigilantes; he also got Heather to be his new Commissioner on Mental Health. Matt meanwhile confessed to Karen how he had let the darkness seep into him — such as when he nearly killed Poindexter — but now he was ready to do right, and let the light back in. Karen then ushered Daredevil out of the back room at Josie’s, where he was met by the seed of a small army: Josie, Cherry, and some good cops included.
But no Jessica Jones or Luke Cage or Danny Rand.
Yet?
A mid-credits scene took us back to the underbelly of the Red Hook port, where Fisk has jailed up the Swordsman, Frank Castle and other powerful peeps who oppose him. Frank chatted up an AVTF agent who also hails from New Jersey, and duped the kid into shaking his hand through the opening in his cage. And that was a mistake that agent won’t be making a second time!
What did you think of Born Again‘s Season 1 finale, and the clear plan for Season 2?
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