No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Editor’s Note: The below recap contains spoilers for the Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 finale.Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again has officially drawn to a close, and even before the series hit Disney+, it’s been a rather bumpy ride. From fundamental overhauls to inconsistent quality between episodes, the season as a whole has been something of a mixed bag. There have been extremely high highs, like a strong emphasis on the hero and villain paired with some excellent fight scenes, but there have also been some low lows, such as underdeveloped new characters and too many plot threads.
With Season 2 already greenlit and in production, a lot is riding on the Season 1 finale of Daredevil: Born Again. This episode ultimately needs to set the tone of what comes next for Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Beyond that, the show also needs to definitively justify its existence beyond being a mere nostalgia play for those who developed great admiration for the original Netflix series. The Season 1 finale of Daredevil: Born Again certainly plays on some nostalgic beats, but it does so in ways that restore the soul of the classic series.
Frank Castle Dons the Punisher Vest Again in the ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 1 Finale
Matt barely had time to process the revelation that it was Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer) who ordered the hit on Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) before he got a bullet courtesy of Bullseye (Wilson Bethel). Poindexter may have been aiming for Wilson Fisk (further indicating a partnership between him and Vanessa is continuing), but Matt gets the brunt of it and is admitted to the hospital. Thankfully, and unsurprisingly, given that Daredevil: Born Again has already begun production on Season 2, Matt pulls through, and his problems are far from over.
Following Bullseye’s antics at his gala, Fisk is going full scorched-earth on New York’s wave of vigilantism. He’s given his ruthless gang of Punisher fanatics the green light to go after anyone they so choose, whether they’re spending their nights fighting crime or not. Fisk may want to keep his knowledge of Matt’s secret identity to himself as a potential bargaining chip, but he still gives his task force the authority to take down Matt without explanation.
With Matt still recovering, he doesn’t stand much of a chance of taking down all these thugs on his own, so it’s a good thing his moody best frenemy is here to help. That’s right, everyone’s favorite widower, Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), is back, now with a new haircut and clean shave, to reclaim his stolen iconography from this band of violently corrupt so-called “officers of the law” — whether Matt agrees with Frank’s lethal methods or not. It’s a glorious reunion that will make fans very happy, and it gets even better when another one of Matt’s closest friends, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), also returns to help stop Fisk.
Wilson Fisk Turns New York Into a Warzone in the ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Finale
As easy as it is to get excited by three of the original Daredevil show’s best characters (and the subjects of a complicated will-they-won’t-they love triangle), the trio only has so much time to reminisce. The streets of New York City are in complete and total turmoil, with Fisk practically declaring war on anyone he deems to be a vigilante. One of those people even ends up being the Commissioner of the NYPD, Chief Gallo (Michael Gaston), who has had just about enough of Fisk’s flagrantly unconstitutional actions. Of course, Fisk finds out about this insubordination, and the mayor decides to handle it by publicly executing Gallo with his own two hands before his loyal supporters in the NYPD. Even considering this is the same villain who killed a Russian mobster with a car door, this is hands down one of the most brutal deaths in the MCU, let alone the wider Daredevil storyline.
Meanwhile, Matt, Frank, and Karen are scouring the war-torn streets of New York to find as much evidence as they can against the Fisks for their various atrocities. It’s great to see Matt and Karen revisit the glory days, but the real best reunion here is, once again, Matt and Frank. Something about these two diametrically opposed heroes interacting is just the ultimate Marvel recipe for success. Their rooftop argument in Daredevil Season 2 remains to this day as one of the best dialogue exchanges in the entirety of Marvel’s cinematic history, and putting them together as a chaotic buddy-cop duo gets things pretty darn close to that incredible moment. When they’re not arguing about the morals of killing, seeing the two heroes fight alongside each other is something fans of the original series have been dreaming of. Frank even gets some time to shine on his own, such as when he gets interrogated by his psychotic fan club.
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The war for New York may just be starting, but Fisk wins the first battle in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1’s finale. The mayor has used the full extent of his power to take complete and total dominion of his city, as he and Vanessa take custody of vigilantes like Frank and Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton) — though an end-credits scene does see Frank able to escape. This new military state for New York could mean grave consequences for Daredevil and his companions, especially for the vigilantes at large like Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and the rest of The Defenders. However, Matt is never one to give up, and with the help of his friends, he’ll be planning his next move now that The Kingpin is officially back in town.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 9 Finally Brings Matt Murdock Back to His Roots
Again, Daredevil: Born Again has been a fairly inconsistent ride, and to varying extents, that’s to be expected. This started out as a completely different show that effectively rebooted the character, but even being connected to the original series now doesn’t mean that this isn’t the audience’s big reintroduction to Matt Murdock. The season as a whole really suffers from balancing way too many plots and stories. Had this been a longer season like its predecessors, that wouldn’t be too much of an issue, but nine episodes aren’t nearly enough, especially when there’s filler like that bank robbery installment.
However, the final two episodes of the show really start to call back to the glory days of Matt Murdock, and not just because they bring back fan-favorite characters. They also establish this IP within Marvel as one that’s not just dark and gritty, but one that touches on real-world themes and issues. That’s why Charlie Cox’s hero has endured as a fan-favorite for as long as he has, and why the future is looking very bright for Season 2.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 is available to stream now on Disney+.
Daredevil: Born Again sticks the landing with a finale that raises the stakes for Season 2.
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Writers
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Chris Ord
- Frank Castle and Karen Page make a welcome return.
- Daredevil and Punisher have possibly the best dynamic in the entire MCU.
- Wilson Fisk establishes himself as a brutal threat to be feared yet again.
- The finale introduces meaningful changes to the wider MCU, especially for New York’s vigilantes.
