With the dust settled from the first season, martial law in full effect and vigilantism outlawed in New York City as a result, Daredevil: Born Again returns for a greatly anticipated season two. What Marvel Television delivers with this season is a real crowning achievement, and something that improves on the first in just about every way.
You can sense the unease in New York with Mayor Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) ruling with an iron fist, a strict curfew in place and the AVTF (Anti-Vigilante Task Force) running amok on the streets with little to no resistance. It’s a tough watch at times based on the current political climate in America, with innocent citizens being imprisoned at the hands of those with power who shouldn’t possess it, yet the political struggle acts as a centrepiece for the show, seeing two sides brutally clash throughout. The city is at breaking point, with conflict brewing between many characters, but there’s also internal conflict in so many that drives the narrative forward. Daniel Blake, played by Michael Gandolfini, is a prime example of someone wanting to stay in Fisk’s good books, all while trying to protect his loved ones from danger. And Gandolfini delivers such a brilliant performance as a result.
While it sounds very surface-level, the struggle between deciding what’s right and wrong makes for a captivating experience – even Matt Murdock himself conflicted on how to deal with Bullseye, flashbacks of a previous case worked with Foggy Nelson utilised brilliantly to showcase this. There’s plenty of rage in most of these characters that is unleashed in such spectacular fashion; Daredevil (Cox), Bullseye and Fisk in particular are all guilty of bone-crunching action that remains a highlight of this show. In the later stages of the season, Fisk becomes an unstoppable monster during a simultaneous hallway fight sequence, as he and Daredevil make their way through crowds to one another. It’s a stunning sequence that brings a whole new level of quality to the signature Daredevil hallway fight sequences.
Action is used sparingly, meaning the impact is greater when it does arrive, with the choreography and devices to hone in on such things as Daredevil’s heightened senses, both outstanding. The action arrives amidst an enthralling plot that focuses on courtroom battles as much as physical battles, the courtroom moments in the final two episodes delivering such fantastic writing that is much tighter than the writing in the first season.
It’s the performances too that see this season excel, Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio delivering such powerful moments in their respective roles, electric together when they share scenes. They make the dynamic between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk as exhilarating as that between Daredevil and Kingpin. They’re both right up there as some of the best casting in comic-book films and television, synonymous with these characters. Some returning characters also make a mark on proceedings, Krysten Ritter in particular, a joy to have back as Jessica Jones, slipping right back into the role as if she’s never been away. Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman might just be the show’s secret weapon, though, his unnerving allegiance to Fisk, along with his cold and calculated nature, making him one of the most intriguing and dangerous characters.
The future for this show and Marvel Television as a whole is so exciting. The street-level nature of something like Daredevil: Born Again provides a gritty sense of realism as opposed to the awe of the cosmic side of the MCU. The internet might actually break if we get a Daredevil appearance in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
★★★★★
Streaming weekly on Disney+ from March 25th / Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristen Ritter, Arty Froushan, Michael Gandolfini / Disney+, Marvel Studios / 15
Related
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
