Let’s Talk about Daredevil Episode 1-4

This week: everyone gets punished!

We get to learn specifics of Mrs. Wilson Fisk’s affair. Also, that dude who kills lots of people finally appears.

Let’s talk about Daredevil: Born Again episode 1-4, the one with the assassination’s aftermath.

A Grim Morning

The episode begins the morning after last week’s shocking climax.

Called to duty, the White Tiger patrolled the streets again, having recently been exonerated of murder.

Tragically, his freedom proved short-lived, as someone snuck up to the hero and shot him in the head.

We start with Matt  speaking with the coroner about the murder. Let’s just say it’s grim.

Soon afterward, the niece of Hector Ayala appears at the station. She wants to know whether the cops killed her uncle.

At various points, the teen vacillates between hating Murdock and hugging him close.

She has put together everything about the crime, knowing full well that if dirty cops did it, the murder will go unpunished.

For his part, Murdock is especially glum, although his partner, Kirsten, promises she has a case he’ll like.

Then, we watch young Daniel Blake prove that he has no rizz.

The advisor to Mayor Fisk is ostensibly living out his male fantasy, as he’s dancing with BB Urich and her friend.

This dude is totally blowing it, though. He keeps complaining about having to turn in since he works at 7 a.m. Live a little, kid.

After Urich calls a cab for Blake, we cut to an uncomfortable marriage counseling session between the Fisks.

Heather Glenn, the therapist, asks Vanessa to explain why she had an affair.

First, the defiant woman suggests that she didn’t know whether her husband would ever return.

Then, she describes her lover in the most flattering terms possible. Apparently, dude’s good with his hands.

I’ve seen Wilson Fisk kill people with his bare hands over much smaller offenses.

Also, in a remarkable turn of events, Vanessa manages to blame the affair on her parents and their bad relationship.

If that strategy works, Tinder’s business will explode.

Awkward Moments

Wilson Fisk confirms that he confronted “Adam” about the nature of his relationship with Vanessa.

Fisk indicates that they settled the matter, but he also suggests it wasn’t an aggressive encounter.

Vanessa vacillates between disbelief and relief. She knows what her husband is capable of doing, and she doesn’t want Adam dead.

Something about the mayor’s tone unsettles Kirsten. After the meeting ends, she asks to speak to Vanessa alone.

Kirsten quietly asks whether Vanessa feels safe in her marriage. To the therapist’s surprise, Vanessa scoffs.

Mrs. Fisk is fully aware that while her husband is a violent man, he’d never hurt her. Probably. Let’s put a pin in that for now.

Meanwhile,  Murdock meets his new client, Leroy Bradford, who is sitting in a crowded holding cell.

Bradford isn’t excited that a blind man is handling his case. He quips, “Bring on the blind justice.”

The accusation is that Bradford stole several boxes of Fiddle Faddle. You heard me.

This particular case appears beneath a superhero. So, I’m excited to see where they’re going with it.

Bradford learns that he looks VERY guilty, as there’s video evidence and a clerk willing to testify. Also, he’s a recidivist.

At this point, Bradford asks whether the criminal could have been a Skrull.

That’s a quality joke, even though we don’t talk about Secret Invasion now.

Importantly, Bradford swears he’s innocent and will not plead the case.

A frustrated Murdock somehow honeypots an attorney to accept ten days off the streets in lieu of parole.

This sounds like a VERY good deal. Before we can settle it with Bradford, Murdock bumps into Officer Powell.

At this point, Powell announces that he’s from a family of good cops and knows nothing about what happened to Ayala.

The Mayor’s Plan

I’m not quite sure where they’re going with the Powell thing since he already tried to murder Murdock in cold blood.

So, it’s a bit late to play the “misunderstood cop” card. But Murdock can tell he’s not lying about Ayala.

Well, this time. All the courtroom perjury still happened. And it counts.

Anyway, while out drinking with BB, Daniel revealed that the mayor had a plan for clean energy.

That’s not all, as Fisk and his lieutenants meet at the docks, which they all agree is an eyesore.

The mayor has a plan to reinvigorate this area with commerce.

Sheila, his top advisor, points out that a murder occurred 30 feet from where they were standing yesterday.

Daniel is all for the plan. So, they’re doing the plan! There’s a lot of bureaucracy involved, but they’re starting the process.

As Sheila and Daniel walk away, Buck Cashman whispers to Fisk that the murders are becoming a problem for them. Uh oh.

Things go from bad to worse when the mayor must listen to off-key children sing We Built This City.

I know that it’s supposed to be an awful rendition, but I think it made my ears bleed.

Meanwhile, Daniel checks his phone and realizes that BB has run with the story he told her at the club.

BB has painted the story as Fisk being a union buster. Daniel has screwed up and admits it. Sheila…isn’t kind to him.

Immediately afterward, Fisk appears at a Latvian event, and THEY sing We Built This City.

Marvel, don’t make me turn off this episode.

Anyway, Fisk finds out the culprit is Daniel. Then, the kid falls on his sword while swearing permanent allegiance to Fisk.

Impressed, Fisk both forgives Daniel AND threatens to kill him.

And Then the Punishing Began

Late that evening – I have no idea why he couldn’t do it in broad daylight – Murdock investigates the crime scene.

Somehow, the blind man finds the bullet case from Ayala’s murder. Just go with it.

At this point, Murdock determinedly heads to a specific place, takes the elevator up, and enters a room.

Moments later, the Punisher accosts him. Dude’s looking rough, too.

When Frank Castle recognizes Murdock, the Punisher drops his weapon.

Frank throws down some pills as Murdock shows him a bullet casing with the Punisher logo on it.

At this moment, Marvel confronts its most awkward problem. In real life, the wrong people hero-worship the character.

The hero and antihero exchange cross words. Murdock accuses Castle of acting like a victim.

Conversely, the Punisher claims that Murdock is seeking permission to do damage on somebody.

At this point, Castle plays the Foggy card, demanding that Daredevil “say his name,” referring to Murdock’s buddy.

Pushed, Murdock back-fists Castle before quickly apologizing.

At this point, Castle confesses that he still hears and sees his dead son and knows that Murdock can’t escape Foggy.

They continue their age-old debate about trusting the system, with Murdock exclaiming that Foggy’s killer got life.

Without missing a beat, Castle asks whether Foggy got life. From the mouths of killers…

Relationship Problems

The episode ends with a different pair of couples, as Punisher and Daredevil are on a break.

The Fisks work out their problems, with Vanessa acknowledging that she’s no longer the same person Wilson married.

As usual, Fisk is ten steps ahead of the game, as he already knows this. He informs his wife that she’s better now.

Meanwhile, Kirsten has felt a bit ignored by her new boyfriend.

So, she’s waiting for Matt at his house, not fully understanding the day he’s had. They make love.

This action does nothing to soothe Murdock’s inner conflict, though. He heads to the roof and starts practicing Daredeviling.

Paralleling Murdock’s actions, Fisk retreats to one of his many bunkers.

As he starts to eat a meal, someone pleads with him. It’s an imprisoned person begging for mercy. And it’s Adam, Mrs Fisk’s lover.

There’s a message here that we can’t change who we are. These are violent men drawn to violent action.

Speaking of which, there’s a kidnapper in a mask who seems to be abducting people and stealing their blood. A literal blood thief.

So, that’s gonna be a thing. I’ll go ahead and spare you the trouble. It’s a character named Muse.

He’s a problem not just for Daredevil but for Kingpin and possibly Punisher, too.

 

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