When I heard the news that the viewership for season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again was down 50%, I had to ask why? The last couple Marvel shows never had that “must watch” feeling like this season of Daredevil had. As much as I loved Wonder-Man and Ironheart, they were entertaining shows but suffered from pacing and being dumped in one day. I never found myself talking about the show to friends or even thinking about them afterwards. I wonder if Marvel fans and the common viewer are now used to the Netflix method of releasing episodes all at once to binge and this hurt the overall viewership. Daredevil: Born Again became Marvel Television’s best show after a mixed season 1, as season 2 reverted back to what made Daredevil great while it was on Netflix. This season was a must watch with superb story telling and character work from some unlikely characters.

If you revisit previous posts that reviewed Daredevil Born Again, you’ll notice that episode 8 “The Hateful Darkness” and episode 9 “The Southern Cross” were never posted. Honestly, I was so shocked by the ending of episode 8, it took me a few days to process. Its not the first time this season that an episode left me speechless while my mind was coming up with theories where the show was going to go. In another article I compared Daredevil Born Again to The Sopranos and that was the energy that I got from the final two episodes. These last two episodes were a perfect blend of storytelling and giving the fans what they want. To finish off season 2, I have to give credit to the show runner for not backing down and showing how terrifying Wilson Fisk as mayor can be. At times it was hard to watch with similarities to current events surrounding immigration and the abuse of political powers.

In episode 8 “The Hateful Darkness,” the fight between Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock moves to the court room as Matt comes out of hiding to defend Karen Page. While they fight to save the life of Karen, Fisk becomes unhinged with a threat to the governor and Daniel’s love for BB has them avoiding Buck. In the finale episode, “The Southern Cross” its Matt and Wilson against each other in court with the city on the brink of rioting against Wilson’s power. The final episode does an excellent job at showing off what makes Matt Murdock a good lawyer and giving Wilson a moment to truly show off his brutality. “The Southern Cross” will have massive implications on the overall Marvel universe, especially the characters that are more street level.

The desire to binge watch this series is understandable, but I believe that Marvel and Disney did the correct thing releasing the series weekly. The way certain episodes end would have been weakened by a binge watch. I hope people do come around to watch season 2 of Daredevil Born Again. The feeling of the show being a Frankenstein Monster is now removed with one singular vision for the characters in Daredevil Born Again. Season 1 was bookended by fantastic episodes with a middle that was just alright, as it was easy to notice the reshoots and change in direction from episode to episode. The creative team and show runner for season 2 understood the assignment and gave the fans what they wanted.

What makes season 2 superior to season 1? Daredevil Born Again does something similar that Peacemaker season 2 did and that was a shift focus to those impacted by the events happening. Characters like Karen, Daniel, Bullseye, Vanessa Fisk, Heather, and Buck all benefit from amazing character development and growth. Throughout the show, Matt and Wilson take a back seat to some of these characters. As brilliant as Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have been since 2015 in their roles, season 2 gave multiple characters and performances the space they needed.

We wouldn’t have the rampaging and powerful Wilson Fisk without his love Vanessa. Played by Ayelet Zurer, she builds on the established character that was in 11 episodes of the Netflix series and all of season 1 of Daredevil Born Again. There are episodes that Zurer made me cry and understand how fear can impact one person. The use of Vanessa and Zurer’s performances were used perfectly for the story. However, the MVPs of Daredevil Born Again are Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman, Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake and Wilson Bethel as Bullseye. Arty and Michael build an amazing relationship throughout the season, with both playing to their strengths. At moments, it felt like the characters of Buck and Daniel could have came from The Sopranos. Which I felt like was a tribute or an Easter egg to Michael’s father’s iconic role.

Now, I could write an entire blog on Bullseye and how he stole the show. We are getting a Punisher one shot this Wednesday, and I wouldn’t be opposed to a Bullseye one shot. Wilson Bethel delivers his best performance as Bullseye’s character arc revolves around Redemption and Mercy. It’s interesting and entertaining seeing Bullseye play the role of antihero and at times having to partner with Daredevil. There is a scene in a diner that will live in my head for months, as it showcased how dangerous Bullseye can be and how fun he can be as an antihero. The season does end with him in an interesting place for the Marvel universe.

Daredevil Born Again season 2 is not perfect as there are a few things that could have been handled better. Tony Dalton reprising his role of Jack Dunquense from Hawkeye and season 1 of Daredevil Born Again felt like a missed opportunity. When he is on screen, it’s hard to take your eyes off his smooth performance. However he is only in 3 episodes and disappears, at the end of the season during the big climatic ending. It has to be asked, “where is Jack?” Hopefully we get more of Dalton in the Marvel Universe as he could be a fantastic addition to any project. Unfortunately, Jessica Jones suffers the similar fate. Krysten Ritter returns as the superpower private investigator and it feels a little water downed or forced. Love Ritter as Jones, but the character definitely needed more screen time and better treatment from the script. I am interested in her role in the third season.

Matthew Lillard’s Mr. Charles has us asking questions about his overall involvement in the MCU. Throughout the 5 episodes he is in, he is mysterious and at times hilarious. It’s hard to criticize his performance and role as it’s pretty minimal in the overall scheme of Daredevil Born Again. The way the season ends I hope we get more of Matthew Lillard in the MCU.

The action throughout is top notch with one shots, and it’s not thrown into to story to just have an action scene. The action is meaningful and absolutely loved the Kingpin action scene in the final episode. The ending of the season will have people upset and thinking it was a bad ending. However, being a fan of the comics for years, just be patient with where the season is going.

Daredevil Born Again season two is one of the best Marvel shows and I’ll put it up there with Loki. If you love Marvel, this isn’t a show to miss. That being said, there will be scenes that piss off people with the ties to current events. With the focus on current events, it does bring it closer to HBO’s Watchmen than it does anything in the MCU.

9 out 10- So close to perfection and gave a satisfying finish than some other great shows failed to do.