I would really like to know what is the psychology of dropping three episodes on the premier day and now dropping two episodes at once on a regular schedule??!! WTF!! plus on the side the series is kinda burning characters left and right, there are so many things that are very unusual from Daredevil Born Again but still I cant denied that is a good watch. The series has reached its midway with a double episode drop that brings some action back into the series, I really enjoy how its also more into the regular human hero type than the ones were are use to from Marvel. Episode 5 takes a detour with a bank heist story line that feels somewhat disconnected from the main plot but it does provide some entertaining moments and MCU connections, while episode 6 brings the show back to its darker roots with the introduction of Muse, we already saw him on previous episodes but this time its all about him, a serial killer who creates art with his victims blood and epoxy. This episode finally sees Matt Murdock put on the Daredevil suit again in a brutal fight sequence that reminds us how savage he can turn once he loose it, I could tell how many will find the series is just pulling new characters too fast and going through them without much context but these episodes mark a turning point for the series as both Matt and Wilson Fisk begin to embrace their true natures once more, Matt as Daredevil and Fisk as Kingpin.
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Episode 5 surprised me with its own side plot, an ordinary event that seem to deviate from the war for power going on in the City while there is no Kingpin and Matt also fights his own demons and tries to trust the system. The bank robbery story line feels like it could have been pulled from any crime thriller but throwing Matt Murdock into the mix makes it more interesting and to be honest I think makes it more refreshing and chill, the truth is that with or without the suit Matt always get into fights different than other heroes who only fight when they wearing the suit. The episode introduces Yusuf Khan, Ms. Marvel's father as the bank's assistant manager who denies Matt's loan application as his firm is suffering from liquidity, the Ayala case didn't make them any money. Matt and Yusuf had a good time chatting but I couldn't help but feel the MCU connection was a bit forced here with all the Mrs. Marvel references. When Yusuf mentions his daughter Kamala is in California visiting friends, it's clearly setting up future for some other avengers series but it feels somewhat out of place in Daredevil's more of a gritty world.
The bank robbery itself has a lot of elements that represent the series like tense negotiations, frightened hostages and Matt secretly using his super hearing and pretending to be helpless blind guy. There's something satisfying about watching Matt maintain his composure even with a gun to his head, truly living up to the "Daredevil" name. The actions scenes look a bit silly but everything aside Daredevil looks like so, showing Matt warming up even wearing a "red mask", was that a coincidence? come on, a nice nod to his vigilante role in the city. The episode ends with Matt and Yusuf planning to meet again in Jersey City after Matt help him get out alive of the bank robbery, another obvious setup for a potential Matt / Kamala meeting in the future.
Episode 6 shifts gears dramatically, focusing on the character at hand Muse who is from my understanding the main villain at the same time against Fisk, a serial killer who creates murals using human blood. This story line feels much more according with Daredevil's darker tone and provides that small push Matt needed to wear the suit again, in his own words "Fuck it". The episode also brings back Jack Duquesne as Swordsman from the Hawkeye series; that one I had too look up since I never saw it jejeje, but the series keeps creating another connection to Fisk's criminal past and on top of other series form the MCU and that's crazy considering its almost the same amount of references to new characters on the series.
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What works the best in this episode is how Matt and Fisk are back into their journeys to become once again their true selves. Both men have been trying to step down and change, I saw this coming for Fisk the moment he was not eating healthy anymore and all of the sudden his suit rip off since its not fitting, both come down to their violent natures that can't stay buried forever. When Angela Ayala, niece of the now death White Tiger, reveals her uncle was investigating disappearances connected to Muse, Matt didn't want to get involve because he knew how that would end putting on the suit again, but when Angela goes missing while investigating on her own, Matt's guilt forces him to suit up as Daredevil again. Same goes for Fisk, who uses the Muse situation to create an Anti Vigilante Task Force staffed with corrupt officers, a clear step toward his Kingpin role as a mayor who outlaws vigilantes. At the same time towards the end of the episode we got Daredevil versus Muse and Kingpin versus Adam; Vanessa's lover who Fisk had as prisoner. The editing between these two fights is excellent, showing how both men are back into their darker persona, although again I find that Daredevil locate Muse too easy same as how he beat him but this time different than with Bullseye, Muse escapes.
Looking at IMDB data I'm glad the rest of the series is not going to drop at once, next three episodes will be release individually with a second season already in the works. It looks like its going to be Muse against Fisk and at the same time Daredevil against both but I wonder if at some point Muse and Fisk will join forces to get red of Matt. Ever since WandaVision, the MCU has been trying to tight together their TV series with the movies and I love that but with Daredevil it seems they just trying too hard, burning through references to other MCU characters same as how they got quite a few ones floating around like Punisher, White Tiger, Swordsman, Bullseyes and who know if they going to bring many more, how many seasons will this series be? I wont get mad if we go full blow Smallville with 5+ season but we have to be realistic. Daredevil Born Again needs to tight up things and focus on the cards the already reveal, bringing closure to the existing characters before they move on, I really enjoy the bank episode because it was something different even though it was a bit silly too, 7.5/10 for this two episodes imo.
