Action scenes are on the sidelines for now; character moments are on full display in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5.
A quieter and more intimate showing for this week in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5. Some familiar faces return, and some flashbacks reflect what the characters are now and what they will be in the future.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers about the episode. Read at your own risk.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Episode 5: “The Grand Design”
After the eventful fiasco from last week. We start with Wilson Fisk bringing Vanessa to the hospital; being overprotective, he even argues with the personnel. Thankfully, Sheila, his assistant, calms him down and lets the personnel do their job. Fisk informs Officer Powell to bring Daredevil and Bullseye alive. Speaking of the two, Bullseye is heavily injured, and they are both in hiding from the task force.
Meanwhile, Buck Cashman and Daniel Blake go to dispose of the body of the first mate of “The Northern Star.” Daniel, who is under a lot of pressure, worries that Buck might do something to him.
Avocados at work
For this flashback-heavy episode, we go back to the humble beginnings of Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. They go over the list of their clients. Sometimes the world can be small because their client is a childhood friend of Foggy. They discuss what is going to happen, but the client disagrees. Naively, both Matt and Foggy are unaware of the bigger picture their client is telling them. Unknowingly, they are associated with Wilson Fisk.
The client warns them that Fisk wants him taken care of. Moreover, Matt decides that going to prison is the way, but their client informs them that people are waiting for him to finish the job. Foggy, being the compassionate person he is, convinces Matt that they should find another way.
“What are we celebrating?”
“Mercy.”
We are going to say it, Foggy is dearly missed. This flashback scene proves that he is STILL the heart of the original series and this one. Additionally, he continues to be an inspiration and motivation to Matt to always do the right thing. Lastly, their chemistry together is so good. Moments like this are what make it memorable.
On the run
Back in the present, Daredevil and Bullseye are on the run from the task force. Bullseye continues to question Daredevil’s mindset. Understandably, why is he helping the man who makes his life worse. Most of the time, they are throwing hands so it is nice to see the two just talk it out sometimes, even if they have very different views. Bullseye even drops a monologue worth noting for:
“We’re all doing the same thing here. Acting something out, scratching some kinda itch. But the worst part is when you think you got it beat. You think “I outran it.”. Then you turn the corner, bam…there it is…staring you at in the face. Only it’s worse this time. And you know, it was always gonna be there. There is no escaping it.”
Just as the task force is closing in on them, Daredevil decides that he is going to leave Bullseye as he is a liability. But just as he leaves, he remembers what Foggy told him about their client in the flashback scenes. He remembers Foggy’s thoughts about second chances and mercy. This is what we talk about as to why Foggy is the heart. Daredevil picks up Bullseye, and they continue to be on the run. They arrive at the hideout to Karen’s surprise.
“Tell me the story of how we met”
We get our second flashback scene for this episode. Vanessa, an employee at an art gallery, feels a strong attraction to a particular painting, known to us all as the “Rabbit in the Snowstorm.” Moreover, that painting is the foundation of Wilson and Vanessa’s relationship. Wilson, along with his old assistant, James Wesley, finds other ways to keep their operation discreet. Additionally, Wilson wants to go into Bitcoin, but James suggests taking a shot in the world of arts, to Wilson’s hesitation.
This episode also answers a question: How does Buck become the Kingpin’s assistant? Buck works under James Wesley; we see his humble beginnings here working as one of the people who “finish the job” when they oppose Fisk.
Back to the present time at the hospital. Wilson still closely guards Vanessa, who is in critical condition. She undergoes surgery, and it looks to be a success. Vanessa wakes up to Wilson’s delight and asks for a pineapple juice. This is one of the rare times we see Wilson Fisk be vulnerable; he is only like this to the person he loves, who is Vanessa. It’s character moments like this that we remind ourselves that they are still human.
They enjoy their conversation. Again, character moments like these are a highlight. A rare burst of laughter comes out from Wilson as they reminisce about their time together. But this could be the last time we will ever see Wilson Fisk like that. Moreover, Vanessa asks to tell her the story of how they met and suffers a headache. Understandably, Wilson calls for medical personnel again for assistance. As they are trying to save her, we see Wilson at his most helpless since he was a child. The ECG monitor flatlines, and Wilson screams in pain.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Episode 5 thoughts
Despite the action scenes, we remain captivated by this episode. We see fan favorites come back in Foggy Nelson and James Wesley. The former is still the light and heart to Matt, and the latter is the bridge to meeting his love. The episode title really emphasizes past moments that help shape the direction of our characters. Its episodes like this, just having a conversation, are why fans love the original series in the first place.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5 is now available to stream on Disney+.
