Disclaimer: This article contains minor spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Season 1.
Daredevil: Born Again stumbled but showed promise in its two-episode premiere, and it gets back on track in the third episode.
Episode 3, “The Hollow of His Hand”, follows Matt Murdock(Charlie Cox) as the trial of Hector Ayala(Kamar de los Reyes) kicks off. The other main thread revolves around Wilson Fisk(Vincent D’Onofrio) adjusting to his new role as mayor while trying to rebuild his marriage with Vanessa(Ayelet Zurer). The show settles into a great rhythm as it amps up its courtroom drama while planting the seeds for further escalation as the season goes on. The courtroom proceedings of the original show were always a high watermark of the series, as the lawyer side of Matt Murdock is just as integral to the character as the red suit and horned mask.
Daredevil: Born Again captures some of that magic this episode. The trial puts viewers through a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s intense, surprising, and constantly engaging. The cast delivers incredible performances, with lingering shots that let the gravity of the situation and the energy of the characters permeate the screen. It also doesn’t overstay its welcome, this episode features the beginning and end of the trial, setting up and knocking down dominoes that will surely have ramifications throughout the season.
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Faith in the System
The trial of Hector Ayayla, who moonlights as the vigilante White Tiger, also provides a great parallel for Matt. Matt can relate to Hector in a way few can and brings that insight to their conversations. Hector speaks on the compulsion to don the mask and make a difference, while Matt reassures him that there are other ways to enact change. It’s a poignant discussion and one that can be read as Matt trying to convince himself as much as he is Hector. The trial also establishes what appears to be a gang of police who have been radicalized and co-opted the Punisher’s logo. It’ll be fascinating to see the direction the show takes this arc when Jon Bernthal’s Punisher shows up down the line.
Fisk’s time in this episode is more of a slow burn. He’s becoming acclimated to his new position and honestly seems quite bored and restless. He keeps reiterating that he has loftier goals and higher aims and can’t be bothered with the lower dealings of what used to constitute his criminal empire. However, like Matt’s speech to Hector, it sounds more like he’s trying to convince himself. Matt and Fisk are the two pillars of this season, and it’s fitting that their arcs parallel each other so completely here. They’re trying desperately to move beyond their past demons, but it feels inevitable that they’ll regress to the mean.
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This episode feels like a true return to form for the series. It’s clear that Daredevil: Born Again wants to evoke as much of the original series as it can, and this episode is the closest it’s gotten so far. It understands that the true highlight of the original wasn’t how violent or gritty and grounded it could be, but rather a tight and nuanced focus on the characters that inhabit this world. If the rest of this season follows suit, it’ll be the better for it.
