Daredevil: Born Again

Historians of the far future looking back at our era will note that streaming media had an early, unstructured, rule-breaking phase which ultimately evolved into what we have today -- old fashioned TV productions "pretending" to be radical and chic. During that first phase, Marvel took big chances and produced some oddball shows. The best of the bunch was Daredevil, and Charlie Cox was one of the best casting decisions in the history of the medium. Having the series rebooted is a miracle. Seriously, call Rome and let them send a team to investigate. Not perfect, perhaps, but still amazing to have that character back, like finding an old friend you thought you would never see again. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

I didn't watch the Netflix series before because it didn't catch my interest. Now I regret that. This show is a continuation of that story, and I only know the main events from those three seasons. I was too busy to watch the old show before this one started. Actually, I couldn't even watch this one on time either. Now I finally finished it, and I really liked it. It was great. The atmosphere was very dark and intense. Many people say the original Netflix series was even better, which makes me more curious now. If I enjoyed this one, I'll probably like the old one too. I think the characters were amazing. I also liked the music, the dark mood, and the fight scenes. Everything felt well made. For me, it's one of the best Marvel shows so far. I'm really looking forward to season two. Some viewers said there wasn't enough action, but I didn't mind that. Watching Matt Murdock deal with his thoughts and emotions, and his decision about becoming Daredevil again, was interesting to me. I enjoyed the drama and the psychology behind it.

'Daredevil: Born Again' had a rocky start to its creation, but it pulled off a rather impressive season to continue the incredible Netflix series. It has its faults and flaws, but it really hit its stride towards the end giving us a solid season overall. Charlie Cox is still an incredible Matt/Daredevil, while Vincent D'Onofrio shows why he is the one and only choice for Kingpin. Season 1 ends with a pretty explosive setup for season 2 that definitely left us wanting more.

In the end, 'Daredevil: Born Again' moved our characters forward from the Netflix series into its own MCU world with heart, drama, action, and some of the most brutal violence we've seen in a Marvel property.

Brad: 8.5 Josh: 8.5 Final: 8.5.

From any other company this would just be ok, but I have to grade Disney on a curve because they disappoint so often. D'Onofrio is a treasure as Kingpin. Cox was solid. (Warning a sort of spoiler is coming). I really miss Foggy and could use more of Karen. Bullseye is a wild miss, one of the best comic villains with a true style and they made him bland as hell. Apparently there will be a second season so hopefully the action will pick up some. I also hear we will get more of the Netflix heroes which would be very welcome. As a 66 year old comic fan, it's nice that Disney finally got something right. Keep the classic characters coming and lose Echo, Ironheart, Agatha and Ms. Marvel, all Disney inventions.

Daredevil: Born Again was announced several years ago, shortly after the character's cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since then, this series has undergone a very troubled and very long production. Several episodes of the original show, which had no connection to the Netflix Daredevil beyond a few central actors, were filmed before a massive creative overhaul was ordered. This led to reshoots and revisions, turning the show into a sequel to the Netflix installment.

All this to say, it's clear that Born Again is two shows stitched together. Especially with the first episode, which squeezes probably a good two or three episodes work of plot into one in a desperate attempt to introduce the new elements of the show and refit the original story. This is the show's main problem, along with some of the elements of what would appear to be the original ideas not being very interesting or fitting with the tone of the reshot material. One story is a procedural drama, the other is Daredevil Season 4. Also brought with this new direction are a couple questions, such as how did Kingpin get out of jail after Season 3, and how does the whole Hawkeye/Echo story fit into all this?

Despite this, and some poor use of new characters (the villain Muse in particular), there is still a lot to love. Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Wilson Bethel, Jon Bernthal, and Ayelet Zurer play their characters just as well as ever. Cox and D'Onofrio in particular are extraordinary. Kingpin running for mayor leads to great suspense, as you keep waiting for the moment he'll crack and return to his old ways. When he finally gives in, it results in the single most brutal scene I've ever seen from a Marvel or DC property. I thought I was watching The Boys for a second.

Despite some tonal whiplash, Born Again is without a doubt some of Marvel's best post-Endgame content, and I look forward to Season 2, where a singular vision from the show's creative team will hopefully fix most of Season 1's issues.