The Pitt, Andor, and now Daredevil. At first glance, these series couldn’t be more different, but at their core, they all tackle the same issue: the rise of fascism.
The latest episode of The Pitt (Urgent), currently one of the most acclaimed American series, sparked a wave of criticism in the States for its realistic portrayal of ICE agents in a hospital setting. Fear, despair, and frustration were felt not only by doctors, nurses, and medical staff but also by patients and clearly on viewers as well. However, the episode also received positive responses. The writers used the popular series to give space to an important topic that has been resonating increasingly across the U.S. over the past two years.
They're not alone in pop culture these days, with more creators drawing inspiration from reality for fiction writing. Andor's creator, writer, and director Tony Gilroy, saw the warning signs coming from afar, and when his universally adored Star Wars project was released, especially last year's second season, he nailed the depiction of rising imperialist fascism in a way that few before him have managed. Andor precisely illustrated not only the methods a galactic (or state) apparatus might use to spread fear, uncertainty, and misinformation, but it also exposed the behavior of both blind masses and willing individuals who such a system relies on to exist. Gilroy also offered a way to combat such an enemy. In this, however, he isn't a pioneer, since the idea of Rebels fighting the relentless Empire was introduced by George Lucas back in the '70s.
Why mention all this at the start of a piece about the second season of the comic series Daredevil, whose first episode just dropped on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 25th? Because this Marvel show underscored that we’re on the cusp of a (neo)-pop culture era. The anti-fascist wave is back, and with it, storylines that we hope to see more frequently in TV and film, because apparently, history books aren't cutting it anymore.
The Masks Are Off
Before diving into the second season of Daredevil, let’s quickly recap the first. Daredevil: Born Again follows the previous three successful Daredevil series on Netflix (before Marvel got the rights back), and although new creators with fresh ideas initially worked on it, midway through production, everyone realized it wasn't working, and they returned to the tried-and-true formula. However, this resulted in a lack of cohesion in the first season, both in format and storyline, making it less consistent in quality compared to the acclaimed Netflix original.
What the creators nailed was thematically linking the development of the two leading characters, Daredevil (the excellent Charlie Cox again) and the villainous Kingpin (the devilish Vincent D'Onofrio), fitting the subtitle of this new series: their “rebirth”. The whole first season was about Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk battling their natures, wearing their “human” masks, keeping their alter egos in check, trying to achieve their goals differently from the past. For Fisk, this meant entering politics and staying away from mafia practices, which became unavoidable over time, while for Matt, it was about trusting the system, particularly the judiciary, only to realize he couldn't fight enemies like Fisk, serial killer Muse, or released Bullseye without using his fists.
In comics, the fundamental question often arises: What is the essence of heroism? What's the difference between masked men and women committing crimes and those doing so to stop others from committing even worse crimes? The first season of Daredevil: Born Again asked these philosophical questions, offering action, quality dialogue (especially with Punisher's involvement), and several gripping/chilling sequences that elevated the usually mindless comic book entertainment to something more.
The finale suggested what to expect from the second season, with Fisk becoming a small dictator subjecting New York to his tyranny, outlawing all masked superheroes, and using a special unit (similar to ICE) to achieve political goals. The masks are off, and expectations for the second season couldn't be higher.
Daredevil vs. Kingpin, Round Five
Right from the start, I need to say that the common criticism of the previous season, where fans had to wait long for the “Devil of Hell's Kitchen” to emerge, doesn’t apply to this second season. Daredevil is back in action from the first scene, sporting a new costume (unfortunately, its sudden black color is unexplained), and he's in top form. This is Daredevil unleashed, which seems fitting given the circumstances. The brutality bar has been raised a notch, Marvel not only maintained the R rating (not suitable for young audiences) but even increased it.
However, the series lost the side character, Punisher, for the second season. Frank Castle is MIA for this run, but don’t fret, as a one-hour special, The Punisher: One Last Kill, drops on Disney+ on May 12th, just a week after the final episode. It will reveal what happened with the character during Daredevil's second round. And a month later, you'll see him in a Spider-Man movie titled Brand New Day. Marvel fans are eating good this year.
This season, Matt will mainly rely on Karen's help (Deborah Ann Woll) and later the returning Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter). On the opposing side remains Fisk and his de facto Gestapo, his wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), right-hand man Buck (Arty Froushan), willing Deputy Mayor Daniel (the amazing Michael Gandolfini), and surprisingly, Matt's ex-girlfriend, psychiatrist Heather (Margarita Levieva). Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) reenters the game, promising some of the best action sequences, compensating for Punisher's absence.
The plot shifts largely from courtrooms to streets, with Daredevil's primary goal to reveal Mayor Fisk's lies to New Yorkers, urging them to see through manipulation and fear since it can't be Matt who takes down Fisk but the people themselves. Honestly, this offers a somewhat original resolution to the ongoing conflict between these two characters, which could otherwise feel stale after five series of repeated clashes. Thankfully, it doesn’t, allowing the second season of Born Again to be as quality-driven as the first three praised Netflix series.
Ambitions Too High
However, it's fair to mention that the second season tries to be too many things at once. An anti-fascist statement about the corruption of power, an action-packed comic spectacle, legal drama with a social undercurrent, old-school gangster flick, psychological study, and partly a tragic love story about people who are simply not meant to be together. The inspiration draws from Andor, The Dark Knight Rises, The Penguin, and more, yet a clearer comic book premise is somewhat absent, given the show's title might lead one to believe it's adapting one of the most famous Daredevil comics, which it doesn’t. This results in a partly scattered path to a definite yet slightly rushed endpoint in the last two episodes.
The series introduces too many side characters without letting them truly shine, affecting the main characters, who deserved more focus in this situation. Despite these shortcomings, individual episodes are highly engaging, and while the first two aren't quite firing on all cylinders yet, from the third one onwards, it's non-stop action, tension, and twists. You’ll gladly forgive the series' few missteps, as combined with the first season, it's precisely the dream comeback Daredevil deserved.
The exact ending or further cameos won't be spoiled here, but suffice to say, the finale is appropriately violent and emotional, while also suggesting that Daredevil's future role in the MCU might be quite different from before. This will surely be the subject of future articles, especially the series and movies that are bound to be announced. We all have a lot to look forward to.
Rating: 8.5/10
