Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction to this week’s episode of Daredevil: Born Again, “The Hateful Darkness.” First off, amazing episode title. I love that title, “The Hateful Darkness.” Metal! I had some issues with this week’s episodes, but I’m not gonna lie. That ending kills.
Literarily. Oh. Spoilers are in effect. You’ve been warned. We’ll begin with what worked in “The Hateful Darkness.” I’ve said it a few times already, Daniel Blake’s story has been one of Daredevil: Born Again Season Two’s best stories. Michael Gandolfini did a great job. That was in the past tense for a reason. Blake’s story comes to an abrupt end in “The Hateful Darkness’s” closing moments. Blake’s passing at the hands of his buddy Buck’s hands was not in the original plan.
Daredevil: Born Again had intended to bring Blake back for Season Three. But Blake had a full circle moment in “The Hateful Darkness.” What made Blake’s story so great was how he was pulled in two directions. He cared for BB, and he wanted power through Mayor Fisk. Blake had every intention of handing over BB to Buck, but he had a hero moment and let her go. Not all hero moments require tights. Not all hero moments need to include world-wide or even city-wide stakes. Not all hero moments end with the hero prevailing. Blake made the choice to be BB’s hero. He did what was right in the moment. Blake living after making this choice would’ve cheapened his heroic choice. And I loved how Buck looked gutted.
Like I said, Blake’s death scene was not the original plan, but Daredevil: Born Again is a labor of love by producers Charlie Cox (Daredevil) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Kingpin). Along with Gandolfini (Daniel Blake), they felt as if the character was better served if he died in this moment–for all the reasons I mentioned. The showrunners knew Gandolfini’s Blake was a fan favorite. This wasn’t an easy decision. It was the right decision. Kudos! Arty Froushan’s Buck looked as conflicted as he did because the crew returned to shoot Blake’s death. Froushan thought the extra shoots were to clean up a prior day of filming. He didn’t know his character would kill his friend. Those were real emotions. The scene was phenomenal.
“The Hateful Darkness” also sprinkled in some other great moments: Matt Murdock returning to the courtroom, Karen Page and Heather Glenn’s showdown, and the opening scene with Page and Wilson Fisk. All of these were executed well, but they did feel off, and here’s where I talk about Daredevil: Born Again’s shortcomings. Jessica Jones’s presence still feels forced. She shares another rooftop scene with Daredevil. Jones even jokes about it. Marvel is so bad with self-referential jokes. They’ll joke about the thing they often include, while still using the thing they often include. Have the two meet somewhere else. Maybe a bar? Maybe not, because I’m sure Jones is trying to stay sober for her daughter.
We do receive news of Luke Cage’s involvement with the United States government. Jones and Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard) share a scene in Charles’s hotel room. I mentioned it before but Daredevil: Born Again has too many characters it’s trying to juggle. Charles and New York’s governor disappear for long periods of time until the plot needs them to return. McDuffie (Murock’s partner) has had little to do before this episode, taking place in court. Better to show up for the penultimate episode than not at all, I guess. White Tiger has all but disappeared. I don’t know if I care enough about the character yet for that to bother me, but the fact that she’s vanished is a symptom of too many characters. Heck. I had forgotten about Cherry until this episode.
Daredevil: Born Again feels different than the original Netflix Daredevil series. Sure, I’ve driven home the point of there being too many characters, but Daredevil: Born Again may have overcorrected for the original Daredevil series. Thirteen episodes each season for Netflix’s Daredevil was too many, but eight or nine episodes a season for Daredevil: Born Again is too few. The show feels rushed. When I said that “The Hateful Darkness” had other great moments, I didn’t kid. But while the scene of Matt Murdock’s return to the courtroom was well executed, it took the ticker at the bottom of the screen for me to remember that New York City was looking for Murdock. The show went on so many tangents I had forgotten a major plot point.
Likewise, Karen Page and Heather Glenn’s confrontation felt inevitable, but it also came out of nowhere. There was little to no buildup. Page even cites what Glenn said about her relationship with Matt Murdock, but that exchange happened in season one. I thought Page talking about a stranger lying beside her in bed sounded familiar the first time I heard it. It took a second viewing to remember Page and Glenn’s conversation in Daredevil: Born Again, season one. The show could’ve brought up Glenn and Murdock’s prior relationship sooner. Armed with remembering NYC was looking for Murdock, and Glenn’s former girlfriend status with Murdock made those moments hit harder. They were well done. But they felt rushed.
I would love it if Daredevil: Born Again had a ten to eleven-episode run. It doesn’t need the Netflix Daredevil 13-episode run. Again, that’s too long. But Daredevil is at his best when his show has room to breathe. I loved the episodes of Daredevil: Born Again when the show had time to focus on a select few characters. Venessa’s death was handled with grace. I liked the episode where Matt could finally mourn Foggy’s death. And “The Hateful Darkness” concludes with another banger of an ending. There’s a lot to love, but there’s something missing.
But those are my thoughts about Daredevil: Born Again, “The Hateful Darkness.” What did you think? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
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