straight to hell
Wilson Fisk reveals his illegal activities as mayor to Vanessa. Matt and Kirsten learn why Foggy was celebrating that led to Vanessa having Bullseye kill him. Plus, some old friends pay a visit to help Matt in his time of need.
Fisk Attacks Matt
After Matt Murdock takes a bullet for Mayor Fisk, the mayor calls on Buck to make a stop by the hospital. He wants Buck to end Matt Murdock’s life. Fisk has known for a long time that Matt Murdock is Daredevil, and he reasons in this case, it’s better to have a dead hero than an alive vigilante. It’s truly cold but also calculating as it sets up Fisk for future success in both his political and criminal endeavors. Meanwhile, he also asks to shut off the power to the city to cause a massive blackout.
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Once the blackout is in effect, Buck is ready to kill Matt. However, Matt Murdock isn’t Daredevil for no reason. While he missed Buck previously, he hears Buck’s shoes in the hallway before the blackout and flees his hospital bed. Buck finds it empty and alerts the mayor they will have to move to plan B. Meanwhile, Matt heads to his apartment where he finds an unexpected visitor.
Punisher Returns
Frank Castle is waiting in his apartment. Matt tells Frank he was the last person Matt expected to find there, but Frank confirms he got a call and came to help. The pair continue their issues as Frank lets Matt know that any help he gives will involve killing their opponents. Daredevil may not kill, but Punisher does. Matt goes to get into his Daredevil suit while Frank asks him why he’s not going to fight the anti-vigilante task force “bare-assed.”
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The corrupt police officers make their way up to the apartment and the pair keep taking them out, although they continue to fight over their different methods. Frank Castle will shoot people several times to ensure they’re dead. Matt Murdock tries to just knock them out as he believes in the sanctity of human life. It’s an interesting dichotomy as it’s easy to see where they’re coming from. While Matt’s way is right the majority of the time, this fight seems to be the one time out of 100 where Frank is correct.
The pair have it out because Matt steps in front of a cop that Frank intends to kill. Frank, already angry about Matt taking a bullet for Fisk, tears into Matt before shooting a different cop in the room to get his point across. The fighting comes to an abrupt end when they both hear something and realize it’s a grenade. They jump free from the building before the explosion. While fleeing on foot, a car pulls up behind them and catches them in its headlights. Karen Page steps out, rescuing her friends.
Matt, Frank and Karen
The trio head back to Punisher’s place where he offers to make them coffee and they discuss everything that’s gone on. Frank hints that he doesn’t care and the only reason he got involved was because Karen asked him to help Matt after she learned Bullseye got out of prison. Frank stays in his hideaway while Matt and Karen go to learn why Foggy was celebrating.
At the storage facility, Matt and Karen have a long-needed conversation. Matt mentions he heard Frank’s heartbeat when he saw Karen which she says, “must’ve been adrenaline.” She asks Matt if he heard her heartbeat when she saw him to which he says, “must’ve been adrenaline.” They find the legal paperwork that reveals that Foggy learned that Red Hook, where Fisk has been keeping people held hostage, isn’t actually part of the US but a free city-state. They figure out that Vanessa was running her criminal enterprise through there and Foggy’s reveal would’ve put her business in danger. They prepare to fight before accepting they need help to take down what’s happening.
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Meanwhile, Frank has been listening to police scanners and decides to get involved. He dawns his Punisher gear and goes to confront the cops on the anti-vigilante task force about using his symbol. He takes down a vast majority of them before being captured because there were too many of them. Still, he gets his point across that if they were doing their jobs, there would be no need for Punisher, and they shouldn’t be idolizing him. It’s some of the best iconography from the Punisher comics brought to life on the screen.
Kingpin Returns
While this is going on, the police commissioner has decided he’s going above Mayor Fisk’s head to turn him in. He tries to convince Fisk’s campaign manager to join him. She says she can’t go but supports him. However, later that night, she takes a recording of her conversation with the commissioner to Mayor Fisk who decides to take matters into his own hands.
The mayor has also had an emergency city council meeting called where he has Daniel and Buck present his plans for martial law to the city council. He expects their full support. Almost all of them are opposed until Daniel and Buck make it clear their lives are being threatened. All of the city council capitulates giving the mayor what he needs.
When the police commissioner starts heading home, Mayor Fisk has one member of his task force bring the commissioner to Red Hook. The commissioner stands his ground despite knowing he won’t make it out alive. Eventually, Mayor Fisk snaps into his Kingpin persona and crushes the commissioner’s skull in a way far more gruesome than was ever shown on the Netflix series.
Blackout Response
During the blackout, many New Yorkers start looting and police officers take it upon themselves to go beyond the boundaries of justice to stop the looters. They start identifying them as masked vigilantes. The next morning, Mayor Fisk announces the commissioner’s “resignation” and calls for martial law. He outlaws all vigilantism and institutes a curfew. It’s clear that Kingpin has won. He and Vanessa return to Red Hook where many people are being kept in cages including several of New York’s elite, the Swordsman and the Punisher.
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At Josie’s bar, Daredevil finally addresses his supporters. He talks to Josie and Cherry and gives an encouraging speech as the series shows some of the prominent players that are fighting on either side, including Kirsten, Cherry, Josie, Karen, Frank, Bullseye, BB Urich, Vanessa and Fisk. He says he needs an army and says they will “resist, rebel, and rebuild” as the series cuts to credits.
In a post-credit scene, Frank is in his cage when he starts chatting up the security guard keeping watch over them. He asks to shake the man’s hand and when he does, Frank slams him into the cage, killing the guard and getting free, setting up The Punisher Special Presentation.
Rating
Damn that was excellent storytelling. Was it as awesome as the Netflix series? No, but it doesn't have to be better, it just has to be good and stand on its own, which it does. Karen is back and I hope to see more of her in season two. We still need a massive showdown with both Bullseye and Kingpin. Plus, who will help Daredevil? The Defenders returning in season two would be a good call. I know many people wanted them in season one, but that would’ve distracted too much from the story being told. Frank was enough for one season, but we need Jessica Jones, at the very least, for season two. Luke Cage would also be welcome, and I can put up with Iron Fist returning. Ms. Marvel would make sense since she’s a masked hero who operates just over the state line in Jersey City. Don’t be surprised if Fisk tries to expand his reach and we’ve already seen her father in the show. Plus, there’s already hints that Hector Ayala’s niece will take up the White Tiger mantle, so she could easily return. I want more interconnectivity, but I also want it to be able to standalone and that’s what we got.
Check out Daredevil: Born Again streaming exclusively on Disney Plus.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2025
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