Daredevil: Born Again (Disney Plus)
Following up the original Daredevil show with something that would satisfy was always going to be a challenge and, although I didn’t find this season to fully come together, there are many pieces here that show potential.
Daredevil: Born Again had a troublesome production and this can be felt when watching. For those unaware, the show’s original incarnation was stopped in the middle of filming and received an overhaul with a new team coming into film new materials. So, some tension is felt when watching, with it feeling like subplots fight and interrupt each other to be in the limelight, especially during the show’s middle portion which feels like it’s borderline aimless with its split focus. Granted, this is understandable given the situation and despite the pieces not fitting together I do like the individual pieces. For example, the plotline involving the superhero White Tiger is rooted in a court case which was a solid way to display more of Daredevil’s lawyer alter ego and do something not touched upon much in the original show. I also thought the Punisher subplot was a smart way to develop the character in our current political climate with how it tackles his messy legacy and police and far right misunderstandings of the character. Although I don’t think these pieces meshed together due to the creative overhaul, need for further development and the season’s tight nine-episode limit, I still find these pieces to be interesting ways to continue Daredevil.
There is one thing that runs strongly throughout this jumble which is the returning cast’s passion. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio have a clear and present passion for playing Daredevil and Kingpin and their enthusiasm always brings me joy. They do a brilliant job at displaying inner conflict and their resistance against their violent impulses and their performances are key elements in bringing the inner darkness of their characters to the forefront. Although he gets significantly less screen-time, the highlight for me was Jon Bernthal’s return as the Punisher and he effortlessly displays the unflinching, bull-headed mindset and aggressive but also broken core of the Punisher.
The new creative team’s work has me excited for season two. Although I have problems with the show’s overall look with how high-res digital aesthetics combine with the grainy, film aesthetics added in post-production, the camera tricks tried by the new team in their episodes were really inventive. The most interesting thing tried was the weaponisation of aspect ratio shifts and dolly zooms to represent Daredevil’s heightened senses and the use of these filmmaking techniques was an extremely creative way to visualise a superpower. The position they leave the show in was great due to its clear establishment of an intense and darker tone compared to the rest of the season, which felt a bit all over the place tonally, and it giving the show a clear direction and statement to run on, involving state corruption and a rallying cry for justice.
Despite my issues, I’m looking forward to what comes next. With the show now having one distinct creative team and a clear direction, many of the good elements of this season can become great. However, this current season leaves a bit to be desired.
