The first week of Daredevil: Born Again was a doozy. The first two episodes depicted the end of the Daredevil fans know and love and the rise of a new world—a new cast of characters, a new New York City mayor, and an even more broken Matt Murdock. The second episode also introduced viewers to the infamous amulet-toting hero White Tiger, Hector Ayala, played by the late Kamar de los Reyes. Ayala had been charged with murdering a police officer after trying to save a man on the subway. Murdock, of course, believes in the hero’s innocence and steps in as his defense attorney. While searching for the man on the subway, Murdock fights with two police officers who are both sporting Punisher tattoos.
The Trial
This episode opens with Murdock visiting Ayala in his holding cell prior to the trial. Ayala reminisces on his home and culture, sharing the story of the Coqui frogs on the beaches of Puerto Rico with his attorney. Murdock, who sees Ayala as the hero he could never be, promises that he will get to hear the frog songs again.
In the restroom of the courthouse, Murdock can be seen slowly scrubbing his hands, feeling the busted knuckles he obtained in his recent fight with the police. Powell, one of the offending officers, stopped the attorney on his way out, threatening him with retaliation. Murdock remains unphased, reminding his opponent that he can bring him down with witness tampering. When Powell, who turns out to be a decorated officer with years on the force, takes the stand, he lies about what happens on the subway platform and about knowing Torres, who claimed to be a confidential informant. One of the cops in the gallery, who, like Powell, has a Punisher tattoo, turns to his fellow officer and mumbles that Torres can’t testify.
Not too far away, Cherry is driving a van that viewers assume is transporting Torres to testify. He almost gets run off the road multiple times and is stopped by no other than Officer Powell on a motorcycle. Thankfully, Murdock had prepared for this and had his key witness transported secretly. This, however, takes an unfortunate turn when Torres, who was threatened by the police gang he had been harassed by previously, lies about being on the train platform that night.
This is highly damaging to Murdock’s planned defense. To combat this, he puts Ayala on the stand and then nonconsensually outs him as White Tiger. Against his client’s wishes, Murdock and Mcduffie’s court strategy dramatically changes. Multiple character witnesses for White Tiger testify, telling the jury how the hero saved them in their time of need. They show him as a man of integrity who saved people not because of glory but because it was the right thing to do.
During closing statements, Murdoch reminds the jurors that the mask doesn’t make the man, but it does prove that he wouldn’t spontaneously attack a police officer. The prosecutor, on the other hand, makes a damning statement about real heroes, like the police, not needing to hide their faces.
Fisk’s Criminal Enterprise
Across the East River in Red Hook, a truck heading to port is hijacked, with a man named Devlin, who was seen at the meeting of the Five Families in episode one, killing both drivers. This news makes its way to Mayor Fisk and his obscured wife Vanessa’s dining table. Fisk, who claims he is stepping away from his criminal enterprise, tells Sheila Rivera to inform Police Commissioner Gallo that the case should be his highest priority. The former crime lord reiterates his passion for his new career, stating that the crime families will tear each other apart, and eventually, the order will win. Vanessa disagrees with this choice, reminding her spouse that his former associates would come after him soon enough. The camera then panned down to his bruised knuckles, showing that no matter his title, the Kingpin still has one foot in the past.
Later in the episode, Buck, a member of Fisk’s team, meets two members of the Five Families under a highway. He pays off the men to calm the inner fighting. It turns out that this payout was not on Fisk’s orders but on Vanessa’s, who only wanted to keep the peace. While the mayor respects her wish for a calm resolution, he truly believes that chaos must reign so that he can rise from the ashes. This tension between the couple is chilling, especially when Vanessa brings up Adam, the man it is theorised she had an affair with while her husband was away. This dramatic difference in their relationship needs to be explored more in future episodes.
The End
After sitting in the empty courtroom holding his broken devil horn, Murdock finally gets good news. The jury finds Ayala not guilty, leaving the police in outrage. Our maskless hero celebrates by inviting his new love interest, Heather Glenn, for dinner. He nostalgically shares a story about his former partner Foggy Nelson and takes a drink in his honour.
Fisk learns about the verdict over the news and demands to see BB Urich, the journalist, again. During his interview, he states that he considers Ayala a murderer and that the court was wrong. As he reiterates his hatred for vigilantes and how they are not heroes, viewers see the White Tiger suiting up for patrol against Murdock’s suggestion of retiring the suit. Within minutes of him hitting the streets, Ayala is shot in the head by a man wearing a Punisher shirt. The credits roll with the heartbreaking song of Coqui frogs on the beaches of Puerto Rico.
What to Look Forward To
Overall, this episode of Daredevil: Born Again is a 10/10. It was the best we have seen so far and is the perfect setup for the return of our favourite masked vigilante. First, it had some of the best court material fans have seen in either series. It was enthralling, charismatic, and sharp. Although we all miss seeing Murdock in the devil suit, this episode was a perfect example of a superhero story not needing a superhero. Murdock can save the day and inspire the same strength in his glasses and dress suit.
One of the most powerful scenes was when Murdock sat silently in court before the verdict. The light shone in, and the gallery seats were reminiscent of a church, a setting Murdock is exceptionally familiar with. It was almost like our hero couldn’t bring himself to enter a real house of worship because of his shame, so the courtroom became his sanctuary. His guilt throughout these episodes is destructive, and he truly believes he is past saving. With religion being such a crucial part of the original series, seeing how these episodes weave in his faith is intriguing.
Lastly, one can’t review this episode without discussing the ending credits. With such an emotional but disturbing ending, the sound of the frogs was utterly heartbreaking. Although Kamar de los Reyes’s time on this show was short, it was beautiful. It was also one of the last projects he worked on before his death from cancer in 2023, making his departure even more meaningful.
Next week, the show needs to go into the police gang utilising the Punisher symbol and answer the question we are all dying to know—where is Frank Castle?
