Things are coming to a head quickly for Matt, Karen, and Fisk as alliances crack and tensions mount in NYC. Sorry this recap is late—I’ll be writing one IMMEDIATELY after the season finale on May 5!
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN S2 Ep 7
MAKE SURE YOU’VE WATCHED BEFORE PROCEEDING
Previously in DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) was caught and arrested at a protest by the murderous Officer Powell (Hamish Allan-Headley). Daredevil (Charlie Cox) found Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) grieving—and homicidally angry—over the death of his wife, and condolences lead immediately to a brutal fight. Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini) struggles with what to do, knowing that his best friend BB Urich (Genneya Walton) is producing the “City Without Fear” viral vidcasts that have enraged Fisk.
As this episode begins, Matt is listening to the aftermath of the previous night’s protest, which the Anti-Vigilante Task Force provoked into a riot. It hasn’t helped Fisk’s standing in the city, and his administration is facing public disapproval and interference from the governor’s office. Fighting on multiple fronts while still emotionally broken, Fisk is losing control.
Meanwhile, Karen has been booked into jail. Fisk visits Karen in her cell and comes close to killing her, after goading her with insults and slanders; she realizes he’s afraid.
Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard) gets a visit from Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter). She warns him to steer very clear of herself and her daughter, though Charles notes that her powers seem erratic now—and he’s got Luke Cage (Mike Colter) doing work overseas, meaning he controls whether he comes home. Jessica later relays to Matt something important: Charles believes Fisk will try to kill Gov. McCaffrey (Lily Taylor) to protect his criminal businesses.
Matt and Jessica game out where things will go next, reaching conclusions neither of them like. Jessica can’t stay around, she has a daughter to protect, but if Matt needs her, she’ll return. Karen will be going on trial at once, in an effort to smoke out Daredevil.
A friend gives Matt and Karen a chance to connect, where he gives her an idea of his plan. She doesn’t like it but she understands why.
Matt devises a risky scheme to get around Fisk, showing up in court to defend Karen and daring the criminal Mayor to make a move. And he has another ace in the hole to play: Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), who’s given a way to redeem himself.
Fisk meets with Matt’s ex, Dr. Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), giving her an earring to match the one she stole from Vanessa Fisk’s jewelry box. The blood-red ruby marks Glenn’s damning herself with alliance to Fisk.
Daniel and BB are at a crossroads. Daniel has been stalling Buck Cashman (Arty Froushan) but decides to get them to a safehouse… except the place turns out to be Buck’s address. Struggling with the morality of what he’s done and what he’s doing, Daniel tells BB to run and goes to face Buck alone. “Make it count.”
Karen is taken to court and Matt arrives to defend her, goading Fisk and his allies into attacking him openly. Fisk had built Matt into a “missing hero” and Matt’s turned that back on him. Unfortunately, the AVTF decides to take him out of the picture, managing to injure him in a garage shootout.
The governor moves to take away Fisk’s island, but then a hooded attacker tries to kill her—only to be killed in turn by Bullseye.
Daniel and Buck have a final meeting, ending with a fight.
After the first court date, Karen faces Heather. The doctor’s dishonest psych evaluations have supported Fisk’s illegal incarcerations, and their back-and-forth degenerates into nasty personal attacks and the doctor slapping Karen not once but several times; her control is clearly fracturing under the strain of PTSD (from surviving a murder attempt).
Matt seeks solace in the church once again, which is where Jessica finds him.
Daniel hasn’t told Buck anything. Instead, badly beaten, he’s lying on the floor, asking Buck when it’ll be his turn to stare down a gun barrel. Buck hesitates, and then shoots Daniel in the head. He pauses on his way out, then leaves.
Things are coming to a boiling point here really quickly. Karen is trapped in prison, Matt and Jessica are contending with an unstable Fisk, and the city is coming apart at the seams. Although the people of NYC had supported Fisk before, the Northern Star debacle and the heavy-handed tactics of his AVTF have turned against him; it’s only a matter of time before a single riot turns into citywide havoc.
On May 5, the season reaches an end. Will Fisk lose control of the city? Will Karen be released? Will Dr. Glenn and the crooked DA get what’s coming to them? We’ll find out soon. Be here Tuesday night for my episode/season recap!
