Seven years after last suiting up in Netflix’s Daredevil, Charlie Cox’s Devil of Hell’s Kitchen finally makes his triumphant return this time firmly within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show wastes no time reuniting us with the original key players from the Netflix show but things quickly take an unexpected turn that triggers a domino effect we’re sure to feel throughout the season ahead.
Warning: Daredevil: Born Again spoilers ahead!
As the episode begins, Matt, Karen, and Foggy are heading out to Josie’s to enjoy a drink and celebrate the retirement of Cherry from the NYPD police force. Between some shop talk, Foggy gets a call from a client he’s representing which Matt overhears using his enhanced hearing abilities and he quickly realizes something is wrong. Matt and Karen race out to join Foggy outside as Foggy tells him he believes something is wrong after the call he got from Benny, and Matt quickly heads out giving us our first shot of Cox suited up as Daredevil as he swings through the streets to go check on Benny.
While leaping over the rooftops on his way to Benny, Matt hears Foggy as he gets another call from Benny who apologizes to Foggy as he tells him “He wanted to know where you were.”
Mat realizes something is up and races back to the bar, but not before Bullseye shoots Foggy multiple times before arriving at Jose’s where he fires off more shots as Daredevil finally makes his way to the scene. A fight between Bullseye and Daredevil ensues and both men take a beating as the fight moves to the rooftop above Josie’s.
Down on the street, Karen tries to stop the bleeding but her efforts prove fruitless as Foggy dies in her arms. Back up on the roof, Matt realizes his friend has died and pushes Bullseye off the building. A distracted Matt takes off his cowl just as Cherry arrives on the rooftop and uncovers his identity and the credits then begin to roll.
Foggy dies in Daredevil: Born Again, but not Bullseye
We jump ahead a year from the opening sequence from the night Foggy died and watch as Fisk and Matt get ready for their respective days.
It’s revealed that Vanessa has been sitting at the head of the table and keeping the five families in place within the city while Fisk was away, but he’s officially back and we quickly learn that there is a severe rift between them. Fisk assures her he is here to stay as long as she’ll have him and makes a subtle reference to the events of Echo that kept him away. Now that he’s back, he’s apparently set his sights on rising to power as the mayor of New York and has now gathered the needed number of signatures to secure a spot on the ballad.
Before we join Matt at his law office, we learn that Daredevil has been gone for a long time now and that crime is on the rise within New York City. It seems that Matt hung up his cowl after Foggy’s death and has turned his back on his alter ego. At the office, we formally meet Matt’s new legal partner Kirsten Mcduffie, a former DA, who indicates Matt hasn’t spoken with Karen for months now.
We cut to the courtroom where Matt takes the stand to testify against Bullseye, who we learn did not die after his fall from the building the night Foggy died. As Matt is giving his emotional testimony, Karen enters the courtroom and you can cut the tension with a knife. The judge asks Poindexter if he has any comments before rendering his verdict of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Following the sentencing, Matt and Karen catch up and we learn that Karen has moved to San Francisco and things between her and Matt are more than a little icy. It seems after Foggy’s death, Matt started to push Karen away until one day the two simply stopped talking. As they talk, Matt reveals that he made a promise to himself to let the system handle things and left Daredevil behind in his past. Just before she leaves she hands him the broken horn from his Daredevil mask she found the night Foggy died and races off after.
Back at home, Matt is cooking dinner when he hears Fisk addressing the city on TV. Fisk comments about how vigilantes are making the city no longer safe and that he’s making a commitment to fix the city as he declares his candidacy for mayor of New York City. His announcement quickly gets the city talking and Fisk begins putting a political team together to help with his campaign led by Sheila Rivera. The team also consists of eager political strategist newcomer Daniel Blake and Fisk’s righthand man Buck Cashman.
As Matt walks through the street the following day, he listens in on reactions to Fisk with some in support and some not. Kirsten arranges for him to meet with a potential new client, but he quickly finds out that Kirsten pulled a fast one on him and set him up with a friend of hers, therapist Heather Glenn, who has also been blindsided by her friend. While the pair might not have intended to find themselves on a date, they end up chatting.
When he returns to the office, Matt confronts Kirsten about the setup but it’s clear they hit it off, though Matt refuses to let Kisten know her matchmaking was a success. Shortly after, Cherry arrives and the pair talk about Fisk’s play for mayor. Cherry reveals that half the cops hate Fisk, while the other half seem more than ready to fight by his side, and he also informs Matt that the campaign seems to be clean from what he’s found. Interestingly, Matt’s reaction is not one of concern but instead, he simply tells Cherry that if the people of New York City elect Fisk maybe they’re getting the mayor they deserve as he lets Cherry know he no longer needs him to look into Fisk.
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 episode 1 ending explained
Following the candidate debate in which he makes it clear his primary objective as mayor will be to create a registry for vigilantes and put the power back into the police, Matt goes to see Fisk and asks him for a little chat.
The pair meet up at a diner and Fisk admits it’s not entirely unpleasant to see Matt again, that it’s been a long time. He mentions trying to mentor someone and Matt asks about her shooting him in the face in a quick nod to the events of Echo. Fisk comments that Matt is keeping tabs on him to which Matt says to call it a professional curiosity. They both mention not making it to Hell’s Kitchen as often these days and the conversation moves along as the pair rehash some of the demons of their pasts.
Fisk assures Matt he’s a new man to which Matt asks why he can’t shake the feeling he’s gaming the system. Fisk claims he’s going to make New York a better future as he asks Matt why he stopped being a vigilante. Matt says his best friend was killed and a line was crossed, he felt like he lost the privilege; that despite the good he did, he was causing harm. Matt makes it clear to Fisk that if he tells him he’s a new man, fine, but he should know that he was raised to believe in retribution and that if Fisk steps out of line, he will be there.
Fisk asks who the warning he’s giving is from claiming Matt liked being on the rooftop with Dex dispensing justice. Matt tells him to stay in his lane and he’ll do the same. As their chat ends, Fisk issues a warning of his own to Matt telling him that when he becomes mayor he will not allow for vigilantes. Should Matt go back to any of his silly activities there will be consequences.
We cut ahead to election night and see that Matt and Heather are seemingly going strong. As they’re walking along he hears Fisk being declared the winner of the mayor’s race and his reaction to the news prompts Heather to ask him about the history there to which Matt replies that they’ve crossed paths. Fisk celebrates but it’s clear something is off with his relationship with Vanessa, who raises a glass to him before quietly sneaking out from the celebration party leaving a concerned look on his face.
Pivoting back to Matt and Heather, the pair share a kiss before she heads into her building. We then hear Fisk’s address. As Fisk looks down upon the city from the roof of his building, Matt walks through a crowd of New Yorkers celebrating and amid the celebration, Matt hears cries for help. Rather than racing into action, though, Matt stands in silence among the crowd as the episode comes to a close.