‘Daredevil: Born Again’ episodes 5 & 6 struggle with consistency

By Ben Konuch

I am enjoying “Daredevil: Born Again” throughout its first few episodes, but my enjoyment is hand in hand with concerns about inconsistency. So far it’s been subtle, a mix of well-written and sloppy dialogue or a fantastic action sequence right before a horribly directed fight, but episodes five and six take every worry I had in the background and drag them into the forefront. 

Now, over halfway through the series, “Born Again’s” last two episodes at best feel like they’re treading water to survive the weight of the pre-reshoot episodes and at worst are rapidly being dragged under by them.

By no means is the show ruined from just two episodes, but they have seriously derailed the natural momentum built up by the first four episodes. Episode five is horribly out of place and demands the overarching story the season has been building to grind to a halt for a random “episode-of-the-week” format with nearly zero repercussions on the greater story at all. Episode six is much better and connects back to where we left off in episode four, but odd story decisions once again showcase inconsistency in an otherwise good episode.

Episode five sees Matt head to the bank to apply for a new loan for his firm, only to get denied by none other than Yusuf Khan, Kamala’s father from “Mrs. Marvel.” As Matt leaves the area, he hears armed robbers enter the bank and thrust every customer and employee into a hostage situation. Thinking quickly, Matt plays the fool by “wandering” back into the bank, acting as though he can’t see anything until it’s too late. Once captured, Matt must figure out what the robbers are after and how to stop them without risking any of the hostages while maintaining the secret of his real identity.

Despite the creative concept, the length of its entire runtime feels sloppy. Questionable acting from side characters, a plot that moves too slowly, Matt’s plan completely hidden from the audience, awful fight choreography and nearly no connection to the previous episodes make this one a slog to watch. I do praise the inclusion of Yusuf Khan, as he was honestly one of the only redeeming parts of the episode.

While fans often throw the term “filler” around too lightly, this episode was a true example of what filler looks like. It didn’t move Matt’s arc forward at all, and actively stalls the development from previous episodes. Additionally, the lack of any cuts to Fisk feels exceptionally jarring when the first four episodes established them as part of its formula.

But perhaps the greatest sin of this episode is how it takes away runtime from other events. When “Born Again” has already been downsized to a nine-episode season as opposed to “Daredevil’s” thirteen episodes each, taking an entire episode to focus on a side story is a huge blow to the season. This runtime could have been invested in so many ways, such as giving a greater mystery and arc to Matt’s investigation into the Muse killings that episode six rushes, but I suppose proper pacing was an unreasonable expectation from an MCU show.

Episode six picks up right where episode four left off, and the only connections from episode five are a brief flashback to Matt’s fight scene and a conversation with the villain behind the robbery and Fisk. Here, Fisk and Matt both come face-to-face with the crisis of Muse, a street artist discovered to mix his paint with human blood. The murals featured throughout the season are revealed to be made from the deaths of dozens of murdered victims, an incredible way to connect this crime from episode to episode without us realizing it.

In this episode, Fisk finally starts to show his true colors. He panders to New York’s elite to get support for his mysterious port expansion, but also creates an Anti-Vigilante Task Force by recruiting many of the crooked cops from earlier episodes. Fisk is gearing up for war against vigilantes, and Muse just happens to be the spark that lights the fire.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed seeing Matt leap into action finally as Daredevil, but the actual scene of his return felt oddly lacking. With no suiting up, no decision to grapple with and just a realization of danger and a sudden jump cut to him swinging around again, it feels disjointed, as does the speed at which Matt magically finds Muse on the first night. I can’t help but wish this was an arc built up over multiple episodes where we could watch Matt work to track down the serial killer instead of locating him immediately.

The final fight scene, though, is excellent. Cutting Fisk’s jealous attempted murder of his wife’s lover with Matt’s battle with Muse to save an innocent girl was more than just a well-shot and well-choreographed fight, it was a story in and of itself. For the last six episodes, we’ve seen both of these characters lean heavily on their masks, but these are their true faces: Daredevil and the Kingpin.

Episode six was a great culmination of a lot of build-up, but I couldn’t stop wishing that it was better paced and better written. If this is the future “Daredevil: Born Again” originally had in store for us, I can only pray that the new showrunners’ vision kicks in quickly.

I give “Daredevil: Born Again” episode 5  a score of 5.5 and episode 6 a score of 7.5

“Daredevil: Born Again” is now streaming on Disney+

Ben Konuch is a senior Strategic Communication student who serves as a writer for Cedars A&E and as their social media lead. He enjoys getting sucked into good stories, playing video games and swing dancing in the rain.

Images courtesy of Marvel Studios