Daredevil: Born Again Season 1’s Best Episodes, Ranked

The following contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, now streaming in its entirety on Disney+.

When fans learned Daredevil was being revived under the Disney+ banner, many were eager to know if it would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a bit vague given the show has ignored Matt Murdock’s fling with Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. It also hasn’t mentioned anything about Spider-Man being a client of Matt Murdock.

Nonetheless, the nine episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are layered in grit and rage, paying tribute to the Netflix days. It tells the harrowing story of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk using chaos and violence to take control of New York, all while the Man Without Fear struggles in retirement. There’s no doubt that Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 told a high-octane story, but which of the nine episodes is the absolute best?

9 Daredevil: Born Again Created Major Conflict

Season 1, Episode 2, "Optics"

Episode 2, «Optics,» shows Matt how divided his city is. Matt has to defend Hector Ayala (aka the White Tiger) after the man gets involved in a police scuffle and a diabolical conspiracy. Hector gets charged with an unfair assault, which showcases an abuse of power by law enforcement. It plants seeds of rage, pushing Matt to remember his killer instinct when he beats up some corrupt cops while investigating the case. It affirms Matt has to figure out his moral compass and whether he believes in the judicial system rather than taking the law into his own hands.

8 Daredevil: Born Again Crushed Matt's Soul

Season 1, Episode 1, "Heaven's Half Hour"

The basis for Matt’s shattered ethics comes when Born Again kills Foggy Nelson in the opener. It pushes Daredevil to nearly kill Bullseye in retaliation. At this point, Matt grows self-destructive by pushing Karen Page away to San Francisco, while refusing to don the costume again. Months later, Matt attempts to heal, sparking a romance with Heather Glenn.

As cute as it is with the therapist, fans can see he is in denial. Matt has to process more of his feelings, which plants seeds and lets agony take root. As for Fisk, his Kingpin side is hinted to still exist after Vanessa’s affair. But he uses Heather for therapy with his wife, affirming he will be playing his own cerebral game. It’s rare to see Fisk so calm and collected, giving him a new dimension while Matt breaks and contemplates revenge.

7 Daredevil: Born Again Unraveled Key Players

Season 1, Episode 3, "The Hollow of His Hand"

Matt is the first to come undone in Born Again Season 1. He exposes Hector as a vigilante to show the jury and public that he is a good man, but it backfires. A cop who believes in lethal measures like the Punisher hatches a scheme that leads to Hector taking a bullet to the head. This disaster continues to warp Matt’s belief in doing what’s right. Vengeance is obviously consuming the Catholic hero.

Fisk, surprisingly, begins to lose his grip a bit and is really faking his temperament. The Adam affair gnaws at him. Furthermore, Fisk and Vanessa disagree on how he should go legit to maintain his mayoral role, and how she should corral gangs to maintain the cartel Fisk left behind. It’s an intriguing clash of philosophies, portending visceral games with Vanessa. It adds a new cut as well, as Fisk now has someone else to keep an eye on besides Matt. Themes of subterfuge, loyalty and trust pepper the plot nicely here.

6 Daredevil: Born Again Showed Old Dogs Never Die

Season 1, Episode 4, "Sic Semper Systema"

Throughout Season 1, Born Again reinforces that men with anger issues will forever have beasts caged within. In Fisk’s case, he has Adam imprisoned and tortured. He also intimidates Daniel after some political secrets get leaked, only to make him an heir of sorts. This is the Kingpin side emerging, albeit with a capitalist twist. A vulnerable Matt, conversely, has an emotional empire to assess and tracks down Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, elaborating more on the Punisher cult taking form.

Jon Bernthal Details

Art imitates life, as this, as uncomfortable as it is, is a throwback to the Blue Lives Matter bigots. Frank tries to bring out the brutality in Matt, making it clear they need to fight fire with fire, or more people like Foggy will keep dying. This is a critical juncture, hinting that Matt might end up killing corrupt cops for Hector and ending Bullseye for killing Foggy. Given Muse is teased, too, the Disney+ show does a great job of reiterating how Matt will always have his faith and composure challenged.

5 Born Again Opened a Can of Horror

Season 1, Episode 6, "Excessive Force"

Born Again Season 1, Episode 6 has Fisk preparing his blackmail plans to get socialites like Jack Duquesne to back his port rebuild. He also begins mobilizing a Task Force to hunt and kill vigilantes. It’s essentially his march towards martial law, nodding to the Devil’s Reign comics and Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts. Born Again does a good job of using these chess moves to heighten the anticipation of Matt’s return.

It cascades into Daredevil jumping back into action to track down Muse and save Angela (Hector’s niece). It’s a welcome shot of adrenaline. Matt cuts loose, with Muse returning the favor like a Hand ninja. Matt wins this battle, but what really portends doom and gloom is how Kingpin is seen beating up Adam. He does so for pleasure, while Matt fights out of necessity. It compounds the fact that Fisk still has the upper-hand as he gears up to unleash horror on the Big Apple.

4 Daredevil: Born Again Offered a Welcomed Respite

Season 1, Episode 5, "With Interest"

Usually, breaking the momentum of a larger narrative isn’t a good thing. But Born Again Season 1 gambles, risks a lot, and ends up paying dividends. This one-shot episode has Matt fighting off bank robbers. While the inclusion of Yusuf (Kamala Khan’s father) feels a bit forced, the action and drama are enough to negate the Easter eggs being tied in.

«With Interest» is a tense episode, giving Born Again a hot take on Inside Man, starring Denzel Washington. Matt has to stop the villains, prevent hostages from dying, and achieve success in a short timeframe before the police raid and endanger people. It has epic fights and reminds fans how, even in the daytime, Matt can disguise himself, improvise and save the day. Seeing Matt’s lighter side with Yusuf further helps to build hope that he has a modicum of light within.

3 Daredevil: Born Again Subverted Bullseye

Season 1, Episode 8 "Isle of Joy"

The premiere let Bullseye flex his muscles before Matt smashed him. But Born Again Season 1, Episode 8 began to add new facets to the hitman. It drapes him with nuance, bringing out more of his Benjamin Poindexter side. From him being used as a hound of war to Matt assaulting him in an interrogation, viewers actually feel sympathy. That tragic sense of compassion quickly goes out the window when he kills people and escapes jail. But it reiterates that Bullseye is a weapon.

Having Bullseye as the fracture point that really creates a gap between Matt and Heather works wonders. This all happens while Fisk and Vanessa gloat in their minds that Matt will save people like them in the line of fire, thanks to a failed hit by Bullseye. It’s such a profound dichotomy, watching Matt trying to be pure and Bullseye trying to wash away his sins. The fact that Vanessa kills Adam in front of Fisk illustrates that they are basking in the glow of their ivory tower as people try unsuccessfully to get to them. They are galvanized, while Matt’s fragile world continues to crumble.

2 Daredevil: Born Again Created a New Dagger

Season 1, Episode 7, "Art for Art's Sake"

While Kingpin and Vanessa keep plotting, «Art for Art’s Sake» smartly dials in on a Muse rematch. It has Matt saving Heather, only for her to kill Muse. This begins to fray the couple, with Heather leaning more towards Fisk’s no-vigilante movement. Heather thinks costumed heroes like Daredevil will keep breeding monsters. It’s a deep, philosophical episode, sharpening a dagger that slowly but surely pierces Matt’s heart.

The fact that the Task Force expands, is willing to lie and become blind acolytes to Fisk further corrodes Matt’s sanity. Viewers see Vanessa and her husband steeling up their bond, too, endorsing violence and even killing their own gangsters to create a new era. One Matt feared would pass if he didn’t suit up before. Watching Fisk assemble devoted acolytes helps drape new swaths of guilt into Matt’s story.

1 Daredevil: Born Again Was An Infinity War Homage

Season 1, Episode 9, "Straight to Hell"

The Born Again Season 1 finale confirms that Vanessa freed Bullseye to kill Foggy, while revealing the shady port deal she and Fisk are entrenched in. The thing is, even when Matt suits up, he can’t stop the mini-civil war. New York burns when Fisk cuts power and has his Task Force hunting Matt and the Punisher. Even Karen’s return can’t aid the heroes the way they want as they are short of numbers.

Fisk enacts a martial law, glowing over his oppression. He’s strong-arming politicians, advocating killing protestors, murdering people like Commissioner Gallo, and having Vanessa expand her own underworld. They’re basically forming a conglomerate that will be legally untouchable. Marvel fans can see parallels to Madripoor, the Stromwyns (from the comics), and even Hydra. As much as Matt and Frank take villains down, more corrupt soldiers ride with Fisk.

Even Heather accepts a role as Fisk’s Commissioner of Mental Health. It is an Avengers: Infinity War ending that works in class warfare, where Matt needs more allies if he is to free his city in Born Again Season 2. The rich are taking over, the police answer to no one but corporate overlords, and Matt’s control is thin. Audiences end up curious if the likes of Frank will help or be detrimental to Matt’s crusade that is striking fear and tormenting him once more.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 is streaming in its entirety on Disney+.