You can also listen to the Stereo Geeks' episode on Season 1 here.

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Ron: Hello and welcome to a new episode of Stereo Geeks. Today, we’re reviewing Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. I’m one of your hosts, Ron. I’m a pop culture critic and was the managing editor at Women Write About Comics. 

Mon: And I’m your other host, Mon, an entertainment writer with bylines in Bam Smack Pow and Huffpost, to name a few. We’ve seen the entire second season of Born Again but we won’t be sharing any spoilers.

Ron: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Mon: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

[Music]

Ron: When we last left Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, his arch-nemesis, Kingpin, aka Mayor Wilson Fisk (played by Vincent D’Onofrio), had turned New York into a police state. Fisk and his anti-vigilante taskforce were harassing and imprisoning people under the pretense of searching for vigilantes. Sound familiar? Now deemed a threat to the city, Daredevil and his best friend/partner, Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll, go underground in the hopes of fighting back.

Mon: This season also picks up Dr Heather Glenn’s story following her run-in with the serial killer Muse. Glenn is played by Margarita Levieva. Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel, continues to be a thorn in Daredevil’s side, as well as a danger to Vanessa Fisk, played by Ayelet Zurer.

Ron: We also get more of Michael Gandolfini’s Daniel Blake, Genneya Walton’s BB Urich, and Arty Froushan’s Buck Cashman. I was relieved to see the return of Kirsten McDuffie, the councillor that Matt used to work for. McDuffie, played by Nikki M. James wasn’t in the first season much but this time around, she owns much of the courtroom action and gives the story a more grounded feel. Plus, there are a few new characters.

Mon: Daredevil, the Netflix version, was such a Rosetta Stone for Marvel and superhero fans. I was with it for the majority of Season 1, then I just couldn’t get back into it. Born Again won people back, and while I really liked a lot of the first season, I know our critiques overshadowed our enjoyment. 

Ron: As I mentioned in our Season 1 review, I barely watched anything of the Netflix Daredevil show. Four or five episodes, at the most. I did end up enjoying most of the first season of Born Again, but I wasn’t overly excited for its return. I have changed my mind!

Mon: This season; I loved it. I loved it from the get-go. It was so intense, and stressful. 

Ron: I can’t say I loved this season from the beginning. Unlike you, I thought the first episode of Season 2 was a bit slow, for my taste. But from episode two onwards, I was completely hooked. I wholeheartedly loved this season. I can’t believe how much I looked forward to every episode. And when each episode ended, I wanted to sit there, watching the credits, mulling over the fantastic story we’d just witnessed.

Mon: Yeah, me too. I couldn’t wait for each episode. I loved being in this world, which is so messed up and horrible, but we have heroes here, as well. Complicated heroes. Equally complicated villains. And sometimes, we don’t know which is which. 

Ron: The strongest part of this season is that it isn’t a one-man show. The first season took its own sweet time to set up the new world around Matt, and paved the path to his return to being Daredevil. It was, in hindsight, a bit too slow to do so. Not having Matt be his alter ego made the story directionless. Here, Matt is back to being Daredevil and that gives the story propulsion. The pacing is excellent.

Mon: Indeed, this isn’t just Matt’s show. It isn’t just Daredevil’s show either. There’s a host of other people here–people who have their own lives and motivations and parts to play. They come and go, but the show found a way to weave them into the story whenever they were needed. The expanded universe around Matt immersed me in the story even more. It’s not the story of one man–which is a criticism the MCU has come in for recently. He’s a man fighting for all these people. But the people are also doing what they can. 

Ron: What I also think made this season work was that it was one cohesive narrative. The first season was broken up into three-episode arcs. I don’t know if this is a new thing Disney is trying with their shows, but it didn’t work very well for Born Again, and it certainly didn’t for Andor Season 2. Having one story arc with multiple plotlines served the pace and characters so much better this time around.

Mon: One of my issues with Season 1 was that I felt like the creators dropped the most relevant storyline–which was about governmental overreach. They pick that back up and double-down on it in this season. It was depressing watching a lot of this show, because, barring a man running around in a devil suit, parts of Season 2 were indistinguishable from the news out of the US. Systemic violence; untrained government lapdogs disappearing people; a justice system that might as well be a joke? It’s real life. And it’s not going anywhere. We have always loved how superhero properties reflect political realities and aspirations. I’m so glad Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 does not shy away from that. 

Ron: The AVTF might as well be ICE, without the masks. It’s a tough watch and this season attempts to commentate on what has become a terrifying reality for so many people in the US.

Mon: And the show posits that not all heroes wear masks and supersuits. This is a Marvel show, so yes, we need a superhero leading the way. But regular people, like in real life, are putting themselves in the firing line to make a change. This season is an emotional and harrowing watch for those reasons.

Ron: Time and again this season, we see regular people without masks take a stand at great risk to themselves. I like that the message is that everyone can be a hero; and on the flipside, anyone can be a villain. It’s a choice people have to make.

Mon: As much as I loved this season, I will say that it loses cohesion after the fourth episode. All MCU shows have a major pivot in episode 4. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is no different. But the next two episodes felt like they were treading water. Yes, we needed a minute to process, but the story stagnated. And then it really ramped up. 

Ron: Oh, I didn’t feel that way. I liked the slowdown of Episode 5, in fact, I was desperately waiting for it because the first four episodes were so frenetic. Episodes 5 and 6 needed to take their time to build up those stakes so the final two episodes could be impactful.

Mon: Fair point. Another weird thing–and this may be an editing issue–people kept showing up just when they were needed. I was like, how did you know to be here? It happened a lot in the second half of the season.

Ron: That’s storytelling magic. I’ll give it a pass.

Mon: But the high of the finale… I’m still reeling. It was unexpected.

Ron: Unexpected is right. I was really curious how they were going to end this season, or maybe this is the end of the show entirely? The story does not go where one would expect. There are twists and turns, and manipulations. I was yelling at the screen. 

Mon: Me too!

Ron: And then the season ends at such an unusual place. That makes complete sense but is not where you would think a superhero show would go. I can’t believe I’m saying these words about Daredevil but we need another season.

Mon: Let’s talk about the characters. I loved all of them. I felt for all of them. I am losing my mind that I gasped, and laughed, and, not gonna lie, shed a couple of tears, with and for some of the characters. Even the villains! This show’s writing. These actors’ performances. They brought these people to life. I loved spending time with each of these characters. 

Ron: I will say that the villains are my favourite, even more than Matt. He was an absolute jerk by the end of the first season, and I straight up did not like him.

Mon: He was. I am so relieved that Matt’s a nice person again. He was the absolute worst by the end of Season 1. But, here, he’s let go of his anger, and replaced it with dogged, sometimes misguided, determination. He felt more at ease this season. Which is the point. The season found the right balance of Matt and Daredevil as well. Bar one episode, I didn’t feel like either Matt or Daredevil were being left behind. 

Ron: It’s interesting that you loved how much more Matt there was this season, whereas, for me, the Fisks, Wilson and Vanessa, were the biggest draw.

Mon: Well, I’d argue I was definitely here for the Fisks, as well. But Matt’s our hero, you know. I wanna be able to cheer him on. I want to spend time with him. 

Ron: He’s our hero but the Fisks are so compelling. I am going to sound unhinged, but I absolutely love Wilson Fisk. 

Mon: Dude, why do you always like the villains?

Ron: Oh no, is it a pattern? I don’t know how Vincent D'Onofrio does it but he makes Wilson so believable and easy to understand. He doesn’t have to say anything. A small glance, a pucker of the lips, and you know exactly what’s going through Fisk’s mind. He’s gorgeous to watch and I honestly loved him more than Matt. Sorry, Charlie Cox. You’re doing great, but I’m all in on Wilson Fisk. Wouldn’t vote for him, though.

Mon: Hilarious. But I agree with you. Fisk is compelling. And the gravitas and restraint that D'Onofrio brings to the character makes him unstoppable to watch.

Ron: D'Onofrio and Zurer are a power couple! They’re deliciously evil with their constant machinations. You never know who Wilson and Vanessa are going to target next.

Mon: Their evil chemistry is incredible. But they find the human heart of these devils. I really felt for them this season. Seriously unbelievable stuff.

Ron: Yes! You truly believe these two monsters are in love and deserve happiness. How do they do that?

Mon: Storytelling, mate!

Mon: Now, one grouse I have is that there was not enough Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter looks like she never stopped playing the character. But we were promised Jessica and we got so little of her. 

Ron: A huge part of the appeal of this season was seeing Jessica Jones again. They’ve been teasing it almost immediately since the previous season ended. But Jessica Jones fans will be disappointed by her limited screen time. She’s great fun to watch and Krysten Ritter steps back into the role like no time has passed. Maybe Marvel will renew her show now?

Mon: We need more Jessica!

Mon: I had a couple other major issues with this season. One was Matt’s blindness. Seems like everyone forgot that Matt was blind in this season, and he would react to non-verbal cues. Like how? His superhearing isn’t that powerful that he can hear someone turn their head and glare at him. That’s sarcasm, by the way. It was so frustrating to see that. Because, one of the things you’d mentioned about Season 1 was the way they demonstrated how Matt navigates the world as a blind man. 

Ron: Season 1 definitely handled Matt’s abilities better than this one. I made a valiant effort to explain away some of the non-verbal moments but I have to admit, they definitely made a few strange choices. And I do think it comes down to the editing. As much as I enjoyed this season, the editing was not as sharp as it should have been. The action scenes? Lovely. The conversation scenes? Not as much. Random cuts in the middle of sentences, a lot of jump cuts that felt less like stylistic choices and more like rush jobs.

Mon: Oh interesting. I spotted a few continuity errors, but the editing didn’t bother me that much. Until they kept making Matt react to things he obviously couldn’t hear or feel.

Ron: Had it not been for the strong writing, I would have thought this season was rushed. And that might explain why they kept those shots of Matt reacting to people and things he clearly could not see.

Mon: My other major criticism is BB Urich. She’s there but she’s not. She pops up for plot purposes. She also comes across as really dumb. If you’re the sole recipient of confidential information, don’t go out and share it immediately. Because, guess what? Everyone will know it was you who shared it. What kind of journalist would do that? 

Ron: Yes, I was hoping that the show would go in a different direction for BB. She’s the niece of Ben Urich, one of the MCU’s better known journalists. There is no way that she’s going to make such silly mistakes.

Mon: They could have had such a strong story between BB and Daniel—friends on opposing sides of morality. But they blew it with the portrayal in this season.

Ron: There wasn’t room for it. A lot of their friendship is implied and then the episodes rush through the story beats. As I said, I loved this season, but I can’t help feeling like there’s a missing season, or episodes that would have tied the first and second seasons together. There are a lot of characters and a lot of plotlines that were set up last year and needed conclusions this season. But they only had eight episodes to do it in. If this season had been longer or this story had been stretched over two seasons of eight episodes each, we would have got a stronger story with BB and Daniel. As well as other characters, like Zabryna Guevara’s Sheila. So much potential for that character wasted.

Mon: This is the issue. We need more episodes. 8, 9, 10 episodes, not even an hour-long? It’s simply not enough. You can’t expand the cast of characters, add more storylines, and then give us less of the show. Some things have got to suffer. 

Ron: Exactly. And there’s another area that suffered. I was trying to keep track of this and I think I’ve got it right, this season does not pass the Bechdel-Wallace test. There are plenty of scenes where there are two women talking to each other but they always talk about men. 

Mon: Yep. You’re unfortunately right. 

Ron:The conversation may not start that way, but it always becomes about men. I couldn’t help notice that and I am quite disappointed because there are so many ladies. I was sure when Vanessa and Heather were meeting, they’d discuss something else, talk about each other. The chemistry between Zurer and Levieva was so palpable–you could tell they were becoming good friends. But nope, they just talked about dudes and their friendship wasn’t explored as deeply.

Mon: Shocking that we even have to keep track of this in 2026. All the characters, especially the ladies, are still compelling to watch, though. 

Mon: I’ll say, I did love the action scenes in this season. The OG Daredevil show popularized hallway fight scenes in superhero fare, and each season has been building off that season.

Ron: The action this season was even better than the first season! I absolutely loved it. The scenes were so gripping and I felt myself holding my breath. The one-take appearance of the scenes made them even more incredible. I’m pretty sure they weren’t shot in one-take. There were some obvious places where they were cutting to move to the next shot, but the effect was seamless and absolutely breath-taking. And I liked that it didn’t have that off-putting shaky-cam effect either. It was smooth, easy to watch, and delightful.

Mon: This season’s action was restrained and slick. We’re embedded in the scenes, inches away from a kick to the face or a baton to the chest. The camera is following not just the fighters but also the weapons. It’s visceral. The creative team captured that frenetic feeling of being in such an environment. You’re looking everywhere. There’s no time to breathe or cut to the next scene. Glorious! 

Ron: I’ve also got to say, I was so worried about the levels of gore this season. First go-around, there were scenes we had to look away from. There’s plenty of blood and broken bones this time but the gore was much more manageable. No squeezed heads.

Mon: Wrapping up with this season. I was looking forward to being back in the MCU. It’s been a minute since the lovely, but extremely curtailed, Wonder Man. I am floored by this season. It was an immersive, tense, disturbingly real experience. The writing, acting, and action scenes were magical. I loved watching these characters. I loved spending time with them. Agreeing with their actions. Disagreeing with their other actions. Yes, the show has problems. But this was an unbelievable experience. This is why we love Marvel, y’all!

Ron: I am blown away by Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. I did not expect to love it as much as I did, especially since I had quite a few issues with the first season. The Fisks are the selling points for me but it’s great to see Matt Murdock be heroic again. The action is gorgeous. The pacing is excellent. Some editing could have been better. The story is so layered, grounded, politically relevant, and unexpected. It pays off the slow burn of the first season by making the new characters matter beyond their connections to Matt. We need more!