Sorry for the delay on this one! Daredevil: Born Again returns for its penultimate episode this week, and it was quite the episode! A lot of plot points collided this week, including the reintroduction of Bullseye to the plot and the tone that the show takes (and why!).

The pacing and tone of this week’s episode felt very different than most of the season to date. That’s because this episode, along with episodes one and nine, were part of the overhaul (along with anything with Vanessa and Frank, for example). As such, because this episode features a different creative team than most of what we’ve seen to date, it felt more like classic Daredevil and showcased the full potential of what this series could’ve been. I think it’s too late to say that this revival will be iconic, as the bulk of the season felt a bit meandering, but the best episodes to date do track with the newer vision. It is telling, though, that the strongest episodes to date have been this one and the pilot, both completely rehauled episodes under new guidance.

The episode opens with Poindexter, aka Bullseye, being transferred to gen pop in prison, which we later learn was at the direction of Fisk. Despite being in just a few scenes, Poindexter’s influence hangs over the whole episode, as he calls Matt for a face-to-face in prison after his transfer. Of course, Matt obliges and begins to deduce that Bullseye wasn’t on a murder spree in the premiere out of revenge, but on a job. While at Josie’s, he learns that Foggy was actually celebrating something, which may have been the reason a hit was placed on him in the first place.

When they do come face to face, it is brief, and Matt even loses his cool, slamming Dex’s face onto the desk. But that action will have consequences, as Dex is able to knock out a loose tooth in his mouth and use it as a projectile (something he does in the comics) to ultimately escape from prison, killing staff members in the process. In a way, those deaths then are partly Matt’s fault, as they’d still be alive if Matt kept his cool.

Matt is able to learn through intel gathering throughout the episode that it wasn’t Wilson Fisk who organized the hit, but Vanessa Fisk, who was the de facto Kingpin while Wilson was away. All this sleuthing and anger, between Foggy and the whole Muse incident, has created quite a bit of tension between Matt and Heather. That only gets worse when Heather gets invited to the Black and White Ball hosted by the Mayor.

It’s here where things get very interesting, as Matt (who arrives late) confronts Vanessa on the dancefloor about Foggy. Of course she denies it, but it’s at that moment where Matt hears a sniper being cocked and in an unexpected twist, Matt ends up taking a bullet for Wilson Fisk, whose white suit is coated in blood and looks an awful lot like his painting now. I wonder how Wilson will react to this, knowing he now owes his life to his sworn enemy? And what will go through Matt’s head when he recovers? Is it a Catholic obligation to due with his conscience that forced him to save his nemesis, even if that means others will suffer? It’s a lot to chew on, and it’s a shame that the rest of the season hasn’t had this level of nuance or depth, as this episode really was compelling and gripping.

Stay tuned for our review of the finale next week!