Is Daredevil ... "born again?"

The Daredevil TV show first debuted back in 2015. Wow, when you think about it, that was a different world, was it not? At the time, before Disney owned most of the known universe and the MCU was changing the face of American (and global cinema), the show seemed to resonate with audiences because it was different. It was dark, gritty, and bloody, highlighting characters, both heroes and villains, more in touch with their dark side than say, Captain America.

I, for one, loved the first season. It had a Batman Begins kind of vibe to it. Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox), was still a novice at being a costumed adventurer and was often treated like a punching bag as he learned to navigate the ins and outs of vigilantism. In that first season, he wasn't even featured in his trademark costume, still wearing all black. The second season, while excellent, started to fall into the typical superhero franchise trap of introducing too many supporting characters (naturally, in the hopes of launching spin-off series), but fans relished in seeing Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. The third season fell pretty flat, likely because of the impending sale of all things Marvel to Disney, after which the Daredevil show floated in a sort of limbo.

Now he's back in his new home of Disney+ in Daredevil: Born Again. Thankfully (and unlike what's happening in the DC comics films), Disney smartly brought the original cast back, which is good, because frankly, the cast of the Daredevil TV shows has been one of the primary things that has made the show so good. Charlie Cox is great as Matt Murdock, the vision-impaired lawyer who also happens to be Daredevil, defender of New York's Hell's Kitchen. As Murdock, he is vulnerable and tormented, someone who, unlike many others who don the cape and cowl, would rather not have to go about and beat people up to make the city a better place. But he also has a temper and can be brutal, meting out hard justice in slick, exciting sequences. Vincent D'Onofrio, in what I believe is his finest role, plays Kingpin, the Boss of Bosses in New York's underworld. Underrated as an actor, D'Onofrio is almost unrecognizable as the crime boss, he oozes menace every time he's on screen, every line delivered through a haze of rage and violence dying to escape. And Jon Bernthal as Punisher is as good an example of inspired casting as you could ever find. These characters (and there are lots of others, mind you) have helped give the show a dark complexity as they navigate the gray areas of society, crime, and justice, and I was excited to see the show back on the air.

In short, Daredevil: Born Again is mostly good, sometimes great, sometimes not so much. Starting with the death of one of his closest friends, Murdock decides he can be Daredevil no longer, swearing to himself that he will no longer put on the mask and fight crime. This is set against the backdrop of a mayoral election in which Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin, is elected to New York's top office. Fisk, swearing he's a changed man, vows to make the city safe and a great place to live again (sound familiar?), though Murdock and many others aren't buying it. In the wake of Daredevil's disappearance, other masked vigilantes take to the streets, causing Kingpin to go on a crusade to rid New York of vigilantism for good.

Kingpin as mayor, which happens early in the show, is a stroke of brilliance that clearly draws on the current American political landscape for inspiration, casting a critical eye on the public's susceptibility to celebrity and rhetoric, powerful ideas that probably aren't given enough screen time. It's one of the best aspects of the show this season, though by the last episode, it steps into the realm of incredulity and goes a little too far. I said earlier that Charlie Cox is great as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and he is. His performance since day one has been nuanced and complex, he's likeable and relatable in ways other superhero characters are not, but frankly, his retirement as Daredevil, which we as audience members know will only be temporary, goes on too long. Combine that with a series of other subplots - villains that pop in and out, other vigilantes, murder mysteries, corrupt cops, the Fisk's marital difficulties, this season at times feels like a soup with too many ingredients.

I came to suspect that what the showrunners were doing here was clearly setting up another season, and all these subplots and side roads would lead to other, bigger things in Daredevil: Born Again, Season 2, and perhaps other spinoffs. Frankly, I hope they do. While flawed, there's much about Daredevil: Born Again that works and harkens back to what made the series great in the first place. There's also some missteps here, the largest of which is the fact that a show called Daredevil goes far too long without Daredevil in it, and I thought Murdock came off a little too tormented and unwilling to put on the mask again (we're talking multiple episodes here, folks, in which the show kind of feels like a cross between NYPD Blue and Law and Order). Also underused is Bernthal's Punisher, again, likely to pop up somewhere else (rumor has it he's going to appear in the next Spiderman film). When the action does come, it's brutal and exciting and leaves you wanting more.

I know I want more, and I hope I get it.